TRIP REPORT : ANGOLA : FLAMINGO : DOODSAKKER : KUNENE

Omdat ek taamlik besig en uitstedig is as gevolg van werksverpligtinge, gaan ek hierdie verslag in 'n paar Hoofstukke doen, soos wat ek tyd kry. Fotos en videos sal eers geplaas word in die heel laaste Hoofstuk.

Hierdie verslag is nie 'n poging van my kant af om mense te werf om volgende keer saam te gaan nie. Ek wil ook nie adverteer nie. Ek was die leier van 'n groep van 5 mense wat hierdie tog aangepak het. Ons het baie geleer en baie foute gemaak. Ons is 'n geslote groep werks-vriende wat besluit het ons het nou genoeg gehoor en gelees van hierdie wonderlike plek en ons het besluit om self te gaan ondersoek instel.

Ek wil net byvoeg dat dit altyd onmoontlik gelyk het. Ons het soveel stories gehoor oor Angola, dat dit soos 'n groot monster voor ons gestaan het. Ons het nog altyd gedink dat dit onmoontlik is om hierdie tog aan te pak sonder 'n gids wat die heeltyd by ons is. Soos dit egter maar altyd gaan met uitdagings, was ons bang, maar...ons het besluit om die onbekende te gaan aandurf. Ons het selfs ons testamente en versekering reggekry, sou ons miskien nie terugkeer nie.

HOOFSTUK 1

Gedurende September 2015 het ek 'n verslag gelees van Simen Anderson oor hulle wedervaringe in Angola. Ek het verwonderd gestaan oor die aantal visse wat hulle gevang het en was geweldig geraak deur die area waar hulle gehengel het. Ek het onmiddelik met Simen kontak gemaak, maar sy groepe was volgeboek tot 2017. Ek wou nie so lank wag nie. Ek het my vriende, Gerhard Nel, Ben De Klerk, Bart De Klerk en Craig Goldstone gekontak en meegedeel dat ek hierdie trip wil aanpak, dat ek nie weet waar om te begin nie, maar dat ek alles sal ondersoek en na hulle toe terug sal kom.

Heel eerste op my lys was om by die meesters te leer. Ek het Simen gekontak per e-pos. Wat 'n wonderlike mens!!! Soveel ervaring en so bereid om inligting te verskaf!! Geen wonder Simen se toere is so gewild nie.

Daarna het ek met Flamingo self kontak gemaak. Flamingo Lodge behoort aan Mnr. Sakko. Hy is ook die eienaar van Kwanza Lodge in die Noorde. Ek het hom toevallig ontmoet toe ons by Flamingo was gedurende ons laaste aand. Hy is 'n ongelooflike vriendelike mens. Hy was juis daar met 'n groep motorfiets manne van Suid Afrika wat deur die area sou toer.

Chenelle en Carlos Moran bestuur die lodge. Beide van hulle is wonderlike mense. Chenelle en Carlos verwag hulle eerste baba. Hulle keer terug Suid Afrika toe aan die einde van September om die baba se koms af te wag. Chenelle het my op Rico se vrou, Theresa Sakko se spoor gesit. Sy is woonagtig in Kaapstad. Sy hanteer die VISUMS vir mense wat graag Angola toe wil gaan. Niks is te veel vir hierdie vrou nie. Sy is ongelooflik. Ons het absoluut geen probleme gehad met ons VISUMS nie.

Dit klink miskien of ek dink almal is wonderlik, maar regtig, hierdie mense is vriendelik en hulpvaardig. Hulle gaan uit hulle pad om die lewe vir 'n mens makliker te maak.

Ek het aanvanklik beplan om die trip aan te vat gedurende Mei 2016, maar as gevolg van onvoorsiene werks-verpligtinge moes ons dit noodgedwonge uitstel. Die Lodge was propvol geboek en die eerste beskikbare plek wat ons weer kon kry was gedurende September 2016. Volgens beide Carlos en Chenelle, is dit ook 'n uitstekende tyd vir vis.....hulle was reg!! Later meer hieroor.

Ons eerste stap was om die volgende gereed te kry:-
1.Geelkoors Sertifikate
2.Internasionale bestuurders-lisensies
3.Bank State
4.Bewys van verblyf (residential)
5.Bewys van werk (Brief deur werkgewer)
6.Pensionarisse (Beedigde Verklaring)
7.Mediese versekering (R500)
8.Voertuig Registrasie Dokumente
9.Brief deur Finansierings-Huis dat hulle toestemming gee dat voertuie vir die tydperk oor die grens mag gaan;
10.Brief van versekerings-huis dat hulle die voertuig verseker vir die tydperk; (Ek moes 'n minimale bedraggie ekstra betaal vir beide my 4x4 voertuie)
11.'n Itenarary (Trip Beplanning)
12.'n Spreadsheet wat aandui watter mense ry in watter voertuig.

Al hierdie dokumente is na Theresa gekoerier. Sy het alles gehanteer en ons slegs laat inkom na die Angolese Ambassade in Kaapstad vir ons vingerafdrukke. Ons het ons VISUMS dieselfde dag ontvang.

Theresa het die volgende van haar kant af gereel:-

1.Uitnodiging vanaf Angola
2.Permitte
3.Alles moes vertaal word in Portugees.

Theresa vra 'n minimale bedraggie om alles te doen. Ek sal oor en oor van haar hulp gebruik maak. Sy was vinnig en akkuraat. Daar was geen verassings nie.

Chenelle het aan my 'n lys gestuur van alle hengel gerei wat ons sou benodig. Aan die begin het dit nie vir ons veel sin gemaak nie. Ons was almal aas hengelaars en ek en die meeste van die manne het nog nooit probeer spin nie. Ek het gister, nadat ons teruggekom het weer na hulle lys gekyk en gesien dat hulle 100% korrek was. Alles wat hulle voorgestel het, was waarmee ons vis gevang het. Later meer hieroor.

