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Thread: Tigers on the Komati river

  1. #1
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    Default Tigers on the Komati river

    Why is the Komati river the step river for Tiger fish?
    I have been forwarded a couple of photos of very big tigers in the Komati river and it makes me wonder why we do not see more photos of tiger fishing in the Komati river? Or hear about the fishing in the Komati river?
    Any thoughts?

    PS: 6 and 8kg fish featured on the photos
    Korrie Broos

    Don't go knocking on Death's door, ring the bell and run like hell. He hates it. (anon)
    Nymphing, adds depth to your fly fishing.
    Nymphing, is fly fishing in another dimension

  2. #2
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    Firstly let me start by saying that to my knowledge the largest tiger to come out of SA waters is from the Komati river. Just over 11 kg and 110 or 115cm if I recall. The mould was commissioned but as Komati tigers are longer and thinner that their Zambezi brothers, so they had to try stretch a Zambezi mould to get the proportions right. It's still to short and sits above my father's bar in Komatipoort.

    To answer the question, I think it's for a few reasons but access to water being the biggest problem.
    Mostly private farm land and the river also has many weirs.

    Launching a boat is problematic, hippos are a real threat and Krocs are also a serious problem.
    A guy was taken 2 months ago in front of my father's lodge. Think this a about number 4 or 5 in the last few years on the causeway bridge.

    The public water there is is very dangerous and you can walk into a hippo, croc, elephant, lion, buffalo or Mozambican and the only one I haven't met yet is Mr lion.

    So great fishing, tough access but just not advertised well enough. Keep telling my father he has a gold mine there that he's not exploiting properly.

    I'm off there next weekend for a family visit, so will report back on how it went.

    PS: my biggest tiger is 7kg and that was also out of the Komati, just not on fly though :-(

  3. #3
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    Hi Grant
    How about arranging a trip for the Flytalk guys to your dad's spot?

    Leave on a Friday sometime early, Back Sunday evening late.
    You can have almost 3 full days of fishing.
    To some very decent tigers.
    Korrie Broos

    Don't go knocking on Death's door, ring the bell and run like hell. He hates it. (anon)
    Nymphing, adds depth to your fly fishing.
    Nymphing, is fly fishing in another dimension

  4. #4
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    PS: what you said about crocs, hippos, elephant etc, is valid for just about every tiger fish spot I know about.


    I recall an incident a couple of years ago, when I took a group of fly fishers to Jozini.
    We where fishing the last half an hour of daylight.
    We where 3 guys on the boat and the skipper. Sitting in a sheltered bay, with a very deep drop off.
    We where about 10 meters from the bank, casting to the edge of the water.
    On previous trips, I had the odd very good fish from this spot.
    On the boat, with me, was 2 first time tiger fishing, fly fishers.
    The skipper and I have built up a very good understanding over previous trips, with me doing the anchor, as we arrive to make sure we are in the optimum spot for casting.
    I dropped the anchor, but I have to describe the anchor, it is one of those Danforth style anchors with a big flat plate that can tilt. This big piece of metal was painted in a dark red, red oxide paint.
    As we approached, I tossed the anchor and handed each guy his rod, making sure they can start casting immediately, as we stopped.
    As the flies landed on the water, a huge hippo appaeared from under the water, between us and the land, so this hippo showed his face about 5 meters from the boat, the sinking under the water again.

    I grabbed the anchor rope and started hauling the anchor up. The skipper started the engines.
    The one fly fisher, had a particular phobia for hippos.
    He had his line and fly in and looked at the stretch of water between the boat and the land.
    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw this "hippo" appearing or rising out of the depth of the water.
    But what he did not realise, this hippo rising out of the depth of the water was the dark red painted anchor.

    With one step, he was on the opposite side of the boat and yelling to the skipper " START THE FAAARKING ENGINE, THE THING IS COMING FOR US!"
    The last couple hauls of the anchor rope was almost impossible for me, as I burst into a serious laugh, once I realised what he saw, by the time the anchor was on the boat, I collapsed laughing on the seats.
    Last edited by Korrie; 16-09-15 at 08:28 AM.
    Korrie Broos

    Don't go knocking on Death's door, ring the bell and run like hell. He hates it. (anon)
    Nymphing, adds depth to your fly fishing.
    Nymphing, is fly fishing in another dimension

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Korrie View Post
    Hi Grant
    How about arranging a trip for the Flytalk guys to your dad's spot?

    Leave on a Friday sometime early, Back Sunday evening late.
    You can have almost 3 full days of fishing.
    To some very decent tigers.
    Good idea.
    I will speak to him and see what he can put together.

  6. #6
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    On your return, Post a couple of photos about the river, accomodation etc.PLUS SOME BIG FISH.
    Korrie Broos

    Don't go knocking on Death's door, ring the bell and run like hell. He hates it. (anon)
    Nymphing, adds depth to your fly fishing.
    Nymphing, is fly fishing in another dimension

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grant111 View Post
    Good idea.
    I will speak to him and see what he can put together.
    Now that sounds lekke :-)
    And then I can share with you the fish population stats of the Driekoppies Dam our students did two weeks ago...

  8. #8
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    Hi Grant
    can you post a couple of photos of the Komati tigers that you taken in the past, just to wet the appetites
    Korrie Broos

    Don't go knocking on Death's door, ring the bell and run like hell. He hates it. (anon)
    Nymphing, adds depth to your fly fishing.
    Nymphing, is fly fishing in another dimension

  9. #9
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    How many tigers did they catch?
    Bryan Williams

    “My Biggest worry is that my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it!”

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bryan View Post
    How many tigers did they catch?
    Are you asking me? or Grant.

    The email to me did not specify the numbers, just "we had good fun, with lots of tigers, these where the biggest"
    Korrie Broos

    Don't go knocking on Death's door, ring the bell and run like hell. He hates it. (anon)
    Nymphing, adds depth to your fly fishing.
    Nymphing, is fly fishing in another dimension

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