Umzimkulu Estuary Gamefish Season Bookings until end October -

Umzimkulu Estuary Gamefish Season Bookings until end October

Umzimkulu Estuary Gamefish Season Bookings until the end of October: we are counting on the rains staying away until the end of October this 2024 season. Sometimes the rains stay away right into December. Many November sessions have been held in crystal clear blue water before.

But I do have commitments in Mozambique. October/November is peak marlin season at Bazaruto. In the meantime, the ‘Kulu estuary is in great health. We are fully booked this weekend coming up and so we should be full of stories (and hopefully videos) next week.

Umzimkulu Estuary Gamefish Season is OPEN!

Kharma

It has come to my attention recently, that any angler worth his salt, will have encountered (and released) hundreds of fish before a big trophy comes along. Which he most likely releases too. No self-respecting angler who has been in the game for any lengthy period of time retains their desire to kill fish.

In other words, it takes most people the better part of their lives to finally graduate and realise that we are not here to destroy and consume the planet we live on, but to preserve it.

I do feel it has something to do with the ancient Hindu texts as they describe Karma as…

“Karma (/ˈkɑːrmə/, from Sanskrit: कर्म, IPA: [ˈkɐɾmɐ] ^ⓘ; Pali: kamma) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences.^[1] In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein individuals’ intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect):^[2] Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and worse rebirths. In some scriptures, however, there is no link between rebirth and karma.^[3]^[4] Karma is often misunderstood as fate, destiny, or predetermination.^[5]

The concept of karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in many schools of Indian religions (particularly in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism),^[6] as well as Taoism.^[7] In these schools, karma in the present affects one’s future in the current life as well as the nature and quality of future lives—one’s saṃsāra.^[8][9] This concept has also been adopted in Western popular culture, in which the events that happen after a person’s actions may be considered natural consequences of those actions.”

Then I asked AI…you know, that guy…

“Karma is like the universe’s way of keeping score, but with a twist of cosmic comedy. Imagine every good deed you do earns you a gold star, and every not-so-good deed gets you a cosmic “tsk-tsk.” In the grand game of life, your actions are like boomerangs – throw out good vibes, and they’ll come back to you with a smile; throw out bad vibes, and, well, duck!

In the world of Indian religions, karma is the ultimate plot twist. It’s like the universe saying, “Remember that time you helped an old lady cross the street? Here’s some good karma points for you!” Or, “Remember when you cut in line at the coffee shop? Oops, there’s a flat tyre for your troubles.”

But don’t worry, karma isn’t just about keeping you on your toes. It’s also about making sure your future lives are as interesting as possible. Good karma might land you a spot in a tropical paradise, while bad karma might have you reincarnated as a mosquito – talk about a buzzkill!

So, next time you’re wondering why things are happening the way they are, just remember: Karma’s got a sense of humour, and it’s always watching. Be kind, do good, and enjoy the cosmic comedy show!

Back to the Present

So these guests come along. With all the kit in the world. They bring cracker shrimps and every other flavour in the bait shop. These people are rich and they like to show it.

Anyway, the fish were boiling at the slipway. Little kob. Too small to eat really. And they went back in. Then one of them hooked a greenspot kingfish. The ghost of the estuary. Such a noble fish. They killed it. It was barely pan-sized. Not even half a kilo. Newborn.

The fishing just stopped right there. Then the thunder and lightning came. No more fishing that day, or night. The next day cleared and I took them for what was meant to be guaranteed fish. The river was boiling with kingfish. We never had one hookup.

The next crew roll in for the very next weekend. They get a kingfish. And then they start fishing at the jetty. They catch four tiny kob. And they killed one. By mistake. But with long nose pliers, what excuse is there possible? They caught nothing thereafter.

Karma. Don’t ever kill the babies, especially in their nursery, which in this case is the Umzimkulu Estuary.

Little kobbies release well, they are tough as rubber at this age in their lives

Sardine n Sighting Maps

It has been a fantastic sardine run this memorable 2024. And all the action has been logged right here on The Sardine News. This year’s map has been viewed 180,000 times and keeps growing.

Which led us to decide to keep the map live. And keep adding unique marine animal sightings and events. That occurs non-stop all year round. This year we started to log more whale and dolphin sightings. And we even had a shipwreck! And a freaking tornado!

These events will from now on be included in the Sardine News Sightings Map for 2024. And on the 1 January 2025, we shall start all over again.

Here are the links to existing and past Sardine Sighting Maps. Great for chilly day like today to research. With instructions to install The Sardine News right on your phone or desktop.

Sardine Map 2024

Sardine Map 2023

Sardine Map 2021