While most 15-year-olds spend their weekends staring at a screen Joshua van Zyl will usually be found hauling gear across 6 km of rugged coastline.

For the young Helderberger fishing isn’t just a weekend pastime but a budding career, which spans from the national competitive circuit to the publishing industry.

What started with a simple lesson from his grandfather at the harbour in Gordon’s Bay has evolved into a disciplined, self-taught pursuit.

In March 2019 Joshua was featured in DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette for hosting a fishing excursion for several children his age near Harbour Island. (“Angler gets others hooked”, 7 March 2019).

As his passion grew, the homeschooled learner turned to YouTube, specialist books and veteran coaches to master the technical nuances of shore angling.

He then started participating in professional leagues, such as the South African Shore Angling Association (Sasaa) schools’ league, a gruelling four-part series held in Strand and Velddrif annually. “I participate every year with the goal of qualifying or being nominated for nationals,” he relates.

In 2024 Joshua made his mark at the nationals in Struisbaai for the first time, catching a series of sand sharks. Last year, he missed the cut and this year, despite initially being named as a reserve, he stepped up to compete at nationals in East London in January.

Since his debut at the 2024 national championships, Joshua has learned that competitive fishing is as much an endurance sport as it is a technical one.

“The nationals are really difficult. You walk up to 6 km to get to your spot and fish for eight hours straight,” he explains.

While the competition in East London proved challenging with long walks and a stubborn tide that resulted in no catches, Joshua remains undeterred. For him the value lies in the community. “You meet people from all walks of life; they share experiences and you learn from one another.”

Despite the “blank” on the scoreboard in East London Joshua’s record remained impressive. He landed a 1,2 m spotted gulley shark in Strand, an enormous 1,8 m cow shark and even successfully tracked kabeljou (kob) down in Namibia.

An overwhelming desire to share knowledge led him to become a published author. At just 12 years old he began writing a guidebook to teach beginners the ropes.

Three years later, and with professional tips from the experts at the well known fishing magazine Stywe Lyne Tight Lines, the book is now available at R180.

Joshua’s entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t stop at the bookshelf. He is currently developing customised fishing trolleys, designed to help fellow anglers navigate the long treks to the best fishing spots, the very treks he knows so well.

Everything the young angler does now points to a single horizon: the 2027 national competition in Jeffrey’s Bay.

“My advice to others is not to become demotivated. You have to be patient and give 100% all the time.”