Hoedspruit anglers shine at Clanwilliam Dam nationals
Hoedspruit anglers helped Team Limpopo secure silver at the Small Craft League Nationals, earning praise for sportsmanship and strong performances.
HOEDSPRUIT – Hoedspruit anglers were among the 12 top anglers from the Northern Small Craft League who set off on a nearly 2000km journey to Clanwilliam Dam in the Western Cape to represent the province at the Small Craft League Nationals on Wednesday, September 24.
According to Derick de Bruyn, after an exciting scanning day on Friday, the team was eager to cast their lines. Every bay, bank, and rock wall looked promising, and anticipation was high for the competition ahead.
Day 1 started strong, with most anglers landing a few of the elusive fish and several finishing in the top 20 of the leaderboard.
Day 2, however, brought tougher conditions, and only a few anglers managed to bring full limits to the weigh station. Still, Limpopo’s Adriaan Joubert made the province proud by finishing seventh overall, an impressive result in such a competitive field. Adding to the province’s achievements, four anglers, Clinton Ferreira, Quintin Coetzee, Lourens Mathyssen, and Adriaan Joubert, received President’s nominations, a remarkable honour earned after only a few national events.
In another milestone, nine anglers earned their provincial blazers after competing in their second national event: Derick de Bruyn, Adriaan Joubert, Clinton Ferreira, Lourens Mathyssen, Johan Bezuidenhout, Quintin Coetzee, Henko Austin, Leon Grobler, and Righard Fuls.
The highlight of the weekend came when Team Limpopo was announced as the silver medallists, finishing second overall behind the host province, a phenomenal achievement given the distance and competition.
Beyond the results, Limpopo’s anglers stood out for their sportsmanship, teamwork, and professionalism, earning praise from competitors across South Africa.
Their positive representation of both the province and their sponsors made the entire Limpopo angling community proud.
“A heartfelt thank you goes out to all sponsors whose support made this 4 000km round trip possible. Your contributions were instrumental to the team’s success. This achievement belongs to you, too,” De Bruyn concluded.
