Unless you are a fisherman, the chances of you booking a fishing tour during your holiday are slim.
The operator of Cape Town Carp and Catfish Tours, Wayne Ramsden, who was recognised as one of 5 best captains in December on the FishingBooker website, has added an authentic South African twist to his fishing tours.
He offers an array of bespoke experiences during his tours, including wine tasting and a South African traditional braai experience.
FishingBooker works with over 5.500 captains in more than 1.900 destinations all around the world. Ramadan made it to its Captain Spotlight list after he earned rave reviews from one of his customers.
"Wayne’s hospitality and local touches meant visiting angler Manuel left Cape Town with an unforgettable experience," the website emphasised.
The angler described the experience as “one of the highlights of my trip to South Africa. Rarely have I had so much fun fishing.”
Speaking to IOL Travel, Ramsden said when he started the company six months ago, he wanted to create a "truly South African land based experience."
And that's what he did.
Wayne Ramsden of Cape Town Carp and Catfish Tours was recognised as one of 5 best captains in December on the FishingBooker website. Picture: Supplied.
He hosts tours at the Hillcrest Quarry where guests have the option of wine tasting, and at the three river system, which consists of the Diep River, Liesbeeck River and Black River.
"It feels great to be recognised among some of the world's best. When I started this business, I wanted to make South Africa shine and make the experience personalised for my guests. I create experiences to suit travellers' needs.
"No one is doing this type of tour. I usually pick and drop them off from their accommodation, and try to share as much as I can about fishing and the country, " he said.
The 51-year-old said he had a large international market. Travellers from the US and UK were his biggest clients.
Ramsden fell in love with fishing as a young boy. When he worked on an American cruise liner from 2003 to 2008, he made sure that he found places to fish when the ship docked at various ports.
He enjoyed fishing at the Grand Cayman Islands.
He plans to add more interesting fishing tours next year, including crocodile cage diving and fishing on a canoe.