Will & Dre

Fighting my PB!

I set out from my home in Linden Johannesburg at about 5:30. I will meet Willem and Joe at Centurion from where we will travel to Rietvlei dam. This is our first visit as fishing buddies to this location and I am somewhat exited!

Apparently this is one of South Africa’s most challenging dams and if your day doesn’t end with a blank ,it ends with a personal best. Or so they claim Unfortunately I do not have my bakkie yet so the rods are lined up on Gina’s  roof with the essentials in the back.

Willem and Joe are a bit late and I decide to grab a ‘lekker koppie boere troos’ from the nearest Wimpy when they finally phone. I take a long look at the half full cup and think to myself … AAAH, screw the coffee! Today I want to catch a ‘LEKKER’ fish!

It’s a bit overcast  but the admission fee is only R25 per person, the reserve is in mint condition and the banks are already packed with people. As always we leave everything else and start with the preparation of the rods and bait.

Not having a bait boat we fish at about 50 to 70 metres. Ok, so now the lines are in the water and it’s time to finish that coffee that I was ‘forced’ to leave this morning. There was no time for breakfast and it’s taking effect now, Joe is preparing his camera for ‘Daai GROTE’ while Willem is looking for the bacon and eggs. In the meantime I am 100% focused on preparing that coffee…

100% focused on that coffee

Our lines have been in the water for little more than an hour now. With our ’magies’ full and another pot of coffee brewing, we start to wait… As any group of respectable 24 year old males will do, we keep ourselves busy with a few constructive activities…

Willem doing constructive activity one - The snake man

Joe the camera man doing constructive activity two - Pink Tooth

FINALLY there is a big ZZZZZZZZZZZ at my left rod and I almost die trying to swallow my fizzer that I was using in the preparation of constructive activity three. I lift the rod and can immediately feel it’s rather big, surely this must be my PB! The fish at the end of the line is going wild and I must carefully give it some line to work with. The adrenaline is pumping and Willem is coming with the ‘skep net’, Joe is on the bank filming this glorious event. All that’s going through my mind is : “Don’t lose this one Andre, the fish is coming slowly but surely”.  As the fish is coming closer it finally breaks the surface and my heart stops for a second or two. Willem  take the words out of my mouth : “Dis ‘n LEKKER vis man!”

Pamela breaking the water for the first time

As a tradition we name the fish at first sight. As she is big and busty, she must be a Pamela! Pamela DOESN’T like the shallow water and I get a bit of resistance as she breaks the water surface for a second time.

Pamela breaking the surface for the second time

We move in a bit deeper, it’s always better to land a big carp in deeper water. The fish is tired now and Willem is moving closer with the landing net. This is a TENSE time, but Willem is an expert at this and finally after about 15 minutes PAMELA HAS LANDED.

Pamela has landed

Joe is just as exited on the bank as the two of us in the water. I don’t know if there is a better feeling than the one when you land that big fish! Pamela must be close to my PB Betty, a 7,2kg common carp. While I’m unhooking Pamela, Willem is getting the scale and… YES… she is a beauty at a weight of 8kg! I take back my previous statement, there is one better feeling than the one mentioned above and that is when you land that big fish and it is your personal best!

Pamela

Pamela

Pamela

With the excitement gone, we were waiting again, Willem always being his cool and collective self…

Willem being cool and collective

Unfortunately the rest of the day didn’t deliver any fish and Willem got his second blank at Rietvlei. So the myth might be true, if you do not have a blank you might just catch your personal best! Sorry Willem, hopefully it will be third time lucky as they say.

The days summary:

Fishing period: +- 7am to 4pm

Fish: 1 common carp of 8kg

Bait used: A Tutti Frutti Mielie on a hair rig

Distance the fish was caught at: +- 60m

Fishing spot: On the far left of the dam (left of the dam wall).

Conditions: Overcast