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Local angler, Duvan van Breda, was left emotional after he was chosen for the senior division of the South African angling team, where he and six team members were able to take home the gold medal at the recent international test series in Namibia.
Growing up in Jeffreys Bay, Van Breda began fishing at the age of five, and proceeded to participate in competitive angling while studying at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape.
He said that for at least 10 years he has worked hard to make the SA team, and finally in 2022 he received confirmation of his selection – something he has dreamt of since he was a young boy.
“I was emotional when I was selected for the team. This is something I have dreamed of for many years. It is truly a dream come true,” said Van Breda.
As part of the recent international test series in Namibia, which spanned three days from December 4 to 6, six teams participated, including u/16, u/21, ladies, senior men, masters (aged 50 to 60 years old) and grand masters (60+ years old).
Each team was required to go up against Namibia, one of their fierce rivals who have beaten the SA team twice in the last three years.
Van Breda said that an important element of all angling competitions, including the international test series, was that all fish caught were released into the ocean again.
He further said that angling was a very competitive sport, and anglers were often required to stand on a rock at least 200m to 300m in the sea for many hours while competing.
Van Breda said that even though the international test series took place over three days, their SA team was required to practise for at least five days ahead of the competition.
“As part of the competition we travelled to Namibia a few days before the test series, where we met with a local angler who helped us find the most popular fishing spots. We were then able to practise for a few days,” said Van Breda.
He said that as the host country, the Namibian team was required to decide on the location of the angling competition, which provided the Namibian anglers with an advantage in the international test series, since they were able to practise at the exact location for some time leading up to the competition.
“As a host country they were able to pick a location based on their team’s strong points. In the case of the Namibian team, they chose a location that would benefit their tall anglers who were also good swimmers,” said Van Breda.
Despite their advantage in the competition, he said that the SA team’s hard work paid off, which saw five of their six teams winning gold in the international test series.
While the u/16, u/21, ladies, senior men, and masters won gold, Van Breda said that the grand masters walked away with silver.
He further said that he was one of two Jeffreys Bay-based anglers who competed in the international test series, with Gerhard Guse being chosen to compete for South Africa in the master’s level.
Van Breda further said that even though Jeffreys Bay is well-known for surfing, it is also a popular fishing location.
Since he loves fishing, he spends most of his time out at sea where he takes both local and international guests on fishing tours through his fishing charter business, Duvan Fishing Charters, which also operates on a catch-and-release basis.
Van Breda said that his many hours out at sea has counted in his favour, since he is able to continuously practise his angling skills.
