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10th World Carp Angling Championships 2008 BLOEMHOF DAM - SOUTH AFRICA 20 - 27 October 2008

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
Austria	Bosnia	Bulgaria	Croatia	England
Italy	France	Macedonia	Namibia	Portugal
Romania	Russia	Serbia	South Africa	Ukraine

Introduction

From the 20th to the 27th of October 2008 I had the privilege to attend the 10th World Carp Angling Championships which, for the first time ever in the history of the event, was hosted in South Africa. South Africa grabbed the opportunity with open arms and with the support of various sport and tourism bodies, private sector and local government we were able to make a success of this prestigious event.

I have been involved with this facet of carp fishing since it officially started in South Africa in 2005 and like thousands of South Africans I have been looking forward to this event since then. My involvement in carp fishing afforded me the opportunity to have been asked to develop the official web site for the tournament  and to be the official photographer / cameraman for the event. That made it even more special to me because I basically had access to everyone and every aspect of the event. I had the opportunity to mingle with the best carp anglers the world has to offer, presidents of the various federations, local ministers, other VIP's and more. To me this was the single most amazing experience in my entire fishing career.

Arrival of the teams (Monday)

Mike Rossouw Mike and Elaine Rossouw met the teams at the airport.	FIPSed Delegation Mr. Claudio Matteoli (president), his secretary and Mr. Jackie Dupuis (Generel Secretary and Treasurer)
Team France	Team Romania

Most of the teams arrived on Monday the 20th of October. I met up with the organisers at the OR Tambo Airport to witness the arrival of the FIPSed delegation and the teams from Russia, Romania, Ukraine and France. The visitors were met by members of the South African Bank Angler Federation (SAFBAF) who made sure everything went according to plan. Mike and Elaine Rossouw escorted the teams to the Midway busses which took them to the Elgro Hotel in Potchefstroom. Potchefstroom is about 2 hours drive from Johannesburg.

Later that Monday evening we caught up with the group at the Elgro hotel where Mike Rossouw officially welcomed the teams. SAFBAF requested that each team bring along a member who understands English and can function as an interpreter. The formalities therefore was over in a matter of minutes. Soon afterwards did the visitors have the opportunity to have their first taste of true South African cuisine. The food at the Elgro Hotel, throughout our entire stay was amazing, and I believe that it made a lasting impression. I believe so because I noticed many visitors going for seconds and more...

I also noticed the South African team wearing new camo gear which I thought looked great. The team appeared relaxed, but I know that in their minds they were focused on what was lying ahead.
Even at that early stage I felt a sense of pride which I have never experienced before. I spent a lot of time with these guys over the last couple of years and I sincerely believed that the 8 anglers we had in the team were THE BEST THIS COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER. And to me there is no doubt about it. It has been a very long time since last I had that amount of trust in a team, whether fishing, rugby, soccer, whatever...

Welcome to SA Mike Rossouw officially welcomes all the participants to South Africa.	Dinner Their first taste of South African cuisine.
Team South Africa, seen for the first time in camo gear, and not the usual green and gold. I thought it looked great.

Before the evening came to a close, the South African Police Services gave a quick presentation to all the visiting team captains, just to discuss a few relevant safety and security issues with them. I was impressed. The Local Organising Committee thought about everything.

Opening Ceremony (Tuesday)

Early Tuesday morning we left for the town of Bloemhof where the official welcoming ceremony was to take place. Three busses left from Potchefstroom and within two hours we were in Bloemhof and met by hundreds of school children and people from the surrounding areas.

For more than 3 hours the town of Bloemhof was brought to a standstill as the local town folk witnessed the parade moving through town.

The parade spanned the entire length of the main street. Hundreds of local school children lined the streets. There were drum majorettes, a band from Kroonstad, traditional dancers and a variety of artists which were leading the teams towards the stadium where the official opening of the 10th World Carp Championships were held.

I felt proud to be South African. This, most definitely, is one of the most prestigious events ever to be hosted by the South African Bank Angling Federation, and what a major achievement it was for Carp Fishing in South Africa.

On our way We left Potchefstroom early for the two hours' drive to Bloemhof	Hundreds of school kids lined the streets of Bloemhof. The atmosphere was electric
The Band A band from Kroonstad lead the parade	Drum Majorettes Drummies from local schools lead the teams in a spectacular fashion
Getting ready It was only a matter of seconds now...	The parade got underway and the teams started moving towards the school for the Opening
What an experience  The parade spanned the entire length of the main street	The FIPSed delegation arriving at the stadium
Team Namibia arriving at the stadium	Team South Africa arriving at the stadium

After arriving at the stadium we were welcomed by the mayor and a number of VIP's. It was good to hear the local governing bodies and MEC's talking about creating awareness for the species and the importance of the sport, protecting the environment and sustainable use of our resources. It was good to hear that at government level people are understanding the importance of carp fishing and the major role it plays in our economy. I will most certainly follow up on some of the statements that were made.

The ceremony ended soon after Mr. Claudio Matteoli officially declared the 10th World Carp Angling Championships OPEN.

Enjoying the program After the parade the teams sat down for the official opening of the championships	Traditional Dancers A variety of artists from the local community entertained the guests
Playing of the national anthems As part of the official opening ceremony all 15 anthems were played while each team had the opportunity to stand on the red carpet. Russia (left) and South Africa (right)
Media Some of the team members were doing productions for their local TV channels. Meet the cameraman, sound engineer and presenter from Macedonia. He did a great job and we spent a lot of time together. Hopefully we'll meet again in France next year.	Enjoying the program A sudden wind caused some excitement in the main tent went it lifted the tent, causing one of the poles to come crashing to the ground. Fortunately no one was injured. Although Mr. Matteoli looks to be the first out of the tent, he wasn't. A member of the French team was 500 metres in front of him when this photo was taken...
I now declare the 10 th World Carp Angling Championships OPEN This is what we were all waiting for. Mr. Claudio Matteoli officially announces that the event is now OPEN.

Due to time constraints we immediately left for Bloemhof Dam where the official inspection of the competition area took place. Teams were also shown how to use the equipment which were sponsored by Akals. This include showing the anglers how to pitch the tents and how to use the various other smaller items.

During the inspection anglers became aware of the heat. At the time of our visit the temperature was probably around 30 °C. Some of the visiting anglers soon made plans to buy umbrellas and other means of shade the following day.  

During the presentation participants were anxious to find out more about predators in the reserve. They asked about snakes, crocodiles, lions and other wild animals. Participants were again assured that they would be safe and that the biggest predators in the park are jackal.
I personally was constantly on the lookout for snakes as there were a number of sightings during the preparation of the swims and even during the course of the event. Fortunately for us they kept a low profile so there were no incidents with snakes to report apart from someone who came across a snake next to the road. He caught a glimpse of it on camera and after reviewing the footage, I am glad it didn't pay any of the anglers a visit. Having been more than one and a half metres long, I am sure it would have caused total chaos amongst the anglers.

