A 1950’S FISHING VIDEO

[Cor]

I've been searching for this video for Mike Cacioppo.  It features some of the people Mike wrote about in his book, but I won't be able to point them out.
It follows a bit on my previous videos, https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=27297.0

The intro of the movie says it all, was shot in 16 mm sometime early 1950's, it has never been seen by anyone other then myself and 3 others.   I regard it as part of our fishing heritage, it's an important part of Cape Towns fishing history.

Once again it is long, with lots of stuff that may not interest most people outside Cape Town, and in typical family movie style of the times, much of it is spent showing the 25 mile trip from someone's home, to Cape Point. The quality is also very poor.  Just skip over it.    Who remembers those old motor cars?

For those in love with the old Penns, you will see 49's 49A's, an odd Jigmaster and also the British Tattler 3.

I won't leave it on the web for long, as I still have reservations about what to do with this material that was given to me on the understanding that I would not distribute it.

[Dominick]

Cor in reading the intro it would seem to me that the producer of the video meant that no one should distribute the film for commercial purposes.  I am of the opinion that you posting it here for historical purposes is fair use of the film.  thanks for the record of South African fishing heritage.  I enjoyed it.  Dominick 

[Ron Jones]

Thank you so much for this. My boys and their grandfather, who did fishing similar to this only in Durban during the same time period, will get so much enjoyment out of it. I have been on the road along the coast shown in the beginning, I'm sure you know that it looks nothing like that now. Oh to have been there then.
Ron Jones

[Cor]

I wrote the intro.

Some people had the foresight to realise what would happen to a place like that if it became too well known.
The guy in question who "owned" the original film, was radical in that way, though a good fishing friend of mine.   He was already an older person and still fishing when I convinced him to agree to let me digitise it, so we could at least keep it for future generations.
He agreed on condition that it does not get in to the "wrong" hands.     Since then he has passed on.

I feel bound by my undertaking to him, but in reality the circumstances have changed so much that it makes little sense to adhere to that agreement and I also believe that this material should be retained for future generations to see.

There is another copy of the original unedited VHS taped version that my friend lent out to someone, who made a duplicate and in that way made its way on to the internet as well.

Thank you so much for this. My boys and their grandfather, who did fishing similar to this only in Durban during the same time period, will get so much enjoyment out of it. I have been on the road along the coast shown in the beginning, I'm sure you know that it looks nothing like that now. Oh to have been there then.
Ron Jones

You then drove past my home in Fish Hoek!   Come for a beer or something next time.

[Swami805]

Thank you!

[mo65]

   Awesome! Thanks for the ride Cor.

[Tiddlerbasher]

Great ride, thank you - are those kingfish/yellow tail?

[Tiddlerbasher]

And the tuna - awesome

[wailua boy]

Great footage and looks like fun

[Cor]

Great ride, thank you - are those kingfish/yellow tail?

98% of the fish I catch in Summer consists of Yellowtail (Seriola Lalandi).   The rest is mainly Bonita, very occasionally a Taylor, even more seldom a Yellowfin tuna, or Skipjack.
Those years of the video there was a somewhat greater variety of species, including Bluefin Tuna and some other odds and sods and perhaps 95% of the catch then was Yellowtail.

Last week a few Mackerel were caught, the first in probably 40 years!

[Jim Fujitani]

I mean no ill opinions, but since there was no ice and so forth on the lower rocks, how did one care for their catch upon reaching their cars?  And how did they prepare their catch for a meal?  Simply grilled, roasted, smoked??

And I was glad to see that some of the women also fished, and caught fish, rather than just stand by and watch their men have the fun.  The climbing up and down the rocks remind me of going after abalone on the north Cali coast, in my younger days.

Thank you, Cor!

[conchydong]

Cor, thank you for letting us go for the ride back in time. The footage was great and the musical score was so relaxing, I think I can use that to put me to sleep at night.
I hope that the area is still somewhat unspoiled and the fish are still abundant. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great job putting it together.

Scott

[Ron Jones]

Thank you so much for this. My boys and their grandfather, who did fishing similar to this only in Durban during the same time period, will get so much enjoyment out of it. I have been on the road along the coast shown in the beginning, I'm sure you know that it looks nothing like that now. Oh to have been there then.
Ron Jones

You then drove past my home in Fish Hoek!   Come for a beer or something next time.

It will be some time before I get back there again, but I will. I did not get a chance to climb table mountain and it, if nothing else, is on my bucket list.
Ron Jones

[Penn Chronology]

Thank you Cor for sharing this with us. It has a very special meaning to me. I remember researching the South Africa fishing and talking with the surviving family members of some of the fisherman in this film. I loved every second of it.