Ek het besluit om beide my voertuie te gebruik. ', Toyota Hilux 4L V6 Double kajuit 4x4 en 'n Fortuner 3l diesel 4x4. Ek moes noodgedwonge 'n paar aankope doen om die voertuie toe te rus vir daardie wereld en het die volgende bekom:-

1.Aluminium Kappie
2.Roof Carrier
3.High Lift jack
4.12V pomp vir opblaas van band
5.25l Jerry Kanne vir beide voertuie (My grootste fout...later meer hieroor)

Ek het ook 'n 4x4 treiler gehuur wat volledig toegerus was vir 6 mense. Yskas, eetgerei, stoof, gasbottels ens. (Ons 2de grootste fout. Later meer hieroor ook.

Ek het beide voertuie geneem vir 'n major service. Ek het veranderinge laat aanbring aan die Hilux se onderstel. Daar was geen probleme nie, maar omdat ek die voertuig gebruik om my Butt Cat te launch, het ek besluit op nuwe wiel bearings, nuwe diff, nuwe skokbrekers ens. (Bedrag R65 000). Ek het vir die Fortuner nuwe wiel dromme en break pads laat insit en alle olies en filters laat vervang. (Bedrag R9000)

Dit was miskien bietjie duur, maar glo my, niemand was blyer as ek oor hierdie uitgawes, toe ek die toestande daar sien waaraan my voertuie blootgestel was nie. Ons het nie 'n enkele probleem met die voertuie opgetel nie.

Ten einde die manne te verhoed om te veel te pak omdat pakplek skaars was, was elke ou toegelaat om 'n 100l krat te pak vir alle visvang gerei en 'n normale grootte sak vir klerasie. (Dit was ons 3de grootste fout) Ons het hopeloos te veel gepak. Almal was dit eens. Ons sou kon klaarkom met minder as die halfte van die klere en visvang gerei. Maar so leer 'n mens!!!

Voordat ons vertrek het, het ek ons visvang uniforms waat ek gedurende Oktober 2015 bestel het gekry. Dit het bestaan uit die volgende:-
1.Splash Jacket
2.Splash pants (long)
3.Quick Dry Long sleeve shirts
4.Quick Dry short sleeve shirts
5.Quick Dry Short Pants
Sal in die laaste hoofstuk vir julle wys hoe dit gelyk het. Ons het almal agterna saamgestem daat hierdie al klere was wat ons moes saamgeneem het. 2 stelle hemde en broeke. Een in die was en die ander aan die bas. Maar hoe moes ons weet? Nou weet ons!!

Volgende Hoofstuk : HOOFSTUK 2 (ONS VERTREK!!) In hierdie Hoofstuk sal ek die roetes deel, die brandstof pryse, oornag geriewe op pad na Angola. Moeilikheid met die Angolese Immigrasie beamptes, openlike korrupsie, die omruil van geld vanaf Rand na Angolese Kwanza en besienswaardighede langs die pad vanaf Port Alfred tot by Flamingo in Angola)

HOOFSTUK 3

Hengel by Flamingo. Meer oor Carlos Moran en Chenelle. Alle hengel gerei wat ons gebruik het. Wat vir ons geleer was. Verskillende lepels, plugs en paddle tails wat gewerk het. Tipe braid, stokke en katrolle. Hengel toestande

HOOFSTUK 4

Ons tog na en van Kunene deur die Park en deur die Doodsakker.Verskillende lepels, plugs en paddle tails wat gewerk het. Probleme wat ondervind was en suksesse wat behaal is.

HOOFSTUK 5

Ons terugtog na Suid Afrika.

Toe ek jou pragtige watsup profile pic sien....arm omhoog...in angola....toe wens ek darm ek was daar........carlos mis seker nie sy ou tuisdorpie port elizabeth nie......ja glo as jy wil......baie baie jare terug is ons met my geel beach buggy op langs die kus....om n galjoen of twee te vang....hyt seker vergeet hoe lyk n galjoen....ou carlos moran....jou lucky lucky bogger......seker destyds nooit gedink jy eindig daar op.....jou mentor wat jou van n litie af geleer het ou jerome victor juis my canoo gemodify.....jerome bly nog op die selle plek al die jare...en nou vang hy eers goed vis......:lol:1sien uit na verslag....

CHAPTER 2

Before the trip Gerhard Nel (Cape Town) and Bart De Klerk (Somerset West) decided that they would fly to Windhoek and we would then collect them there on the 7th of September 2016.

We decided on the following route and time schedule:-

1.2016/09/06 Port Alfred to Karasburg, Namibia
2.2016/09/07 Karasburg to Windhoek;
3.2016/09/08 Windhoek to Ondangwa;
4.2016/09/09 Ondangwa to Flamingo, Angola

Ben De Klerk picked up the 4x4 trailer, a Conqueror, Courage Trailer in Heidelberg, Gauteng, and travelled to Port Alfred on 2016/09/05. Myself, Craig Goldstone (East London) and Ben De Klerk (Frankfort) left at 06:00 on the morning of 2016/09/06.

As already mentioned, I bought 4 x 25L Plastic Jerry cans for each vehicle. We fastened them to the roof-rack on the Hilux. The trailer was pulled by the Fortuner because we worked out for ourselves that it would be the most cost-effective option as the Hilux would be to thirsty. Before we left and after sending photos of the packed vehicles to the group, Gerhard Nel suggested that we rather put the empty Jerry cans in the canopy as it would have an effect on the fuel consumption if it was on the roof. We thought about it for about 10 seconds and then said Naaahh....what does he know!!! This is the way it is being done by the guys from Voetspore and other groups. We wanted to show off and it just looked cool having them on the roof-rack. One could easily see that we were on an expedition. On the road between Hanover and Upington, we were driving into a very strong head-wind. I noticed that the fuel level of the Hilux dropped considerably faster than before. In fact, I became worried that I was not going to make it to Karasburg on 2 tanks and there and then knew that I am going to have a problem with the fuel budget. I roughly budgeted for about R12 000 of fuel for the Hilux and R10 000 for the Fortuner there and back. We kept to the speed limit of 100 km/h that we decided on before hand as we reckoned this would be the safest and more cost effective speed limit fuel-wise.

It felt as if we were never going to get to Flamingo this way. It was extremely slow and the heat did not do us many favours either. At Prieska we decided to up the speed level to 110 km/h. I was right. I barely made Upington on the second tank with the Hilux. The Fortuner still had about a quarter of a tank left. We filled up and made our way to the Border Post between South Africa and Namibia. We were all tired but in very high spirit as we were now really in it!! We were leaving the borders of our Country!!

