The Cape has, what may sometimes seem like, endless miles of coastline. With the Indian Ocean (with the warm Mozambique current) on the east and the Atlantic Ocean (with the colder Beguela current) on the west, fishing is an integral part of life in the Cape.

Along the Cape coast you will find villages like Yzerfontein, Hout Bay, Kalk Bay, Struisbaai and Arniston where, in certain respects, time has stood still. The fishermen who live here, learnt the art of fishing from their fathers, who in turn learnt it from their fathers.

Though times have changed, the skill of fishing has remained the same. Here you will find old men tending the nets. Ensuring each net is in perfect working order. They have seen the sea in all its guises. This is a world where the only teacher is experience. Experience of the sea, the currents, the weather and the tackle are what makes a man a fisherman.

You will see the fishermen going out to sea in the early hours of the morning. Their boats brightly painted in all shades of the rainbow. Returning in the afternoon with their bounty. Snoek, yellow tail, mackerel and cob are just a few of the variety of fish caught. In some places like Hout Bay you will find a thriving fish market. Though modern in appearance, it is still based on a centuries old tradition. The men brave the elements to catch the fish while the women work in the processing plant cleaning and packaging the fish. At some harbours, like Kalk Bay, you can buy the fish at the quay side and have it cleaned for a small charge.

The life in a fishing village is a simple life. People work hard for the little reward they receive. But ask any fisherman, there is nothing else he would rather do. Fishing is his life. Fishing is what he knows. A fisherman is what he will be until the day he dies.