The Sardine News

Shad season in KZN South Africa is coming up! May as well get extra prepared and this all new model MYDO Silver Bullet Baitswimmer Shad Trace is designed and rigged in order for you to be the fastest on the beach. Use your lightest rod... your bass stick even... to simply lob this rig out over behind the shore break. Weighing in at half an ounce, add in half an ounce of bait, and you are right in the game. If you happen to have some nice thin braid on your feel, you have so many advantages. Once you get in a well placed cast, simply crank the bait in nice and slowly. Just fast enough to stay off the bottom and away from rocks. Giving your rod tip a little twitch every few turns will start them in fast. When you come under attack just twitch a bit harder and that super sharp treble will do it's work. You can buy your MYDO Silver Bullet Baitswimmer Shad Trace at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo. See you on the beach 1 December 2023! #shorts #mydo #shad #sardine #bait #trace #baitswimmer

It's been a good, but not great, winter down in JBay. Luckily for us Bruce missed a few sessions and got us some video. This is way back in September. we've got more sessions going all the way back to February about so you can be assured of a consistent stream of content from Brucifire. The new technologies available to us in this day and age have made it so much quicker to get videos through the studio. But that's what it takes in this game. Hopefully some summer swells make their merry way up the coast and light up a few special point breaks. in the meantime, please like and subscribe! And spread the word! #2023 #kzn #sardine #surf #surfing #jbay

#sardine #run #2023 #sardines #kzn #south #africa And the satellite tag goes into a 750 black marlin by Gazza Crabbe Captain Duarte Rato relates to us the story of how Gazza Crabbe got a satellite tag into this decent-sized black marlin. That went 750 lbs or so...a great size to be released carrying that very expensive tag around the place. The tag drops off and floats to the surface in a few weeks or months' time. This data is uploaded to a satellite and relayed back down to us here on Earth. To be extrapolated and merged with the data of many other satellite-tagged marlin. This data is then used to educate and inform the policy and decision-makers when it comes to the sustainable harvest of these beautiful animals. Unbelievably, South Africa is a top harvester of marlin and swordfish. We rake them out with long-lines by giving foreign ships permission to plough and pillage our waters. We really need to be better informed regards this fishing licensing racket that is going on. Why do we need foreign vessels catching fish in our waters? Just take a look on AIS right here. https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:35.2/centery:-28.5/zoom:6 If you've not checked this out before you will astounded as to how many boats are out there. The fishing ones are the orange markers. We really need to change our government completely. Hope Duarte's expensive satellite tag doesn't get hustled by a long-liner.! Back to Bazaruto Where Africas biggest marlin tagger Duarte Rato, is hard-at-work taming and tagging billfish left, right and centre. Check his website at https://fishbazaruto.com to get yourself out there and in amongst those monsters. Or enquire with me Sean right here on https://thesardine.co.za.