Border Procedure at Ariamsvlei

At both borders we had to start at immigration where our passports were stamped. We each had to complete a little white form. The drivers of the vehicles then had to complete a separate Gate Pass form and proceed to another counter where it was stamped. We then left the South African side of the border after about 20 minutes and proceeded to the Namibian side about 17 km's further.

There we again had our Passports stamped and the drivers again had to complete a little gate-pass form. At another counter it was stamped. We had to pay a Cross Border charge of 250 Namibian Dollar per vehicle and for the trailer as well. In total 750 Namibian Dollar. They accepted South African Rands. The currency is exactly the same. We were asked if we were having something to declare. Our Engine numbers and VIN numbers were checked. Before we left home, each member of the group compiled a list of their belongings with serial numbers, description, value etc. and had it stamped by the SAPS in order to prevent us from being charged import duty on our way back. We were handed Cross Border charge permits (a green little receipt) This permits was again requested at a roadblock somewhere in Namibia. We did not have any problems. Without it we would have had a lot of problems...so keep it safe!!

We arrived at Karasburg at about 21:30. We stayed at Hoons Guesthouse. A wonderful guesthouse with very friendly people. We were trying to keep our cost down, so we before-hand decided not to seek luxury. However, at Hoons we had a bit of both. And it was cheap!!

On the morning of 2016/09/07 at 07:30 we left for Windhoek after a nice warm breakfast. The wind was blowing a bit and I again noticed the fuel level going down faster. I stopped next to the road and we removed our 8 Jerry Cans from the roof-carrier and placed them inside the canopy and were once again on our way.

This time, however, I could even feel the Hilux handling a bit better. The fuel-level dropped slower and we even managed to push up our speed to 115 km/h before the thirsty 4L, V6 wanted to kick over. When we reached Windhoek at 14:30, Gerhard and Bart was already waiting for us at our camping site at Monteiro Guest House just outside Windhoek. We slept in tents with everything in it. Electricity, beds, coffee etc. We had our Trip Party there that night. We enjoyed a few lemonades until late that evening and even sang a few songs.

On the morning of 2016/09/08 we left at 05:00 to Ondangwa where we would once again sleep over. This time I had Bart in the vehicle with me. At about 12:00 Bart, exploding of excitement, asked...Oom Kenny, hoekom moet ons in Ondangwa slaap? Kan ons nie maar deurdruk nie? Craig was also in the car with us and he echoed Bart's sentiments. I was so glad to hear them say this, as this was exactly how I felt. We had a two-way radio in each car and I informed Ben and Gerhard in the Fortuner that we were going for the border. There were some concerns and remember our lodging at Ondangwa had been paid for, months in advance, and we were going to lose it. The waters were however calling, and we just ignored any arguments in our minds against our decision. At this stage after filling up the vehicles again, I realised that not listening to Gerhard we lost about R700 worth of fuel while the jerry Cans were on the roof.

We stopped at Ondangwa to buy some groceries as we decided that we were going to do it the Voetspore way. Drive until we find a spot, and then camp next to the road. We reached Oshikango Border Post at 15:30. Our hell started!!!

As we entered the Namibian side of the border a guy in a red shirt stormed us. He would take us through everything as without his assistance we will not get into Angola that night. I heard about these characters before, while investigating and planning the trip, and informed the guys to be friendly, say “no” and ignore him.

He sticked to us like bostic glue to a wol kombers!! At the Namibian side they requested that green little Cross Border permit from us, stamped our Passports and off we went...15 minutes flat!!

At the Angolan side "Red Shirt" was there again. I kindly requested him to leave us alone. He charged us 400 Namibian Dollars for his assistance up to then. I started laughing at him and then bluntly chased him away. We were directed to an office where the vehicles would be checked. No one spoke a word of English. Portuguese all the way...and needless to say we did not understand them. After a while we were approached by an officer whom could speak English. He requested the documents of the vehicles from us. He requested all the documents which I mentioned in Chapter 1. We had everything ready, but he requested us for the photos!! What photos?? Photos of each and every vehicle he replied. Where would we get photos at that time of the day? He told me to take one of the vehicles and then drive to town to go and search for a Chinese shop where they would print photos for us. Ben and I then entered Angola, without any permits, and no passports in our possession. We found the Chinese shop and they commenced printing photos which we took with our cell phones.

