Hi All
Have just arrived back in Capetown feeling quite chuffed after a weekend which threatened to deliver nothing in terms of hunting...I spent a few days in Knysna on the Southern Cape coast, and did just one dive at the entrance to the Knysna-Heads.
Water was 17 degrees...( warm for me) and very murky, but decided to push on with the dive anyway inspite of all kinds of shapes and shadows lurking in the murk ...( and in my head) after the recent shark sightings in the Cape.
This is Cracker country ( Muscle Cracker) but being a relative newbie, I have only dived here on 2 occasions, and they have eluded me thus far, with my hunting success limited to Hottentot, Black Tail and the odd Galjoen.
Was cruising in the murk, sighting the odd Black-Tail and Mullet, before eventually finding a ledge with a great drop-off going down to about 11 meters. Relax, breathe-up, then headed down to lie gently on the sand, left-shoulder against the reef, absolute silence and stillness, and waited. After about 50 seconds or so, as I concentrated on the reef to my left, a movement over my right shoulder caught my vision. I managed to avoid the temptation to look, just kept my head still, and focused with my periphery-vision. A few seconds later ( seemed like minutes !!) the shape of a Cracker flicked past me, slightly above me, and I guessed 4 or so metes in front, could just make out the outline.
I squeezed off my shot into the murk, and was rewarded by my gun leaping wildly out of my grip and dancing off into the deep !
By the time I got to the guy, he was giving my spear some violent treatment against the reef, and succeeded in doing quite a bit of damage to himself, but managed to subdue and get him to the surface. Considering his size ( Not very big by Cracker standards) he put up a bitching fight, can only imagine getting a 'big boy'.
None the less, my first Cracker in very 'uncomfortable' conditions, but I guess thats part of what makes these 'firsts' so rewarding !!
Hope I hav'nt bored y'all too much !
Jeff
Have just arrived back in Capetown feeling quite chuffed after a weekend which threatened to deliver nothing in terms of hunting...I spent a few days in Knysna on the Southern Cape coast, and did just one dive at the entrance to the Knysna-Heads.
Water was 17 degrees...( warm for me) and very murky, but decided to push on with the dive anyway inspite of all kinds of shapes and shadows lurking in the murk ...( and in my head) after the recent shark sightings in the Cape.
This is Cracker country ( Muscle Cracker) but being a relative newbie, I have only dived here on 2 occasions, and they have eluded me thus far, with my hunting success limited to Hottentot, Black Tail and the odd Galjoen.
Was cruising in the murk, sighting the odd Black-Tail and Mullet, before eventually finding a ledge with a great drop-off going down to about 11 meters. Relax, breathe-up, then headed down to lie gently on the sand, left-shoulder against the reef, absolute silence and stillness, and waited. After about 50 seconds or so, as I concentrated on the reef to my left, a movement over my right shoulder caught my vision. I managed to avoid the temptation to look, just kept my head still, and focused with my periphery-vision. A few seconds later ( seemed like minutes !!) the shape of a Cracker flicked past me, slightly above me, and I guessed 4 or so metes in front, could just make out the outline.
I squeezed off my shot into the murk, and was rewarded by my gun leaping wildly out of my grip and dancing off into the deep !
By the time I got to the guy, he was giving my spear some violent treatment against the reef, and succeeded in doing quite a bit of damage to himself, but managed to subdue and get him to the surface. Considering his size ( Not very big by Cracker standards) he put up a bitching fight, can only imagine getting a 'big boy'.
None the less, my first Cracker in very 'uncomfortable' conditions, but I guess thats part of what makes these 'firsts' so rewarding !!
Hope I hav'nt bored y'all too much !
Jeff
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