#sardine #run #2023 #sardines #kzn #south #african #africa #zambezi #shark #bull #estuary #fishing Another Zambezi Shark aka Bull Shark catch and release in the Umzimkulu Estuary As the season draws to a rainy close, the crew on Happy Daze have putting in the hard yards. Fishing through wind and rain, demonstrating the commitment it takes to get fish like these guys do. Gallery on https://thesardine.co.za... Fishing techniques The neat little boat Happy Daze can take a few passengers. Right through the season, every afternoon after work, she can be seen trolling the channels. Or casting surface plugs. In all directions. And for miles. They cover so much water with this technique. And the surface strikes are what life is all about. Greenspot kingfish - so rare and hard to catch, are in full-pack attack mode this time of the year here. Trolling produces kob, perch and kingfish. But it's that surface strike that keeps us all coming back. Lures vs Livebait Lures by far. A helluva lot more effort for sure, but if you want to catch decent fish, quit your bait habit. Aside from being stinky and dirty, there needs to be some consideration for sticking a big hook through a live bait just for your own pleasure and fun. The surface strike is epic and I hope all of you get to experience an angry rock salmon come smashing your popper right in front of your disbelieving eyes. You better tackle up if you think you can argue with these fish. And down deep...the river has a few 10m holes...perfect for that Dirty Prawn bucktail especially built for and named after the river - the Umzimkulu Special, will have you bending too. This bucktail has a streak of orange built into its belly. And I think this is what does all the magic. You can drop a plastic paddletail or jerktail down there too. And if you use a MYDO Silver Bullet as the jighead, you can merrily troll this rig out the back for kob and things. You can kit out for estuary fishing like this right on The Sardine News website at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo. The Zambezi aka Bull Shark was caught on the troll. He came into that spread all excited, made a few charges, and got hooked in the tail! Obviously, the Happy Daze crew have built up an effective estuary spread design. That even gets a little pup Zambezi all excited. Every fish caught on Happy Daze is released. Including this baby bull shark. Some seasons are better than others. But an average is way over 50 kingfish per season. With the other species bringing up the score to around a 100. Sometimes double that number in the better and longer seasons. Seasonal Yip, this is totally seasonal. And the rain that has been pouring here at the Umzimkulu Marina in Port Shepstone, is a sign of things wrapping up for this year 2023. When the river comes down with strong rainfall soon enough - it becomes unfishable. Except for barbels and eels! Once the rains stop after April or so, the water from the ocean comes inside the river and the tides dominate the flow, we are back in the game. We are taking bookings for next year so if this is your kind of fishing, I am ready to help you with your ultimate estuary fishing holiday experience. Call me or WhatsApp +27793269671 anytime!

#sardine #run #2023 #sardines #kzn #south #africa #kob #umzimkulu This does not happen often. In fact, it never happens. This is a once-in-a-lifetime catch, even for my Dad! We were considering not releasing the movie. In case it starts a surge of guys coming in from all directions. Then we thought about how close the rainy season is. Coming right around the corner are the October drizzles. Then if that fails, it will pour in November. With December to back those months up. The rains have a marked influence on the Umzimkulu Estuarys behaviour. Firstly, the beloved halocline (where the salt and fresh water meet), is expelled out to the ocean. Then the fresh water coming down from the huge catchment area we have will dominate even the tides. When the rains let up, the tides push back in again. And the cycle repeats until all the water is fresh and brown. Barbel and perch is all we get in these conditions. The odd tarpon. Big pregnant Zambezi Sharks coming to give birth at the top past St Helens Rocks. So it's now. This weekend. Last weekend. The weekend before. Next weekend. And a few more weekends after that, will all present a completely cooperative estuary full of fish. We have everything you need to tackle your trophy greenspot kingfish, GT, rock salmon, kob, perch, grunter and the many other species of fish that will be flat out using the estuary right now. It is all about lures and winning that way around. But if you are the guy who likes to just sit and stare at your rod tip, you will also have some fun. We have accommodation (self-catering) at the Umzimkulu Marina. Where Umzximkulu Adrenalin will get you out there and in amongst the action. Were you can chuck a MYDO Lure at the fish!

On the Spotted Grunter Trail #fishing #2023 Spotted Grunter are extremely difficult to catch. Luckily for us and our guests here - they are in the Umzimkulu Estuary right now. Where we have been able to get ahold of them visually on our GoFish Cameras. Observing wild fish in their natural habitat, doing what wild fish do, is extraordinarily educational. And wildly entertaining. Without going into too much detail, I was able to observe a few nuances in these fish's activities recently. That have enabled me to understand more about their feeding patterns and behaviour. And how to go about getting one or two of these flash fish to bite on something. GoFish Cameras Can be ordered right here on The Sardine News or wherever you are reading this, just click on over to https://thesardine.co.za and click on anything that says GoFish Camera. The cameras can be rigged in a myriad of different configurations. To get a myriad of different shot set ups. The camera can be deployed facing in either direction, fore and aft. You can cast it. Fish it as a sinker. Troll. Drop it down deep. Set it up at an inlet or river mouth. And watch the traffic go by! Wireless Sending video signals under water is still out of our reach right now. However, the camera, when out of the water, connects via wifi and the GoFish Camera app on your phone. So you can chuck the camera out there. Leave it whilst you are setting up. Retrieve the camera, turn on wifi, connect to your phone, watch the footage...and know what you are up to! Viewing Is far better appreciated on a big screen. The cameras shoot on full HD and in 60 FPS. So you can pick up minute detail when viewing on the big screen. The cameras have memory sticks that can be removed and inserted into most devices with screens. Or you can even connect via USB 2.0 and enjoy all that throughput. How much does a GoFish camera cost? Well way under half the price of the notorious GoPro range. And with the same functionality. But in a bullet shaped design that really mounts anywhere. Very simple to use. No touch screens or multiple menus to get through. Just press the red record button, dont forget to screw on the back cover, and off you go. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com. Or cellphone and WhatsApp on +27793269671. Stay with us at the Umzimkulu Marina where Umzimkulu Adrenalin and MYDO Fishing can take you to the spotted grunter frontline.

