Ultimate African Tiger
Fishing Safaris
1997
Ultimate African Tiger Fishing Safari As the plane banked left the spray from the world's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, could be seen like smoke pouring from an enormous crack in the ground. Minutes later we are in an open Land Rover bumping across a parched rock covered countryside. Ancient baobab trees reach skyward like gnarled arthritic hands. A road side village blurs past. Two boys on a donkey cart pull over to let us by. This is the land that Livingstone explored little more than 100 years ago and not much has changed. The Tonga still live in mud and thatch huts with teeth sharpened to points and Nyaminyami, the river god, still protects the mighty Zambezi river as it flows through the tortured Batoka Gorge. After 2 hours we arrive at our riverside lodge. An inquiry as to the whereabouts of the lodge manager's pet bulldog reveals a sad story of how several enormous crocodiles have taken residence in front of the lodge. As the saying goes "Africa win's again". Within minutes we are in our boats speeding up river - sharpening hooks and tying line. We have come to challenge the world's greatest fresh water fighter....the striped water dog known as the Tiger Fish. A hippo spies us as we punch through another rapid. Crocodiles slide from the bank disappearing beneath the clear black water. Baboons cry from the rocky cliffs above - this is remote Africa! It is already late in the day and the sun has dropped behind the gorge walls. We cut the motor and the stillness is overwhelming - deep within the Batoka Gorge we are alone. A hand full of dried fish is thrown on the surface to entice our prey. We watch expectantly and the surface explodes 10 meters to our left...then on our right. Within the next minute I count over 100 tiger fish breaking the surface. After a few casts our guide's line begins to hum off his reel. Like a dog with a bone the tiger is running, only stopping a safe distance away to swallow his catch. A strong strike and the fish is fighting. Now my reel begins to spin...another fish is running! Over the next few minutes the true power of the tiger fish is unleashed - tail walks across the water surface, tremendous leaps, dives and runs. My metal lure can be heard clacking against the fish's teeth as he shakes his head trying to rid himself of the hook. With adrenaline pumping we finally get one of the fish next to the boat. As the net swoops down the fish flips and breaks the 15 pound monofilament line. The other fish jumps clear off the water and the lure comes free - whizzing over our head's and landing in the boat. Closer inspection of the lure shows that the # 3 hook has been bent straight! This is tiger fishing! Over the next half hour we hook into another 10 fish and get 2 into the boat (pretty typical) and these tiger aren't even big ones! Darkness finds us nursing whiskey's back at the lodge. With new respect we resharpen our hooks, replace frayed line, and discuss tomorrow's tiger fighting techniques. As a fish eagle calls in the distance we all ponder what tomorrow will bring...
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