Strand fishing club holds annual competition — top three entries disputed, one fish alleged to have been purchased from harbour shop, judge declines to comment
Strand
The annual fishing competition held by a Strand recreational fishing club last weekend concluded in what the club’s secretary described as “the usual atmosphere of fellowship and good sportsmanship,” a characterisation disputed by at least four members, one spouse and a man who drove from Grabouw specifically to lodge a complaint.
The competition was won, for the fourth consecutive year, by Oom Drikus, 74, whose 6.4 kg kob prompted a standing ovation from his immediate family and a prolonged silence from the rest of the tent. Oom Drikus, receiving the trophy — a mounted bronze fish that observers noted bore a striking resemblance to last year’s trophy and the year before — described the allegations of impropriety as “jealousy, pure and simple,” adding that he had always found the sea “very generous” to those who approached it with the right attitude and a cooler box.
The harbour shop receipt found inside that cooler box is, he explained, entirely unrelated to the competition and pertained to bait purchased earlier in the week for a separate, private fishing expedition that he declined to elaborate on.
The judge, a retired marine biologist who had accepted the role under the impression it would involve a light lunch and two hours of his Saturday, confirmed only that the fish was a kob, that it weighed what the scales said it weighed and that he would not be available for comment now or in the future. He left before the prize-giving was finished.
A subcommittee has been formed to review the competition rules ahead of next year’s event. Oom Drikus has volunteered to chair it.
Be the first to comment