Bloemhof Dam This is Zone C - right	Bloemhof Dam Zone C - left, with Zone B and A at the far back.
Inspection I think most people liked what they saw. The fish activity also attracted a lot of attention	Team France, inspecting the water
How to As part of the inspection anglers were shown how to use the sponsored equipment	Posing for a photo OutdoorPAGES got all the anglers to pose for a photo to be used as cover for the DVD

As a regular visitor to Bamboesspruit, I was amazed to see that the entire stretch of road from the entrance to the water's edge was revamped. Road signs were erected and a number of reinforced sections were supplied at the known problem areas on the road. This surely is good news for all our local competitive anglers who will be fishing Bamboesspruit in the near future.

As we were about to leave, I got the idea that most of the anglers were anxious to start fishing. I believe that most of them couldn't wait for the siren to go, to get the first rods in the water.

After the inspection we went back to Potchefstroom. Anglers got the opportunity to socialise and mentally prepare for the competition. Some chose to have a few local beers while others visited a few shops in the vicinity of the Elgro hotel.

We pay a visit to a predator park (Wednesday)

We left Potchefstroom at about 06:15 Wednesday morning to visit a predator park in the Orkney area. Due to the timeframe and a few logistical aspects it was decided to go to a park where most of the animals are tame and easily accessible, rather than going to a reserve with wild animals where it is sometimes difficult to experience all the animals.

Upon our arrival all the cameras were hastily taken out and within a matter of minutes hundreds of photos where taken of animals in the nearby enclosures. The enclosures allowed visitors to get within close proximity of most of the animals, some of which are extremely rare in the wild.

While waiting for the gates to open to enter the main viewing area, a Maribu stork used the opportunity to entertain us. The Maribu didn't appear to be in a good mood and it attacked just about every individual coming to close to it.

Posing for photos Anglers used the opportunity for pictures of themselves and their team members	The first bite Do not go too close to this Maribu stork. Here a member of the Austrian teams gets the first bite.	Just leave me alone This stork definitely wasn't taking any nonsense.
Guided tour A guide escorted us and answered the many questions	A leopard with attitude This leopard was a new addition and has not yet  adjusted to its new surroundings	Bengal tiger Visitors experienced a variety of animals  up close and personal
Lion cubs	Hyenas	White lion

A guide escorted us through the camp and told us a few interesting facts about some of the animals. It was very entertaining and I believe most of the people thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

I believe the highlight of the trip was when visitors were allowed to hold some of the younger animals. These included two 6 month old hyenas, two lion cubs and a baby tiger. Visitors were waiting in queues for an opportunity to hold these animals.

Highlight of the day Visitors were allowed to cuddle some of the animals and hold them for photos. This I believed was one of the highlights of the day for most of the visitors

We left around midday to return to Potchefstroom for lunch. The captains meeting followed soon after that. At the captains meeting normal issues were discussed and some of the rules were carefully explained to avoid confusion.

After the captains meeting, at 6pm Wednesday evening, the Elgro hotel, played host to yet another memorable occasion. For the first time, since their arrival on Monday, did the other teams get the opportunity to have their say.

The event was in the form of a gala dinner which was attended by all the teams, a number of VIP's, sponsors and the media. We were also fortunate enough to have with us, for the first time in the history of carp fishing South Africa, the Minister of Sport & Recreation, Rev. Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile.

The highlight of the evening for the South Africans was when Mr. Matteoli (FIPSed) announced yet another world championship (match angling) to be hosted in South Africa in 2010. He promised that South Africa will be allowed to host the event if we promise to organise the transport of all the equipment (in South Africa). He challenged the minister, who replied without any hesitation, "How many trucks do you need?"

So, 2010 will see yet another World Championship in South Africa, which in the long run, will benefit Fishing in South Africa tremendously, and that goes for ALL disciplines.

After the speeches we were entertained by a number of artists which included traditional dancers and Musikarté. Musikarté's performance triggered a number of standing ovations. Most did not even know that some of the members in the group were only fourteen years old! It was amazing!

After their performance it was time for the teams to introduce themselves. Fifteen countries took to the stage and apart from introducing the team members to all, the captains also took the liberty to thank the South Africans for all they have done and achieved so far. Although some of the teams spoke in broken English, the words Respect, Thank you and Well done were acknowledged by all.

Up to that point we never really knew how the other teams felt about the Championships. This specific event indicated to us their level of appreciation and we can now with confidence say to the organising committee that they can pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

Presenting the teams	Des & Fred Mr. Des van Jaarsveld thanks Mr. Fred Visagie for all he has done.	Traditional dancers
A word from FIPSed Mr. Claudio Matteoli	Musikarté Their performance was one of the highlights of the evening.	Enjoying the music Musikarté's performance was enjoyed by all
Team Croatia	Team Romania	Team Russia Russia was one of the favourites to win the competition
Team South Africa Definitely our favourite to win the competition	Traditional Dancers As part of the inspection anglers were shown how to use the sponsored equipment	It's a first for SA This is the first SA Carp team to appear on a photo with the Minister of sport.

Unlike the day before most of the anglers quietly left the hall to prepare for the big day lying ahead.

Competition Day 1 (Thursday 13:30 - Friday 13:30)

The busses left Potchefstroom at 6 AM. We were on our way to Bloemhof Dam for the start of the actual competition. And we were in a hurry, so many things still had to be sorted out before the competition. These included making sure all the swims were setup correctly and that all the equipment and baits were sorted and delivered to the swims on time.

Upon our arrival the first item on the agenda was to make sure that all the teams received the baits that they ordered. Each two-man team received 600 kg of sponsored baits, but they were also allowed to buy baits from a comprehensive list of baits that are available locally. Unfortunately some of the teams waited to only 2-3 days before the competition and this put a lot of pressure on the local bait companies to supply the demand. Keep in mind that the bait balls typically take 2-3 days to manufacture and if you look at the volumes used during the event, one can understand why it was difficult for Boilies for Africa and Super Cast to deliver on such short notice. I know for a fact that these guys bent backwards to accommodate some of the requests, but some just were impossible to meet.

At 10:00 the team captains were called to the main tent for the drawing of the pegs. Each country was allowed to draw a number from the bag which determined the swims allocated per angling pair.