I remained outside with the Hilux. People were all over me. They were pushing money into my face. Big bundles of notes, I kid you not. I knew that I would have to pay for the vehicles at the Angolan side and was informed before the trip that it would be about 7000 kwanzas per vehicle. I still planned to exchange money from American USA to kwanza at the bank at the border post but was informed that they were going to offer me the official rate of 160 kwanza to the dollar. I took a chance right there and then....I changed 200 US dollars and received 92 000 kwanzas from these street vendors. I was scared that it would be counterfeit money. If I changed it at the bank I would have received 32 000 kwanzas. I thus made a profit of 60 000 kwanzas. Converted to rands I made a profit of R5000. Out of nowhere “Red Shirt” appeared. Demanding money from me. I ignored him. It was really getting late now and the people in the Chinese shop were taking their time. It became evident that there was some sort of arrangement between the guys at the border post and this shop. I saw a black car stopping behind me. Gerhard got out of the vehicle. It was an official Angolan vehicle. He informed us that they wanted to close the Border for the night and that we had to hurry.
Ben came back with the photos and we went back to the Border. With the photos now in his hands the officer commenced issuing our gate passes. With this in hand I had to run to the counter about 100m away to pay. Up to this stage my passport still was not stamped. I paid the 21000 kwanzas, obtained the gate pass and was then taken to the counter to have my passport stamped. “Red Shirt” was again inside this building as well. The immigration/customs officer took her time. Another guy in a yellow “T” shirt was standing buy her desk. He told us that she wanted some money. I refused. I have been a police officer for many years and never took or paid a bribe in my life. The moment I refused, she informed him that the system went off. However, the row right next to us was still commencing. No problem with their system??? When we pointed this out to them, she started working on the computer again, stamped our passports, but then refused to give it to us unless we give her money. “Yellow Shirt” asked us bluntly for money. I refused. I took out the satellite phone and switched it on. “Yellow shirt” asked me what I was doing. I informed him that I am calling Rico and Theresa Sakko. That was the end of it. They immediately handed over our passports and bid us farewell.
“Red Shirt” bid us farewell with a middle fingers on both hands. He was furious. When we left, it was dark. It was past 18:00. We nearly spend 4 hours at the border post. Remember, they are an hour behind South Africa.
We decided to drive for an hour or two just to get away from civilization and then camp. However, we felt unsafe and then decided to push on to Lubango another 400 km’s away. We arrived there close to 24:00 and proceeded to a campsite which was marked on the Tracks for Africa GPS. This place seemed to be in the middle of a squatter camp and we decided against it. On our way there we passed a lodge called Obama. We went there and stayed over for the night. We travelled 17 hours that day. We were tired, but we knew we were now only 267km’s away from Flamingo.
At 07:30 the next morning we were off. We stopped at the Statue of Christ on a mountain next to Lubango for photos. Then we entered the leba pass. This is regarded as an Engineering Wonder. The scenery is flabbergasting.
At about 13:00 we entered Namibe, the last town on our way to Flamingo. We had brunch at a restaurant and then proceeded to the harbour to buy bait. We got 10kg’s of fresh tjokka and about 60 Sardinello’s. We then filled up both vehicles and left town for the last 70 km’s to Flamingo.
About 45km’s from Namibe, there is a turn-off to Flamingo to the right. It is a dry river bed. We had to travel about 24km’s in this river bed. We were a bit nervous about this, but let some air out of the tires to about 1.6, put the vehicles in 4x4 and proceeded to Flamingo without any problems at all.
When we reached the beach, we saw Flamingo on our left hand side. What a sight!!! We were greeted by Carlos and Chenelle and immediately went to have an ice cold Angolan beer. There is wifi at the lodge. We all informed our loved ones that we were safe and were then taken to our rooms. We unpacked and then Carlos informed us of the fishing plans for the next few days. That night, although extremely tired, we were all busy getting our gear ready. Carlos told us to forget about bait fishing for now and get our spinning gear ready. We were a bit hesitant because spinning was not our forte, but nevertheless decided to give it a go the next day. It was 5 tired, but very happy fisherman that went to sleep that night!!
NEXT CHAPTER : OUR FISHING ADVENTURE STARTS,

Hallo Sparrabos. Dankie man!! Sou wat wou gee om jou saam te kon he met jou kennis ou vriend.
Carlos en Chenelle kom terug PE toe vir die baba. Hulle behoort oor twee weke hier te wees.

:fswim

CHAPTER 3
2016/09/10 Vroeg op die volgende more. ‘n Lekker groot ontbyt. Carlos kom groet ons en ons vertrek al langs die kus af vir omtrent 10 km. Die see is rustig maar nie heeltemal dood nie. Carlos kyk na die manne se gerei, maak ‘n paar verstellings, beveel die lepels aan waarmee ons moet begin spin. Soos een man storm ons die water.

There is a sandbank about 50 meters out with some working water. From there, there is a channel of about 30 to 40 meters wide. We cast out to the sandbank and then retrieve the spoons over the channel. All of a sudden all hell broke loose. We were catching Shad!! At some stages three of us were standing on the beach with nice big Shad. I was standing there, casting out, retrieving and catching good sized shad. It was a thrilling experience. Something I never did before. Sometimes I took a smoke break and watched my group from the Hilux. They were having a ball. They were enjoying themselves!!

We moved from one spot to another on a few occasions until lunch time, when we went back to the lodge for lunch and a well deserved rest until 15:30. You should hear the guys talking and discussing the morning next to the water!! Personal bests all around. It was as if a whole new world opened for us all. We were learning by trial and error. Carlos Moran was with us every step of the way, giving advice, changing spoons for us, teaching us how to bind braid to a leader, how to put fast release clips, how fast we should retrieve the spoons / plugs etc. When someone took a bit too long to get a fish on, he would zone in on that person, give a bit of advice and assist to get him back on track.
Carlos is a great character! He was always friendly. He was a complete gentleman and made us all feel at ease all the time. His teaching methods were so discrete and spot-on that he made us feel like professionals in no time at all. At one stage I had a few wind knots in my braid. I put down that rod and took a shorter rod to not miss out on the action. While casting, I felt someone tap me on my shoulder. It was Carlos. He handed the rod back to me. Problems sorted out. New braid on the real. I could just commence casting and getting Shad!! I never asked him to do this. This happened daily with each and every person in our group. He never ever let us feel stupid!! When someone lost a spoon or got bitten off by a big fish, he would walk up to that person, take the rod, put on a new leader and spoon or plug while discussing everything with that angler. Boy oh boy did we learn what to do, why we had to do it, when..... What must be done and how!!!!!!
This is what a guide must be like. Carlos Moran was born for this! We were in absolute awe with his knowledge and experience. He taught us how to read the conditions and when and where to spin. We were using the following tackle: - (List supplied by Flamingo) we basically sticked to this list.
You will basically need two rods, which will cover most of the fishing requirements in and around Flamingo Lodge and the southern region of Angola.

Set up:

9-11 foot dropshot type rod paired with a good quality spinning reel. Recommended rods
include the sensation Dominator, Daiwa Exceller, Shimano Vengeance. The Berkley Venom range as well as the Shimano Blue Romance are fantastic. Reels should be of high quality as spinning and plugging puts a lot of strain on your reel. Reels starting from a Shimano Stradic
up to a Shimano Stella, in the range of 4000-6000 (depending on the length of
your rod) are suitable. Reels should be spooled with 20-30 LB braid. The best
braid is Power Pro, alternatively Suffix832. This is the outfit you will use most of
the time for catching shad and garrick. Don't save on braid, it connects you to
the fish!!!


Budget outfit (use only for this trip): 11ft Vengeance with a 5000 Stradic

Medium budget: 11ft Daiwa Exceller Elite with a 6000 Saragosa

Top of the line: 10ft Berkley Venom with a 5000 Twin Power or Stella

Some of the cheaper reels did not make it. They already packed up on day 1.

