From the DIYs to the FYIs, pearls of wisdom and piss-takes, it’s been the people, the places, the fish and the stories that have made this magazine what it is. Here’s a look at some of our highlights from the past 50 issues.
THE COVERS
We’ve had a stupid amount of fun over the years with our covers, starting with Issue 1, shot by Oliver Kruger when Conrad Botes caught a carp in the moat of the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on a stompie (cigarette butt) fly. Did we get chased off by SANDF soldiers? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Since then our covers have had tons of art, long dusty roads, deep thoughts in fields of weed, fly tying at night in vans, star-crossed guide nipples, drone shots, macro shots, a live grunter in a tank on a trash heap and even a smidgen of full frontal male nudity.
Most covers by a photographer? Ryan Janssens with the Tankwa Karoo (issue 3), Orange River (issue 4), Jurassic Lake (issue 20) and Jimmy Eagleton cliff climbing (issue 40).
Most covers by an illustrator? Our editor-at-large (who also happens to be a celebrated artist), Conrad Botes, with six covers including issue 2 (the torso Capt. Jack wishes he had), issue 5 (the left hand of Lefty Kreh), issue 10 (Oliver White as a werewolf), issue 14 (dragon on the Orange), issue 30 (River of Shit) and this issue’s Detention Deathsquad. Plus Conrad also has a few director creds for photographic covers too.
Most covers by a model? Andre van Wyk with issue 16 (split-screen goldfish), issue 29 (Seffrican Beauty) and issue 38 (Chronicles of Loss).
Image the editor is most bleak about it not making the cover? Ryan Wienand releasing a GT, shot by Cameron Musgrave.
THE PLACES – AFRICA
Our raison d’être is to shine a spotlight on Africa, which is why approximately 70-80% of what we feature showcases the best our incredible continent has to offer. That’s also, in part, why the spine of our print magazine has the line, “The Best Shithole Species, In The Best Shithole Destinations”. The politically-aware will be able to identify who the muse was for that charming line, but, in short, it captures a large part of our ethos. All continents and countries have areas deemed shitholes. We have caught some of our best fish in shitholes. We firmly believe, a shithole is in the eye of the beholder.
From shitholes to glory holes, paradise and purgatory, in the last 50, we have had gone deep with hatch junkies on the Vaal River, had our Djiboutis called by the GTs and rainbow runners caught on foot in the Horn of Africa, had several Gabonnanzas, embraced the goats and triggers of Sudan, featured the first fly fishing story out of the Cameroon Nile perch fishery, covered Nigeria’s quiet corner (and its amazing Niger barbs and perch), and got lost in the Legend of Fuck You Valley (aka the Bokong River in Lesotho). We have been to Jozini/Pongola Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia as well as some unnamed rivers elsewhere in Southern Africa for regular brevis tigers; hit Tanzania for the blue-finned jobbies and Chinko in DRC for Goliaths*.
We have deconstructed grunter, revelled in the e.coli infested waters of the Berg River in search of Paarl Panthers (aka carp), and lost our minds again and again over Clanwilliam yellowfish. We wrote a love letter to Salma Hayek and bumphead parrotfish, joined two farm kids on their quest to decipher lowveld yellows and delved into the suds of the Cape rock and surf fly fishing scene. We followed santer up a river, tried to figure out why all leervis species have the same damn name, ran after bonnies on the rocks, tussled with Satanic papaya triggers in the Maldives, figured out Angolan tarpon in estuaries and geelbek at night off the West Coast.
We’ve covered the Seychelles extensively: from behind the scenes guide prep at Astove (and fishing for permit in the unique milky waters of its lagoon), to the behemoths and bounty of Providence, Cosmoledo, Farquhar, Poivre, St Francois and Alphonse (as well as an in-depth descriptions of the sex lives of tortoises on Bird Island). Not forgetting our stories on St Brandon’s off Mauritius too, the Maldives, Bassas da India and Mozambique. What else? We’ve marvelled at the fruit-eating Ndungu of Tanzania, the blue yellowfish and amazing bream species in Zambia, barbel and zombie loeries in Joburg, chiselmouth and scalies in KZN and going locally lekker with the leeries of Zandvlei.
Then there were the trout escapades – stillwater deep dives in Dullies and Thrift, small stream trout at Gateshead on the Bokspruit as described by Toast Coetzer and other parts of the Rhodes area, Injasuti, Kenya, the Jan du Toit’s, and many, many more.
*When we say “we”, we mean our contributors, because sadly we have neither the time nor money to do this all ourselves.
THE PLACES – REST OF THE WORLD
While our focus is mainly on Africa, it does not mean we neglect the rest of the world when opportunity knocks.
Places we have been and/or featured include, but are not limited to: Iran for mangar and sherbot, Cyprus’s DMZ for tilapia, Exmouth for marlin and goldens and lots more, Florida for poons, snook and Florida man, Mongolia for taimen, Wyoming, Colorado and Montana for troot and hatches, Weipa for a death march, Oman for DIY permit and Africanus breakthroughs, New Zealand for big troots, a 61-hour journey to Kamchatka for rainbows and other salmonids.
