Angling his way to success
SHAHED Nosarka of Johannesburg has become South Africa’s first Indian-origin citizen to secure national colours in the sport of feeder angling.
Childhood tales, while sitting on his grandfather Ebrahim Nosarka’s lap in Lenasia, about memories of fishing in rural rivers in Gujarat, India, and local recreational fishing trips with his father as a youth inspired 40-year-old Nosarka to take up casual angling. But this was only for occasional relaxation – while he built up a multinational IT business.
Six years ago, he decided to take up professional feeder angling and won a host of titles provincially, later becoming part of the national squad.
“Feeder angling uses a cage with a hook link that is more than 50cm long attached to it. In this way, you explore the different contours of the river or dam that you are fishing at,” said Nosarka.
He explained this was the difference from just casting a line from a rod into the waters.
“Once you have found an area, you try to get the most amount of fish out of it for the time period allowed.”
Nosarka has already been part of the South African side at international contests in Spain and Italy.
At the World Feeder Angling Championships in Italy last month, Nosarka emerged as the second-best angler in the South African team, which led to him being invited to the World Pairs Angling Championship in Ireland in October. “It is an extra special honour to represent my country in something that I enjoy doing,” Nosarka told as he explained that he had to qualify twice before being considered for the coveted positions on the Proteas team based purely on merit.
That merit has been acquired with many hours of practise and preparation at dams and rivers across the country – using skill rather than the high-tech equipment.
“There are GPS units and underwater cameras used by some anglers, but that is absolutely not allowed in feeder fishing. You are only allowed to plumb the depths using a normal sinker line attached to your cage. You need to have a good eye for it.”
Nosarka’s biggest haul so far has been the South African national record of a Yellow-fish weighing 6.06kg, which, as always in this sport, was put back into the water after being confirmed by adjudicators. Another noteworthy feat was a bag of 200 fish within a fourhour period, which he caught at Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve.
Nosarka is also hard at work preparing for the World Games in South Africa in February. “The pressure is really on for us, because it will be on home ground waters against 32 countries.”