Terminal tackle:
Spinning
A hard fluorocarbon leader such as Double X or Rovex in 40lb (0.63mm) will cover all your basics. Highly recommended are quick release lure clips which allow you to change lures
effortlessly without loosing length in your leader. It also provides extra action to lures whilst adding a little extra protection from teeth. A few extra split rings and a split ring pliers
that can cut braid, as well as nylon. If you have a Boga grip bring it along as
it assists with taking photos of jumpy shad. We rig all our lures with Gamakatsu
singles ranging from 6/0-8/0. Bring along a packet of 7/0 Eagle Claw circle
hooks which are rigged onto spoons when targeting kob in rocky areas. Mustad
Kendall rounds are a suitable alternative option. We have had trouble with
Daiichi hooks in the past and do not recommend them. NB!! It is very important to bring along a casting finger protector!


Lures:
A minimum of 20 plugs and 20 spoons for drop shot rods. We mostly use 2-3oz Seal Point or
Predator plugs. ALL LURES HAVE TO BE FITTED TO SINGLE HOOKS, TREBLE HOOKS ARE
NOT PERMITTED. Favourite spoons (2-3oz) are Penguin 22's, keel, s-flat, hopkins
and from the 'T' range the t22,t24 and t28. Regarding paddle tails, McArthy
makes a great range. The ones that work the best are red mullet, orca and goldfish in 5' and 6’. Bring along a variety of colours. The ones with darker colours on top and lighter colours on the bottom seem to give the best results. Berkley Gulp 7” jerk shads in any colour are
always a winner! A range of Mad Mullet jig heads from 1-2oz should be sufficient.

The afternoon session went on in the same fassion. We caught a lot of fish. By this time you could sense the confidence in each and every person. They changed spoons and plugs, put on leaders themselves...all under the watchful eye of Carlos. He became our Hero in no time at all.

I never knew that one could get so tired of fishing. That night at dinner the guys were stiff and sore. Our arms were aching. Most of us took some Voltaren or pain medication. We were in bed by 20:30 already and slept like babies.

The next morning the same routine. Breakfast and off to the fishing grounds. We once again hammered the Shad. Sometime during the morning I was busy casting a green chisel-nose plug. While casting it felt as if someone kicked me on the back of my leg. I nearly fell down. I could not believe it. I pulled a hammy while spinning. That hammy bothered me the whole trip and if it was not for the Voltaren injections that I got from my GP, I would not have been able to fish again. The same hammy nearly let me lose my biggest cob of the trip later at the Kunene. The biggest Shad was caught by Ben De Klerk. Gerhard Nel and Bart De Klerk also got themselves very big shads in the vicinity of 3 to 5 kg’s. The whole group caught a lot of fish. No-one blanked. Gerhard Nel was the leader at that stage with Bart not too far behind.

Day 3 went very much the same. We returned to the lodge at 15:00 to get ourselves ready for the trip through the Doodsakker to the Kunene River mouth for some Cob fishing.

Loving this!
Stuff of dreams. Can't wait for the next chapter!

CHAPTER 4

On the evening of 2016/09/12, Carlos spoke to me about our Trip to Kunene. Kunene is roughly 230 km’s from Flamingo. Between Flamingo and Kunene there is a small town known as Tombua, then the desert starts and then the Doodsakker, a stretch of 80 km’s, where the desert dunes meets the sea, leaving a small space, sometimes only for one vehicle at a time, to pass through on low tide. Now, this low tide must be chosen on a spring tide at Full moon or New moon. Even the GPS warns as follows: - “DRIVING ON – EXTREMELY DANGEROUS”
According to Carlos this stretch of beach claims vehicles every year. Sometimes 3, sometimes 5 but every year the sea takes a vehicle here. We all saw what happened to the masters of my favourite program “Voetspore” while they were in the Doodsakker the first time. I received a photo via whatsapp of three vehicles lying on their sides a little while ago.
During our meeting, Carlos informed us that he was extremely hesitant to let us tow our 4x4 trailer through the Doodsakker. I knew, even though he did not say it at all, he was also thinking of our experience. According to him, we would have to be willing to unhook the trailer in the Doodsakker if there were any problems and let the sea take it. The right moon was still 3 days away and the sea was still a bit big after some strong winds the past few days. Because we rented the trailer, we did not want to take this chance and decided to leave the trailer at Flamingo. Carlos recommended that we go to Kunene via the Lona National Park, a drive of about 8 hours and then, if the sea and conditions were fine, return to Flamingo via the Doodsakker. We agreed. We took our fresh chokka and sardinellos from the 4x4 freezer and placed them into cooler boxes in the back of the canopy.

The Hilux was running low on fuel due to our driving and fishing at Flamingo. We decided to leave at 06:00 on the morning of 2016/09/13, to fill up both vehicles and Jerry cans at Namibe and then meet Carlos again at the Flamingo turn off at about 08:00. The river bed driving takes about 1 hour. We managed to reach town without any problems, filled up both vehicles and Jerry cans and left to meet Carlos as arranged.
Just as we left Namibe, we were stopped by a police lady standing next to the road. She let Ben and the Fortuner through, but requested our passports and vehicle passes. Everything was fine. She then pointed to our safety belts. I indicated to her that my stomach was too big and that the safety belt does not fit. She was happy with that but then pointed at Bart, my passenger. She kept on pointing back to Namibe and it became evident that we had to go back to town to the police station. This would take hours, and almost 100% be the end of our trip to Kunene. We apologized and pleaded and after mentioning Flamingo, Carlos, Rico etc a few times she let us off with a smile and a finger pointing. I also forgot to mention in the first Chapter that we were also nearly charged close to Lubango for driving with our lights on during day time. This was law in Namibia. We thought it was law in Angola too, but it was not. Now we know.

We found Carlos, the Flamingo personnel and the Fortuner waiting for us at the turn off. Flamingo owns two cottages at Kunene mouth. Staying there is regarded as an extension of our stay at Flamingo. They take a cook, and other personnel along to make sure everything is clean and we are well looked after. At Flamingo we paid R1750 per night per person. This included 3 meals per day and all water, bear and cold drinks are included. Wifi is also free of charge. It is worth every cent. The same cost applies for Kunene, but we also had to pay 300US for our guide per running day. Once again, we budgeted for it, saved for it and it was worth every penny. This is part of the reason why I can now sit here and write this report. We were kept safe.
Just before Lubango you turn off left to the Lona National Park. Kunune falls within this park. Rico Sakko owns the concession to fish in this area. That is why nobody else can fish here if you do not book and arrange through Flamingo. Other tours can only fish between the exit of the Doodsakker in the North and a 30km stretch to Tombua. They must also be in possession of fishing permits and pay park fees.