#sardine #run #2023 #sardines #kzn #south #africa #bazaruto #mozambique #marlins Bazaruto Baby Black Marlin - for the fly-fisher in you These Bazaruto guys have too much fun! Aside from the huge grander class fish that everyone is actually up at Bazauto for, they got these tiny ones (rats), to warm up with. Each season starts like that. First, these tiny fish pitch up. They swim in the same waters and conditions as the sailfish do around here. Then as the season unfolds, the catches start getting bigger. And bigger... By the time it's September, we shall start seeing some of the diabolically good footage that Captain Duarte Rato gets each year. Of these big momma fish. That frequent the continental shelf, presumably to hook up and do some breeding. These big fish are just about always accompanied by a dozen or so suitors. Each vying for attention. And picking up on the scraps left by the big girl. These males don't get over the grander mark. But they can put up a real staunch argument. Even on 80lb tackle. But those big mommas, they go over the 1000lb mark for sure. Right on up to the 2000lb mark if you are not careful. Even the big 130s can be no match for fish this big. And this powerful. Fights go into the night sometimes! All these fish are released. Where possible. Duarte and his team are the biggest billfish taggers in Africa by a very long mile. And! Duarte has been awarded a few satellite tags. One went in a medium fish a short while back. And now Duarte is focusing on satellite tagging a big momma. Mean objective pal! If marlin fishing is your gig, this is the time it all happens. September through November each season. In fact, Duarte signs off in December. For family time! Get in touch with me Sean on +27793269671 (you can use the big green WhatsApp button floating around on the screen somewhere). Or on umzimkulu@gmail.com. You can also pop on over to the FishBazaruto website at https://fishbazaruto.com and get in touch thataway.

#vilankulos #chopper #2023 #helicopter #bazaruto #benguerra #mozambique #paradise Well ok then, we are back up in Vilankulos. Mozambique. At the start of the big fish season this 2023. The black marlin that make this place so infamous, have already arrived. In numbers. But they are all mainly small fish right now. Very small in fact! Pre-season Bazaruto is the time to be chasing after baby blacks. And sails. With your fly rod. They are plentiful. Taking swimming lures and all. If you had to actually focus on these small fish, man oh man, would you have some stories to tell. Baby blacks can jump like 20ft or more into the air. They have amazing power-to-weight rations at this size. Huge tails. Outsized fins. And so FULL of energy. Yeah, so the lead-up to the big fish season, is the small fish season. Luckily, this bite is also augmented by a late sailfish bite. In fact, wherever there are baby blacks, there are sailfish too. They predate on the same type of opportunities. Stalking small baitfish in the shallows is their game. These small bills, same as the sailfish, often come right inside and patrol the channels. Can you imagine the fun to be had!? Back to the big fish... In the next couple weeks or so, the big mommas will arrive. With her consort of eager suitors following her every move. Picking up the scraps as she goes along marauding her way to eventually arrive at Bazaruto. For the next three months, these swimming gangsters will cruise along together, attacking anything that moves. Nobody has ever witnessed an actual marlin spawning. But this is deduced to be the reason they come all the way over the great oceans to congregate here each year at this time. By December its kind of all over and life goes on as usual in the sleepy town on Vilankulos. Get in touch on +27793269671 or umzimkulu@gmail.com if you are keen to get into this kind of action. Big or small. The blacks are waiting here for you! This time each and every year!

