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Out on False Bay
Yellowtail, snoek and yellowfin tuna, from a harbour fifteen minutes away. Boats leave early, so breakfast can wait for your return.
Close to Villa Helderberg
Six ways to get on the water, from a family morning on the reefs to a full day offshore, with driving times from the villa.
The nearest place to step onto a boat. Local charters fish for yellowtail, snoek and yellowfin tuna, and they provide skipper, rods, reels, bait and safety gear. Trips leave early from the harbour, with the Hottentots-Holland mountains behind you as you go out.
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If a full day offshore sounds like a lot, inshore and reef trips stay closer to land and are shorter, which suits children and anyone unsure about their sea legs. You still come home with fish, and the views back to the mountains are worth the trip on their own.
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The serious option. Tuna boats run 30 to 80 kilometres offshore towards the tuna grounds, trolling for yellowfin, and the season runs roughly from November to June. Expect a long day, an early start and a real workout if you hook one.
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The western side of False Bay has working harbours with charter boats, calmer water on a south-easter and plenty to do for non-fishing company: the fish market on the quay at Kalk Bay, penguins at Boulders and good seafood lunches.
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Snoek move close to shore in the colder months, roughly May to July, and catching them is a Cape winter ritual. Boats are smaller and trips shorter. If you would rather eat than fish, the harbours sell it fresh off the boats.
Our restaurant guide
You can fish from the beach at Strand, off the rocks around Gordon’s Bay and along the coast towards Rooi Els. Bring your own tackle or hire locally, and buy a recreational fishing permit first. Early morning and the hour before sunset are the best times.
Our beach guideDriving times are approximate. Trips depend on the weather and are often decided the evening before. Photos: Gordon’s Bay by Aerial Picture and Video, Hout Bay by Islahaddow, Kalk Bay by Nkansahrexford, snoek by Andrew Massyn and GrantHillebrand, tuna by William B. Folsom (NMFS), via Wikimedia Commons.
Good to know
Three things worth sorting out before you book a boat.
Recreational sea angling needs a permit, which South Africans buy at the Post Office and which can now also be applied for online. Charter operators usually arrange permits for guests on their boat, but ask when you book, and check the daily bag limits for the species you are after.
Seasons in short: yellowfin tuna roughly November to June, yellowtail November to April, snoek best from May to July, and something to catch all year round. False Bay can be choppy when the south-easter blows, so take seasickness tablets an hour before you sail if you are unsure.
Most charters clean and bag your catch. We cannot cook it for you at the villa, but the lapa has a braai, and several restaurants in Somerset West will prepare your fish if you call ahead. Ask us and we will phone for you.
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Tell us your dates and whether you want a short inshore trip or a full day offshore, and we will arrange the charter and the early breakfast.
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