The road through the Lona National park is very rough at some stages and sometimes you travel very, very slow. The landscape keeps on changing from bare sand to rocky mountains to vast grass lands covered with welwitschias. Welwitschia is a monotypic gymnosperm genus, comprising solely the distinctive Welwitschia mirabilis. The plant is commonly known simply as welwitschia in English, but the name tree tumbo is also used. It is called kharos or khurub in Nama, tweeblaarkanniedood inAfrikaans, nyanka in Damara, and onyanga in Herero. Welwitschia is the only living genus of the family Welwitschiaceae and orderWelwitschiales, in the division Gnetophyta. Informal sources commonly refer to the plant as a "living fossil".[2][3] Welwitschia mirabilis isendemic to the Namib desert within Namibia and Angola
After a few hours we entered a very small little town where we had to pay our park fees. 4000 kwanzas per driver and 3000 kwanzas per passenger. We had to be in possession of this receipt all the time and believe you me, we were requested for that receipt on 3 different occasions during the next two days. They also enter your passport details into all the registers.
Another few hours on we once again entered a small village. Here we were introduced to Bruce. He is an ex Rhodesian whom was hired by the Government to assist in the setting up and management of the Lona National Park. Our passports and receipts were once again checked and entered into their registers. We had a cold beer with Bruce and then left on the last stretch to Kunene. On the way we went past and old car in the park. It seems to have broken down and was left there many years ago. We saw some very big Springbok and Gemsbok while we were travelling through the park.

After 8 hours we reached Kunene mouth. Carlos requested us to take a look around while the personnel were cleaning our rooms and getting everything ready. We could not believe the scenery. On the other side of the river we could see this very huge sand dunes from Namibia coming right down to the river. On our side it was sort of flat. When we opened the canopy, we got the shock of our lives. Some of the Jerry cans were open. Some of them leaked. There was diesel everywhere. Our cooler box with the chokka in fell over. The lid was off and the chokka was drenched in diesel. Carlos told us not to worry at all. He calmed us down by informing us that we once again will not be using bait. That night he taught us about paddle tails and how they work. The sardinellos was still fine. That cooler box was still closed and they were frozen stiff. I informed him that I am definitely going try putting out some bait in the afternoon when the conditions would not be favourable for spinning anymore. He agreed. We had a lovely meal. Then something happened that I never ever in my life saw before. While we were having a cold one, we saw one of the biggest Gemsbok I ever saw in my life standing on a mountainous sand-dune on the Namibian side. He started walking down the dune very, very slowly. It was wonderful. The river at the mouth is full of crocks. This Gemsbok walked down that dune for about 30 minutes and came right up to the river 50 meters away from us, watching the river. It then became dark and we could not see him any longer. We said our good-nights and were off to bed. 20:30 again. We were tired. Funny enough, this seemed to be the time we went to bed every night. We were very excited. The next day we were going to get into the Cob. The weather forecast was favourable. We were a bit worried about this “paddle-tail” thing, but at this stage, with Carlos around, we did not give it another thought. At that stage it was a given fact. If Carlos said so....that was what was going to happen!!

Keeping us on tenterhooks mate!
Hope you're going to post lots of pics!

Yip......agreed.....following with interest.......some pics of the water, structure and fish would be nice.

Thanx guys. Yip I will post plenty of pics.

CHAPTER 5

Up at 06:00 on the morning of 2016/09/14. We had some coffee and rusks and then left for the beach a few km’s away. The weather was perfect!! The sea was calm, but not dead at all. I could sense anticipation in the group. As we were nearing the beach right next to the mouth I saw 2 vehicles parked with their backsides facing the sea. They both had big freezers on the back of their LDV’s. Carlos told us that it were commercial anglers, catching fish and then selling it in Tombua and Namibe. I heard about this before the trip. These people were catching tons of Cob, blactail etc. and then put it into their freezers. They slept in their vehicles overnight and also did some night fishing. I really don’t know how long the fish in that area will be able to last with this sort of pressure. The Angolan Government will have to do something about this sooner rather than later. Coincidently there is a police post not far away, but they seem to do nothing, other than keeping the tourists and visitors in line and ignoring what was happening right under their noses.

Our first stop was very close to the mouth. We got our gear out, hooked on our paddle-tails, and started casting. I could feel the water was a bit warmer and knew it was river water. As soon as I noticed this, I did not wade at all. I was scared of the crocs. We moved off in about 10 minutes, catching nothing here. We moved down the coast about 1 km. There the water was colder. We started spinning. I heard calls all around. Everyone was immediately into fish. Cob was coming out everywhere. Most of this Cob were in the 60 to 70 cm range, and gave us a lot of fun. We were again casting out onto a sandbank about 60 metres off and retrieved the paddle-tails over a gully. Just as it fell of the lip of the sandbank, we were on!!

It was low tide and the water started pushing. I all of a sudden heard a hell of a shout....It was Bart. He had just hooked and successfully landed his personal best Cob of about 7kg’s. He was elated! Not long after that I heard another shout. It was Ben. He also landed a big Cob. He was clinching his hands together and was jumping up and down like a small boy. Ben is 60 years of age!!! He came running to me shouting “Kenny dankie dat jy my hierheen gebring het!!!” I was busy fighting a Cob at that stage. Ben, however, ran right up to me and we grabbed hold of one another. Something looking more or less like what the rugby guys do when they score a trie. I forgot the fish on my line. Tears were running down our cheeks. I promise you. Two “old ballies” were holding each other and cried. I think it must have been a culmination of emotions....pure joy, excitement, glad that we took on this huge challenge, glad that we were all still in one peace!!! I never told anyone, but I think I cried a little because I was scared of our return trip through the Doodsakker the next day. Ben’s Cob weighed in at about 12kg’s.


