This fishing tale by the late ANDREW HUNTER graced the centre spread of an early-80s magazine punting Plett to tourists – and latter-day fishermen should still find it a relevant and interesting guide.
Fishing for Elf in the 1980s in Plett
EVER since the days of the old whalers, Plettenberg Bay and its immediate environs have been well known for their outstanding angling facilities and the sport – one of the biggest single forms of recreating in South Africa – is still a mainstay of the Bay’s tourist attractions.
Angling in Plettenberg Bay is good by any standards. Speaking in general terms, it can boast fine river and estuary rock and surf fishing, and its deep-sea game fishing potential has hardly been touched.
The Bay’s incredible weather, too, plays a big part in its story of success as primarily an angling resort. Day after day throughout the year, sunny, wind-free conditions give Plett a head start on most coastal resorts. And even if all this sounds too much like a fisherman’s tale, seasoned Plettenbergers will confirm it all.
Anyway, to get away from the eulogising, let’s take a look at the species of fish found along the Plettenberg Bay stretch of coastline.
Bread and butter fish first: Elf – they call them ‘shad’ in Natal – abound throughout the year. During the summer hundreds of thousands of the smaller green-backed variety are taken.
With the colder weather – June, July, August, September – come the big blue-backed winter elf, some of them running up to three or four kg. Boat anglers, trolling along the surf line or near the Blind Rocks, or off the Beacon Island and Lookout Rocks, land thousands of them.
Best time is early evening, fishing on until dark. The evening surf too, is a good idea for the larger elf – particularly along Lookout, Keurboomstrand, and Robberg beaches.
The elf is well known as a fine eating fish, and one of the nicest ways to prepare it is in a smoker.
Now for the king of the smaller rock feeders: Galjoen. This wily black fighter loves the white, foaming gullies, and puts up a tremendous battle when he’s hooked. The Tzitzikamma coast north of Plett, Keurboomstrand, and Robberg must rank with any top galjoen ground in the country.
The Tzitzikamma, remote and wild and almost inaccessible in places, offers some of the finest angling for any fish. Obviously, as a result of its inaccessibility, only the most determined of anglers climb its cliff-like shores.
And it is along these shores, cleft by deep swirling gullies and battered by the sea, that the noble galjoen lives in great numbers. Highly prized as an eating fish by some, though scorned by others, he is a delight to catch.
Then there are the big ones. The musselcrackers, the red steenbras, the bankblaauwers.
The musselcracker is one of the most sought after of the big fish. Plett’s cracker season starts in about November and goes through December, January, and February.
Fairly heavy tackle is needed and a certain amount of brute force must be used to stop a big cracker going to ground under a snag.
The yellowtail – lean, streamlined fighters, cunning and strong – take spinners and live bait and during a run at the Point they average between 10 and 20kg.
They belong to the tunny family and there is no mistaking the long powerful run of a big yellowtail – and there is no forgetting his gleaming green and gold as he comes to the gaff.
We come now to the river and estuary potential of Plett. Basically, it means the Keurbooms River and Bitou River, though the Bay is a gateway to the Knysna Lagoon and Lake Pleasant, famous Cape haunt of the black bass.
Kob, white steenbras, spotted grunter, leervis, and elf are the most common river catches and the odd fighting skipjack thrown in.
Steenbras, kob, and grunter are probably the most sought after river fish and on light tackle they provide river anglers with plenty of fun.
The local angling club set beneath the National Road over Keurbooms River, has roving boats and outboard motors for hire, and several riverside caravan parks hire boats and canoes. Mooring facilities are available from the club.
Résumé of fishing haunts
- Tzitzikamma Coast: cracker, galjoen, elf, leervis, yellowtail, red steenbras, white steenbras, kob, hottentot, zebra – and lots of rarities.
- Keurboomstrand and beaches: cracker, galjoen, elf, leervis, kob, white steenbras, hottentot, zebra, and leervis.
- Keurbooms River and the river mouth: kob, white steenbras, leervis, spotted grunter, elf, and skipjack.
- Lookout Rocks: elf, blacktail, kob, leervis, and galjoen.
- Beacon Island Rocks: elf, blacktail, kob, leervis, and galjoen.
- Robberg Beach: elf, kob, and leervis.
- Robberg: elf, kob, leervis, yellowtail, red steenbras, white Steenbras, galjoen, blacktail, cracker, hottentot, and zebra.
There’s plenty of fun to be had with rod and reel in Plett – for the smallest child with his first outfit to the man looking for the big ones. And if this is your first visit to the Bay on an angling holiday, you’ll be back…
Original article published in CXPress
