So as you all know I live in Paris but was born in Zimbabwe where it must be said is the best Tiger fishing on the planet. So my lust for big, hard fighting Tiger fish drove me back to Chirundu and Tiger Safaris for a four day fishing trip.
Now I only go back to Zimbabwe to see my parents, friends and to fish. Safaris are great but once you have seen them all (the animals) why not tackle Africa’s mighty river fish, is the way I see things. And never forget that from a speed boat you get to see a lot of wildlife.
The last time I was there (see previous post), I caught my first decent sized Tiger fish and was rather happy and as a result I became obsessed with this form of fishing as it’s technical and when the fight is on you know you will be enjoying the battle.
Unlike the first time out I went better equipped and armed with more experience, as it is said that we only hook 3 out of ten Tiger fish that you get on your line on average. I therefore bought new rods and reels for the occasion (below are the rods and reels that I used for this fishing trip to Chirundu) as I wanted to give myself the chance to hook a bigger one than the 4kg plus I caught last time out.
Reels
- Shimano Cardiff 401A baitcasting reel (for the big fish)
- Caperlan UL20 R5 reel (for the Medium to large sized fish )
- Shimanoi Alvio 1000RB reel (bait fishing reel)
Rods
- Daiwa Exceler – Ex662XXHFB
- Shakespeare Beta Boat Rod
- Small no name brand rod for bait fishing.
Hook sizes used : 6-8
Bait : Live bait ( baby bream )
On this trip I mainly used the Shimano Cardiff reel and Daiwa rod combo as the rod is a medium heavy and very flexible which is great for tiger fishing as they jump a lot. On the last day I had to switch to my Caperlan reel as the Shimano Cardiff broke while reeling in the 7kg fish I brought in due to me not having made sure the nuts and bolts were nice and tight (lesson learned and reel fixed).
I went in January 2013 knowing that rain could ruin my fishing as in Zimbabwe the rainy season is between November and April. December and January traditionally are the wettest months.However it was nice and warm at 27°c on average and cool at night, but it was rather cool for this time of year as in January it’s usually 35°c (plus) during the day.
Luckily for me I had good weather 3 out of the four days and despite the full moon the fish were on. The last day it rained buffalo’s and elephants so it was simply a day to relax and read the novel I had brought with me.
I will let the photos do the talking as they will speak for themselves ! So if one day you want to try something new or different go fishing in Zimbabwe and if you have never done a safari combine the two as just above Chirundu is Kariba Town (game viewing and fishing Kariba lake) or below Chirundu there are camps In the Mana Pools where you can enjoy some of the best game viewing in Africa and you can fish the Zambezi too….Despite all of Zimbabwe’s current political issues it remains for me Africa’s best country in regards to its people, unbelievable weather, fresh water fishing and safaris…Don’t let the press press you into not going as everyone I have talked to that has been there only has great memories.
Enjoy the photos below !
Statistics
Total Number of Tiger Fish Caught (do not include fish caught by the other fishermen :
- Between 5-7 kg’s : 3
- Between 3-5 kg’s : 2
- Less than 3kgs : 5
Total Number of Other species caught :
- Chesa : 5
- Bream : 2
Total Weight :
- Tigerfish : 24 Kg’s
- Other : 6 kg’s
Simixion 