I just got back from my yearly trip to Namibia and even went up to Angola for some shark fishing. I have always gone in the winter months and was thrilled this time to see how green and lush everything was. It is so beautiful ... On my last afternoon .. just before sundown I whacked a gemsbok with a borrowed 416 Rigby. (long story) It was looking like it was about ready to go down but I have previous sad experience on such things and was preparing to whack it again but both the PH and the tracker shouted to not bother. Against my better judgement I put down the big Ruger ... and watched the oryx run off into the thorns a few seconds later. We ran over there and when we got to the approximate spot where the bull was last seen - a gemsbok took off through the thorns ... going all out and about 30-40 yards away broadside .. The young PH threw up his 1940 sporterized iron sighted 303 and shot it right through its head .. One of the finest shots I have ever seen as the head was the only target that could be seen. We walked over and checked out the brilliant shot. I noticed with great interest that he had gunned a healthy gemsbok. It was his first day guiding for that particular outfitter.

Shit does happen.

Thats part of being a PH....

and paying school fees....

Did you get to do some fishing that was worth while?

Epilogue: A few seconds later the same PH took a shot at the wounded gemsbok where it was lying down and missed .. a couple of minutes later he took another shot at the bull which was running in the open at about forty yards .. and missed. About this time I whined in my mighty irritated Canadian snarl, ' Hey, let me shoot ! Grrrrrrrrrrrr !' He stepped aside finally and I luckily got in a Texas heart shot which finally brought the poor beast down.

We drove two days into Angola on a terrible road (one passenger .. there were five of us in two bakkies .. said that he would never go down that road sober ! We fished for about five days and caught at least 13 species of fish .. five types of sharks ... I lost a big guy after four hours when the line broke ... another shark was lost after nine hours !!! Guy fought it all night long and he started the battle half asleep after drinking a bit ... well, maybe a whole lot .... ahhhh .... to be 32 again, I reckon. Yes, the fishing was very good but I am a hunter ... Just needed a new experience and what better than fighting sharks in far off Angola .. (Oh, yeah .. saw a pair of dik diks and four rabbits in all of that driving ... )

Scruffy,
I will recommend your "banning" if you do not submit a full report!!!!!
Please...

Scruffy,

I assume the visa think worked out for you then. Were you caught up in the flooding reported in the news? Can't wait to see the photos. If you are coming up at Easter, maybe Ky and I can buy this time and you can strectch the truth all out of shape.

Dean

Yo, Dean !!! Ahhhhhhh ... Africa. The Angolan embassy in Ottawa never did do my visa (machine was broken) and on the Thursday afternoon, at my insistence, put my passport back in the mail. I was leaving on Monday and Express Post says that even in a huge country like Canada that I would have it in 1-2 days. The passport came about Monday afternoon .. and a few minutes later I started my long journey to the warm waters of the Atlantic near a little town called Tombwa. (sp?) In Windhoek we went to the Angolan Embassy (big sign saying that visas took ten days) (they also give out free condoms and I was going to take a few for souvenirs but had no idea of how to explain to the wife back home in a few weeks) and told my tale of woe. I gave them the phone number of the Embassy in Ottawa .. had that embassy fax them a letter saying that it wasn't Richard's fault ... all this took place on Thursday .. On Friday I picked up my lovely visa (it cost me an additional $152 U.S. approximately to go along with the $125 I gave the embassy in Canada .. and finally I was good to go. We gave the lady in the embassy a huge cake !!! Yes, Dean ... there was lots of flooding. I remember seeing little black kids bobbing by us on those normally sand rivers .. All you could see were their heads flashing by ... they were having a blast. And those rivers were tough to get across. That is one reason we took two vehicles .. safety ..... it was an adventure !!! My computer literate lady is ill right now so will get the photos as soon as possible .. Hate to bug her to do something when she is coughing ... already left her in a frigid Canada this year while I had to go places where sun block was needed. Yes, we must get together at the Calgary gun show .. I usually go up on Friday.

Nothing other than my signature line need be said...

Been there done that and it won't happen again. See below!!

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
Nothing other than my signature line need be said...

Been there done that and it won't happen again. See below!!

+1