Fishing activities in SA Parks
Fishing
Fishing permits are available at Addo Elephant, Agulhas, Bontebok, Richtersveld and West Coast. Angling has been stopped at Tsitsikamma because of the drastic decline of rocky shoreline species.
KwaZulu-Natal's marine life is very rich and diverse making sea-fishing an enormously popular activity along the entire KwaZulu-Natal coastline. Popular destinations include Cape Vidal, Kosi Bay, Maphelana and Sodwana Bay.
This warm water coastline offers launch sites for ski-boats at most beaches and shore anglers have the opportunity to catch a number of different game fish in waters that teem with the marine equivalent of the big five, including massive marlin and other game fish. The fish size and bag limits that have been introduced still allow an angler to catch a diversity of fish whilst allowing the fish at least one season to breed and minimising exploitation of any species. Sanctuary areas have been set aside inside marine reserves to act as a 'nursery' from which marine life can disperse and stock up other areas.
Fresh water fishing in KwaZulu-Natal can be divided into two broad categories both of which are regulated by KZN Wildlife.
The first of these is flyfishing which normally involves brown and rainbow trout and which requires special rods, reels and artificial lures.
The periods in a year on which trout fishing can take place are regulated to protect breeding fish and the waters where these regulations apply are proclaimed.
Kamberg Nature Reserve is a very popular trout fishing venue for novices and
more experienced anglers alike. An added attraction here is the trout
hatchery. Kamberg, Royal Natal and Lotheni offer both river and dam fishing (dam fishing at Lotheni is reserved for the occupants of Sime's cottage only).
Injisuthi and Giants Castle offer river fishing.
The second category of fresh water fishing is referred to as coarse fishing and normally involves large mouth bass, carp and blue gill, all of which are introduced aliens and indigenous fish such as scalies, eels, tilapia and tiger fish.
Coarse fishing normally takes place at large dams such as Midmar and Chelmsford while tilapia and tiger fish are caught in the pans and rivers of Northern Zululand.
For trout fishing and general information about fly fishing in ZwaZulu-Natal,
contact Underberg Himeville Trout Fishing Club on (033) 701-1041, 08:00 to 10:00.
