Georgie2007

My husband and I will be in Victoria falls end of May 2007 and would like to go Tiger Fishing. Is it a good time of year for tiger fishing being winter? Does anyone know a reputable company? We are also then spending 13 days at various camps throughout Botswana and hope to do some fishing at a few of these camps. Has anyone been on a day canoe trip out of Victoria Falls? I was wondering if we should do this instead of fishing.

bots

For Tiger fishing, I would suggest Mwandi on the upper Zambezi.It is about 1 hour road transfer to the fishing lodge.All inclusive we paid about 180$ thats whith guide and equip.
For Botswana the panhandle is the spot for Tiger.Houseboat on the Delta is great for fishing and birding.
www.fishing-fly-vacation.com has all these places and U can get some info on Tiger Fishing in these waters.

mkhonzo

The river holds tiger fish throughout the year, a good angler will enjoy success in May. However for the novice catching tigers is a serious challenge at the best of times. The flood encourages the bait fish to move into the plains where they breed as a result the Tigers seem to be deep and or up the channels that are inaccessible by boat...theory anyway!!

I know that fishing the lower Zambezi at this time yields better results, however and since your itinerary has you on the upper Zambezi you would be fishing that stretch in any event. I regret that I can't help you with an outfitter, but if you are still massaging your itinerary I would suggest that you aim for Impalila or Ntwala as fishing bases, their guides are brilliant too.

I noticed an earlier stream of yours that you will be going to northern Mozambique: Do you have plans to overnight at the St Lazarus banks? GT's there of around 100 lbs, so I am told, plus dog tooth tuna, plus plus plus....

tooafricamad

I can highly recommend the Ichobezi Houseboat on the Chobe River. Trust me you will love it and it is based in Kasane which is a 1 hour 30 min road transfer. I was on the boat 2 months ago and di incredible tiger fishing.
Mark

Zambezi

My husband and I last went tiger fishing in October, 2004, at the Ichingo Chobe River Lodge in the Caprivi Strip of Namibia, just opposite Chobe National Park. We used both fly rods and spinning reels. It is a beautiful, rustic camp (large tents with ensuite baths) right on the river. The food is very good and meals are taken family style in a large open-air dining pavilion. The hosts, a South African couple, are very hospitable and they made our transportation arrangements. From Livingstone, a van took us to Kasungula, the Zambian border post where three nations (Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana) come together. A boat from Ichingo took us the rest of the way to Impalila Island near the lodge where we checked in with Namibian immigration. A few years ago, we visited Ichingo from Botswana. That time, we were picked up in Kasane, where we dropped off our rental car, and transported across the river. Later, we were transferred to Victoria Falls. If you go to Ichingo for fishing, I strongly recommend that you get a commitment from the hosts of Ichingo to have a professional guide, not one of the local men. As a novice fly-fisherwoman, I had expected to have the assistance of their fly-fishing expert, but during most of the time I was there, he was off renewing his visa. The one day that I had him was worth the trip, however, and I actually caught a tiger on my own. I believe his name was Paul and the next time I go, which I hope is soon, I'm determined to have him again. Going back to the amenities of Ichingo, one nice aspect is that its location is very close to Chobe and you can take boat rides along the shore of the park to see elephants and many other animals.

I am sorry to have to put a damper on this discussion by saying that the waters of Southern Africa are being fished out. In the ten years or more since we first went tiger fishing, Lake Kariba, the Zambesi River, the Chobe River, and similar waterways have been steadily depleated of various species of fish, including those fed on by tiger fish. There are many factors: impoverishment of Zimbabweans who are forced to take fish illegally just to try to stay alive, new technology (stringing nets between newly motorized mokoros or other boats and sweeping the water), and the capabilty to export fish to Europe in big refrigerator units. It is a sad state of affairs, both for the Africans and for sports fisher-people, who, after all, do bring their dollars and euros into the African economy.

As to the question about tiger fishing in May, I have my doubts. I was on the Okavango River in Botswana one August and the owners of the fishing camp urged me to return later in the year. I've had the same experience at Mana Pools on the Zambesi.

I do not know if this article is available, but the magazine Fish & Fly published an article in its Winter, 2003, issue (v. 4., no. 2), entitled "Fly Fishing for Tigers" (pp.8-15), by Charles Norman, that talks about both Ichingo and another lodge in the area, Impalila Island Lodge. [YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FLY-FISH. YOU CAN USE A SPINNING ROD.]

I have canoed only in the Mana Pools area (east of Kariba), including a five-day adventure from Mana Pools to the Mozambique border. Our very favorite camp is Ruckomechi at Mana Pools, but I cannot get a good fix as to whether is is now open or not. There, you can have it all: walks and rides to see wildlife, canoeing, fishing. But, I digress and throw confusion in. ZZ

luangwablondes

Just to put you on the alert. There is a disease the fish have contracted in the Zambezi River system. I read this recently, but not up to speed on the details. Sort sort of growth, virus, fungus or something. They hadn't determined exactly what it is, but authorities advised not to eat the fish.

