Hermanus galjoen season
The galjoen season started very well this year with lots of good sized galjoen being taken off the rocks in the Hermanus area. Unfortunately the storms were not to be, which caused most well known galjoen fishing spots to stay tightly closed up.
Some of the older fishermen have still not taken down their rods to try and get a fish or two, they all believe that something is drastically wrong with galjoen fishing in our area.
They are not totally wrong in making statements like these, accept I think galjoen fishing as a whole has become very difficult to sustain, the fish just seem to have disappeared from our coastline.
Surely this is not caused by rock and surf fishermen, or any fishermen? Have the sea temperatures changed? Have the currents changed direction? Exactly what is going on? I wonder if even our scientists have a clue?
The tests that have been done at De Hoop Nature Reserve seem to say otherwise, the galjoen, steenbras, cob etc seem to be doing very well in that area. Now is this because no one is allowed to fish the area or is there just more food in that specific area, surely not, the fish will go where the holes open and close.
Some say the galjoen will stay in a specific area, while others have travelled over vast distances. What makes one galjoen stay put and the other travel many kms? I don’t know, will we ever know?
Some very large fat galjoen have been caught in Hermanus in the last couple of weeks, but mostly these have been the very young fish. Please guys put them back, it’s hardly worth the effort to take home for a braai. If we all show discipline the stocks must surely improve.
The Pearly Beach area has been producing good fish throughout the season, white mussel seems to be the bait to use. Nice size steenbras have also been taken on a regular basis.
Summer is around the corner, one or two very large cob have been taken off the Gansbaai breakwater in the last couple of weeks, strong seas seem to bring them into the harbour area.
The Hermanus Shore Angling Club is looking forward to having a good season in the Boland Interclub competitions to be held over the next year. Competitions will be held once a month at either Struisbaai, Damme or Waenhuiskrans, most fishermen will be fishing for shark species to procure the maximum points for their individual clubs.
The Hermanus Rock and Surf Club has grown over the last couple of seasons to nearly forty members of which there will be two teams of six taking part in the Boland competitions.
Thanks to four senior members that have walked over from the Worchester Club, our Club will now stand a very good chance of taking the B League Cup at the end of the season. These members will be of great value to our club as they bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience with them. Our members look forward to learning a lot from these guys.