Sardines netted at Margate, Ramsgate, Saints and Umkomaas

Sardines netted at Margate, Ramsgate, Saints and Umkomaas

There were small pockets of Sardines netted at Margate, Saints and Umkomaas this very morning, the 24 July 2017! They are certainly making their way up north right now.

The sea is amazing, the visibility extending for miles on such a clear day, so the pockets are easier to spot too. The sardine mesher gangs are all over the place as they jostle for position closest to the fleeting shoals. This is typical of a good sardine run. These are called pilot shoals and are characteristically quite small. We just need the weather to keep switching like it has been, the water to stay colder than 20 degrees – and we may be in for quite a surprise this year. These sardines always come when no-one is expecting them! Like right now!

A big thank you to Craig from The Tackle Box, who submitted the photograph from Margate this morning. The Tackle Box in right in the middle of all the action – Shelley Beach, just above the ski-boat base, carries the full range of tackle you need to get at your shad, kob or garrick. This is the time. It only happens once a year.

This years sardine monitoring report was brought to you by http://fishingsfinest.co.za who distribute Pelagic Sardine Hunting Gear ;-). You can pop in and visit in Pretoria, or you can log on and purchase directly from their really cool and busy website.

And if you are looking for the ideal spoon to target shad and garrick with, click on over to https://thesardine.co.za/mydo/ or use the the menu at top.

Check back soon for more news and photographs…https://thesardine.co.za.

In the meantime enjoy a gallery of a roundup of photos from this year’s sardine run…