The Natal Fresh Water Angling Association 2016/2017 season kicked off this past weekend at Richgate Park, Ntshingwayo dam.
The association has six clubs affiliated for the upcoming bumper season which includes, Itec Freespool A/C, Chelmsford A/C, Riverside A/C, Docrats A/C, Glencoe A/C and new affiliates, Endumeni A/C. Anglers were eager to cast off lines to contest the first Top Parts league, whereby anglers could secure the prize money for the heaviest carp and barbel on offer. The low water level and poor bites at the dam did not break the spirit of all anglers but made them work harder to secure wins for their respective clubs.
Itec Freespool was drawn in zone 2 with Endumeni Angling Club and the latter proved no match for defending champions and succumbed to a 29 to 7 points loss. Docrats Angling Club took on the Chelmsford Angling Club in zone 3 and 4 and Chelmsford emerged victors by 24 points to 3. The pumped up Riverside Angling Club narrowly beat their opponents, Glencoe, by 15 points to 11 in zones 3 and 4.

The president of the association, Clifford Robson, thanked all anglers for adopting the ‘catch and release’ system and 98 percent of fish caught were released back into the water.
This now leaves three clubs with three points each: Itec Freespool, Chelmsford and Riverside while the remaining clubs have to play catch up by registering its first points for the season. Riverside anglers, Vernen Naicker and Malcolm Govender, walked away with the Top Parts prize money of R500 up for grabs for the day by recording a carp weighing 3.3kg and a barbel of 9.4kg respectively. The president of the association, Clifford Robson, thanked all anglers for adopting the ‘catch and release’ system and 98 percent of fish caught were released back into the water.
The association would like to thank all its sponsors for this season including Abed Kader of Streetwire, Ebrahim Ismail of Ebeez Express of Dundee and Pradeep Singh of Top Parts. Anglers can now wait in anticipation for the second league which will cast off on September 4 at Sanford from zone A to E.
Anglers wishing to join any clubs in the association can contact Clifford on 084 516 7396 or Shabir on 082 839 0019/2016.