Flyfishing For Zambezi Tigerfish: Zimbabwe Trip Report

We had such a good time flyfishing for Tigers in Zimbabwe that I wanted to briefly write up our experience.  Our trip was mostly a holiday but it was also an exploratory reconnaissance - we have been toying with the idea of incorporating flyfishing as another element to our walking safaris. Africa has some excellent flyfishing, be it Giant Trevaly off the coast, trout in the mountains or Tigers in the rivers and for the not so fishing-compulsive spouse there is always the rich wildlife and beautiful landscapes.

Kerry, myself and Mark arrived in Zim on October 26th. One of the first things that we all commented on was a total lack of people.   Zimbabwe is home to only 11 million people (Kenya is around 40 million) and 25 percent of them of them are abroad in South Africa trying to get work. Compared to Kenya the streets were empty.

While the Zimbabweans that we met complained about the roads and the services declining, we found them still to be an improvement on Kenya's.  While some things in Kenya are definately doing better, namely the economy, freedom of speach, landownership etc., Zimbabwe still has a lot going for it. The supermarkets now are as stocked as ours in Kenya and the potential for the country's tourism industry to begin a steady return are certainly there. The underlying fact that the wildlife is still intact (a bit more poached but intact) and that Zimbabwe's people are still very kind, generous and literate (every person we encountered spoke excellent English) speaks coninvincingly of this potential.

By speaking to the Zimbabweans we met along the way we began to gather that the White Farmer's who lost their land did so more because of the political threat they posed rather than the valuable land they owned (some farmers had been funding the opposition and this did not go down so well with Bob).  That land is now largely fallow and it has been for years. The fields that supplied much of Africa with corn, tobacco and other crops are now thick with weeds and the countless silos stand empty and derelict.  Many of the new owners (politically influential friends of Mugabe) are now trying to hire white farmers to come back to manage the property and get the crops going again.  The farmer's reluctance is understandable and there exists an unwritten rule that in order for a white farmer to work what once was a white owned farm they must ask the permission of the past owner.


The Tigerfishing on the other hand was less depressing and the lower Zambezi was absolutely stunning, far more beautiful than I expected.  Chikwenya, where we stayed, is a conservation area bordering and downstream of Mana Pools National Park.  While the lodge needs a bit of work (vehicles, generators and boats all in need of some serious attention) and the management needs an overhaul, the fundamentals are there for an incredible fishing, walking or gamedriving holiday.

Tigerfish are fearsome predators and they are capable of taking quite large prey for their size, including their own kind.  For this reason we found that smaller fish were up in the tree and stump structure, some larger fish were nearby but in some deeper water and the largest strikes were in open water off sandy drop offs.  We needed to get our flies down fast to compensate for them rising with a very fast retrieve.

We had the above  flies tied in Nairobi (400 for about 200$) and while they served us very well we wished we had tied more of the heavier patterns with weighted eyes. These patterns did very well as they got down to some of the larger fish.  We used 5' leaders with usually about 6" of fishing wire below a 10 or 12 lb tippet.   Our Rio Intermediate sinking lines served us mostly well but if i was to return i might try a faster sinking line in addition for some of the drop offs.  Thanks to Derek at First Light Anglers in Rowley, Massachusetts for getting us our lines and other paraphernalia shipped out from the States.

The boats that we were in were good and sturdy but they were certainly not equipped for the Flyfisherman. We were constantly catching up on all the motors, anchors etc. Our guide had taken a few Flyfisherman out but not many. The majority of people on the river are drifting with the current and dragging bait along the bottom.  A method of fishing that to me is not too far off the excitement of watching the grass grow.  When we first arrived the guide wanted to also set us up on natural drifts but this made getting the right drift, depth and retrieve difficult. It also meant that the motor was constantly being started to move us over fish or out of the way of trees etc.  After pestering the management we were able to locate an anchor that wouls stick at some depths but was light enough to drag a bit at some depths.  This allowed us to stop or slow enough to work an area a bit more and get our lines down for a nice deep retrieve.  In a perfect world these boats might be equipped with one of those small battery powered engines that saltwater and bass guides use.

It is safe to say that we are hooked. To return to the Zambezi to flyfish for its Tigers amidst its unbelievable bounty of wildlife would be a pleasure. While it is likely that we will not stay again at Chikwenya we have found some good mobile camping operators and Fly specific guides and we look forward to putting together another trip with them for another year. 
Cheers, James Christian
Karisia Walking Safaris
http://www.karisia.com