Traditionally the drawing of the pegs can be a make or break business. Just one bad peg can make a difference if you get a podium position or not. But, to be fair to the organisers, it was clear to see that the positions of the swims were carefully planned and laid out. Snaggy areas were avoided and the best possible position for each swim was chosen. This in effect caused the fishing area (A1 - C15) to cover a stretch of just over 6 kilometers. 

A lot of people talk about the "luck of the draw". I am sure the carp gods were smiling on South Africa. After the draw, we looked at the pegs and found that Andries and Hennie and Louwtjie and his dad were to fish the exact same swims they fished in May against England. If you can recall, Louwtjie and his dad set another record for the heaviest bag in this exact same swim they were about to fish at the championships. This I believe gave them a favourable advantage because they would not only have a lot of confidence in the swims, but also save a lot of time doing feature finding and working out a baiting / fishing strategy. It basically meant that they can start producing good results from the word go.

GP Nel and Kobus van Loggerenberg (SA) also got a very special swim. I believe it was the only swim where one could actually cast into the main river bed. This meant deeper water for them and if our predictions were true, also bigger fish.

ZONE PLACEMENTS
COUNTRY	A ZONE	ANGLER NAME	B ZONE	ANGLER NAME	C ZONE	ANGLER NAME
PORTUGAL	1	F Cardana	11	S Pereira	6	H Marmelo
		S Penedo		R Alves		C Cardoso
ENGLAND	2	B Flowers	6	A Maker	12	I Huntington
		J Londers		T Maker		P Holehouse
BULGARIA	3	V Vladimirov	14	P Pantchev	8	D Petrov
		A Georgiev		V Atanasov		J Sofkov
ROMANIA	4	V Mateianu	9	B Guguianu	14	S Florescu
		C Jacob		S Radeanu		C Ene
UKRAINE	5	S Zvizda	15	S Kozak	9	V Svintsov
		S Raspopov		O Novichkov		V Skorik
SOUTH AFRICA	6	GP Nel	2	L Louwies	11	H du Preez
		K van Loggerenberg		J Louwies		A Maree
BOSNIA	7	J Stojanovic	12	M Todorovic	3	P Dujakovic
		N Tuzlancic		G Tanasic		Z Kokan
MACEDONIA	8	D Ivanov	3	L Risteski	13	Z Bacvarov
		M Bozinvski		K Gjorgieski		L Kajstorovski
CROATIA	9	Z Krusic	13	R Palcic	5	T Novkovic
		P Vecerinovic		Z Djepina		T Vuksic
FRANCE	10	P Lemeunier	5	D Hamelin	15	F Thomas
		G Chevalier		F Blanchard		P Beaumer
ITALY	11	M Pirani	7	R Carinelli	1	S Brunelli
		V Pirani		F Buccolini		A Fedrigo
RUSSIA	12	D Shapovalov	1	A Smolnikov	7	A Arkhipov
		S Artyukhin		M Lapushinskiy		R Dyukov
SERBIA	13	B Bojanic	8	D Dejan	2	G Mesaros
		R Mudrinski		M Vladisavljevic		V Burundzija
NAMIBIA	14	J Nel	4	W Sowden	10	W Strauss
		C Nel		M Schumacher		R Horn
AUSTRIA	15	P Tuczai	10	H Boheim	4	F Pacejka
		C Tuczai		A Novak		T Fiedler

As we left the tent after the peg drawing, I overheard an angler from the Ukraine asking Mitch Smith what he thinks a good weight would be to achieve to stand a chance of winning the competition.
"1000 kg per team, at least", Mitch replied.
The angler was quite shocked, laughed a bit and then he wanted to know approximately how many fish that would amount to. Mitch quickly worked it out and said, "At an average weight of 2,5kg per fish, at 1000 kg per team, which is 3000 kg in total, I believe you will be looking at about 1200 to 1400 fish".
"What? No, no, no, that can't be true, you just said 1000 kg per team. How can it be?", the angler wanted to know, looking very confused, as if Mitch was pulling his leg.
Mitch realised what the problem was and nonchalantly replied, "I meant 1000 kg per two-man team, not per country...". The angler laughed, turned around and left looking a bit confused. 

At 11:00 the teams were allowed to enter their swims and to setup their camps. At this stage there were still one or two countries trying to sort out their bait. Serbia did not have enough bait, but in true South African spirit the problem was solved, with the South Africans offering some of their bait. It was decided to delay the start of the competition with 30 minutes in order to make sure that all the countries were happy. This delay also allowed more bait to be delivered.

Arriving at the Dam Upon our arrival the baits were already sorted per team and ready to go	Bait check It took a fair bit of time for all the teams to check their baits and made sure everything was there
Sponsored equipment At the time of my arrival the sponsored equipment were already delivered to the camps	Hot off the press The peg layout immediately after the draw.
Getting ready to take their positions The South African team of dedicated and highly proficient stewards were getting ready for the start of the competition. The stewards were highly motivated and like myself they have been looking forward to this event since 2005.
Getting ready Teams were allowed to occupy their pegs at 11 AM. There was still a lot to do before the start.	Notifying the anglers All the teams / pegs were individually notified of the delay.
It's unique Our style of fishing is unique in the world and we have worked out ways to cope with the conditions	It's new to them Having the unhooking mats in the water, shade netting over the entire camp are all new to the visitors.

The official siren sounded at 13:30 to mark the start of the first ever World Carp Angling Championships hosted outside of Europe. The enormous amount of bait and equipment that had to be moved into the swims caused a bit of a delay.

The teams immediately started baiting up their swims and from what I could see, most of the teams were employing strategies that could work for them. South Africa most definitely had their work cut out for them.

Scouts were immediately sent to the South African camps, so it didn't take long for the others to pick up on what we were doing. Every hookbait hitting the water shouted "FLUORISCENE" and the teams were continuously baiting up their swims. The immediate challenge for the South Africans was to build up a considerable lead while the other teams were trying to find their rhythm.

Within minutes after the start of the competition Hennie and Andries (A11 - SA) landed two carp in the 2,5 kg range while the teams of Namibia (A10) and England (A9) landed two catfish only minutes apart. While the Namibian angler carefully fought his fish I was impressed with the way Ian Huntington (England) landed his. After striking the fish Ian immediately noticed that it was a catfish so he skillfully winched it out in order to waste as little time as possible. It was clear to see that this strategy was planned long before the start of the competition.

As South Africans we were hoping for the other teams to catch a lot of the catfish. That would cause teams to lose valuable time while fighting these monsters.
Although I was told that the Russian team (B1) caught a 16 kg catfish I saw no other catfish for the duration of the tournament. I am sure that most of the countries got word of the healthy catfish population in Bloemhof and that is why they opted for the fruity flavored baits.

