Courier fishing column author Peter Coyne has been a near-constant contributor for 34 of the paper’s forty-year journey.

Since his first submission on August 30, 1991, “Sealice” has kept the community informed about weather patterns, fish movements, angling competitions and much more. His columns remain hugely popular today, drawing thousands of readers eager for the latest fishing news.

Long-term readers will remember the two fishing columnists who came before the Sealice era – “Rubber Duck” and “Flipper” – the latter of whom Peter replaced following an illness.

“Gaye McCormick came and asked if I would be interested in writing for Fish Eagle, and I thought it would be a good hobby. Little did I know I would carry on for so long,” said Peter, who at the time, and until his retirement, worked as a textile manager between Durban and the Isithebe Industrial Park.

“Back then, Gaye used to pick up the column in person every week, and I slowly developed a network for information up and down the coast.”

A long-term resident of Westbrook and lifelong angler, Peter fished offshore until about 2000, before shifting his focus to surf angling.

“One of my favourite catches was a nice musselcracker of about 35kg, but there have been plenty over the years,” he said.

“The biggest changes I’ve noticed in my lifetime have been the rise of catch-and-release fishing, the general downturn in fish stocks and the overall commercialisation of the sport.”

Peter says that while some information naturally repeats each year as the seasons cycle, the species that appear are constantly changing.

“One example is the copper bream. We used to catch maybe four or five a season and now they are everywhere. The massive sardine run this year and the big Garrick and dorado seasons have also been standout moments in recent memory.”

There are few residents with a deeper knowledge of local fishing than Peter, who still checks the forecasts daily.

“I really do love it and enjoy writing the column. The Courier has been good to me over the years, and I will be contributing for as long as they will have me.”

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