Deep breath.
Then there was Guyana for arapaima, golden mahseer in Bhutan, Long Reef for Chinaman and GTs, Fiji for lovers, Tierra del Fuego for mahoosive sea trout, Iberia for barbel, Costa Rica for Machacha, Germany and Austria for a medley of barbel and troot, Socotra for GTs, bones and parrots, Holland species bashing, Yucatan DIY, Alaska for sheefish, a Christmas island pilgrimage, wild fish from Borneo, yellowtail on the flats of North Island, New Zealand dirtbagging, slow lane-ing in Slovenia, DIYing Grand Cayman, stripping for Boston stripers and so many others that we literally cannot find the space for them all here.
The Wish List Fish we get emailed about the most? Wolf barbs from Laos, issue 2.
THE PEOPLE
Perhaps the thing that’s made The Mission a little odder than usual, is the personalities we feature either as in-depth profiles or Lifer Q&As. Whether it’s legends of lore already known for their fly fishing exploits or undercover fly anglers with a story to share, we’ve had a lot of fun getting some of these gems to give up a bit of time to be interviewed.
Keith Rose-Innes on the methodology behind protecting paradise, issue.1
“Without fly fishing there wouldn’t be these places, it’s impossible. Conventional tackle wouldn’t have been able to create this culture of the fly fisherman where all they want to do is protect the ecosystem.”
Ray Montoya, the man who fishes with goats, issue 2.
“The uncertainty, hardships and days of struggle are as much as part of the narrative as the prize. This is what defines true DIY fishing.”
Arno Matthee the psychopomp*, issue 3.
“Tarpon cum is the worst. It’s impossible to get the stench off your clothes.”
“When I first saw a tarpon, that was the end for me. The end of my sanity. That was all I wanted to catch. You can’t design a better game fish. They are silver, they jump, they are super-powerful, we catch them on tiny flies in shallow water, the whole design and makeup of them is incredible.”
Marco Pierre White on being a poacher, issue 5.
“It’s funny how you change as you get older. When you’re young, you want to kill everything and catch everything. Now, if I fish, there comes a point when it’s time to go have a pint. But I love the romance of one for the pot. The poacher is always in you.”
Lefty Kreh on Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, issue 5.
“‘Old Man Patagonia’ Yvon Chouinard – five foot two and the toughest guy I ever met. He hardly ever wears shoes. His feet are tougher than a badger’s mother-in-law. He’s climbed over 200 of them vertical mountains alone. Never talks about any of this stuff. I’ve known him for over 30 years maybe. He’s a neat guy.”
Stephan Dombaj on the struggle, issue 6.
“The struggle in between makes it worth pursuing something. It’s human and absolutely more obtainable. I wouldn’t go fishing with someone who catches all the time. It would be terrifying.”
Dale Steyn on why he fly fishes, issue 8.
“Fly fishing is an incredible skill and once you get into it, it teaches you a lot more about life than actually catching a fish.”
Olive White on wolfing his way to Wall Street and back to fly fishing, issue 10.
“As a fishing guide you are a curator of an experience. The fishing is part of that. We’re creating memories for people.”
Rolf Nylinder on balance, issue 11.
“There are these people who quit their jobs just to fish every day of their lives. Looking at those people – and from what I’ve experienced with fishing too much – is that the glory of fishing is swept away. I like fishing not to be my usual day. I like it to be something special.”
Tom Sutcliffe on fishing alone, issue 12
“Most of us – outside of the committed loners and the true misanthropes – would probably opt for company on a trout stream, if only because it’s more pleasant to share an experience than to live it alone; and because who otherwise is going to believe you caught that hog from an impossible hole on a size 20 dry fly on a perfectly executed first cast?”
Jeremy Block, the Kenyan billfish pioneer on the bioluminescent night-time eat of a broadbill swordfish on fly, issue 13.
“It’s something every bill fisherman should experience, regardless of whether or not you get a hook up. It’s unlike anything on earth.” Jeremy
Tim Rajeff, The Murder Bird, issue 14.
“I’ve always been the goof off, the youngest brother always breaking shit and losing stuff, causing trouble. Dependability wasn’t always my strength.”
Jeff Currier on his incredible species count and luck, issue 15.
“My final fish that day was an 8lb guapote. That’s when I first learned I had the golden horseshoe up my ass.”
Bok Skinstad on good vibes an energy, issue 16.
“Give to the givers because you will get time, energy and wealth back in buckets. Don’t give to the takers, because only you will suffer.”
Back country philosopher Riverhorse Nakadate, issue 17.
“Why else would we be here, other than to celebrate and fully immerse ourselves in the miracle of Mother Earth?”
“Most of us have realised that the earth is struggling. I believe in us as humans; that we can do the right things, make changes with wisdom and intellect that save things and get them back on track.”