#sailfish #run #2023 #bazaruto #benguerra #southern #africa #mozambique Well, the fishbazaruto.com crew never seem to rest. Too many fish to tame. Even in wintertime. Which is when the blue marlin, striped marlin, and sailfish, like to pounce. You can be in on this action by checking out fishbazaruto.com or thesardine.co.za.

#sardine #2023 #run #umtentweni #kzn #south #africa What a day! At the normally quiet little beach down on the KZN lower south coast - Umtentweni, a shoal of sardines lost their way in the dark of the moonless night. And when the sun came up, they were caught on the inside in the shallows. Where humans can get to them. Umtentweni often experiences this in the sardine run. And the grannies pool where people usually swim, is the perfect trap. But it gets more interesting... At the river mouth of the Umzimkulu, in Port Shepstone, a few clicks south of Umtentweni, there were guys catching sardines by hand there too. But on the inside of the bridge! The tide was rushing out at spring tide speed so it can only be deduced that there were sardines in the river overnight. They also must have got totally lost as they came around The Block, hugged the edge to keep cover from the predators, and swam right up the river! This also has happened before, many times. Conditions for today Well the water is dirty again. And warm. With the Agulhas Current coming right in close yesterday, we are on 23 degrees. Perfect for swimming and surfing. But sardines like it way down at 19. However, with a powerful low tide in the mid-morning, more sardines are gonna get lost and find themselves in this hot water. If you are lucky enough to be out there, check the inside channels, pools and gulleys as the tide drains.

#shorts #sardines #2023 #ifafa #2023 Ifafa Beach sardine nets destroyed by heavy shorebreak 11 June 2023

9 June 2023 Sardine Report dolphin super pod plus BIG fish off Durban! News coming in thick and fast from all over the place... Lionel Crow reports in from #durban where he and Adam Kamdar and mates had an unbelievably fruitful day out on the 9 June 2023. Launching out of Durban, they caught some BIG fish! Including the #queenfish release that everyone is talking about. And that you can see in the video report. The spearos are far more cheerful these days as the ocean opens back up with clean blue water coming in from the north. Clean, blue and hot! 24 degrees hot. This is way too warm for sardines. But the fish get lazy and doff at these temperatures. Thank you to The Bear for his timeous reporting. Kevin all the way down in the depths of the Kei, has some breaking news. That could affect the outcome of the next few days or weeks. A super pod of dolphin. Tearing north as if they were missing out on something. Kevin speculates quite rightly that these guys are on the heels of the huge Kayser Beach shoal. That seems to have lost its way a couple times already so far. But night by now has found its bearings and is on the move in the right direction finally. Conditions for Sardines This means, that aside from the warm water around the Durban and north areas, things are starting to line up. Luckily down on the lower south coast of #Natal, the water has dropped to 22 degrees. This might be acceptable to these sardines. But if the water could just get down to below 20, we are gonna be in the game. One or two days of strong east wind will do the trick. In the meantime, beware of false reports! These are reports or pics or videos from years gone by that resurface every sardine season. And other scam reports designed to dupe you. If you do get a sardine report in from somewhere, it would be great if you sent it to us so that we can verify its authenticity. We have sardine spies everywhere, and they don't miss a thing. But sometimes these shoals slip through our defences at night and catch us by surprise...so please help us keep a look out too. WhatsApp to Sean on +27793269671 or email me on umzimkulu@gmail.com.

#shorts #2023 #sardine #run #cintsa #eastlondon #southafrica Sardines at Cintsa 8 June 2023 Report: our network of sardine spies extends to the beautiful beaches of Cintsa. Just a little ways a north of East London, this is a very picturesque spot. And it seems that the sardines also think its quite cool and pitched up there yesterday. In numbers! The Kayser Beach Shoal? Well ok lets watch and listen the video report…thank you Kevin for allowing me to break the news. And so it seems that the big Kayser Beach Shoal is on the move and should be into the Transkei Wild Coast waters today sometime. Its not the only shoal, but to hear Kevin (Qhora) sounding so excited, I am kinda convinced too…that this is the main body of early sardines. Staying together and moving slowly up the coast. Speed of Sardines So if we work out that these shoals are moving very slowly. And sometimes in the wrong direction, we can deduce that it will still take another week, or even two, for meaningful sightings to be experienced in the Port St Johns areas and northwards to KZN. I haven’t even seen one sardine mesh team on the roads in KZN yet. But… This is normal. The sardines are following very much the same pattern as last year. And the year before. And the gazillions of predators who have beaten us to them, still need to gorge themselves some more, before they let some shoals through for us. Sardine Holiday So if you are planning to come and join the greatest show on earth, delay as much as possible. Late June and into July are the best months for sure. Even August. And by then sardine fever has dropped down to a steady hum. From a mighty roar. Stay with us here at The Umzimkulu Marina where Umzimkulu Adrenalin can get you out to sea and in amongst it all. Divers AND fishermen are welcome. YouTube Channels youtube.com/@TheSardineNews youtube.com/@SurfLaunchingSouthernAfrica youtube.com/@MYDOTackleTalk youtube.com/@WaterWoes (best said in Afrikaans)

