A Namibian Fishing Adventure

05/09/2022

Namibia is well known for its diverse, vast landscapes and abundant ocean life, leading it to being a premium fishing destination.

Many fishermen dream of catching their dream fish along this pristine coastline and we are fortunate to have shared many special moments with our clients in this beautiful country.

We recently embarked on a fishing adventure from Cape Town, South Africa, to Henties Bay, Namibia. I have personally done this trip on many occasions and driven thousands of kilometres to and from, but this trip was special.

It was special, because after 2 years of hard lock down, being confined to our borders and limited interaction with people, we finally had the opportunity to visit this magnificent place again and get to go on an adventure we have waited for, for so long. Being adventurers at heart, it is something we all really looked forward to for a long time coming.

It was a bigger group, so it took some planning and organising to get everyone across the border without hassles. Covid still being a factor, we had a few extra hoops to jump, but it turned out to be pretty well managed.

We left Cape Town around midnight and drove all along the popular Namibia route and N7 most of the way. At daybreak, we were well on our way, surrounded by the dry landscape the Northern Cape is so well known for. We reached the Vioolsdrif border post shortly after 7:00am. With COVID and PCR tests still being a factor, we went through the motions and managed to cross the border without any hassles. Once in Namibia, we were a lot more relaxed and enjoyed a breakfast at our traditional spot to refuel and re energise.

You could feel the excitement building in the air knowing we were in another country, and all was well on track, but we knew we still had a way to go, so we finished our breakfast and hit the long road ahead of us. We immediately noticed that what we saw two years ago has changed in a significant way. Namibia had good rain falls and it was evident. Traditionally the Southern part as you enter driving towards Windhoek, it is a barren landscape, but this time around we were greeted with a green carpet of lush flora everywhere. It was a changed landscape and truly amazing to witness. A first for me after many years of driving this route.

We drove pretty much the entire day and reached our halfway stop in Mariental for a well-deserved rest. After settling down, we enjoyed our first night under the Namibian stars and enjoyed the great hospitality Namibia is so well known for. Tradition for many men who grew up in Africa is to braai, so we made a fire, sat around sharing stories, enjoying world class beer and meat Namibia is so well known for. Yes, we did have some side dishes too!

The following morning, we got up early and hit the road again. I always tell people to take note of how the landscape changes from this barren place to the dense bush as you get closer to Windhoek. I was amazed, that as far as your eyes could see, it was green all the way through, and the bush simply got denser as we reached Windhoek. We were lucky to see some wildlife in the dense bush that obviously looked very healthy and in great condition.

A must see in Windhoek is Joe’s Beer House, a unique restaurant with stories from Africa and filled with artefacts. Make sure you plan a stop over and reserve your table.

From Windhoek, we headed towards the coastline. Traditionally, as you get closer to the coastline and the Namib desert, you will see less plant growth, but once again, were we in for a pleasant surprise. Plant growth as far as your eye could see. I keep making mention of this because it is so special to see Namibia like this for a frequent visitor.

It was a much shorter trip than the previous day, so we took it easy and made a few stops to appreciate the smaller towns and views, such as the famous Spitzkoppe. With a few pictures taken, sore jaws from all the biltong we bought at Otjiwarongo and a lot of excitement, we reached our destination for the next two weeks, Henties Bay.

Henties Bay is well known by most anglers, and a bucket list fishing destination for many keen anglers. A prime fishing destination in Africa that is so unique, diverse and beautiful, it will leave you wanting more. If you mention Namibia, and Henties Bay to any angler, I can assure you a conversation will be struck up immediately. Some will eagerly share their story of the big one they either got, or the one that got away. Some will share their desire of going there to catch their dream fish. Either way, Namibia is the place many anglers dream of and keep coming back to.

The group gathered and met up at the popular watering hole in Henties Bay, Skubbe Bar. This is a very popular stop after a long day fishing for many anglers, mainly for the atmosphere and serves as a good place to get information. Here, you will normally pick up a few tips on where the fish are as the fellow anglers eagerly share their catches.

With everyone together, we had a quick lunch and headed to our accommodation, Huis Klipdrif to settle in for the next few days. We started unpacking all our gear and essentials. Most importantly, we got our tackle ready for the next day.

After we settled in, we had a briefing of what to expect over the next few days, so I did a few trace and bait presentations with some good banter in between. After everyone was comfortable with what to expect and the game plan in mind, we headed out for our first team dinner together in Henties Bay. As you can imagine, with everyone being super exited, the atmosphere was incredible and good times all round.