The time has come Kobus & GP get their rods in the water after the siren sounded for the start of the competition	Getting to work Immediately after the rods were in the GP & Kobus  started baiting up their swim.
The first catfish The South Africans were hoping for the other teams to catch a lot of catfish and this happened almost instantly after the start of the competition. Namibia (C10) landed the first one with England (C12) landing one soon afterwards. Ian Huntington (England) did however know exactly what to do and he wasted the minimum of time to get his on the bank.
Shoveling it in The South African team knew the importance of baiting up their swims. They therefore wasted now time at all to get as much bait as possible in the water.
Keeping up Even at this early stage cast after cast produced a fish.	Keep them coming Andries landing his first fish. Hennie and Andries got going immediately.
Hennie du Preez Hennie displays his first carp for the competition.	Hennie du Preez with another average-sized carp.

Johan and Louwtjie Louwies (B2 - SA) knew exactly which baits to use and that got them off to a flying start. I visited their peg at about 3 pm and by that time they were operating at a very fast pace. The average size of their fish were marginally bigger than those caught by Hennie and Andries in Zone A. Loutjie and his dad employed the same strategy as Hennie and Andries. Their focus also was to get as much bait as possible into the water.

The first results were made available at 5 pm.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION
POSITION	TEAM	POINTS	WEIGHT
1	South Africa	10	55.260
2	Italy	13	22.020
3	Austria	17½	24.360
4	Namibia	21½	26.490
5	Portugal	21½	23.520
6	Macedonia	22	19.200
7	France	22½	11.780
8	Croatia	23	16.870
9	Serbia	25	10.700
10	Bosnia	26	14.840
11	Romania	28½	7.920
12	England	29	4.880
13	Bulgaria	29½	8.100
14	Russia	34	2.430
15	Ukraine	37	0

Looking at the scoresheet, it was evident that a few teams struggled to get going. To find England and Russia in the bottom half and Ukraine with no fish was very surprising. But, it was still early days; we just had to wait for the fish to find the hookbaits.

At about 6pm that afternoon we left the competition area to overnight in Bloemhof. Spending the day in the sun and having walked about 8 km between the pegs meant that we were extremely tired by the time we arrived at Kudaana Lodge.

Friday Morning

After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast at Kudaana Lodge we returned to the lake and arrived just in time for the latest results. As predicted the South Africans were increasing their lead at a steady pace. The team of Louwtjie Louwies and Johan Louwies (B2 - SA) slowly but surely became the favourites to win the individual competition.

We visited their peg and it was clear to see that another part of their strategy was to use a lot of fluoriscene with their hookbaits. Every bait was dipped in a thick brown gel which exploded into a bright neon green splash as their baits hit the water. It was clear to see that it worked for them as they could hardly keep up at the rate the fish were biting. The fact was also proven when we had to wait more than forty minutes to get a quick interview with Louwtjie.

While waiting I noticed the Russians at B1 hardly catching any fish while Loutjie and his dad was landing one fish after the other. At that stage I was under the impression that after nearly 18 hours of fishing most of the teams would have seen that it was very important to get as much feed as possible in the water. It was easy to see that those pegs who constantly fed, are constantly hauling the fish in. But, like many of the other teams, Russia stuck to their own game plan and basically ended up casually watching the show by Loutjie and Johan. I believe this is where most of the countries started losing the opportunity to get into the medals.

And what a show it was. A number of spectators got word of Louwtjie and Johan's success and soon there were a lot of people with umbrellas and gazebos watching the show from behind the spectator lines. I believe their support and applause every time a fish was landed made a big difference. During an interview with GP and Kobus after the competition, they confirmed how big of an impact it had on their fishing. Every cheer, every applause and Mexican wave (yes, we have it on camera) pushed them to give a little bit more, motivated them to just work a little bit faster.
Spectator support adds a whole new dimension to a fishing event. The spectators make you aware that you are not only fishing for yourself and your team, but also for them, for your country. The entire South African team confirmed this fact. I sincerely hope that the public will be invited to more carping events in the near future.

Loutjie & Johan

While waiting for Louwtjie to become available for an interview with Mitch Smith for the official DVD, Mitch commented on the way the South Africans were baiting up their swims. He called it 'shoveling in the bait', which I thought at that stage was the most accurate explanation for the way the South Africans have been baiting up their swims. South Africa used bait spoons which allowed them to bait up their swims with the least amount of effort. While sitting, one angler would load the spoon with about 8 bait balls, while the other (standing) would throw the bait balls to a distance of about 40 - 50 m. This allowed the South Africans to 'shovel in' a great amount of bait. One round would deliver 8 or more bait balls at a time, which meant less energy spent to bait up the swim. I believe this was the most effective means when comparing that to using banksticks or catapults.

We eventually had a chat with Loutjie, which had to be kept short in order not to interfere with their fishing. Loutjie showed us his terminal tackle and bait and also explained to us the importance of religion in his sport. When asked what was he thinks is the single most important factor for their team's success, Loutjie replied, "Religion".

At 17:00 the team of Johan and Loutjie Louwies was still in the lead, with the team at peg A6, GP Nel and Kobus van Loggerenberg, hot in pursuit. At A6 (GP & Kobus) their baiting strategy was starting to work for them and overall they were starting to catch more and more fish, slightly bigger than the rest of the field.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION
POSITION	TEAM	POINTS	WEIGHT
1	South Africa	3	913.35
2	England	12	303.87
3	Bosnia	13	350.76
4	Portugal	14	306.42
5	Namibia	16	352.36
6	Croatia	21	264.81
7	Austria	25	272.87
8	Serbia	25	226.32
9	Italy	26	189.49
10	Romania	30	171.12
11	France	31	168.05
12	Russia	33	147.20
13	Ukraine	35	150.54
14	Macedonia	36	135.88
15	Bulgaria	40	115.47

If we look at the results after 27 hours, South Africa's 3 point score was considerably smaller than the second place English with 12 points, who have shown their determination by moving from 12th to 2nd in just twelve hours. Russia whom I thought were one of the favourites, looked to be slipping away into the lower half of the table although they did manage to move up three places from their previous last place.

Saturday

Mr. Claudio Matteoli and his team had to sign all scoresheets first before they could be released to the teams and the media so after breakfast we decided to leave with them, rather than waiting at the lake for the results.

