THE story was told here recently of a giant Zambezi shark being captured in the Breede River in the Southern Cape – the biggest of its type known to science.

It was a chilling thought that such a huge shark, all of four metres long and weighing between 550 and 600kg, happily cruises the estuary.

After release it was tracked by SA Shark Conservancy officials and found to spend nights mooching around fishing boats while waiting to feed off fish hooked by frustrated anglers. At daybreak she turned her attention to the bait and fish of shore anglers.

Ernie Bellingan says the story brought back many memories of his 50 years fishing the Breede.

“My first experience with sharks there happened around February/March 1964,” he says. “My late friend Andries ‘Jakkals’ van Wyk and I were fishing at Moddergat, about 1.5km from the mouth.

“At about 6.30am elf (shad) came on the bite and we each landed two beauties. Then Jakkals’ reel screamed and he played the fish in when the big elf broke water about two metres from the boat and had no sooner splashed back in when there was an upwelling in the water and his line went slack. All that was left was fish head.

“We were contemplating moving down river when I had my turn and was playing the fish while Jakkals held the landing net. Again the water boiled beside the boat and my elf was gone, too.

“So we moved to Begrafnis Kloof believing we would leave the sharks back where we had washed our bait boards. Not a bit of it. We baited up at our new spot with pencil bait to try for white steenbras (pignose grunter) and landed two nice fish each when Jakkals brought in the head of a spotty. The sharks were back.”

Ernie says at the age of 81 he no longer has the energy to tow a boat there “but before I push up daisies I still want to return and catch a rietbul (square-tailed kob) for old times’ sake”.

Why not? Go for it, Ernie.

Former Selborne College and Border cricketer Geoff Love was fishing with a friend from his cabin boat weekend before last when they also had a close encounter with the Breede “monster”.

Dave Stephen says Geoff told him he was about three to four kilometres upriver trolling mullet and hoping for a leervis when they passed an elderly couple fishing. The old man was playing a fish.

So Geoff stopped to watch. “Next thing a spotted grunter of around 6kg flew out the water, there was a big boiling movement under it, and the spotty was gone.”

The old man had disappointment written all over his face and exclaimed in frustration: “Nee f*k. Dit was alweer die derde spotty wat ek veloor het!”

Said Geoff after telling his story: “Uncle Davey, there’s no way you’ll catch me wading in that river to catch mullet.”

And I’m sure we all agree.