Spearfishing

Formosa

New member
Anyone willing to share their knowledge on the spots around plett and harkerville or establish diving groups?
 

skallabrak

New member
I'm hiking the Harkerville trail in two weeks time. We are doing the 2day hike along the coast. Is it protected area? Would love to explore and perhaps spear sumthing for dinner.
 

Formosa

New member
Harkerville area is fine to spear. as far as i know its not protected marine area. Ive done the 2 day hike twice and there are some really really nice spots to spear at. good entry and exit points. you'll obviously have to go off the trail to get to those. Most of the first day is spent hiking through the forest towards knysna, then its followed by a steep decent down the cliff and back towards plett along the coast. take extreme caution when hiking and spearing. there is no signal for your cell and if you fall or get injured in the water you'll have trouble getting help! the area is remote which can be a good and bad thing. if you maintain a good pace while hiking and start about 8am you should reach the hut where you will sleep after your first day by about 2.30pm. the hut is on a mountain which is preceded by your coastline hike. my suggestion is that you find a spearing spot just before the accent to the hut.when you start climbing to when you arrive at the hut should be about a 30min to 50min hike depending on how fast you walk. that should give you about 2 - 3 hours of spearing. Take note that there is no fresh water until you reach the hut where you should be able to get rain water. let me know exactly when you are here. i know a couple of short cuts in and out from the trail, early exits etc. if need be i know a road that goes to the hut where you will sleep mid hike. I've spent about 9 years fishing just about every section along the trail. Take care and good luck!!!

Pierre
 

Attachments

  • a.jpg
    a.jpg
    43.1 KB · Views: 168

MOGGY

Senior Member
I did one nationals there in about 1990.

Your diving is close to the shore and then drops onto sand, so the conditions have to be quite flat.

The marine protected area starts at  natures valley's eastern side and runs up to the Eerste river.
 

landshark

Senior Member
Hi Skallabrak,

I have done the Harkeville hike many times and Formosa says it’s a beautiful section of coast – above and below the water. I have never speared there but I always take a mask. This is the only place where I have seen schools - yes schools - of mussel cracker!

I think it will be a bit of a mission to take all you spearfishing kit as doing the whole hike with a weight belt just doesn’t sound right... (If you haven’t done the hike then you will be in for a bit of a surprise at the end of day one and again towards the end of day two ) I would take a small gun, neoprene vest and mask. Essentially all that you will have to do is cut a piece of redbait and wait  - you will soon be engulfed in a mass of fish.

Below are some of my favourite spots to stop and dive. I found that the stops are  nicely spaced out as to give the other people in the party a breather and entry and exit as well as underwater structure is excellent at those spots.
 

Attachments

  • harkerville.jpg
    harkerville.jpg
    20.4 KB · Views: 130
Top