Lifelong Amanzimtoti angler in awe of his rare catch
I had no idea what I had hooked, so it was complete surprise when I pulled it out.
An Amanzimtoti fisherman is elated to have caught only the third known bowmouth guitarfish on the KZN coast.
Sam David was fishing on Ushaka Beach with a shad bait when he snagged the rare catch on Friday night, 16 February. “Although we are Toti boys, we often fish there,” he said.
The bowmouth guitarfish, also called the shark ray or mud skate, is a species of ray which can be found in tropical coastal waters. They can reach a length of 2.7 metres and weigh up to 135kg. Often found near the sea floor, it prefers sandy or muddy areas near underwater structures.
“I had no idea what I had hooked, so it was complete surprise when I pulled it out.”
Sam and his fishing mates snapped off a few quick photos of the rare fish, which he estimated to be about 25kg, before safely relelasing it back into the water unharmed. He has forwarded the photos to fishing expert Basil Manning and a fishing magazine.
Sam has been living in Toti for about 10 years and does not belong to a fishing club. “I believe only two have ever been caught on the KZN coast. I have been fishing all my life, so it’s awesome to have caught the third one.”
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