Zambezi

A CORRECTION TO MY EARLIER POST. The guide's name at Ichingo is Alan Bonella, a husky South African, whose instructions I shall always remember: "caaast there . . . ." ZZ

Georgie2007

Thanks for all your replies. Great information and it is making me very excited and can't wait to get there. As you may have guessed we love fishing, some we keep and some we let go. This is our first trip to Africa and so are concentrating on game viewing this time with a little bit of fishing thrown in.

Bots - Is that an hour transfer from Victoria Falls? Could we do a day trip? Had a look at the website and it looks fabulous. Maybe next time we will organise our trip the other way around, a fishing trip with a bit of game viewing.

mkhonzo - Thanks for the info. We will have to come back next time in prime tiger fishing season but you never know with fish maybe we can catch one. We are thinking of going out to St. Lazarus banks as it looks awesome fishing. Will let you know if we do and how we went.

tooafricamad - The houseboat sounds fabulous. Did you have a guide and someone to cook or was it self guided and catered?

Zambezi - camp sounds like it was great and I take note of the professional guide. I think we will come back in prime season and do a real fishing trip. This trip is really just wetting the lines so to speak.

luangwablondes - Thanks for the tip, I think we will catch and release.

steeliejim

I didn't respond earlier, because your original question was for an area I have not yet visited. However, since you've expressed interest in future trips, thought I would offer a bit on our wonderful time in Lower Zambezi National Park the end of Sept.

We stayed at Chiawa, a first class camp in every respect. I especially love to fly fish, and I had a blast throwing streamers on a shooting head that I use for striper fishing out here in the Sacramento Delta. Ruth is a beginner fisher person, but naturally caught the biggest tigerfish--on bait. Sipping sundowners on the river was a terrrific way to end the afternoon of fishing and a great prelude to our night drive.

It is all catch and release, on the Zambia side of the river, but we were told that there tigerfish could be kept on the Zimbabwe side and there indeed have been concerns about depletion of the fishery. We were also told that the best fishing was Sept/Oct for that part of the river. And we had our cake and ate it too, so to speak. We did all the fishing we wanted without taking away from our game drives, walks, and canoe trips. Chiawa is an outstanding camp, the guiding was topnotch.

Here's a link to their website with detailed info on the fishing and even what fishing supplies to bring. They do have gear for you to use if you are traveling light. I took my own, but BA lost my fly rod. It was too long to carrry on the plane, and I had to check it. From now on, I will only take 4-piece rods that I can put into my carryon.

http://www.chiawa.com/pages/fish.htm

Jim

tooafricamad

Georgie2007
It was fully catered for and I would do it in a hearbeat again. Here is a link to a short video about the houseboat but very little on fishing as I did not take the camera with me when one is Tiger fishing. Enjoy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ra8eRZLnk
Mark

Georgie2007

I can't believe I am already planning our second trip to Africa before we have even been on our first one. The one in May/June 2007 focuses on game viewing with a bit of fishing. We will probably go back in Sept/Oct 2008 for the fishing with a bit of game viewing. So many wonderful places and once again too many choices.

bots

Yes 1 hour from Livingstone,
Not sure about a day trip but surely 1 night.Just enquire and see what they say.

luangwablondes

Don't think I would be eating the fish either. Good idea to avoid a fish menu altogether.

"Bacteria in Zambezi likely cause of fish disease"

Namibian scientists have found dangerous levels of bacteria in the backwaters of the Zambezi River, where a mysterious and seemingly fatal disease outbreak among fish was recently detected.
Fishermen in Katima Mulilo, Namibia, began reporting serious sores on fish in early October, which is thought to affect up to four out of every five fish caught (see 'Deadly infection hits Zambezi fish').

Baffled scientists have sampled fish and water from areas where the infection was reported, and tested them for pathogenic bacteria.

The results showed dangerously high levels of coliforms ......

steeliejim

Don't know about other countries/camps, but the ones we stayed at in Zambia did NOT serve fish from the Zambezi. At least that is what we were told. And we do love to eat fish. We never did see evidence of the reported sores on the fish we caught and released.

Jim

mkhonzo

I wouldn't eat a tiger fish, but nembwe, yes please its delicious!

Garreth

Hi Georgie

May-August is an excellent time to fish for tigers on the upper Zambezi. The water should be draining off the flood plains around that time which can produce some un-believable fishing for both bream and tigers. I would suggest Sekoma Island lodge. A small lodge +/- 80 km upstream from Livingstone. This lodge is a specailised camp with birding and fishing being the two main activities. Whats nice about this lodge is that it is a short boat ride from the Chobe River. So if you want to take a break from fishing you can go do some game viewing by boat. Accommodation is comfortable consisting of eight luxury tented chalets with en-suite facilities privately set on a small island in the Mombova rapids.All with river frontage. The guides are pleasant and very knowledgable. www.sekoma.co.za

Georgie2007

Garreth- Our 2007 trip is our first to Africa and will be concentrating on safari. We plan to go again in 2009 and will concentrate on fishing then.We have a spare day in Victoria Falls and would like to go fishing or canoeing for the day. Do you know of any good operators.

Garreth

Hi Georgie

I would suggest Sekoma Fishing Safaris the contact details are the site www.sekoma.co.za or [email protected]