The target? . When the mountain is hot, the yellowtail go berserk.
On a standard day, you cast, you retrieve, you feel a tap. On this day, the retrieve was impossible. You would wind twice, and the rod would buckle. nuwest fcv 096 whipping day at table mountain hot
For the uninitiated, the phrase sounds like a garbled radio transmission. For the seasoned angler, it is a promise of chaos, glory, and aching forearms. Recently, I had the privilege (and punishment) of living through one of these days. Here is the full breakdown of what happened when the NuWest FCV 096—the beloved 9.6-meter Falcon catamaran—hit a whipping day so hot that Table Mountain itself seemed to sweat. Before we dive into the carnage, let’s look at the machine. The NuWest FCV 096 is not a factory trawler; it is a purpose-built, high-speed catamaran operated by NuWest Fishing Charters out of Hout Bay. The "FCV" stands for Fiberglass Catamaran Vessel, and the "096" refers to its length (9.6 meters). The target
The morning of our trip, the mountain looked like a furnace. The air temperature was 32°C (90°F), and the surface sea temperature off Clifton had spiked to 19°C—tropical by Atlantic standards. On a standard day, you cast, you retrieve, you feel a tap
The skipper shouted over the PA: "This is a NuWest special! Don't gaff them yet! Let them swim! The shoal stays under the boat if the fish are screaming!"