Dawn of a new season for anglers

The new season of the Natal Freshwater Angling Association (NFWAA) cast off on August 3 with the first round of the league.

All clubs were well represented at Sanford Islands, Chelmsford Dam, in anticipation of the new league format.

The new format entails two clubs fishing against each other in the same zone. By the end of the season each club wil go head to head with each of the other clubs.

The winner of each fixture will get three points while the losers score no points and a draw earns each club a solitary point.

In the first round Challengers were drawn against Riverside in E zone, Itec Free Spool were pitted against Chelmsford in D zone and Docrats against Glencoe in zones A and B. Dannhauser had a bye for this round.

Anglers rushed to their respective zones and eagerly cast in their baits against the backdrop of a peaceful and sunlit morning, shortly after a draw determined the zones for each club.

The fish were not very cooperative, normally the case at the beginning of the season.

Zain Essop of Itec Free Spool managed to entice four carp to take his bait; all four fish weighed in excess of two kilograms. He finished on 12 points for the day.

Vernon Naicker of Riverside caught the heaviest carp of the day, weighing 3.560kg and Nadeem Esop of Docrats landed a barbel of 4.600kg.

In the club head to head results Docrats beat Glencoe 18 – six, Itec Free Spool beat Chelmsford 26 – nine and Riverside beat Challengers by 20 points.

The executive committee of the NFWAA would like to thank all clubs for their patience, cooperation and understanding during the morning draw and for the sportsmanship displayed by all anglers during the heat of battle. The next league will take place on October 19 at Richgate Park.