Chasing Giants Midmar New Years Weekend

[Ryanie]

After some serious humming and ha-ing about where we were going to spend new Years what we thought was sanity prevailed. A nice weekend away from the chaos and noise of New Years celebrations each year. A moment of brilliance or a monumental Mrs Balls up...time would tell...

It took some wheeling and dealing to get the Saturday off but the holiday was booked 30 December 2011 - 2 January 2012 and low and behold it kicked in. " The Maldives Effect" which is apparently when just the physical confirmation of a holiday brings about the on set of the de stressing process.

The Boat and Livina where packed post haste and the journey away from the hustle and bustle of post Christmas had well and truly begun. Hands on the steering wheel boat in the rearview mirror three days of fun in the sun "King of the Hill Baby!"

An amazing start to the weekend. The traffic going up the N3 was relatively quiet and incident free. We arrived at Midmar and booked in to the modest Rustic Cabins but would have preferred the extra premium for the comforts of the chalets but it was not to be... some little Jazz festival nearby ( que ominous violins ).

We were unpacked in a flash and up went the feet and down went the very first fortified Grape beverage as the African sun slowly set over the majestic Midmar Dam.

That night we strategised with Barry Blunt as we were in desperate need of guidance "Bidmaar" had not been very good to me over the last few seasons and we were determined to change all of that and exorcise the Midmaar hoodoo. That night as I lay in bed my head spinning with strategies and the Midmar Map memorised as it lay crumpled on my chest, the spanking New Shimano Core in the corner winked at me knowingly as I drifted off to sleep with a smile...

Up at 03h30 shower, prep boat launch ... and we were off with the early morning sun beaming its approval on our faces...yip life was grand. A couple of other bass boats had also launched and were prowling around and I noticed a big red Crackle Back 600 lurking on the dam wall side but thought nothing of it.



A few casts in and we "surfed" in a few dinks. We started off at Thurlow Point and drifted in past the set for the Jazz Festival ( que Jaws intro). The Bass were feeding heavily in the shallows but we could not get the better fish to bite. The bigger bites were few and far between. The weather was also starting to sour so we had back to the cabin for chow. The rain started soon after we had got back so we waited it our while I picked the brains of any Angler who would help and the strategy was refined albeit with the assistance of some more fortified "energy drinks"...



The rain didnt clear and we settled in for a relaxing braai and watched the sun setting between irritable silver storm clouds...magnificent.. Perhaps the "energy drinks or perhaps the influence of mother natures' splendour but I felt well and truly relaxed despite the dismal fishing...


Now heres where we were we had tried Boat Hire, Morgenson West bank, Thurlow Banks and the trees at the bottom of Thurlow and had a fews dinks to show for it. We had tried plastics, cranks spinnerbaits and jerk baits. Banks, shallow, medium, deep.. what to do, what to do.. So I eventually did what most self respecting Bassers would do... I pumped anyone I could for info..checked the sites for tips and decided to try some windblown points the following day.



The weather woman had also reported of some ominous front of sorts but the buzz in my head drowned out the logic of planning a day doing something indoors. Life was after all GOOD...

The day came to end with a Midmar Contour Map on the night stand covered with brightly coloured Quality Street wrappers... the smile from the previous night replaced by chocolate smears...

The next morning we awoke at a more reasonable hour and headed out on the water. Once again we battled to hit our strides and got rained out at midday. Starting to doubt my sanity and strategy I wonderted how the other guys were doing when I noticed a familiar face in Gary Peters stop at our site. Gary reckoned that he had had some luck on the Dam Wall side with split shot Flukes at the back of the bays... He assured me of a bounty of keepers and smiled at me dubious demeanour... I thanked him and hoped we would get a break in the rain and our dry streak...


The rain eventually slowed at about 17h00 and were off to the races. Gary launched just before us and roared off into the distance. I stubbornly made a run to the trees at the bottom of Thurlow Bay and plugged away. Gary eventually joined us I fugered because he thought we must have found something .. How wrong you were Gary... No luck and after trying a few different baits we followed Gary to the Bays at the Dam wall. As we stopped the sky turned a very dark angry colour and the cracks and booms started..ah well and we sidled into the bay with Gary casting furiously and looking over at us as if we knew what we were doing.

lined up a deceased tree in the middle of the bay and fired a picture perfect cast just off to the right with my new Shimano Core making a glorious whirr! Looking down in admiration as I engaged the reel I felt a solid thud and drove the hook home. For a split secomd I though I might have been snagged but sudden angry head shake and dive for the bottom cleared up any confusion and fight began...

What a feeling new rod and reel performing faultlessly and and a good fish testing the setup to its limits what a fight with the fish refusing to give up and myself as determined a I had ever been to land this decent fish that eluded me and the thunder and lightning building to a deadly crecendo as I finally boated a very tired beauty and cracking a thumbs up from Gary and I could barely hear his " I told you.." over the boom of the giants feet over head.. A quick photo and we decided to make a dash for cover as the static electricity in the air warned us that Giants were at play...


Later that night the rush of finally bagging a decent fish and breaking the hoodoo left me in good spirits and Gaynor and I realised that this fish had been my last fish of 2011 in poetic fashion. What a year.. and as I dozed off to the sound of fireworks and hoorahs I had a feeling that 2012 was going to be an awesome year and the Shimano in the corner now spotted with water seemed a little shinier than last year...



Heres to conquering your Giants!



Have an awesome 2012 All

[Capiez]

You should seriously consider a career in writing!!
Awesome report

[Navrik]

Awesome report and congrats on the nice fish Ryanie!

[Hawkeye]

Brave of you to have "Braved the Elements" Particularly that Footstomping Giant but like you say when your Rod starts buzzing and your line starts floating you should have been off the water lol :blue-confused:
Thanks for an entertaining read Ryanie
Here's wishing you a Happy New Year with tight lines as well

[Coyote]

Nice report Ryan, pity we could not join you :blue-cry:

[Whitts]

Awesome rep[ort Ryan.

[Jeremy]

Nice fish to end off the year. :blue-cool: Awesome report as usual.

[Riprap]

Nice report again, as usual, Ryanie. Well done.

[Ninja]

Lekker report back Ryan!

Nice catch, well done :blue-cool: