Ozzie ripper Lucy Small, captured here in a ray of glory, surfing at Tofinho Point with our crew (c) Xonalanga
Since 1991, we have been surfing up and down the East African Seaboard, hauling surfers old and young, beginners and jaded…through some of the finest surfing conditions that the world has to offer. Surf trips to Tofinho and beyond are an email away…
In winter time, our beat is to wait for a solid cold frontal system, and chase it from Cape Town to Pemba, Cabo Delgado, Mocambique – thousands of kilometres of travelling and chasing swell. There are so many spots along this route, that many spots have no name – and like Africa – it’s gonna stay that way!
In summer, it’s all about cyclones – and if the stars line up, and the right swell sneaks in just skirting the southern reaches of Madagascar, it lights up all the usually dormant superbanks littered all over the Mozambican coastline. There are just sooo many!
These two situations do occur seasonally as described, but also at odd times, so once you book, we will plan your trip with the most chance of catching it all – ON! Continue reading Surf trips to Tofinho
The second Zambezi taken on rod and line in the Umzimkulu River this year. It was released healthy and spitting mad!
Another sighting down at the Umzimkulu Marina this weekend, confirms that the family of Zambezi Sharks who have taken up residence in the Umzimkulu River, are alive and well. This last one was spotted giving a big blue tailed mullet hell, chasing it around and around, right off the jetty.
The jetty down at the Umzimkulu Marina was where the last sighting of one of the the Zambezi Sharks was confirmed…the river mouth has been closed for some time, so the Zambezi’s have been trapped in! They will most likely stay in residence here until they reach 2 metres long, at which point they will take their chances and head out to the deep ocean.
Zambezi Sharks, known in Latin as Carcharhinus leucas, in Australia a Bull Shark, and in some places, a Java Shark, have a gestation period of approximately a year, after which time the pups, at about 70cm in length, are born. Zambezi’s are viviparous (the babies are born alive and well, after being fed by a placenta while inside the womb). About a dozen are born with each litter. Very young bull sharks (1 metre or less) are frequently found in bays and beaches near the mouths of rivers, in briny water.
The Umzimkulu River is a perfect hatchery for Zambezi’s. Evidently, a big female (they can reach 3.5m and 350 kilograms), swam into the Umzimkulu about a year ago, and gave birth to a litter of cubs. They were being spotted and encountered by fishermen up and down the banks, but only once Marius Awcamp caught one on a live bait down at Spiller’s Wharf, in Port Shepstone, were they confirmed as mini Zambezi sharks.
A few days later,a local angler was paddling his fishing ski down towards the mouth, when he found half a perch flapping on the surface. It had been bitten clean in half – but was still alive and splashing.
Then we got this one pictured above…on a Rapala up in the top corner, under Royston’s Hall – in the deep water against the rocks. It took a Strike Pro bought from Lucky’s in Port Shepstone – a white one – 10cm model.
The Zambezi is responsible for attacking more people than any other shark – by far. It has the highest testosterone count of any animal alive, and eats anything. Literally. The Zambezi shark is found in all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas along the coastlines and also in some fresh water rivers. It does not venture very far out to sea, preferring the murky inshore waters for their ambush style of hunting. They are aptly names after the Zambezi River – the fourth largest river system in Africa – where they have been encountered hundreds of kilometres inland, in completely fresh water.
These smaller sharks however, do not pose the threat to your health, that pollution in the Umzimkulu does. The raw sewage that flows into the river daily is far more dangerous to your health. Overall, the Umzimkulu River is much better for fishing than swimmin! Rather go to a Blue Flag Beach to cool down this summer!
A monster bass caught by Joff Hannaway during practise – before the Midmar Fish-off, this weekend. The fishing at Midmar has been really good lately.
With commentary by Sardine Correspondent and Team Angler Mike Stubbs…
Day 1
Session started at 10:30 and ended at 5pm. When we got in the water conditions were over cast and light showers through the mid day. The dam was 75% full and water visibility about 2m. Finding the pattern was quick after picking a crank bait rod and throwing a lipless crack, ensuring the crack hits the bottom and bouncing off the structure below. Picking up my bag (5 fish) in a short period of time. And then off to target the bigger fish. Fishing the top water in the afternoon proved a lot of fun. Saturday bag just over 3kgs. This was the best fishing I have ever had at Midmar…
Day 2 Session started at 6am and finished at 1pm. It rained most of the morning with moderate mist and fog. Started off fishing with same pattern as day before, but realized very soon that the fishing conditions had changed. With the fish not touching the crank, I quickly moved over to a slower bait. Picking up my drop shot rod, was soon to be the answer and allowing the bait to sit just off the bottom with barely any movement, was the answer to picking up the fish. Getting my bag just before lunch time was nerve wracking, but fishing slower paid off with a lovely bag just over 4.7kgs. Fishing was great over all and some lovely fish were caught biggest 4.7kg caught by Len de Wet (pictured).
Preparing for the next fish off, for Woodstock end of November.
The garrick have been putting on a fine show up and down the coast, at all the hot spots.
Port Shepstone is a favourite hangout for garrick as they try to get into the river mouth to spawn, coming out hungry and aggressive, attacking anything to re-energise themselves.
On some days, there have been multiple simultaneous hookups – great entertainment, as can be seen in this video, shot a few years back, at the Sandspit.
The 31 October sees the closing of the crayfish season:
Closed Season Crayfish – 1st Nov – 28th Feb
Anti Poaching Hotline – 083 380 6298 – 24hrs
Scelo Cwele of Hibberdene with a 1.2kg Crayfish. Delicious!
Crayfish are also called rock lobsters or spiny lobsters. Ours in Natal and Mozambique – the red ones, are called East Coast Rock Lobster (Panulirus homarus) – they taste the best, but are non-commercial and cannot be bought, sold or traded. They are not the ones you get in restaurants. They are the West Coast Lobster (Panulirus lalandii) – similar red look, but with a bigger head and smaller tail, in comparison to the East Coast model.
Rock lobsters are crustaceans with a carapace, and a tail that fans out at the end. This carapace (the head), is how the lobster are measured for legal size requirements. The carapace – measured from the spot between the horns over the eyes, to the end of the head – must be a minimum of 65mm. Soft shell crayfish (they have just molted), and crays in berry (carrying eggs), are not allowed to be taken at all.
The reason for the closed season is that they breed in the warm summer months. A crayfish takes 3 years to reach sexual maturity, which is approximately the legal size for capture – 65mm.