Bob Popovics on playing it forward with fly fishing and fly tying knowledge, issue 18.
“Somebody gave it to you and gave it to me, so you give it to someone. You pass it on, and I’ve always liked that. That’s a big deal to me.”
Mark Krige, the DIY ghost, on issue 22.
“The is one thing that has changed a lot in fly fishing. Today it is about the fish and the photo, while it should be about the fish and the moment.”
Celebrity chef Alex Atala, issue 22.
“The fish I remember the most are not the largest ones, but the one I did not catch.”
Jimmy Eagleton, the West Coast saltwater pioneer, issue 23.
“There is very little that beats a freshly brewed cup of coffee after midnight on a small West Coast island. The darkness amplifies your senses. In a strange way, the small of guano and decaying kelp complements the coffee.”
Mike Fay, the conservationist, issue 27.
“Before I die, I want to see the fauna come back in its full glory in eastern Central African Republic.”
MC Coetzer, issue 28.
“If the French government should fall or go broke to the extent that they cannot afford to patrol the waters around Bassa da India, I’ll be on the first yacht out there.”
John Thoabala, issue 29.
“If I could change one thing in flyfishing it would be the attitude of those anglers who do not want to share with others. One needs to love fly fishing and to share that love. It’s not about how many fish you caught, but how the fishing was.”
Greer Leo-Smith, issue 31.
“The most satisfying fish I ever caught was a yellowfish on the Nyanga River in Gabon. It was an amazing experience as no one had fly fished the river before.”
Anton Pentz of Pretoria’s Pentz Predator reels, issue 13.
“Lefty Kreh gave me my first big order.”
Linda Gorlei, issue 19.
“What I get out of fly fishing has changed over the years. I am less obsessed about the quarry and more in love with the cast, the surroundings and sucking up the moment.”
Tim Babich, issue 32.
“I want clients that are fishing-orientated and could not give a fuck about the wifi.”
* Not a sex pest, but a guide between worlds.
<Bubble>
THE SCIENCE
Led by our in-house ichthyologist Dr JD Filmalter, we have had a ton of science-led stories, from a general one on JD, The Fishing Scientist (issue 7), to a deep dive on Kob and an even deeper dive on GTs. Then there’s our coverage of the work done by Dr Jeremy Shelton and the Fynbos Fish crew fighting to bring sandfish, Clanwilliam yellowfish and other indigenous species back from the brink, and, of course, our regular Troubled Waters feature looking at everything from who is responsible for stuffing up a specific fishery (and how to go about fixing it) like the Wilge, Sterkies, Broderstroom, Witte, Umgeni to how estuaries work.
THE FLIES
On our 1-50 journey thus far, we’ve snuffled around like truffle hounds looking for wisdom, insights, tips and tactics from some of the best fly tyers on the planet. Some of it is theory, the rest practice, which you can get stuck in to with the line-up of Step-By-Steps on our Youtube channel..
We’ve had Joe Blados on the crease fly, Ed Truter on the Balbyter ant, Conrad Botes on John Barr’s Meatwhistle for smallmouth bass, Alec Gerbec’s Grim Reaper popper, Arno Laubscher’s Gnarly Headz popper, Jimmy Eagleton’s Mohawk Kwan, putting together the perfect flats box, Bob Clouser on the Clouser minnow, Tim Leppan on the Foam Dungeon, Alan Hobson’s beetles, Ray Montoya on simplicity, Platon Trakoshis on the Lalu Bug, Gordon van der Spuy on life-changing ants, Sean Mills on tilapia soft serve, Andre van Wyk on hooks for BEASTS, David Taylor on the Faro Peanut and the PAW, Conrad Botes on Spongebobs for kob, John Barr’s Meatwhistle and the Bulkhead Hollow Fleye and a smorgasbord of others for you to choose from.
Joe Blados on crease flies, issue 6.
“Every salty fly rodder will differ on their favourite gear or flies, but one thing they will all agree on is that nothing beats a surface strike. A bunch of factors from luck to skill and sheer determination can make you stand out on the beach. When all else fails, crease flies have given me the edge.”
Bob Clouser on the origins of his eponymous fly, issue 4.
“Before the Clouser, we had a fly that was just as good but it was so ugly it wouldn’t sell. You have to make something to please the buyer too.”
Ed Truter on the Bokong River’s most famous pattern, issue 7.
“No-one’s goens got nibbled. The pattern is simply named after the 1-2 cm long Camponotus spp. of ants called sugar ants, but officially known in Afrikaans as balbyter ants.”
Ray Montoya on the similarities between organised religion and fly tying, issue 14.
“I was fortunate in that my mother did not protest when I decided at age nine to give up Catholic Mass in pursuit of fish. Honestly, I think she was ecstatic to have me out of the house. Little did I realize then, I was simply replacing one doctrine for another.”
Check out the full article in The Mission issue 50 below.
