Sealice: The man behind the scarborough reel

Having written the Courier’s Fish Eagle fishing column for over 15 years, Sealice has become something of a celebrity among local anglers.
To many he is like Top Gear’s elusive “Stig”, who is ever reliable, but remains anonymous. However the Westbrook local has no intention to keep his identity hidden. The 69-year-old Peter Coyne  is a North Coast fishing guru.
The recently retired textile manager has always been a fisherman at heart.
Originally from Durban North, Coyne has fished the North Coast shoreline and waters for most of his life.
“I used to go fishing with my dad when I was a boy of 10 years old,” said Coyne.
“I did a few competitions but that took all the enjoyment out of it for me.”
Although he spends most of his time these days fishing on shore, his biggest passion has always been skiboat fishing and he has spent the better part of 30 years of his leisure time out at sea. Over the years he has fished most of the prime spots around South Africa.
“I have been all over, Sodwana, Vidal and the Wild Coast, which is in my opinion are the best places to go for shore angling,” he said.
One of Sealice’s fondest memories was fishing for tiger fish at Kariba dam, but his most memorable catch came in 1980 at Kelso.
“I caught a 8.5kg grunter and struggled to bring it onto the beach as there was no-one else around that afternoon,” Coyne said with a smile.
But despite his adventures, the Dolphin Coast remains dear to his heart. Over the years he has watched the local fishing areas undergo marked changes.
“What I have noticed is that as soon as places become developed you need to find somewhere else to fish. Places like Westbrook used to be a favourite for competition anglers but trawlers, development and other factors have changed that.”
North Coast shore angling is also seasonal, according to Coyne, but he says fishing has declined dramatically compared to 30 or 40 years ago.
Pointing to a photograph published in his column earlier this month of a 4.5kg shad, he lamented that in 10 years time catches like these would probably have been relegated to myth.
Nevertheless, Coyne will not be deterred and is on Westbrook beach most mornings, either casting out a line or chatting with local fishermen.
Having a good rapport with local anglers helps Coyne write his weekly column, and he still remembers the fateful day that he was asked to write the column.
“Gaye Kennedy approached me and asked if I would like to write the column, I said ‘I cannot even write’ but she insisted that I just try it once.”
His love of angling, sea life and his fishing-filled upbringing have made sure that Sealice never misses a deadline and writing for the Courier has become another pastime.
“I have met so many people and I really enjoy doing it,” he said.
You can catch Sealice’s fishing wrap every week in the Courier’s sports pages.