Fishing in St Francis Bay

St Francis Bay is built around the Kromme River — one of the country's premier estuary fisheries. The Kromme's tidal reaches produce trophy spotted grunter, garrick, white steenbras and kob, fished from boats, kayaks and the marina walls. Sight-fishing for grunter on the flats is world-class, and the canals of the marina village hold springer and grunter surprisingly far from the sea.

Cape St Francis' rocky point and the ledges toward Shark Point produce kob, garrick, shad and galjoen, while the long beach between the towns offers classic surf fishing. Offshore, charters work reefs for cracker and reds, with yellowtail off the point in summer.

Best seasons: grunter September to May; garrick November to April; galjoen in winter off the rocks. Wind is the deciding factor here — the estuary gives shelter when the westerlies blow.