I took up line again and would you believe it, my Cob was still on!! All of us were catching Cob while spinning with paddle tail. Carlos assisted once again running everywhere to take photos, assist with the safe handling of the fish and to release them safely. We really caught a lot of Cob. A lot of them in the 5 to 6 kg range. Not one of the Cob we caught was undersize. Gerhard climbed into the Cob himself while I was having a smoke break. I saw him getting 3 Cobbies cast for cast all of which weighed about 7kg’s. I took more and more smoke breaks. My arms felt as if it was falling of my body. It became difficult to hold that rod. I saw some of the other guys started battling as well. We were not used to this type of fishing. Carlos proved to us that plastics were out-fishing bait. When he told us that a few days ago, I did not respond, but thought to myself.....yeah buddy, wait till we get our bait in the waters. We will show you a thing or two!!

We had breakfast right next to the water. The wind was picking up a bit. Carlos advised the guys to change to heavier spoons and plugs. They kept on catching Cob. When the wind was blowing a bit stronger, I rigged up my bait rod. I was very tired at that stage and secretly used this as an excuse to rest a bit. Boy, was I making a mistake!!! I used some sardinello as bait and about 30 seconds after the bait hit the water I had a take. I landed a nice Cobbie of about 3kg’s. Each and every cast after that resulted in a Cob. Some way or another I managed to foul-hook a big mullet. Carlos immediately suggested that I cut it up and use it as bait. After about 10 minutes my rod was pulled straight down. I knew I was into something decent. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carlos and the guys coming closer. A few minutes later I landed a beautiful Cob of about 7 to 8 kg’s. That was my biggest for the trip. The next moment all of my group accept for Ben, was casting out bait. They were all into Cob. After Ben caught his PB, he decided that was the trip for him. He however continued casting out paddle tails and spoons. I knew the guys were tired and wanted to use the “bait” opportunity to also rest a bit. Man!!! Spinning is crazy hard work!!! I have a new found respect for those guys like you would not believe! On the other hand, we are now part of the spinning crowd as well...
Craig had a ball. He cast out bait and still continued spinning as well. We could not help laughing when he was fighting a fish on his spinning tackle while his “bait” rod was also being bent double with another fish on. He managed to get out both.


It became freezing cold next to the water. The wind was blowing in our faces and it felt as if I am being frozen alive, yet just a few metres away behind the cars, the sun were burning the hell out of us. I then realised why the people warned us to cover up even if you are cold. That evening we were all showing signs of sun-burn.

Ben now had the biggest shad and biggest Cob. All of us caught the same amount of fish. We returned to the cottages. Carlos informed us that we had to pack and be ready at 06:00 the following morning to go through the Doodsakker. While we were on the beach, we saw a group of people, about 12 vehicles, arriving at Kunene from the direction of Ruacana. They were guided by Schalk from Live The Journey. I never met him, but it was later decided by Carlos that we would lead the whole group through the Doodsakker the next morning.
We were too tired to have a party that night and at 20:30 we were in dreamland.

The trip through the Doodsakker the next morning!!!! This was what it was all about! This, together with the fishing was what attracted me to this area. I just had to do it.....

Really enjoying your report Kenny. It's time to sit up late and get it done,or you will cause a lot of restlessness across the Sealine world.((goodp_

Dankie Kenny vir die hoofstukke - kan nie wag vir die res nie !!

Jy't ons nou gehook op die leesstof !!

Nice report I'm waiting for the rest _seal1_

CHAPTER 6
We got up at 05:30 on 2016/09/15. No wind at all. We had coffee and then Carlos said “Manne, Die Doodsakker wag vir niemand nie, ons moet ry!!” We were off. Carlos in front with the Flamingo black Land Cruiser, a monster of a vehicle, then me, Bart and Craig in the Hilux and then Ben and Gerhard in the Fortuner. About 2 km’s further we found the touring party of Alex and 12 other vehicles from Live The Journey waiting for us. We past all of them and then we headed straight for the beach...the whole convoy!!

We drove right up to the beach. It was an hour before low tide. The sea was calm. We all followed Carlos right on the beach at about 70 m/h heading North. After about 30 km, we stopped. We all checked our tyres. We let some more air out. Carlos tested all the vehicles’ tyres with his gauge. He then informed me that I must stay a few 100 metres behind him. Should he get into trouble in front, that I do not get into trouble with him, but be in a position to assist.

I could see the entrance to the Doodsakker. The desert dunes, like mountains on the right-hand side stopped right next to the sea. There was really virtually no space at all on low tide, let alone when the sea would push again. I really felt sick to my stomach. I knew this was it...no turning around now!! I did not want my group to see that I was shit scared. I felt relieved when Bart mentioned that this is scary stuff!!! I thought it was only me. We started driving. At some stages we were travelling at 80 km/h. We went around sharp corners, through some rocks on a few occasions. Sometimes we were off the beach and then back on the beach right next to the water again. We went over patches where I could feel the Hilux being held back, but we did not lose momentum.

After what felt like ages, at about 40 km into the Doodsakker, Carlos stopped in front of us.....we reached Camp Relief. This is where you can hide against the elements if you are caught by the pushing tide. The only place. You can also camp there and wait for the next low tide if needs be. It was only Carlos, me and the Fortuner. The other group was nowhere to be seen. Carlos requested me to carry on and take my group further. He said the worst was over. He turned back to go and search for the Live the Journey group.

I started driving with Ben close to me. We decided on the same procedure. Ben dropped back to not get into problems with me, should there be any. We drover about 50 km/h. At some stage we stopped for photos from the dunes and for videos that Bart took from the dunes of the two vehicles driving in the Doodsakker. Can you believe it? An hour ago I wanted to have a panic attack and now I was leading my group through the Doodsakker and we were enjoying ourselves. At some stage I saw Carlos coming from behind. He passed us and took the lead again. Just as fast as it started it was all over!! We beat the Doodsakker. We did it!! It was so easy, it actually felt like an anti-climax. Just shows you. When you have a guide of this calibre, he will make sure of your safety!!!

We drove on for about another 30 km’s next to the sea on the beach. We passed one wreck and reached the Venessa Seafood wreck where we stopped and took photos. Lovely fishing grounds!! Next time we will spend time here as well. We again stopped at a park gate in the middle of nowhere. They wanted to see our receipts, car passes and passports. We stopped in Tombua not long after that and pumped the tyres back up to 1.6.

