LIMPOPO REPORT
WINTER COMPING
03:00 AM Saturday 10th May 2014 - My eyes were burning and it felt like someone threw a fistful of sand into them, irritating them even more but the excitement level is high and soon the itchy eye syndrome has vanished.
Final packing has been completed and I finally hit the road together with my wife to a small craft competition at Letaba Estates near Tzaneen, Limpopo.
I have been eagerly awaiting this comp for a few weeks since the announcement. As we drove into registration it was still pitch black at 05:30AM and it’s obvious that winter has its foot solidly in the door.
I noticed that it wasn’t as cold as the previous weekend when we went fishing about the same time, I couldn’t see a cloud in the sky and there wasn’t even a whiff of a wind blowing.
I didn’t expect great fish to be landed as the season transition times are sometimes brutal in our valley and can drive even the most Zen angler to anger and frustration!
The comp was arranged very well and people were in place to help when needed. After unloading our small craft and stacking on enough equipment to classify it as a water taxi (all we needed was a chicken cage) we were eagerly waiting for light to launch and get the day underway.
Staring into the dark void over the water you could hear the hippo’s snorting, getting ready for their day as well. At this time I was looking around at our competition, most times you can spot a hard core angler or a weekend warrior easily by their focus level just before launch.
I spotted a man looking like a lion zoning in on a kill and I knew he was focused and ready to slay this comp. “I bet you those guys will be our greatest competition today” Is what I told my wife. Turns out I was right but more about that later.
Limpopo Hot Cars in conjunction with Rock a
Reef Outdoor shop and Cramer dam fishing club
Small craft and bank fishing competition