I said I would do a guide on this area for divers.

[tkei]

I said I would do a guide on this area for divers.

I know the area very well, especially from a deep sea perspective. I have fished deep sea in this area for the last 29years. i have dived and sat buggy for others for most of the areas so have a good idea on whats happening where.

 

 

 

[tkei]

Mdumbi is my home base. i have dived all over here and it is where i do most of my diving. I tend to run North towards Mahshin  when i dive from the boat.

off the main mdumbi point, it is an erasy entry from the boat launch for a shore dive and then you can swm around the point towards harrisis gully. the reef is generally runs to only 50m max from the rocks but it gets deep quite quickly when not sanded up. off the back of the pouint there are good leerie, king fish in season. right against the rocks, lots of blues, silvers etc. on the sand, I have shot good spotted grunter as well. 1/2 way Between mdumbi point and harris'sgully  the reef is much better further out. this area is good for blacks, silvers as wella s general reef fish. have seen yellow tail here as well.

the reef runs right from here past bird rock (big mass of rock 3.4 way between mdumbi and the cottages) Bird rock is a great spot, but the swell thunders in here and can be quite hairy if any swell around. Every year the locals get a few blacks over 30kgs off the rocks here.

 

Past the cottages between tshani cotages and Umtata mouth cotages, there is good reef diving for general ref and gully fish.

On the other side (N) of the mdumbi river, there is reef and potential aplenty. Any gully that looks good, probably is. the locals collect crays here flat out. Some good blacks caught off the rocks here and its prime area ofr us off the boat from snady pont to mahshini pt. Lots of good reef for boat diving, but it can be patchy with c=sand gullys between the reef. They say you can hear good reef, and this area crackles like mad. It is alive. If i were to choose off a boat, it would be straight off sandy pt or mahshini point in 12-20m. stright off mdumbi point  (S) to off bird rock in same depth is also good.

Unfortunately, the grey and brown steenbras know the area is good and are abundant. 3 yrs ago a good mate was hit out the water from tthe bottom  by a big tiger in august. he is very experienced and a mad man and it scared the cr@p out of him he moved 2km away, got back in and 5min later a tiger was circling him. that shark wanted him so he quit for the day.

remember, there are no hosiptals nearby so take it easy and be careful.

 

next week  will do other areas.

Cheers

 

[Capespearo]

That is awesome info , bar the tiger story of course

 

[Kumz]

Thanks ....

There is a lekka Hospital now South of HITW ...

I wnet past there last month !!!

 

[Eckart]

Just booked my accommodation at Mdumbi from the 3-11 July! hope it's good! let me know who's in the area because I'll be looking for someone to dive with...

 

[fishlips]

Excellent stuff! Shot tkei.

Man Im getting keen now, gona be there from 14th - 20th June. Will post a report when Im back. Tkei any chance on a post of the spots further south around HITW before I head down?

Much appreciated

 

[tkei]

I will continue today. Unfortunately ther eis a little thing called work keeping me away, but sure I will find time.

 

[tkei]

Kumz, Ja Zithulele and canzibe hospitals. Not somewhere I would want to go for anything, let alone a shark bite.

 

[fishlips]

Great thanks man. Have you shore dived any of those deeper marks you mentioned like the stretch off bird rock? or is it a bit dodgey for the 'grey steenbras'?

 

[tkei]

Between the Umtata river mouth cottages and Coffee Bay, we dont tend to dive at all. The River mouth usually spews muddy water out at low tide even in dry season and the current pulls this down along the cliffs. Of course areas like mapuzi can be greatas there is good reef just off the river mouth and the main rock, but if we running south we tend to overlook this are for the honey holes off HITW.

between Umtata river and HITW the coastline is very steep (just drive between CB and HITW and you will what I mean). As a result there is a huge backwash and surge. This often stirs up the sea bed and mkes for uncomfiortable diving and being buggy. Whilst fishing I have seen the biggest sharkes i have ever seen in this area as well, so generally it a no no to me.

ist stop off the boat would be Black rock. This area is really productive and is divable from shiore or boat. The channel between the rock outcrop and shore has some great fish in it. Spotted grunter up to 7kgs are taken regularly here and i have seen a 15kg + tail in here.  Off the boat, the 15-30m area (depending on ability) is BLACK Country. We fish this area a lot and some brute blacks been taken. in one trip 6 blacks over 20kgs were caught. 2 tyhat were kepts were 32 and 27kgs. Unfortunately I am not fit enough anymore to dive the depths i should to hunt the area decently.

Straight off the HITW hotel main beach there is some good reef, but it tends to be on the deeper side. A friend wone the border open challenge with a 22kg black here, but it was in 32m. A deep dive.

My next main hunting area is the pinacles. Thisd is mainly a shore dive area and it is easy to enter here. These pinacles lie between the hotel and The Queen. Be on the lookout right from enrty as I have shot good spotted grunter right in the surf here and leerie are also common close in, especialy in shad season, may-aug. From the beach to the inner pinacles ther sand is flat and seemingly lifeless, but when shad are around this area can be crazy with the area being jam packed with the silver buggers. Of course the preditors are there 2.

The pinacles run quite far out and are very good diving area. Blacks, silvers spotties and general reef fish are plentiful. fishermen cant get to the pinacles so its still full up. On the deeper pinacles, geelbek have been taken as I reported before. They had been driven in by food and or prey and were just hanging around. the divers had a great day hunting them along with big black tips. The blacktips were quite brazen though and followed the divers right into the surf though, so watch out here.