We reached Flamingo before lunch. We had lunch and then decided to rest and start packing as we wanted to leave the following morning at 04:00 sharp back to South Africa. What rest? We saw Carlos, Bart and Craig leaving in the lodge 4x4 to get fish for the lodge that night. There were off road bikes all around. We heard that the owner, Rico Sakko had arrived with a big group of bikers for a trip through the Doodsakker to Kunene. Gerhard and I decided to go and see what Bart and Craig are doing. We got into the Hilux and drove the 10 km’s down the beach. The same tracks that we followed every day a while back. We decided to also just take our spinning rods with....just in case...you never know!! While we were driving we were talking about the fact that we never got stuck during the whole trip. About 30 seconds later the tracks in front of me disappeared. Washed away by the water. What always used to be a nice track to follow, became a bowl of soup. We got stuck right there and then, right up to the diff. The waves did not splash against the Hilux, but water got right under the vehicle. We did not have any backup plan. I took out the satellite phone and tried calling Chenelle at the lodge, but she was not available. I then called Theresa Sakko in South Africa , explained the situation and requested her to get hold of her husband Rico at the lodge. 10 minutes later two off-road bikes came rushing to us from the lodge. They assessed the situation and then sped off to go and inform Carlos. After about another 10 minutes Carlos was there. We hooked the Hilux to the Land Cruiser and were free without any hassles at all.

We followed Carlos to where Bart and Craig were fishing and started casting our plugs. In no time at all we were into some nice decent Shad. At about 18:00 we returned to the lodge, showered and had dinner. This is when I met Rico Sakko for the first time. I thanked him on behalf of the group for this wonderful experience. What an excellent person. He mentioned that he heard we were out of smokes. He took out a packed of cigarettes, removed two for himself and gave the rest of the packed to us. We bid everyone farewell , packed and went to bed.

The next morning at exactly 04:00 we left. We were so full of confidence by now. When we arrived, we were scared of the river bed during day time....however, now, we took it on in the dark. We reached the tar road in exactly an hour.

Last Chapter...our trip back home and then the photos.

:clap12vgwritefv((goodp_......baie mooi verslag....so goed uiteengesit mens voel of jy dit self ervaar as jy dit lees....en jy sit by die huis..lol....sal ook graag uiteensetting wil he van die kostes verbonde aan so trip......petrol/diesel...verblyf...kos...gerei....dokumente...en dies meer ???...._seal1_

CHAPTER 7
When planning the trip, I actually wanted to save some time back home. I therefore decided to travel directly from Flamingo to Windhoek without a sleep-over in-between. (Big mistake!!) We left Flamingo at 04:00 on the 16th and pushed for the border. Carlos and Rico suggested we go through another Border Post at Ruacana. According to them it was totally different from the mess we experienced at Oshikango. They were right. No problems at all. We got through in about 60 minutes flat. We had to change our route on which we came as follows:-
Flamingo, Lubango, Xangongo, Calueque, Omahenene, Kamanjab, Outjo, Windhoek. This included a gravel road of about 90km from Xangongo to Ruacana. We reached the border at about 15:00, crossed in no time at all and were on our way to Windhoek. I changed another 200US at the bureau de change in Namibe on the 9th when we arrived. They offered me 470 kwanzas per US Dollar. I made another profit of about R5000. I now made a profit of R10 000 due to the exchange rate. I used this money for fuel. On our way back at Xangongo, I filled up the Jerry Cans as well. I wanted to use all the Kwanzas I had. This fuel actually kept us going right up to Windhoek with the Hilux and Mariental with the Fortuner. This exchange rate and profit brought our fuel cost down considerably. I was back into budget and spent only R18 000 on fuel for both vehicles to Flamingo and back.

We reached Windhoek at exactly 04:00 on the 17th. We again slept over at Monteiro and Gerhard and Bart was in time to catch their flight home at 09:00. We travelled for 24 hours non-stop. Myself, Ben and Craig continued to Port Alfred another 2 days and reached Port Alfred at 17:00 on Sunday the 18th. Ben left with the trailer the next morning and reached his home at Frankfort on the 19th at about 17:00. What a trip!!!! What an experience!!! We did what we set out to do! We achieved all our goals. We were tired, but safe.

Things to remember:-

1.Make sure you keep South African Rands or Namibian Dollars with you when you enter Angola. At least R250 per vehicle as you will have to pay again when entering Namibia from Angola. We did not have any money left and managed to change 60US at the Bikers the last evening before we left.

2.The generators are switched off at 22:00 every night at Flamingo and Kunene. I sleep with a CPAP machine. I bought an expensive battery “Discovery” at Outdoor Warehouse in East London and a battery box with all types of ports and places to charge cell phones and cameras etc. I used this battery to run my CPAP machine at night. It was never charged during the whole trip and was still fine when I reached Port Alfred.

Things that I will do different next time (2018 May )

Yes you saw right. The next trip have been planned and booked. We are leaving on Friday 2018/05/18 to Angola again for 17 days. This gives everyone enough time to budget and save for the trip. we are all experiencing withdrawel symptoms. We are in a sort of Depro. We must have something again to dream about. That is what makes this group of ours tick. Our current trip cost everyone R16 500. Everything included. Transport, guest houses en-route and back, staying in the lodge, the guide fee, 3 meals a day, bait, water, soft drinks, cold drinks etc.

1. We will not be taking a trailer with again;
2. We will not be packing so much stuff (clothes, fishing gear etc) again;
3. We will travel 3 days there and 3 days back. Port Alfred to Karasburg, Karasburg to Ruacana and then Ruacana to Flamingo. The same route back.
4. I will fit long range fuel tanks. Never, ever again will I make use of plastic jerry cans;
5. I will fit a strong winch and also take along a sand anchor (designed for the desert);
6. I am going to learn to help myself in Portuguese;

Thanx for reading my trip report guys. Much appreciated. Sorry about my poor English. Please be patient, the photos of everything is on its way. Bart is our IT guy and he is getting everything ready for our Trip DVD. Will post the photos tomorrow.

You are most welcome to PM me should you need a little more detail. Please remember, I am not lending myself out as an expert now. Just someone with a little bit of experience.

Kind Regards

Kenny, Ben, Gerhard, Craig and Bart.

Kenny, one of the best reports to appear on Sealine. Angola will now be under your skin for a very long time. Enjoy planning for the next trip.

Carlos is one very helpful guy.

Waiting for those pictures.

Phenomenal stuff! Can't wait to tick that one off my bucket list!