How long have you been fly fishing and where
did you learn to flyfish?
With so many members in the club we decided to introduce a few members with every issue of our magazine so everybody can learn the names and faces of our club members.
Meet the Members
Jaco van Rensburg
Well, I started fly fishing some 20 years ago, repeated the same mistakes for about 16 of them, subtracting all the time I did not fish….I would say I have been fly fishing for about 3 years now.
I moved from Potchefstroom to Pretoria in 1994. On my arrival, I realised (I did not know Pretoria at all) that there are no Bass fishing nearby (coming from Potch; nearby meant within 10 minutes by bicycle). One day I visited the local fishing store (well fishing, camping, home décor, clothing, groceries and fresh-made samosas) in Potch – “Kismets” and discussed this situation with the salesman (the son in-law of the owner, who’s name now escapes me). He suggested that if I have to travel to go fishing, why not also learn something new, like fly fishing ….
I left the store with pretty much the only fly rod, reel and line they had in the store. From there I went to the local CNA where I bought a book on trout fishing; did what the book said….I suppose “self-taught” is the short answer.
Same with fly tying…bought a book, and later-on a starter kit from Charles, and started tying (before that I experimented with carp hooks, chicken feathers, sewing cotton an actual metal-work bench vice, and modified clothes pegs for pliers and bobbins).
14 SeriousFun@JFFC JUNE 2017