#shorts #2023 #blue #marlin #bazaruto #island #bluemarlinseason 2023 Blue Marlin Season on the go with FishBazaruto.com So whilst we are all setting up ambush for the oncoming sardines, Captain Duarte Rato is operating at the extreme other end of the scale. Duarte and crew from FishBazaruto.com have been enjoying impeccable conditions and some really exciting bill fishing. Blue Marlin In the heat of the moment, it's challenging to tell between a big black and a big blue marlin. I take my cues from where we are and what the fish is doing. And although these two marlins do swim together, the way they operate and where, is totally different. Duarte is infamous amongst the black marlin population. He has been taming marlin up in the Bazaruto Island water of Mozambique. And other exotic and fanciful destinations worldwide since he was but a teenager. The blacks congregate in a breeding pattern each year, right in Duartes' workshop a few kilometres out off the island. These fish swim shallow but its at about 80m that you will encounter those black marlin. The blue marlin, however, is found much deeper, usually. This is not a rule since a blue will surprise you in shallows if the bait so depicts. And it is in wintertime here on the eastern seaboard of Africa, that the blues move in. We are not sure if they are here to breed like the blacks. I think it's because of the sheer biomass of marine creatures congregating along the coast here in lieu of the sardine run to move on up. Tunas, mackerel, bonitos...all the species are coming to KZN for this party. And this is what the blue marlin eats for breakfast, lunch and supper. Duarte has another way of telling blue from black - he reckons that the first run of a properly hooked blue marlin sounds like - "A thousand cats being boiled alive" as the line just melts off. Dont forget the Stripey Arriving in shoals for the sardine run, these marauding and hard-fighting billfish don't get as big as the blacks or blues. They don't need to! Wait until you hook one of these crazy animals. Cartwheels, pirouettes, somersaults - you name it. And of course - everyone's favourite - the daily These guys also pitch up in winter. They are most definitely here for the sardines and the myriad of bait species that become available this time of the year. But ok, get in touch if you would like to get in amongst those screaming cats. We have a website for FishBazaruto.com and the blue marlin season is well underway.

Just watch the video for now please...more info coming thick and fast... At... https://thesardine.co.za

#kayserbeach #2023 #sardine Sardine Report 29 May 2023 - the Kayser Beach Shoal The Kayser Beach Shoal - so named since it was so verily active in those waters recently, is being tracked. Kevin in Qhora, the very south of the Transkei Wild Coast, is expecting his visitors tomorrow or Wednesday. As you can gather from the report. For the scoobies, freedivers and spearos, we included a viz report form the Master Watermen website run by Jason Heyne - aka The Bear.

#shorts #sardine #run #2023 Welcome to the short version of the current sardine news status here in KZN and the Eastern Cape.

