Originally Posted by
wenwe
Hi Guys
Will be in the Lower Zambezi for a while, and i have never caught a tiger on fly....
Some pointers would be appreciated. Which areas would you focus on fast deep channels or structure?
I have read that tiger in the LZNP prefer blue and white flies because of the amount of Kapenta in the system... truth to this?
Etienne
Tigers are predators, and therefore will be found wherever their food is, so look out for likely places that offer protection to the smaller bait fish. Always good to fish towards the banks, let the line take the fly down and accross, and strip as the line straightens out as it swings past. On the Lower Zambezi, Chobe etc, you will probably have a guide who will give you good pointers as to where the fish are found. One thing they tend to do, which irritates me, is they tend to tie the boat up against the reeds on the side, and make you fish down stream, and retrieve back up. I far prefer to have the boat anchored in the river, within casting distance of the edges.
As far as flies are concerned, everyone has their favorite, and although blue and white will probably be good, black and orange will also be good. Pretty much any colour. The later in the day it gets, and as the light fades, you will find that darker colours will perform better.
When striking a tiger fish, remember that they have very hard mouths, so you need to strike like a bass master to get the hook to set. Once hooked, you need to give it as little line as possible, else you will either lose him, or you won't get the characteristic jump. After a leap or two, simply winch him in. Most tigers tend to put everything in the hit and jump, and give up the fight after a little while. Due to the deep water, the fish tend to go down, and you won't have many fast line stripping runs.
Also remeber that tigers are very fragile fish, and should always be netted into the boat. When hholding the fish with a boga grip, always support the tail, and never ever hold a tiger fish by the tail alone. The bigger ones can suffer from spine dislocation and die.
Also use a wire trace onto the fly, to prevent bite offs, and fish swimming around with hooks in their mouths.
Enjoy, tigers are great fun, and insanely strong fish .
Oh yes, remeber that flies tied with synthetic materials will out last flies that are tied with buck tail. if you tthink you have enough flies for the trip, then you must double the number, and then double it again. You will be horrified at the number of flies you willgo through, before you even land a fish. Some flies last only one hit, before they are shredded, and useless.
Disclaimer.... none of my posts are intended to be "expert advice"..just opinions from someone who is willing to help where he can.
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