The queen is heavily fished but it has a reputatuion for a reason. Huge fish and sharks frequent here, but if fishermen are present (which is almost always) then its not a diving spot. I have caught yellowfin tunny right under the hole and under the queen whilst sight seeing, so anything is possible here.

There are some good spots between HITW and Mbolompo but I personally havnty dived these, but they exist so scout it out.

 

[tkei]

Fishlips, I have shore dived it a lot. but only when its very flat and very clean. Current in the area is always a huge prblem so I prefer to dive it off a boat. The lauch at Mdumbi (whichj i am still trying to get re-registered as liscence expried) is an easy lauch for the smalles rubberduck so best to have a small vessel of sorts. I also would not like to swim back from out there with some of those gogo's around.

 

[tkei]

Mbolompo (famous for the right reasons). This is some of the best fishing and diving water in the transkei and cocuntry. It is a deep water point frequented by yellowtail, leerie, cuda tuna, dorado , sails and marlin. Guys have reported hooking marlin off the bricks here, so if its clean and warm be on the lookout.

I have only dived here off the boat and the reef is great. lots of gullys, ledges etc for the tail to cut the fishermen off on. Unfortunately this area is popular with fishermen who dont take kindly to boats or divers. They are limited to 200m max fromt he point so give them room. you have access to a vast ocean, althought he 1st 200m is probably most productive. Diving here again the 12-20m area is where I would go. I ahve never hunted blacks set here, as its usually tail, tail and more tail, but sure they here.

The rocks on the left (looking seaward) into the bay looks very fishy and I have seen vast numbers of good sized fish being caught along here. if you have driven to mbolompo give this area a go. 

 

I havnt dived past Mbolompo towards mpame as from Mdumbi its quite  a run, but many guys from HITW will run here. Shorediving here is also good from what I have heard. yellowtail are frequently taken off the rocks here and leerie are common. Last year a 20+kg cuda was shot here as well so fish abound. Take a look.

In the general area you often fisd clean water one weay and dirty another. If you have a baot, take the time and run both ways. By choice the HITW area is tops in the area. There are far fewer rivers int eh area and the ones that are there are much smaller. Further north the Umtata river causes havoc if there is rain, and the rest of the rivers are generally bigger and pump out muck.


 

 

[tkei]

I hope this helps the guys going down to the area. There are areas that are very good that I havnt mentioned. past prezly bay near mdumbi there is mtekatyi ( spelling unknown) cliffs. Thjis is deep water and great diving. I have seen big GT's here. There is also the wreck of the forrest bank here, but not too much left of it now. Hluleka used to be veery productive for boat diving, but its now an MPA so thats out the window.
Never take for granted what you might see here. I june a few years back I watched from shore as a HUGE marlin free jumped over 20 times 150-200m behind backline between harrises gulley and bird rock at mdumbi. We saw about 10 a few days later out at sea andf these were all 100-200kg fish and the one we saw in close was considerably bigger. like 400kg size.
As I have said, medical attention is a long way away, so take it easy int he transkei. Even a little wash over the rocks can be a huge problem. Mates have had to drive to Umtata with their mate dead int he back from Shallow water blackout here. Not a situation anyone wants to be faced with anywhere, let alone in the middle of the kei.

 

[fishlips]

Tkei a huge thanks for the very informative posts! I feel properly armed for it now. Just hoping for clean water and settled seas. Will let you know how it goes when im back.

 

[Capespearo]

Received a report back this morning from chaps who got back yesterday after a week at HITW.20m vis and plenty fish around,they got a few nice kob to 23kg and biggest black of 16kg. NICE !!!

I only hope to have half that vis when we're up there ...........................

 

 

[tkei]

Eckart, I will be out of action then with a 1 week old son (unless he comes early) so count me out. My dad will be at out house there from the 5th I think with a huge bunch of his ballie mates. Sure they will be going out to sea, but my younger brother will probably go down to take the guys fishing. GPS and finder are above my computer illiterate dad. the diving they do will probably only be for crayfish though.
Cape spearo, that vis sounds awsome. nice that they got good fish. Kob is something i have only seen once or twice in the churned up shallows. never seen them, and for some reason we dont catch them off the boat either.

 

[fishlips]

Capespearo that sounds very inviting! Did they have a boat down there or shore dives?

 

[Capespearo]

Fishlips,they were diving from a boat.

But don't discount shories.I missed what was roughly a 25kg kob right in the surf swimming out the bay in front of the Coffee shack to the point as a doppie about 10years ago.Have not seen a kob anywhere near that size again.But maybe in a months time .....................

 

[Dan garlick]

I hope you ready for Hole in the wall fishlips!

 

[tkei]

I have just heard a report from a good spearo mate that a 22kg leerie and a 35kg cuda were shot at HITW in the last week or so. Lots of leerie around, and cuda a rare visitor. Not sure if fishlips etc are down there, or if they were part of the catch, but seems not too bad.
Just north in The Haven Area, sards are thick along with all the things that eat them. Unfortunately that means sharks as well. They are right in the gutter along some of the beaches in big numbers. A mate that has a chopper and flies the coast regularly has confirmed the numbers of sharks. mainly between backline and shore break in huge numbers. keep arms and legs tucked in.