Mozambique - Leader Setup and Lines

[Troep]

Hi Manne

Im on my way to Moz for a week during August.

My questions:

• What sinking and intermediate lines are working well in Moz?
• What leader setup do you use?
• Any specific tactics/tips/info to fish the surf in/around Xai-Xai?
• What fish do you normally target there?

Any other info or useful stuff would be awesome!!!

Thanks guys

[kreef]

Hi Troep

I fished way south of that at Ponta Malongane. I sued Airflo Tropical Intermediate with a straight 15 pound flouro leader. Got a few wave garick on chatruese charlies.

Have a ball and please give us a trip report.

[Scythe]

I fished 80kms north of Xai Xai this year.

Species ?

Kingies of all kinds
BIG Garfish
MOERSE Pompano
A variety of Rock Cod
Wolf Herring
Mullet, etc etc etc etc.

Where ?

Depends on where you're fishing, but you want to find a ledge/rocks of some sort and work that, work where the water is MOST violent and MOST frothy, especially where the ledge makes a little cut away (think baai here) you can also find the deeper water on your flat sections of beach and work them ... look for the schools of Mullet and Hardys and soon you will see a kingfish looking for them.

Lines ?

You can do worse than a good shooting head such as the Teeny TS350. I used my Airflo Depthfinder 400 very nicely on the 10WT Axiom casting everything from Clousers to big Profiles and Sempers all day long on it, because it is such a pleasure to cast, I hardly ever used my lighter rods. The benefit of the 8.5IPS oif the Airflo was that even with the massive upwelling and water movement you experience there, you can still get your fly down past that 1m mark and the sinking running line helps too. I only ever found the 8.5IPS to sink too fast when the level of water ON the ledge was less than 1M, but typically you want to be fishing off the ledge into the deep water then move back as the rising tide pushes you back.

Leaders ?

K.I.S.S. you stand a better than fair chace of hooking into a 1-2Kg Kingie every single day and they head straight for the best place to cut you off. Take 30lb Siglon Fluoro or 20lb in a pinch. If you're casting bigger flies in the low light conditions in search of bigger fish, make sure you have the oomph to stop them ... for me that means 100lb Zipy.

Flies ?

Sempers in 2/0 and up, bright colours for the day, dark colours in low light.
Clousers in every size you can imagine, white, pink, olive, chartreuse.
SALTY BUGGERS ! The fish there love Saltys, I got everything from Greenspots, Bluefins, Pompano to a Catface rock Cod on a Salty.

Another fly that worked well for me was a plain pink SF fibre clouser ... tie your usual bucktail clouser with a LOT of pink and a LOT of flash. That will work also.

When ?

We saw this time and time again, your best time to get A fish is within the first hour to hour and a half of the pushing tide, if you're 5 mins late ... you have missed your fish. Start working the ledges on the ppush of the tide, don't be scared to move around a LOT, cover as much water as you can as quickly as you can, don't make the mistake of parking off in one spot and casting all day long, our friends did that and their lack of fish was a telltale sign, keep moving with the waves and find the really hecticall frothy water, that's where you want to be. Also look for obvious signs of baitballs and if you see a chase ... get your fly there as FAST as you can.

What else ?

The water there is not as clear as here, lots of sand being churned up and also the water has a dark quality to it, 4M down it looks like night (well nice and dark anyways) so don't be shy to chuck VERY bright flies and flash is not always such a bad thing.

I think you might be going a little early, but there should be some kingies around and definitely nice pompano ... If you hit a fish in one spot make another cast in the same spot and then move on ... you can always work that spot again on your way back.

You're in for an AWESOME time ... I'm very envious. Good luck !

[Troep]

Hell!!

Thats more than I bargained for!!!

Thanks a lot you two guys!!! I think this thread will be used again and again in future!!! Very informative, thanks Scythe - My 9wt Axiom gaan loop soos 'n Jet!!!

Thanks a lot!!

Cheers!

[LJO]

Where are you staying?

[Troep]

I dont know actually - All I know its a very big house, because we are 12 people going and we all stay in the same house.

Apparently its on the beach... well at least I hope so!!

Why??

[Fishing Adventures]

Hi Manne

Im on my way to Moz for a week during August.

My questions:

• What sinking and intermediate lines are working well in Moz?
• What leader setup do you use?
• Any specific tactics/tips/info to fish the surf in/around Xai-Xai?
• What fish do you normally target there?

Any other info or useful stuff would be awesome!!!

Thanks guys

Airflo GT is the line to use with a 32lb 1.5m straight leader.

Personally I prefer to cast a sinking line DI3 or DI4 as this does not wash back so fast with the surf.

[LJO]

My mate owns a lodge about 50km north of Xai-Xai and he does alot of fly fishing. I thought you might visit his area and then he might give you pointers.

[Troep]

Thanks guys.

LJO ill let you know in a weeks time where exactly we're staying.

It seems I should take a sinker and intermediate x 2...

Thanks manne.

[GrahamS]

Get to the reef at Chidenguele on a pushing tide, and fish some poppers - there are LOTS of big kingies around there.

It's the same place Scythe is referring to - 80km's north of XX