#2023 #sardine #run Sardine Report 25 May 2023 – Sards at Mdumbi: our sardine spies in Mdumbi have confirmed large numbers of small shoals being chased all over the ocean there. This is typical behaviour of the first shoal of sardines. That gets absolutely annihilated by the hordes of impatient and hungry predators lying in wait. Which splinters the big shoal down into a myriad of smaller “bait balls”. The sardines then get picked off one by one until the bait ball completely disappears. Perspective So whilst on land the rest of the sardine punters are also impatiently waiting for their fair share, the ocean is going berserk out deep. Mainly in the south though. East London has been having a great time out there. The dirty water from the recent rain and the pollution from the failed municipalities here in KZN, keep the sardines deep some seasons. So you hear many complaints of “there are no sardines”, meanwhile, just a mile out to sea, it’s all going crazy. The following clips, from dive operator GoDive (Mossel Bay), were shot recently, off East London. From land all one can see is a bunch of birds and some splashes. Meanwhile, underwater, it’s Kruger Park stuff. Enjoy the underwater spectacle, that is coming our way… So whilst its great to chase sardines on land, it’s a whole lot more fun out there on a boat. And right in amongst the action. Some operators allow you to jump in with the sharks and other apex predators hanging around. Click the green WhatsApp button floating about on this page, or get in touch directly at +27793269671 or umzimkulu@gmail.com if you would like to get out there amongst it all. We have many options for you to experience the Sardine Run 2023 to the max.

23 May 2023 Sardine Report - first shoal pulverised? Kevin at Qhora Mouth near Mazeppa checks in with his always interesting and informative observations. Kevin logged some more interesting sightings over the last 48 hours. Including reports of gazillions of gannets heading south back past him last evening (21st May 2023). It seems they have been gorging themselves on that first rather large shoal. Along with sharks, gamefish and cetaceans of all sorts including the dolphin gang. Who are making the most of their patient wait for this very moment. If any remnants of this first shoal get past these marauding predators, it will be surprising. But those gannets heading south again like that only mean one thing... MORE...! Our online surveys where the public is encouraged to participate, have validated the whereabouts of this first shoal. Won't be long until we get more pics and vids to add to this years collection. Don't forget...you can stay up to date and in touch with the sardines at the Sardine Run 2023 Sardine Run page on The Sardine News. Access that right here... https://thesardine.co.za/sardine-run-map-2023/

#2023 #sardine #run #map #log #kzn #transkei #wildcoast Here it is...the all-newly populated Sardine Run Map for this 2023 season! Click on over to https://thesardine.co.za to find the ongoing synopses, reports and sightings updates.

#sardines #sardine #report #news #qhora #wildcoast #2023 Our very first YouTube Sardine Report 2023! Luckily we have Salt Fishing South Africa correspondent Kevin all the way down past Mazeppa Bay and in the very deep Transkei Wild Coast. At a place called Qhora Mouth. Where Kevin can see the early stages of every sardine run unfold. This year, once again, like last year, is being affected by dirty water. Dirty water from the storm runoff of the last few heavy rainfalls we have recently experienced right up and the eastern seaboard of Southern Africa. And dirty water from our very own failed municipalities that pump sewage willy nilly into the ocean whenever they feel like it. Counter Currents When the very powerful Agulhas Current, that flows down from Mozambique and northern waters, is held out to sea by a high pressure weather system (north easterlies), the inshore waters become a counter current. The cold water upwells in these conditions too. Ideal for dispersing pollutants and all sorts, that are bing pumped into the ocean, EVERYWHERE, by ALL municipalities here in KZN. Stay in the Blue And watch that big cloud bank that sometimes sits on the horizon. And sometimes moves right in (low pressure systems), the water warms, cleans up, and its all business as usual. Lately however, that current and its associated cloud bank have been way to sea. Luckily last week though, the 7th to the 14th, saw the low pressure systems dominating. And man oh man did we see and shoot a helluva lot of fish during the well timed 2023 spearfishing nationals. Well almost lucky, more about that to follow...Umzimkulu Adrenalin has all those stories btw at https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za. But when it ain't blue, stay out of the water. There are also sorts of pathogens and viral horribles that are also being pumped into the ocean with the raw sewage. Daily. And all this stuff, in the high pressures, get trapped in the counter currents and upwellings, and are very well distributed from bathing beach to beach. Where eager and unsuspecting tourists are lured into falling victim to the terrible consequences of a staph or other type of infection so rife these days. More at https://thesardine.co.za

#shorts #spearfishing #competition #kzn #boland Meet Vloei en Henku. as they announce the raffle of a super duper Speargun to assist on their competition costs. The competition is well underway and we look to be diving again today. stay posted... more at thesardine.co.za

