If you're like me, you head down the beach for your walk and you always see these usually solitary guys (though occasionally you'll see 2 or 3 together) standing on the beach with their line in the water (after they've waded in up to their armpits for an extra-long cast past the reefs).  And when you're on your way back (no matter how long you've been), they are still standing there.  It seems not much has happened in the 45 minutes since you passed other than the seagulls have helped themselves to some bait.  I actually figure these guys are just happy to get out of the house and away from the missus - why else would you stand out there either in the burning sun or freezing cold for no apparent reason?

Well, last weekend, the reason became clear to all us doubters....

Just around the corner from The Island - at Bothastrand (a few hundred meters to the left as you face the river mouth), a fellow by the name of Renier Nortje caught a fish.  Whoo-hoo, you say.  Well, wait for it, this wasn't just any fish.  This was a big fish - and I mean B-I-G.  How big, you ask?  Well, it was a 60+ kg cob (kabeljauw) and at 1.8 meters long, it was bigger than Renier was...  If you're interested, apparently he was using mullet on a slider for bait.  Die Burger carried the story - click on the photo below for the full scoop from Network24.

The Spotted Grunters and Leervis (aka Garrick) are particularly large in both the Little Brak and Great Brak River this year (it was a topic of discussion at both River Forums earlier in the month) - and what's more, they're biting and being landed.  Here's a Spotted Grunter that John caught earlier this morning (apparently not the largest of 3 others that got away):