The organising committee of this competition is to
be commended for their attention to the smallest
detail, from well-signposted roads with colourful
banners showing the way, to the full programme
of events and fabulous food by Spotted Owl Events
and Promotions. There was also a pancake bar, a
coffee bar, as well as a well-stocked beverage bar.
A host of prizes was tantalisingly displayed in the
social zone.
Of course, who could forget that the most prized
fish had been caught the day before and tagged
with a marker worth R25000, before being released
back into the waters which held the hopes and
dreams of every competitor.
Perfect weather on Friday evening had the kids
revelling in the freedom of this safe environment,
as they enjoyed being roped into cricket games,
exploring the area and hanging off the jetties while
peering into the water for a glimpse of that elusive
“big” fish! Braais, music and much laughter all
added to the festive atmosphere.
Early the next morning, dads and daughters,
mums and sons, individuals and teams all took to
the water in virtually anything that floated – from
canoes, to kickboats, skiboats to sophisticated bass
boats, barges and even a deepsea skiboat or two.
There were 33 boats in total – quite a crowd for this
modest expanse of water.
The weather was perfect on Day 1 and endless fish;
big and small, were weighed in by excited anglers.
Intermittent rain the next day didn’t dampen the
spirits of those taking part.
Loads of prizes were awarded for a number of
different categories – keeping the interest and
excitement going right to the end of this fabulous
weekend.
A well-organised weigh-in team was stationed in
the clubhouse – well-positioned to quickly record
the weights of the catches and close to the slipway,
so anglers could quickly run down to the water to
release their fish with minimal trauma.