Upon our arrival Bertha Fritz already had all the results processed. Bertha and her team of stewards really did an excellent job of supplying accurate and up to date information to FIPSed throughout the event.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION				INDIVIDUAL
POSITION	TEAM	POINTS	WEIGHT	A	B	C
1	South Africa	3	1552.65	607.84	578.60	366.21
2	England	8	801.69	236.34	292.59	272.76
3	Namibia	14	735.94	342.46	248.57	144.91
4	Portugal	14	601.58	254.29	176.29	171.00
5	Bosnia	16	608.29	160.10	287.98	160.21
6	Croatia	19	568.87	188.10	132.84	247.93
7	Austria	24	487.53	227.22	205.10	55.21
8	Serbia	24	464.75	128.49	124.29	211.97
9	Italy	27	392.81	123.43	139.94	129.44
10	Romania	29	386.82	94.13	135.33	157.36
11	Bulgaria	32	324.03	155.91	89.35	78.77
12	France	36	290.46	118.34	66.42	105.70
13	Russia	37	292.10	82.82	163.96	45.32
14	Ukraine	37	280.22	92.30	75.65	112.27
15	Macedonia	40	226.66	98.41	54.78	73.47

GP Nel and Kobus van Loggerenberg (A6 - SA) proved to us how quickly things can change in this game. While GP & Kobus had a very good session through the night, Loutjie and Johan ran into a bit of bad lack, catching a number of non-weighers and smaller fish in general. The latest results indicated that GP and Kobus was leading Loutjie and Johan by 29.24 kg.

We visited the them at Peg A6 and soon found the reason why they were in the lead. GP and Kobus initially lost a lot of fish due to snags in their swim. At first they tried to bully the fish through the snags, but it didn't work, resulting in a number of lost fish, terminal tackle and precious time.
They had to come up with another strategy. They decided to play it safe, and to not put pressure on the fish immediately after the strike. This allowed the fish to swim free of the snags and so their success rate improved considerably. With the average size of the fish caught in their swim being 0.5 kg heavier than those caught in other swims it meant they could easily make up for the lost time and fish. Their new strategy allowed them to overtake Loutjie and Johan who were plagued by smaller fish.

England (C12) The England team were into the fish and were giving Hennie and Andries at peg C11 a go	Peter Holehouse (C12) Unfortunately this one is not that big, but every single fish brings you one step closer to the podium
A nice carp indeed The Namibian team really did extremely well for their first time fishing at Bloemhof dam.	Spectators are welcome Hennie & Andries received all the attention in Zone C. It was good to see the amount of spectator who drove all the way to support their team. Let's hope we see some more of this in the near future.
GP & Kobus Having both in the water is a sign of success	Typical Camp The South African Team knows the importance of shade. Their entire camp highlighted the fact that they know what they are doing and that they have come prepared

The early morning session was very productive for most of the teams. Bosnia, England, Portugal and other teams around GP and Kobus all were into the fish. The only difference, when compared to GP and Kobus was the pace at which they landed their fish. GP and Kobus struggled to keep four rods in the water and most amazingly, the fish kept on getting bigger and bigger. At one stage GP and Kobus weighed 3 fish with a combined weight of well over 16 kg. That gave them the opportunity to quickly increase their lead. By lunch time it was clear that they would better the current South African record which was in the region of 950 kg. I made my own calculations and mentioned to the crowd of spectators that they might even reach 1400 or even 1500 kg! With more that 24 hours to go and at the pace they were fishing, it definitely looked a possibility.

It was clear that South Africa will win the competition. The main battle therefore was for second and third position and here England and Namibia were the main contenders. England fished Bloemhof in May, so they knew what was required of them so they came prepared. For Namibia however it was the first time they ever took part in this format and nobody knew exactly what to expect from them. Will they have enough energy to keep up the pace, or will Bosnia, Portugal or another country for that matter beat them to it? The next 12 hours were crucial and it would make the difference between reaching the podium or not.

At 5 pm the scores looked like this.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION				INDIVIDUAL
POSITION	TEAM	POINTS	WEIGHT	A	B	C
1	South Africa	3	2200.60	944.80	712.82	542.98
2	England	8	1144.83	310.84	435.90	398.09
3	Namibia	13	950.98	422.72	299.52	228.74
4	Portugal	17	831.98	340.54	242.90	248.54
5	Bosnia	19	799.22	212.98	379.85	206.39
6	Serbia	20	795.53	289.53	180.02	325.98
7	Croatia	20	783.99	223.94	189.87	370.18
8	Austria	25	615.21	255.61	262.42	97.18
9	Romania	26	656.98	137.51	261.81	257.66
10	Italy	28	598.97	157.61	252.83	188.53
11	Bulgaria	32	453.85	209.86	112.33	131.66
12	Russia	34	490.64	199.65	203.38	87.61
13	Ukraine	34	416.03	162.28	84.63	169.12
14	France	40	337.83	137.89	77.82	122.12
15	Macedonia	41	323.92	138.67	72.09	113.16

GP and Kobus clearly had a great days fishing. They added no less that 336.96 kg to their score which left the other teams in awe. It was only a couple more hours for GP & Kobus to get to a ton of fish, yet another first for South Africa. At this stage even Loutjie and his dad could make it.

When we left the lake after the scores were released, their were thunder clouds approaching from a distance. The wind also picked up which set the stage for the typical Bloemhof dam late afternoon thunderstorm.

It was pouring with rain when we arrived at Kudaana Lodge, which meant the anglers will soon get their share. I was hoping that the rain would bring some welcome relief for the anglers as I heard that no less than 11 substitutes have been made over the past two days.

Soon after the Curry Cup Final rugby match between the Blue Bulls and the Sharks did we get the news that GP and Kobus just past the 1000 kg mark. Well done to the Sharks and team South Africa!

At 7 pm it was decided to stop the competition in order for the weather to clear. Bloemhof is known for its electrical storms. We have never had a lightning incident before, but it is better to be safe than sorry. The anglers immediately used the opportunity to catch up on lost sleep. Unfortunately for them it only lasted for two hours and I believe there was a lot of cursing going on when the siren sounded at 9 pm to resume the competition.

Sunday Morning

I arrived at the lake to again find the scores had no surprises. South Africa by that time was leading the field by 1200 kg and their next target was to take 1st, 2nd and 3rd position in the individual competition. Pegs A6 and B2 enjoyed a comfortable lead for 1st and 2nd place, but C11 was not out of the woods yet. Two England teams were blowing in their necks which meant they still had their work cut out for them.

GP Nel There is a reason why he is smiling. GP and Kobus just passed the 1400 kg mark.	GP with a nice fish This fish weighed 4.88 kg, again much bigger than average.
Kobus Kobus and GP have been fishing together since 2005 and has become a force to be reckoned with.	Kobus One of the most important aspects of peg A6 was the fact that it constantly produced bigger fish. In the last two days Kobus and GP landed a lot of fish in the 5kg range which helped them to stay in front of the pack. On this photo Kobus lands another carp in the 5kg range
Keep the score ticking Yet another one, getting them closer to the magical 1500 kg...

