Good bass come to those who wait

A full moon shines in the cold August night above the Cederberg mountains. Hardly a leaf stirs in Clanwilliam down below, and the moonlight shimmers silver on the still, black water of Clanwilliam Dam.

At De Kelder Restaurant, not far from the dam, fishermen are talking fishing like a group of stockbrokers analysing the day’s market data. “Look at the moon… Mmm, promising,” says one. “Nope. The dam is too full. The water is too cold. But you never know,” says another.

For now, the bass are lurking in the nooks and crannies of the dam, in the shallow, muddy water that they enjoy. Tomorrow, lines will be cast and fish will be caught. Well, that’s the plan at least.

There are about 60 enthusiastic anglers gathered at De Kelder to register for the annual Clanwilliam Winter Bass Classic, which was first held in 1989. Don’t confuse the Winter Bass Classic with the Summer Bass Classic – both tournaments are held at Clanwilliam Dam, but the winter tournament draws more experienced fishermen. Most of the participants are professionals with national colours in the sport.

I hardly know anything about fishing, but the registration process is similar to a running or cycling event except that there’s a stocked bar next to the table where you tick off your name. The participants are already dressed in the caps and shirts they’ll wear tomorrow, all bearing logos of different fishing brands: Rapalla, Bassing, Varkenelli Customs, Humminbird, Yamaha, Berkley... One guy has a tattoo of an unidentifiable fish on his forearm. Everyone talks at a hundred kilometres per hour and everyone is convinced