While several anglers arrived weeks earlier to practise - the dam was
closed for 14 days before the competition. Fishing took place in three
sectors A – C and each country had two anglers per peg, per sector. They
fished for the heaviest weights which were computed, to determine
their positions within their sector and against the other sectors for
overall positions.
Anglers use different types of bait, but a popular choice for the South
Africans is a “boilie” – a mixture of crushed maize, hemp seed, Tiger
nuts and flour which is mixed into small dough balls. The English team’s
bait included fishmeal , but when this attracted Catfish, they had to
change their strategy!
The minimum Carp weight allowed was 1.5kg and the fish were weighed
and released unharmed, every two – three hours, day and night. The
biggest fish caught was a Grass Carp of 8.1kg but this was only given
a mention – and did not count for points. (It counted towards the total
mass of the peg but there was no prize)
One of the Organisers Paul Venter said Bloemhof Dam is “a magic
place”, as there are so many fish to be caught. “It’s a very tough
competition, as our African sun is brutal and you have to be so careful
to protect your skin and hydrate extremely well.