Pegged Shore Angling, is a name synonymous with a particular facet of angling in Southern Africa.
The term “Pegged, refers to a demarcated area which the angler draws and has to fish his catch in.
Most if not all South African Anglers are accustomed to the traditional style of, Rock and Surf Angling, therefore the introduction of Pegged Shore Angling, to the angling fraternity may seem obscene and a bit disinclined for those “traditional anglers” to perceive.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been inundated with correspondence from anglers, who were keen to educate themselves more on this facet of angling.
Background
Surf Casting,Sea Match Angling, Shore Angling these are the terms used around the world for what we in South Africa have had to call Pegged Shore Angling. Nobody can really say exactly where this competitive facet of shore fishing originated from but my research has shown that it started somewhere in the 1800’s in England.
Anglers used to wager odds on a fishing match and the sport of Match Fishing formed. It grew and obviously spread and with the evolution of time and the many foreign immigrants who worked in the UK joining in this facet spread across Europe. These countries were also hit by the Sea Match Fishing bug and soon there were matches between anglers from different countries and this is where it is thought to have all begun.
South Africa’s Introduction
The South African participation in Pegged Shore Angling spans over 12 years. In 2006 South Africa sent their first Teams to the world championships in Portugal. Shore Anglings World Governing Body is FIPS-Mer, In South Africa the sport Falls under SASAA who administer all forms of Shore Angling in the country.
SASAA has sent teams to the world championships every year since 2006.
In 2017 SASAA made the decision to form a separate league for Fips-mer type angling in South Africa. This meant that there would be two separate facets of shore angling in the country, each with there own provincial leagues and ranking system thus affording anglers the opportunity of competing in the facet of their choice.
In January 2018 the KZN Pegged Shore Angling Series kicked of lead by 3 Protea Anglers.
- Ashwin Singh – Convener of Pegged Shore Angling in South Africa
- Barry Wareham – Convener of Pegged Shore Angling KZN
- Tish Yelland – Protea Ladies Coach
The KZN Series Soon took flight and has now had over 50 anglers competing at the league events in KZN. The success of the KZN Pegged Shore Angling Series sparked interest from around the country and with the recent staging of the 4 Sport World Fishing Games in Langebaan the future of pegged shore angling was cemented.
SA Pegged Shore Angling League
Anglers draw pegs before the start of a competition. These pegs are up to 20m in width, anglers have to fish within their allocated pegged area and may not enter or leave their peg without the consent of an official. Pegged Size may differ depending on conditions or the number of competitors who are competing. This means that peg size may be reduced to accommodate more anglers or to afford all anglers similar water conditions.
The idea of only fishing a 20m wide area may seem absurd to some, but this concept tests the anglers ability to find fish in a limited space. This format of fishing shows anglers ability and skill level by challenging them to find fish in a limited space. This could mean that anglers who have the ability to cast long distances may be able to fish water that holds fish giving him an advantage over the angler who cant cast a long way. Anglers who know how to read water may also have an advantage by being able to tell which piece of water within their peg holds fish. Another important skill is knowing the feeding habits of certain species of fish, this could lead to you catching greater numbers of the same species of fish by casting and targeting the exact piece of water where the first fish is landed.
There are 5 points awarded per fish caught which measurers 15cm or more. The total length of the fish is used and not fork length. This means that anglers target numbers of fish and do not concentrate on size of fish as the larger fish will tend to take valuable time away from the angler when it comes to fighting and landing the fish.
This format of angling is all about time spent in the water and in the zone, allowing the competitor a greater chance of hooking and landing fish. Some of the unusual pieces of equipment anglers use are there to reduce time spent out the water and out of the feeding zone. The equipment helps make the anglers peg more organized and allows him to fish in a systematic manner. A detailed set of rules can be found on the Pegged Shore Angling SA facebook page.
The skill levels required in this facet of angling are of the highest standard, as anglers are constantly having to adapt to the ever changing conditions caused by fluctuating tides and change in weather conditions. Those anglers who are able to adapt first often end up on-top of the leaderboard and this could be based on something as simple as cutting down the length of ones trace, or Fishing 1 of your 3 hooks at a different level in the water column.
Anglers fitness levels also play a major role, as the work rate can sometimes prove to be intense. Those anglers who maintain a constant tempo of changing baits and rigs are often more successful then others.
Pegged Shore Angling Equipment
Like all other facets of angling in South Africa you can use equipment at the lower end of the scale right up to the very top. Currently there are very few Specialist Pegged Shore Angling products available in South Africa, but One can easily search online and make purchases. I must caution you as this method can also lead to disappointment as there are many cheaply made products on the market. Please ensure you do your research before making any substantial online purchase and be sure to factor in VAT and Duty fees.
Currently there are many anglers fishing Pegged Shore Angling who have adapted or in some cases just used their regular light tackle Rock and Surf tackle, and they have been very successful.
In February 2019 South Africa played host to the World Fishing Games, this is sometimes referred to as the Fishing Olympics or The Fishing World Cup! These games showcased every facet of angling with anglers from around the world coming to compete against each other. Over 51 Nations and 199 teams attended the games.
South Africa is seen as the go to destination for international tournaments, as it has a warm climate and favorable fishing conditions for all the various facets in angling. We also boast some of the best facilities in the world coupled with favorable exchange rates and endless tourist attractions South Africa is fast becoming a bucket list for anglers abroad.
The World Fishing Games Shore Angling event took place in Langebaan in Cape Town. Anglers competed in various divisions ie. Senior Men, Masters, Ladies and Pairs Divisions. South Africa had teams represented in all those divisions and have the current World Champion in the masters division, silver medal for the mens seniors silver medal for the Pairs teams and a silver medal for the pairs individuals.
These remarkable achievements have really sparked great interest and focus on this new facet of angling in South Africa. The SA Pegged Shore Angling championships will be held in KwaZulu Natal later this year, for the first time since the introduction of The facet. The KZNCAU are excited to be hosting the SA Champs and look forward to hosting the countries best later this year.
The South African Protea teams are chosen at these events, where anglers earn rank points which help them build up a 3 year overall ranking. 2019 promises to be one if the most exciting years for Pegged Shore Angling in South Africa with many new comers entering the realm of competitive angling for the first time and all vying for the converted title of SA Champion.
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