MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Local competitive angler Chris Barnard recently won a silver medal alongside his Eden B team at the SA Senior B & Development National Championships 2026 in the Eastern Cape.

Barnard, the only Mossel Bay resident in the nine-member Eden team, was also officially ranked fourth overall among 226 other anglers. 

The ranking is based on points for daily ratings accumulated over three years.

Along with his silver medal and his ranking, Barnard was also selected for the SA President B side team for 2026.

The competition was held over four days and ended last Friday, 13 February. "We fished for four days straight," said Barnard.

The first day saw competitors fishing at Kabeljous River, before moving to Gamtoos River for day two, Sundays River on day three and back to Kabeljous for the final day.

Barnard said although he had been fishing for almost 30 years, he only joined the competitive angling world in 2021. 

Chris Barnard has been fishing for almost 30 years now. Photo: Supplied

"What I love most about the competitive angling and tournaments like these are the memories you make; the friendships you build on your way to the top, from all over South Africa," he said.

"The fact that these tournaments are strictly catch and release is the biggest positive note, as it is for conservation purposes. All fish are handled with the utmost respect, measured and calculated from the length to weight ratio, and released again."

When asked how he felt after he had received the news that he had been selected for the SA President B side, he told Mossel Bay Advertiser it was a huge honour.

Barnard had made the SA President B Team in 2022 and in 2025. He said being part of this team means long, hard hours of fishing, prep work and teamwork.

"To be able to represent the country in this sport at such a high level is something I cannot fully explain, but I have and will continue to give my best at all times."

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