BREEDERIVER SMALLIES: PART 1

[breedesmallie]

I grew up in Bonnievale which was a 10 minute walk from my house to the river. I started fishing at the age of 10 catching smallies which is a species I have developed a passion for.
The only lures available in the hardware store in Bonnievale in those days were inline spinners and if you were lucky you would find a Rapala and Hula popper as the only top water lures. Rods we used were the fibre glass rods with really cheap closed faced reels. Growing up in a house where my parents believed that fishing was not a sport was difficult. I did have a boat, it was a beautiful tin boat ( well in my eyes it was :blue-badgrin: ) which I made myself.
Those days if you could not catch 10 big smallies in a afternoon as we did after school with our inline spinners which cost about 10c ( the yellow ones ) and our Hula poppers at 50c you would be considered a pretty poor fisherman. My pocket money then was 20c per week. I never used live bait and I practiced catch and release back then.
After I had finished school I went off to do my National service for two years and over this period I did no fishing at all. In the early eighties I once again started fishing for Breede smallies and have not stopped since then. In the mid eighties I started a log book and kept records of the smallies which I have caught. Keeping these records became a hobby and still is.
I started to target large mouth bass in the 90's but smallies will always be my first passion and will continue to be so till the day the good Lord decides to take me home.

Next time:
My findings from my tag and release programme on smallies and my top 5 baits for Breede smallies.

[jasonvorster]

Nice article Breedesmallie. And cnt wait for the next part. Fishing for those river smallies is incredible. Just wish I got the opportunity to do it more often. Every single trip I have had to the Breede has been one to remember. Can't wait to do it again soon.

[Bassmar]

Smallie

We need to chat at some time, preferably over a beer after some fishing :blue-biggrin:

I started bass fishing on the Breede in the Bonnievale area from about the age of 9 or so. We had very good friends who had a farm about 5 k's from Drew on the road to Bvale. I spent every holiday there till they sold the farm when I was about 20. I fished off the side and off a canoe.

The farmer that I used to visit was also a mad keen fisherman. He had a large canoe that was permanently on top of his bakkie. He only took it off to fish. Everyone in Bonnievale would know it was him coming down the street.

Drop me a PM with your number and we can have a chat. I am sure we will know some of the same people.

Marek

[theBee]

Hi there Breede - I'm quite sure you have some great bass fishing stories. Let me know if you are in need of some company on your stretch of river - Will drive through in no time!

[breedesmallie]

Hi Bee, I will pm you. Was on the water yesterday for only a few hours and caught 4 very nice smallies and 5 largies.

[LaRocks]

Thanks BS for sharing. Love the Breederiver system and hope to fish it soon.