All eyes were focused on GP and Kobus who were trying to reach the magic 1500 kg. We left to try and get and interview with GP and Kobus who were still hauling them in when we arrived. 4 - 5.5 kg carp were in the order of the day which meant they were able to keep the bigger fish in their swim. Both anglers were producing the goods. Even with only a few hours of sleep they were still going strong. Like all the South African teams it seems that they can function on auto-pilot. Having had a minimum amount of sleep each individual still knew exactly was expected of him. And even at that stage they would change their bait to suit the conditions. For example:

When I arrived they were fishing without PVA bags. The pace was fast and furious (to quote Mitch Smith) and they found the fish were happy with it that way. Every second fish was over 5 kg which was great. An hour later they switched back to PVA bags when they found the pace slowing down. It was as if GP and Kobus were one step ahead of the fish all the time.

Team Romania (A4) Anglers at peg A4 were trying to find answers. The fish went off the bite and it was extremely hot.	Having lunch At peg A3 the team from Bulgaria had a quick lunch while waiting for the fish to bite
Weighing the fish At the same time team Portugal was weighing their fish. Their swim also went quiet for a while.	England still working This photo shows why England were still catching and the others waiting.

By midday the sun was taking its toll on the anglers. Most of the anglers were extremely tired and completely drained of all their energy by the pace of fishing and the heat. I am sure most of them were praying for the final siren to sound, like the youngsters from the England team. I visited their peg (A2) to see what they were up to. Although there was a lot less activity, I felt sorry for one of the youngsters whose feet got burnt by the sun. He had blisters and bleeding sores on the top of his feet which looked extremely painful. I take my hat off to him for persevering until the end.

All good things come to an end

At 13:30 the siren sounded to mark the end of the 10th world carp angling championships.

Immediately afterwards Ian and Pete (C12 - England) walked over to the South African camp and congratulated them. Soon afterwards the team captain and manager arrived and after congratulating each other the South Africans huddled in a group, said a quick prayer and went on to do their war cry.

The Prize Giving Ceremony

After the final siren, it was time to pack up and get everything on the busses. There was no time to waste as the prize giving ceremony was bound to start at 8 pm back in Potchefstroom. Fortunately there were a lot of people who were willing to assist. Some of the spectators even offered their vehicles to help transport the equipment from the pegs to the busses.

One cannot imagine the amount of equipment used during the course of such an event. Although most of the anglers were very tired this massive task was completed in record time.

The prize giving ceremony eventually started at 8:30 pm with more than 300 people in attendance. It was slightly delayed because one of the busses had a flat tire which caused it to arrive a bit later than expected.

The ceremony was truly a grand affair. The hall was tastefully decorated thanks to Elaine Rossouw (right). Elaine played a big role in the success of the tournament and I think without her personal touch it would not have been the same. Whenever there was a problem with accommodation, the food or anything else for that matter, Elaine found a quick and effective solution. I still owe her a bunch of flowers for all she has done for me. Thanks Elaine...

Although most of the anglers only had a few hours sleep over the last three days, it didn't really show.

The South African Freshwater Bank Angling Federation (SAFBAF) led the proceedings with Mr. Des van Jaarsveld delivering the first speech. He again thanked all the countries for their participation. To have had 15 out of 20 countries attending this tournament is truly remarkable.

Before the winners were announced Mr. Matteoli delivered his speech. Mr. Matteoli thanked the South Africans for organising the event. He recognised the fact that it is extremely difficult to have your accommodation more than 200 kilometers away from the fishing area.

He made another interesting comment. "The fishing is perfect..." he said "Maybe too much!" The response from the crowd again highlighted that Bloemhof Dam exceeded all expectations.

Immediately after Mr. MAtteoli's speech Mike Rossouw took over to announce the official winners.

OVERALL AND FINAL TEAM POSITIONS:

1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
South Africa	England	Namibia
3 points	8 points	13 points
3,418.25 kg	1,981.30 kg	1,599.36 kg

OVERALL AND FINAL INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS:

1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
GP Nel & Kobus van Loggerenberg	Loutjie Louwies & Johan Louwies	Hennie du Preez & Andries Maree
1,449.60 kg	1,044.91 kg	923.74 kg

300 guests attended the Prize Giving Ceremony at the Elgro Hotel in Potchefstroom	Individual Winners For the first time in the history of the event did one country take all three positions
The South African team, the overall winners	South Africa receives the trophy
Local Organising Committee All the members were thanked for the roll they played in organising the event. It was clear that the event turned out to be a whopping success.	Hennie du Preez Hennie du Preez receives a word of thanks from Mitch Smith (England team Manager). Mitch commended Hennie for the roll he played in the success of the championships.
Mr. Matteoli announces the event Closed Before closing the event, Mr. Matteoli handed the FIPSed flag to France who will be hosting the 2009 World Carp Angling Championships. Team France, also won the wooden spoon, for being in 15th position (last).

Watch the video for the final wrap up by Mitch Smith.

Following are the final scores:

TEAMS FINAL CLASSIFICATION
Pos	Team	Pts	Weight	Sector			Weight
			(kg)	A	B	C	A	B	C
1	SOUTH AFRICA	3	3,418.25	1	1	1	1,449.60	1,044.91	923.74
2	ENGLAND	8	1,981.30	4	2	2	540.25	794.64	646.41
3	NAMIBIA	13	1,599.36	2	4	7	645.64	565.99	387.73
4	PORTUGAL	15	1,432.44	3	6	6	576.99	437.20	418.25
5	SERBIA	20	1,365.22	5	11	4	511.91	381.35	471.96
6	BOSNIA	20	1,227.19	8	3	9	329.66	621.29	276.24
7	CROATIA	21	1,255.20	9	9	3	318.47	393.05	543.68
8	ITALY	25	1,084.90	10	5	10	306.23	524.79	253.88
9	ROMANIA	26	1,062.35	14	7	5	187.21	436.09	439.05
10	AUSTRIA	27	977.01	6	10	11	386.90	392.02	198.09
11	RUSSIA	28	925.53	7	8	13	360.56	399.33	165.64
12	UKRAINE	35	751.16	12	15	8	231.11	138.54	381.51
13	BULGARIA	35	646.63	11	12	12	248.26	215.14	183.23
14	MACEDONIA	41	508.67	13	13	15	190.95	168.03	149.69
15	FRANCE	43	490.12	15	14	14	179.61	146.95	163.56

