Fish tales bait and tackle12/16/2023 ![]() ![]() As an afterthought I also packed a bait casting outfit. I opted to take a medium spin rod (20 to 50gm) and a heavier (50 to 100gm) version which I figured would double for bait fishing. Luckily the excellent daily laundry service meant that clothes required very little space in the cases. With a 15kgs luggage limit on the final flight tackle had to be selected carefully. Tigers are legendary for their leaping and ability to throw the hook so we were prepared for losing as many as we hooked, particularly on spin gear. Double figure fish are an achievable target here with the chance of trophy size specimens of 15lbs and above. We were primarily targeting hard fighting tigerfish weighing anything from two to twenty pounds on either cutbait or spinners. ![]() Basically, there was a guide and a boat available for each couple anytime you wanted it and you could chose from fishing, game drives, bush walks, canoeing or just enjoying the bar and pool back at the lodge for either a whole or half a day. The rooms are air conditioned and very comfortable and the staff can’t do enough for you with a choice of activities available every day. It is beautifully situated and nestles amongst the trees overlooking the river. We stayed eight nights at Baines and we all absolutely loved it. Natalie and I were part of Dave’s group of nine people who had come to fish and discover the wonderful wildlife in this area. We were given an early taste of African wildlife as our first landing on the jungle airstrip had to be aborted due to elephants on the runway! ![]() We were met straight off our plane by a representative of Skytrails, who operate light aircraft journeys into the bush, and were soon enjoying the 25 minute flight over the mountains before a breathtaking view of the Zambezi opened up before us. The flight time into the Zambian capital of Lusaka takes around 13 hours from London (via Doha) and the same from Perth (via Jo’burg). Dave now runs escorted trips with Spoilt for Choice Travel who organise expeditions to some of the world’s top angling destinations with impressive efficiency. Hunting is forbidden in both areas and as a result the wildlife is simply abundant and never more so than in the dry season when the animals flock to the river to drink the water and graze on the remaining foliage.Ī perfect opportunity arose when I was invited to join a group led by my friend and angling guide Dave Lewis who is possibly Britain’s most well travelled fisherman. The whole area benefits from conservation policies with only catch and release fishing allowed in the park itself and only indigenous fishing in the wider Game Management Area upstream. The lodge nestles into the bush alongside the river a few miles upstream of the entrance to the national park. Here the river resembles a large, 3/4 mile delta flowing between sand and grass islands upon which can be found elephants, hippos and all manner of water birds. Situated on the mighty Zambezi, just upstream of the national park, in an area famous for trophy sized tigerfish, it is an angling and wildlife paradise combining adventure with luxury in the heart of Africa. In my experience there are very few places in the world where destination anglers can be happily accompanied by their non-fishing wives or partners but the Baines River Camp is somewhere that ticks every box. That would be more than enough for me – and for my wife Natalie who wanted to celebrate her 60th birthday by seeing elephants in the wild. Most highly recommended was the Lower Zambezi National Park where the tigers ran to double figures and 20lbs specimens were occasionally recorded. Fortunately it’s smaller cousin, the Hydrocynus vittatus is common in Southern Africa in far more convivial locations including Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania. Now I value my life just a little too much to venture into the highly dangerous Congo river system or the other places in Central Africa where the giant goliath tigerfish, in excess of 100lbs, are still to be found. The African tigerfish is all of this and more, and recently I set out with some friends to make its acquaintance. A fish that can take birds in flight and drag unwary mammals to a watery grave. A ferocious and powerful predator with a fearful set of gnashers and the ability to leap high out of the water. But there was always this one fish that kept on beckoning. I’ve been lucky enough to tangle with some of those iconic freshwater predators that were once just the stuff of Boy’s Own fishing tales, including the golden dorado of Argentina, the peacock bass of the Amazon and the toothy paraya of the mighty Orinoco river in Columbia. BUCKET list fishing is a dangerous and expensive obsession and there’s no doubt that my time living and fishing in Australia fueled the desire to catch as many of the world’s amazing fish species as my wallet would allow. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |