Tag: fishing

Renosterkop Dam no longer safe for fishing

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Renosterkop used to be a premier fishing destination

Renosterkorp Dam in Mpumalanga is now a pale shadow of the once renowned fishing destination it used to be. 

A combination of negative factors has crippled this once mighty fishing venue. Renosterkop, also known as Mkhombo Dam used to be an angling paradise for fishermen from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. Fishermen also drove from as far as the North West and Free State provinces to this dam which probably had the largest variety of fish. Species which used to be found in abundance included bass, various types of tilapia, mudfish, barbell and fresh water mackerel.

As a bonus to fishermen, Mkhombo was surrounded by a game park which teemed with different types of animals, including zebras, kudu, wildebeest, waterbuck, wild pigs, warthogs, and a variety of antelopes, including impalas. But this is all now history as the fence separating the game park from the surrounding rural villages was cut and almost all the animals poached. The last time I was at Renosterkop for fishing was on January 1, 2024. I went there with my neighbour and fishing colleague Dolf Bloem, and we did not see a single animal – not even a rabbit.

According to a villager who declined to be named, the dwindling fortunes of Renosterkop Dam are a result of mismanagement by parks officials and other authorities who seem to be turning a blind eye to the poaching as well as the cutting of the game park fence. He said the fence cut from the game park perimeter can be seen at some villagers gardens and homes, but nothing is being done by the authorities to bring the culprits to book.

The poaching of animals occurred simultaneously with the poaching of fish. As the poaching of fish increased, with the authorities also turning a blind eye to this nefarious activity, fishing gradually became poor at the dam. First to suffer was tilapia which is far more vulnerable to netting than other species. Efforts by fishermen and other well wishers to save the situation by removing and destroying nets came to an abrupt end when poachers hiding in the surrounding bushes began shooting at those removing their nets. In one incident the fishermen were lucky to escape unhurt when they were shot at and their boat sustained three bullet holes.

In a separate incident, poachers sliced the the tyres of a Nissan Navara bakkie and boat trailer after seeing the owners of the car and trailer removing nets from the dam. The poachers are said to carry AK rifles, making even the rangers scared of approaching them. As a result, the poachers even set their nets in broad day light.

Unfortunately, the catchment area of Renosterkop Dam did not receive good rains for nearly a decade, and the dam level continued to fall, making the fish even more vulnerable to netting. By 2019 the dam was almost drying, with less than 3 percent of its capacity, forcing crocodiles and hippos to crowd at the little stretch of water close to the dam wall. “I never knew there were so many crocodiles and hippos in this dam until I came fishing when the dam was less than three percent full,” remarked my friend, Dolf.

Thanks to the heavens for three good consecutive rainy seasons in the dam’s catchment area in 2020 and 2021, which resulted in the dam spilling in 2022. The dam has a catchment area of over 3 700 square kilometres.

Renosterkop Dam which is fed by the Elands River has a surface area of 3 624 hectares, and when full, holds 206 000 000 cubic metres of water. It is currently more than 90 percent full, a statistic which gives hope that fish will get a chance to multiply to healthy levels again. Even if poaching is still rife, at 90 percent capacity fish still have a chance to breed significantly to ensure good fishing because of the size of the dam. 

The drought period during which the dam almost dried had its own advantages now that the dam is full. During the drought, vegetation, including trees grew on the dry dam surface, and now provides cover to fish from poachers.

However, although Renosterkop now has plenty water, and already a significant fish population, it has become an unsafe fishing destination because of crime. There has been a countless number of incidents of fishermen being robbed at gun point at the dam, even during the day. Some fishermen have even been shot while camping there overnight, therefore deterring most fishermen from going to Renosterkop any more.

On January 1, my friend and I went fishing at Renosterkop, we targeted the dam wall area which is considered the safest as it is just a few metres from the staff quarters (rangers’ houses) and also the nearest fishing point to the main gate where security personnel will be based. But to our surprise, we were the only fishermen there. The parking area where fishermen leave their cars and trailers after launching their boats looked disused, and so was the launchway, indicating that no fishermen with boats were going to fish at Renosterkop anymore.

Initially my friend and I thought that there might be another place from which fishermen launched their boats, but for the whole day we did not see a single boat nor hear the sound of one cruising from a distance.

As we were fishing, a villager with three thin dogs approached us and asked us where we were from. When we told him we were from Pretoria, he asked us why fishermen from Pretoria who used to frequent the dam were no longer coming to fish. When we said it was probably because of crime, he confirmed that indeed it had become unsafe fishing at Renosterkop, especially alone, because people were being robbed even during the day. He advised us against camping overnight, saying doing so could be dangerous.

He said he missed the good old days when fishermen with boats came in droves and people like him would be paid to look after the cars and trailers as fishermen cruised around the dam, fishing.

Criminal activity aside, Renosterkop remains a viable fishing destination. We caught a good number of carps, averaging about 3kg. We also caught some tilapia when we used worms, but we were concentrating on catching carp. 

However, we also lost quite a few carps which got entangled in the notorious grass which those who have fished at Renosterkop will be aware of. So when going to fish at Renosterkop, go with a canoe so that you can go in and disentangle your fish from the unpopular grass which seems to have multiplied many times over since the dam filled up. 

Roodeplaat dam disappoints fishermen

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The good old days at Roodeplaat dam

Fishermen who know Roodeplaat dam well must be disappointed by this popular stretch of water this season because it has failed to live up to its name.

Since the beginning of this fishing season in September Roodeplaat has been uncharacteristically quiet. When I first went here in September last year (2023) and came back empty handed, I thought that was because the water was still cold or that it was just a bad day for fishing. When I tried for the second time after about a week, and again drew a blank, I decided I would only come back during the second week of October, hoping the water would have become warmer.

When I went back in October, alas, it was the same story –  not a single bite. I was not alone in this predicament as other fishermen also drew blanks. However, fishermen are never short of theories as to why fish are not biting at any given time. Moholo, the gateman at the Angling Grounds, a popular section of the dam, said he had heard many veteran fishermen saying the fish were not biting because they were still spawning. After trying my luck three times and still drawing blanks, I decided to go back mid-November. 

Come mid-November and the story was still the same – no fish except for the odd barbell here and there. This time Moholo who is considered an authority of sorts just by virtue of working at the dam said the fish would definitely bite by beginning of December or as soon as the first heavy rains fell. 

Come beginning of December, nothing, and come the first heavy rains, still nothing. Different theories started floating around, and one was that some undesirable chemicals may have entered the dam and were causing fish to lose appetite. This was the first time I was hearing such a theory – that of chemicals that did not kill the fish, but only interfered with their appetite. 

Significant rain fell in December – by my judgment, enough to dilute the so-called undesirable chemicals – but the status quo remained, no bites. I am informed that those people who traditionally spend Christmas at Roodeplaat dam, fishing, had a miserable time as the fish boycott continued. Thank God, I, at the last minute, canceled my plan to spend Christmas at Roodeplaat dam, fishing.

While pursuing some chores in Hatfield after Christmas, I came across veteran fisherman Moyo – I don’t know his first name – and like many other fishermen, he had been to our popular hunting ground, Roodeplaat dam on several occasions, and had also returned home empty handed. Like many other fishermen, Moyo also had his own theory as to why the fish were not biting. “I know Roodeplaat dam well. We need floods to wash out all the water that is currently in the dam, and the fish will start biting when there is fresh water.

On the night of January 8, 2024, heavy rains pounded Pretoria, and by my estimation, pushed out all old water from Roodeplaat dam, leaving fresh water as postulated by my friend Moyo. So early morning on January 9, I was on my way to Roodeplaat dam, hoping to cover some of my previous losses. I was not alone in this school of thought, because by the time I arrived at the dam around 8.30 in the morning, there was already a significant number of fishermen, and one of my favorite spots had already been taken. Fortunately, my other favorite spot was still available and I quickly settled down for the business of the day.. As I was setting up my lines, I was keenly monitoring the performance of my neighbours and unfortunately none of them caught anything until I was done setting up. On arrival at the dam, everyone must have thought they were going to massacre the fish because they were jumping all over the place, showing that they were excited.

After three hours and still no fish, fishermen started exchanging notes. As usual optimism prevailed, with most fishermen agreeing that it was a matter of time before the fish started biting because the weather seemed perfect for fishing. “If they do not bite in the morning, then definitely they shall in the afternoon because they have to feed at some stage,” suggested one elderly fisherman who I believed was talking from experience.

All the fisherman around me were fishing for carp, while I was fishing for carp as well as barbell. By 4pm, I was the only fisherman who had caught something – two small barbells, the bigger about two kilogrammes. By 5pm most fishermen had left. I continued until 6pm, but no other fish was willing to cooperate.

Writing on his Facebook page, veteran fisherman Dolf Jooste said: “At the age of 81, this is the poorest carp catches I have ever experienced at the entire Roodeplaat dam. I will try for another two weeks, and if that fails to produce the desired results, then I will have to try other dams far away. Wish me luck.”

But then just before I left, a friend of mine called Serg called just to check on me. When I told him that I was at Roodeplaat dam, he said: “You lucky bastard. I was there last Saturday and caught several nice size carps and a few barbells as well.” I could hardly believe what Serg had just told me, but then you never know with fishing. The fish may just have been in biting mood on that particular day. But whether Serg was joking or telling the truth, for me it was time to try other dams until I heard from other fishermen that Roodeplaat was firing again.