SECTOR A - FINAL SCORES
Pos	Anglers Name		Team	Weight (kg)	Fish	Peg nr
3	F Cardana	S Penedo	PORTUGAL	576.99	165	1
4	B Flowers	J Londers	ENGLAND	540.25	153	2
11	V Vladimirov	A Georgiev	BULGARIA	248.26	64	3
14	V Mateianu	C Jacob	ROMANIA	187.21	56	4
12	S Zvizda	S Raspopov	UKRAINE	231.11	77	5
1	GP Nel	K van Loggerenberg	SOUTH AFRICA	1,449.60	424	6
8	J Stojanovic	N Tuzlancic	BOSNIA	329.66	123	7
13	D Ivanov	M Bozinvski	MACEDONIA	190.95	67	8
9	Z Krusic	P Vecerinovic	CROATIA	318.47	121	9
15	P Lemeunier	G Chevalier	FRANCE	179.61	57	10
10	M Pirani	V Pirani	ITALY	306.23	98	11
7	D Shapovalov	S Artyukhin	RUSSIA	360.56	115	12
5	B Bojanic	R Mudrinski	SERBIA	511.91	157	13
2	J Nel	C Nel	NAMIBIA	645.64	230	14
6	P Tuczai	C Tuczai	AUSTRIA	386.90	146	15
SECTOR B - FINAL SCORES
Pos	Anglers Name		Team	Weight (kg)	Fish	Peg nr
8	A Smolnikov	M Lapushinskiy	RUSSIA	399.33	155	1
1	L Louwies	J Louwies	SOUTH AFRICA	1,044.91	353	2
13	L Risteski	K Gjorgieski	MACEDONIA	168.03	59	3
4	W Sowden	M Schumacher	NAMIBIA	565.99	200	4
14	D Hamelin	F Blanchard	FRANCE	146.95	56	5
2	A Maker	T Maker	ENGLAND	794.64	244	6
5	R Carinelli	F Buccolini	ITALY	524.79	193	7
11	D Dejan	M Vladisavljevic	SERBIA	381.35	135	8
7	B Guguianu	S Radeanu	ROMANIA	436.09	136	9
10	H Boheim	A Novak	AUSTRIA	392.02	147	10
6	S Pereira	R Alves	PORTUGAL	437.20	142	11
3	M Todorovic	G Tanasic	BOSNIA	621.29	219	12
9	R Palcic	Z Djepina	CROATIA	393.05	140	13
12	P Pantchev	V Atanasov	BULGARIA	215.14	77	14
15	S Kozak	O Novichkov	UKRAINE	138.54	50	15
SECTOR C - FINAL SCORES
Pos	Anglers Name		Team	Weight (kg)	Fish	Peg nr
10	S Brunelli	A Fedrigo	ITALY	253.88	97	1
4	G Mesaros	V Burundzija	SERBIA	471.96	184	2
9	P Dujakovic	Z Kokan	BOSNIA	276.24	105	3
11	F Pacejka	T Fiedler	AUSTRIA	198.09	72	4
3	T Novkovic	T Vuksic	CROATIA	543.68	195	5
6	H Marmelo	C Cardoso	PORTUGAL	418.25	140	6
13	A Arkhipov	R Dyukov	RUSSIA	165.64	57	7
12	D Petrov	J Sofkov	BULGARIA	183.23	63	8
8	V Svintsov	V Skorik	UKRAINE	381.51	127	9
7	W Strauss	R Horn	NAMIBIA	387.73	136	10
1	H du Preez	A Maree	SOUTH AFRICA	923.74	309	11
2	I Huntington	P Holehouse	ENGLAND	646.41	178	12
15	Z Bacvarov	L Kajstorovski	MACEDONIA	149.69	41	13
5	S Florescu	C Ene	ROMANIA	439.05	141	14
14	F Thomas	P Beaumer	FRANCE	163.56	53	15

 

WORLD CARP ANGLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 10 year Standings
#	YEAR	PLACE	TEAMS		INDIVIDUALS
1	1999	ARRAIOLOS	BELGIUM	6	FONTENELLE / VALLEZ	Belgium
		Portugal	ITALY	7.5	VANUYTVEN / PLUCKERS	Belgium
			FRANCE	8	DELLI ROCILI / PATRICELLI	Italy
2	2000	SAN LORENZO	ITALY	5	BONITO / MILHEIRAS	Portugal
		Italy	PORTUGAL	9	GAUDILLAT / GUIGNOT	France
			CROATIA	9	PATRICELLI / DELLI ROCILI	Italy
3	2001	MONTARGIL	CROATIA	3	CAPAN / BOLDIN	Croatia
		Portugal	PORTUGAL	8	SPASIC / TISANIC	Croatia
			ITALY	9	FRANJIC / VISKOVIC	Croatia
4	2002	VITRE	CROATIA	10	CONNUCI / MACH	Luxemburg
		France	FRANCE	10	GAUDILLAT / GUIGNOT	France
			LUXEMBOURG	13	STASSIN / DEBARDEMACKER	Belgium
					TONKOWICZ / KOSTYRA	Poland
5	2003	MILAN	ITALY	9	VEDRENIAK / PECIGOS	Croatia
		Italy	CROATIA	10	FANUCCHI / BANI	Italy
			SOUTH AFRICA	13	ATANASOVSASO / DUKOV	Macedonia
6	2004	MONTARGIL	SERBIA	5	KIRALJ / PETARCIC	Serbia
		Portugal	ROMANIA	7	TOLARIK / MIKHAILOV	Russia
			CROATIA	13	VLADEANU / MATEIANU	Romania
7	2005	LACS EAU D’HEURE	CROATIA	7	SMITH  / DEAN	England
		Belgium	ENGLAND	18.5	GOODWIN / FORD	South Africa
			ROMANIA	19	ROSIORU / GUGUIANU	Romania
8	2006	MONTARGIL	PORTUGAL	9	MAJKIC / NEMCOV	Serbia
		Portugal	SERBIA	9	PENEDO / CARDANA	Portugal
			ITALY	11	RUDEANU / GUGUIANU	Romania
9	2007	BELGRADE	CROATIA	13	MOKRI / ZELJKO	Croatia
		Serbia	ROMANIA	14	RUDEANU / SORIN	Romania
			ENGLAND	14	PETROV / PLAMEN	Bulgaria
10	2008	BLOEMHOF	SOUTH AFRICA	3	GP. NEL / K. VAN LOGGERENBERG	South Africa
		South Africa	ENGLAND	8	L. LOUVIES / J. LOUVIES	South Africa
			NAMIBIA	13	H. DU PREEZ / A. MAREE	South Africa

