TNN goes fishing with CYMOT

TNN goes fishing with CYMOT

Photographs Danie & Annelize Ferreira

If you enjoy spending hours on end on beautiful beaches with the soft roar of the ocean waves for company and the thrill of a nip at the end of your line sending adrenalin coursing through your veins, Namibia’s shoreline is the place for you. Get your bait, hook, line and sinker ready and cast away.

Namibia’s shoreline is one long stretch of beach, 1 572 km to be exact. Here and there a rocky shore or 100-m-high dunes interrupt the clean stretch of sand, but mostly… it’s beach. It is no wonder then that when, on any given day, you venture down to the coast you will see the small blurred figures of men with long rods in hand through the early morning mist that is drifting inland from the Atlantic. Because where there is beach as beautiful and clear as Namibia’s, and ocean waters as rich and full of life as the Atlantic with its cold Benguela current, you can be sure there will be fishermen casting their lines. Namibia is a fisherman’s dream!

E very year thousands of anglers descend on the Namibian coast in the hope of hauling out a whopper, the big one, the real McCoy! That one whose picture will have pride of place on the wall back home. With sought-after species such as kabeljou (kob), galjoen, steenbras or blacktail up for the catch, they throw their lines time and again, waiting for that special one to come along, hoping above hope that the nip at the end of the line isn’t a dreaded barbel…

Angling along Namibia’s coast is possible all year, but November to March is widely thought to be the peak season, as summer brings with it warmer water and calmer seas. Experts say that the best time to cast a line is one week prior to full moon or one week after, a time in which tides are at their optimal levels. One of the biggest debates between Namibian hobby fishermen is location, location, location. However, Henties Bay seems to be regarded as the hub of the Namibian fishing community, and angling is indeed the most popular pastime in this little coastal town, about an hour’s drive north of Swakopmund. Some swear by fishing spots north of Henties Bay, others south, but no hole can guarantee a good day’s catch. Timing seems to be everything when it comes to a tight line and I suspect that sometimes luck has a great deal to do with it, too. Nevertheless there are a number of very popular fishing spots both north and south of Henties Bay. But if you prefer to steer clear of the crowds it is a great perk to be able to spot a good hole for yourself. And always remember that one of the biggest faux pas in fishing is to stop your car and cast a line right next to someone else. They got there first… go find your own spot!

Some of the most popular angling spots along the coast include Paaltjies, on the northern border of Sandwich Harbour, and the beach between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. To the north of Swakopmund is the Dorob National Park, which stretches all the way to the Ugab River. Shore fishing is allowed in the park. Famous fishing spots along the shoreline between Swakopmund and Henties Bay are Mile 8, Mile 14, Die Drom just north of Wlotsksbaken, Bennie se Rooi Lorrie and Jakkalsputs. There are many more holes to the north of Henties, such as Sarah se Gat, Popeye, Mile 72 and Mile 108.

Further north of these popular fishing destinations lies the Skeleton Coast Park, a conservation area. Torra Bay and Terrace Bay are two highly sought-after angling settlements within the park. Managed by Namibia Wildlife Resorts, both have camping sites with toilets and showers. In Terrace Bay accommodation is also available in chalets with dinner, bed and breakfast. Families book months in advance to secure their campsite or chalet at these angling hotspots and often stay throughout the entire holiday season.
Rock and surf angling may well be the most popular form of angling in Namibia, but many tour operators also specialize in offshore fishing excursions or shark fishing. Namibia is among the few countries in the world involved in the conservation of shark species. Though shark fishing is allowed, it is done exclusively on a catch and release basis, which means that all sharks must be returned to the sea unharmed. When angling for shark you may be lucky enough to pull out a Spotted Gulley Shark (Spotty), cow shark, hound shark or even a Bronze Whaler (Bronzy). Bronzies can reach weights of up to 190kg and dragging one out will be the fight of your lifetime!

So if you enjoy spending hours on end on beautiful beaches with the soft roar of the ocean waves for company and the thrill of a nip at the end of your line sending adrenalin coursing through your veins, Namibia’s shoreline is the place for you. Get your bait, hook, line and sinker ready and cast away.

Stywe lyne!