I have to start with that, cos this hurt... I was fishing this Saturday at Ricefields, just past Breakers in Umhlanga, i arrived a bit late for a morning session, at 8am, this is the 1st time that i fished this spot, and didnt know what to expect... so i rigged up MY med-heavy set up (i.e MY Poseidon 5 (med tip) and MY SL50). Tied a ground trace with a 6/0 gamakatsu on a bite trace, put on a full sardine, and a pink skirt:spite, killer presentation and set up...I didnt expect much, cos my fishing luck has left me, i set the drag and ratchet, put it into a rod stand, and setup my light setup with a spoon, trying for some shad... Iwas about 50m on the right of my rod, with my buddy fishing 50m to the left... After about half an hour, while baiting up my light setup, cos the spooning showed no results, i looked for my rod, and it was not on the rod stand, but the rod stand was bent forward.
So i frantically looked around in the hope that i had reeled it out and placed it somewhere else, but alas, i could not see it. I then proceeded to the rod stand, where i see a neat set of tracks, straight out to sea... It seemed that a monster had caught MY rod and reel...
I just stood there, jaw dropped, looking into the blue yonder, and wondering : HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?????
I waited around for about an hour, and walked the length of the beach, and then i see about 200m up from where i was fishing, a bunch of line lying where a group of guys where fishing, when i inspect, i see that it is my line... I know my line, and about 300m of it was lying there, these guys dont fish with this line, cos they were coffee grinder specialists.
I then realised that these guys,who behaved really suspiciously, when they were leaving (When they left, i didnt know my rod was missing, so no reason to question their behaviour), had found the rod either washed up/or they fished it out, they then packed up, and went off with my stuff.
When putting everything together, i was pissed at the dishonesty of these guys, cos they would have had to know, that it was from us, cos we were the only people anywhere close to them, they didnt even have the decency to ask...
When i think of it, i'm saddened by both my stupidity:doh, for not realising, that my rod was gone, and at the dishonesty of these guys.
..But, i've come to terms with it some what...and as i sit here all i can think of, was WHAT IF???????????????? I wonder what it was that i hooked, cos it was a monster to do what it did... Well all i can do is WONDER!!!!!!!!!!
So guys, when i'm fishing the social this week at Tugela, have some mercy on me, and let me win, cos i desperately need a new setup:cry1
Hope the guy that has it, catches some monsters, and then he doesnt realise, that he must not fish with it in a storm, and gets struck by a 2000000000volt lightening bolt... NO but jokes aside, hope the guy realises, what his good fortune/dishonesty and my stupidity has gifted him with...
This post is definitely going to make guys think twice about rod stands, i know that i am!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tightlines and hold on even tighter to your rod:vic::
Melvin G