The food was something else. We all decided to go for the famous Eisbein’s Namibia has in abundance. Where we in for a surprise, the Eisbein’s arrived, and the size was intimidating to be honest. It basically filled the plate and whatever space was left, was filled with fries. Each one of us came second best and could not finish our meals. Needless to say, with the leftovers we had lunch for days. Value for money for sure! We decided to be responsible and end the night of early.

The next morning, we woke up at 5:00am and headed North of Henties Bay. I had a few spots from a recent trip we did in December, so we decided to try them out and it so happened to be where the locals mentioned some fish came out recently.

We made a quick stop to let down the tires and filled up with fuel for the day. Namibia is a destination where you are allowed to drive on the beach to reach you fishing spots, so letting down your tires is crucial. Even more importantly, do it yourself and do not rely on the attendants. Somehow, they managed to get it wrong on a few occasions, which resulted in a few vehicles getting stuck the moment we hit the sand. Getting stuck is all part of the adventure, so a few alterations and we were off again.

We reached our first spot, “Horing Baai”, and it was not long before I hooked into a stunning fish. As it was not the fireworks we were looking for, we decided to try a different spot I knew well, “Doep se gat”. From the moment we arrived it was game on. With the smaller fish on the bite and a few bigger ones in between, I knew it was only a matter for time until we get the trophy fish.

And just like that, it happened. Des was on with our first trophy fish of the trip and on his brand-new setup. I guided Des through the fight and went towards the water to land the fish. It was a bit more challenging to land this bigger fish with the deeper gutter in front of us, but when I first laid my eyes on the fish, I knew I had to land it whatever it takes. I timed the waves and went swimming for him but walked out with this beautiful fish in my arms.

We worked quickly, stayed close to the water’s edge to keep the fish wet, snapped a few pics, and released this stunner. The fish swam of strong, and we were as happy as can be. The fish weighed in at 12.5kg and a personal best for Des. Being one of our VIP clients and going on frequent trophy fish sessions with Des, we were both very stoked of course and another special moment shared between us.

Our first day ended well and the guys where over the moon! We made a quick stop over at the local water hole before heading home to brag about our catches for the day. With a few cold beverages, some stories shared, many laughs and lots of banter, we headed home to cook some fresh Kabeljou. In my opinion, there is nothing better than a fresh fish, but a fresh fish in Namibia is something else. It must be the atmosphere that adds to the flavour, but there is something special and a meal you will refer to on many occasions.

With the first day behind us, it was pretty much a repeat of day one and over the next few days we fished hard. Many good fish were landed and released. Everyone managed to catch a few fish every day and tick a few species of their bucket lists. We mainly caught species like Kabeljou, Steenbras, Shad, Galjoen, Black Tail and many a variety of Shark species in all shapes and sizes. Many firsts and personal bests for many where shared and they guys had a great time!

We were well organised and well equipped which made things so much easier but fished out after many long consecutive days of fishing, we looked forward to taking a break and head home to our loved ones.

There are many stories we would love to share about this trip with some amazing people, but apart from the fishing, what we enjoyed most, was the entire adventure. Venturing into the wilderness, the unknown for some and out of everybody’s comfort zone. Experiencing Namibia in its full glory and taking in everything Africa has to offer is what truly made our trip.

We managed to witness some special moments like a Jackals on a dune during sunrise, bright pink Flamingos flying over the ocean, the Seal colony at Cape Cross and washed-up Whales to name a few.

Our trip home was just as breath-taking as when we came down and we once again had the pleasure seeing Namibia in a way few will see her again. As we reached our last stop over in Grunau before crossing the border back home the next day, we had one last surprise. Brian kept on telling me that these people we will be staying at, will be feeding us properly and me being Afrikaans, I will appreciate this.

Well, let me tell you what, when we stopped at Namgate Guesthouse and Butchery, I did not expect this. We were a hand full of guys, but the food that was put in front of us was for an army. From whole lamb necks for every person to pumpkin fritters, but boy oh boy was there food. I recall that I stopped counting the different dishes at number 8. Now that’s what you call catering for people and a friendly reminder of Namibian hospitality.

Well fed, tired and grateful, we ended our last night under the Namibian stars, knowing, tomorrow our adventure comes to an end.

Very grateful for another successful trip and see you soon Namibia!