#brucifire #surf #surfing #jbay #jeffreys #bay Brucifire Surf Reports on Cyclone Freddy first waves in Jeffreys Bay for 2023! Yips, cyclone Freddy sent a welcome east influenced swell into the bay in JBay last week. And Brucifire was there to document it all as the wave-starved locals devoured every set. Well almost every set...the crowds were tame and small in number - only 20 to 30 guys at once. But plenty waves coming through in waves as the cyclone generated swell just kept throwing them in. Not big by any standards but some guys got themselves properly covered up in those racy sections. February is statistically the month with the most swell here in KZN and the Eastern Cape too. The concentrated storms come through week after week in January and February and each one sends a swell down this way. Often this coincides with a cold front from the Cape, and this combination lights up everyone's faces. Surfers. Spearos and anglers all revel in these conditions. Stay in touch with what is going in and the around the ocean here by checking back to The Sardine News every now and then. https://thesardine.co.za Support Brucifire Surf Reports by buying some merchandise at the https://brucifire.co.za international shop.

#catfish #barbel #perch #umzimkulu Our guests a short while back rocked in here at the Umzimkulu Marina smack bang in the middle of another outburst by nature. It rained and rained and rained. But when it finally let up, the barbel were eagerly waiting for us at the jetty. Squid, chicken, sardine...these guys eat anything. And really put up a great fight every time. Sometimes tearing off on the surface, other times doggedly down deep. They also will take a lure but that is highly specialised fishing and something we have yet to take more interest in (Shaun Begg, a provincial angler guest we have here often enough, has promised to show us the way next time he is here). So the chiefly freshwater breathing barbel come barreling down the river with the flood waters. They happily hang out here in the lower reaches of the estuary, in the completely fresh brown water. Then as we go through another tide cycle, and the strong prevalent east winds join forces with the strong prevailing south current, the brown water plume is whipped away southwards and diluted into the vast ocean down thataway. Allowing the salty blue water to come back into this estuary (it is one of a handful of estuaries that still function and are not completely silted up and closed). The brown water is alkaline having washed all the way down from the Lesotho Highlands. This alkalinity performs a vital function. It balances the acidity levels of the ocean. Unfortunately, reprehensible farming practises have stripped most of the coastline of it's natural flood-impeding vegetation. And therefore topsoil. Cattle, goats, sheep, chickens - have taken the natural habitat of wild animals and wild vegetation away. We are down to a few ravines, cliffs and valleys that these animals can't get to. It's clearly visible how close these domestic animals get to the edge of cliffs. They destroy it all until it's gone. Add sugar cane to the mix and we have destroyed our very own coastline. One which was handed to us in a pristine state not even a hundred years ago. All we have achieved in this time, is laying waste to a beautiful land that once was. All of this bad news, coupled to the completely incapable cadres we have running the show - that pour raw sewage into stormwater drains, rivers and the sea. And can't maintain a thing - and yes, we have a disaster on our hands. Tourism is suffering hard - bookings are way down here in KZN. Since the mismanagement and corruption we have had to deal with has now led to visitors taking ill and going to hospital. Losing limbs. And even their lives. As in Harding recently. This all manifests in the estuaries. Like a toilet. Which, if not flushed, does exactly what your toilet does, when not flushed. The bacteria responsible for breaking down the effluent, needs oxygen to operate. But because the system is now closed, and no water is flowing through, the limited available oxygen runs out. The bacteria succumbs. If there was a goldfish in the toilet, it would be belly up at this stage. After a week or so, the water starts to go black. And if you go in this water, you are seriously in trouble. When the floods eventually flush the toilet, all this tepid and poisonous water hits the ocean. Your local beach. And you get sick. * Acknowledgements to Professor Anthony Turton who unbelievably is a professor of all things water and the environment. Thank you Tony, for realigning my misaligned understandings and misunderstandings. What can we do? Well we are doing what we can here in Port Shepstone. Many activist groups have recently formed. And are amalgamating. This unifying of forces is starting to produce results. We have a class action law suit against the ANC. We have Afriforum and Sakeliga at the table. Regular meetings have led to a game plan. If you would like to get involved, check it out at... independenceca.org and greennet.org.za thesardine.co.za