MEDAL STANDINGS
RANK	COUNTRY	MEDALS PER COUNTRY			TOTAL PER COUNTRY	INDIVIDUAL MEDALS			TOTAL INDIV	TOTAL MEDALS
		GOLD	SILV	BRON		GOLD	SILV	BRON
1	CROATIA	4	1	2	7	3	1	1	5	12
2	ITALY	2	1	2	5		1	2	3	8
3	ROUMANIA		2	1	3		1	3	4	7
4	SOUTH AFRICA	1		1	2	1	2	1	4	6
5	PORTUGAL	1	2		3	1	1		2	5
6	BELGIUM	1			1	1	1	1	3	4
7	FRANCE		1	1	2		2		2	4
8	SERBIA	1	1		2	2			2	4
9	ENGLAND		2	1	3	1			1	4
10	LUXEMBOURG			1	1	1			1	2
11	MACEDONIA							1	1	1
12	RUSSIA						1		1	1
13	POLAND							1	1	1
14	BULGARIA							1	1	1
15	NAMIBIA			1	1					1

A word from OutdoorPAGES

From my side I would like to thank SAFBAF, all the sponsors and private individuals involved for making this event possible. I believe it was not easy to convince FIPSed to have the event hosted in South Africa. To have convinced them that transport would not be an issue and to be the first country to partly subsidise participants truly are remarkable achievements.
The distances between the airport, Potchefstroom and the dam, did not make it easier either. This and other factors like the existing infrastructure, transport, logistics, etc. probably made it one of the most challenging Carp Championships ever held in the history of this event and what a success it turned out to be.
I am sure that, although the prize giving was all about South Africa, each and every participant will never forget his / her trip to South Africa. This statement was proven during the many interviews we had with visiting anglers who indicated that they will return to South Africa in the near future.

Mitch Smith, manager of the England team, noted on more than one occasion that this championship had been the best one he has attended so far. All in all, Mitch attended 5 championships in Europe, the hub of carp fishing, and for him to have said that is probably the best compliment we could have asked for.

For me it was truly an honour to have been part of this event.

THANK YOU for the opportunity AND well done to the new World Champions ~ South Africa.

IN CLOSING

Following are some interesting facts which I became aware of during the course of the event:

Bait

• The South African team used more than 7 000 kilograms (7 ton) of bait.

• They also used more than 400 m of PVA.

General

• One angler from the Ukraine noted that with his peg's 350 kg of fish he would win most carp tournaments in Europe, while in South Africa it is way below average.

Statistics

• GP Nel and Kobus van Loggerenberg nearly doubled the previous record for the total bag caught by one team (863 kg - 1449.60 kg). The current South African champions, Louwtjie and Johan Louwies, also bettered their previous record. Both teams weighed in more than 1000 kg which has never been achieved on local soil.
   

• The average size of the fish caught in Zone A was ± 500 g heavier than those in Zone B & C.
   

• Out of a record 6 257 fish, which weighed 18 725.33 kg the biggest fish caught was only 8,1 kg. It was caught by team Bulgaria (V Vladimirov & A Georgiev). It was their first fish for the championships.

Whatever it takes - (My personal view)

During the course of the competition a lot of people hinted that South Africa had an unfair advantage, mainly because Bloemhof Dam requires a unique style of fishing. The fact that we know the dam inside out and that we have adapted our style to suite the conditions is what gave us an 'unfair advantage'.

To be fair, to me it does not matter where in the world the competition is held, the hosting country will always have an 'unfair advantage', whether it has to do with a special bait, strategy or style of fishing.

In the end, it is all about doing what you have to do to win, doing WHATEVER IT TAKES. Whether you have to adapt your style, your bait, your game plan, or whatever, if you want to win then you just have to do whatever it takes, doesn't matter where you go fishing.

So, what does it take to win at Bloemhof?

1. You have to be fit. You have to able to fish 72 hours with minimum sleep (2-4 hours per night max.). The sheer amount of fish will keep you fully occupied for 72 hours and you and your partner must be able to cope with it.

2. Preserve your energy in everything you do. Our unhooking mats are right next to, or in the water for the least amount of effort when landing / sacking a fish. This saves a lot of time when fishing at a fast pace. The shade nets protect us against the harsh African sun which can easily drain all your energy.

3. Keep on shoveling it in. Bloemhof carp move around in big schools and they tend to stick around in the areas where they find the most food. If they don't find food in your swim, they will go to the swim next-door which means more points to your competitors. The biggest challenge is to find a way to bait up your swim with the minimum amount of effort. I believe Louwtjie and his dad perfected the art of 'shoveling it in'.

4. Stay focused. Gilbert talked about variety. The weather and other factors will bring about changes in the water during your session and you have to adapt your bait and strategy accordingly. Do not use one bait, one flavour and one casting distance all the time. Always be one step ahead of the fish.

5. Hookbaits. I believe that hookbaits are not as important as the issues above as long as you STAY AWAY FROM MEATY / FISHY FLAVOURS. Catfish of up to 30 kg are not uncommon in Bloemhof and anything meaty / fishy will waste valuable fishing time if you hook into one of these monsters.
At Bloemhof dam anything fruity goes.

6. Distance. Your aim must be to lure the fish as close as possible to the bank. That way it becomes easier to introduce your feeds and precious time is saved while playing fish over a shorter distance.
Start by introducing your feed at about 60 metres. As soon as the fish go on the bite you can start feeding a bit closer, thereby moving your baited area closer and closer towards you.

Bloemhof is all about efficiency. There must be bait in your swim at all times and you must try to keep as many rods in the water as possible. You have to work out ways to prebait, rebait, cast, strike, land and play the fish as efficiently as possible, because every second spared will add up and will allow you to catch one more fish. Working efficiently will also allow you to save energy which can help you be more efficient for longer.

Every country had the opportunity to fish Bloemhof beforehand to prepare for the main event (if they wanted to do so). Countries like England and Russia spent a considerable amount of money to do just that and also to find out whatever they could about the venue. SAFBAF officially invited ALL the countries to visit the dam and to attend one or more of our national events (while we are actually fishing competitively, thereby offering to expose our entire strategy). Any country who were prepared to accept this offer would have had the chance to fully prepare themselves for the actual event. I just think they haven't done enough. The opportunities were there and it weren't utilised.

So, did we have an really have an unfair advantage? I don't think so. I think that some of the other countries (with all due respect) just did not do WHATEVER WAS REQUIRED to win the competition.

I think it is unfair against our team to make such a statement. I have never seen a team as focused and committed as the one I saw at the championships. The South African team gave their all for their country and fellow team members and believe you me it drained them physically and mentally. It was therefore no surprise to see tears of joy (and relief) when the final siren sounded, a truly special moment for carp fishing South Africa indeed.

I am not sure if a World Carp Championship will be hosted at Bloemhof Dam ever again. Maybe a few years from now the countries will again be up for it, we'll never know. But, until then I am sure the info above will be savoured by local South African teams who will compete at this exceptional venue in the near future.