Let's talk Tigers

[will101]

My bum is starting to itch now, it's less than 2 weeks before I drive up to the Kavango for a week of camping and fishing!

This trip has partly been inspired by Grant Kieser and co's trip up there, but my plan was to get away with spending as little money as possible. Two of us will be camping on the Kavango river at Samsitu riverside camp just outside Rundu.

I'm taking my own boat which is an ARK Seal with a 15hp outboard. There is an option to also rent a boat should the inflatable not be suitable. The only problem we could have with the inflatable could be damage due to branches etc hidden under water. What else should I worry about? I recently replaced the entire floor with extra heavy duty material in the ARK factory. Having been around Cape Point and even Bellows in this boat, makes me relatively confident in its abilities. There are no crocs and hippos at the Point however... I have spent a week on the upper Zambezi though and I expect that with the low river, hippos should be easily spotted and avoided.

So now it's just the final preps and packing. I will be concentrating my efforts with the fly but am also taking soft plastics (flukes and paddletails), a few spinners, and a few trolling type lures just in case.

I'll use this thread to keep interested parties up to date with the adventure. Carel (CADEX, on this forum) has kindly been tying up some additional flies as per the recommendations of the guys who went to Kavango previously - thanks very much!

The main cost of this trip is in fact the fuel driving up and down and for 2 persons I am getting a total cost of about R3500 each. Which is not bad for 6 full days of fishing. With a bit of effort anyone can pull something like this off, but it does help having some prior knowledge of the place you intend visiting, or at least be in the company of someone in the know.

[Andre]

Awesome, you will love it. Have you checked all the permit requirement for taking the ARK in? I know in Botswana, its' completely illegal to launch any type of watercraft without a certificate of decontamination, which you will only get if the boat is legally registered and then sprayed by an approved organisation. It's jail time if you are caught. They have a serious problem with Kariba weed. I don't know what the restrictions are in Namibia, but best to check anyway. If they do require this, you won't get it, because I don't know of any ARKS where the owners have had them registered, sea worthied, and licenced.

[will101]

Thanks Andre - I know about the requirements for entering BW with a boat and I assume thus far Nam has no similar regulations. But you know what they say about assumptions... I have a mate who has his fishduck registered as CatD but technically, 15hp and under does not require SAMSA certification. I'm hoping to get by by simply packing in such a way that it is not evident I have a boat in the vehicle. Just in case. By having my own boat I just save an extra daily cost. Establishments charge on average about R700 p/d for boat hire (excl fuel) and with a guide it goes up more.

[Andre]

Thanks Andre - I know about the requirements for entering BW with a boat and I assume thus far Nam has no similar regulations. But you know what they say about assumptions... I have a mate who has his fishduck registered as CatD but technically, 15hp and under does not require SAMSA certification. I'm hoping to get by by simply packing in such a way that it is not evident I have a boat in the vehicle. Just in case. By having my own boat I just save an extra daily cost. Establishments charge on average about R700 p/d for boat hire (excl fuel) and with a guide it goes up more.

I hope you know what you are doing. I think as long as you don't try to drive through Botswana, you will be fine. If they find you with an unauthorised water craft in Botswana, especially a concealed one, they will assume you are a poacher, and this could be inconvenient.

[will101]

mmm good call I better do check up thoroughly, thanks. Someone did tell me to declare the outboard especially, at the border.

[Shamwari]

I have not read through all of this thread...but did I see correctly, that you want to go on your Ark in the delta???

Hippos and Croc's dont scare you?

[Ryan]

I have not read through all of this thread...but did I see correctly, that you want to go on your Ark in the delta???

Hippos and Croc's dont scare you?

My girlfriend's old man also recently took his boat, similar to your Heron out there somewhere...bit cooked! but each to his own!!

[Shamwari]

My girlfriend's old man also recently took his boat, similar to your Heron out there somewhere...bit cooked! but each to his own!!

Boet, I have had a few close calls grwoing up in Phalies when it comes to crocs and hippos...I wont take that chance...eish

[Andre]

I have not read through all of this thread...but did I see correctly, that you want to go on your Ark in the delta???

Hippos and Croc's dont scare you?

Hippos and crocs are only a problem if you get into their personal space, interfere with thier food, or threaten their young. The trick is to recognise when you are doing this. boating on a river is generally non threatening to the animals if you know how close you can safely get, and how fast etc. The key is to be aware of some of the subtle changes in the animals behaviour, which will indicate imminent threats to you. generally your behaviour with the boat. If a hippo sticks his head out the water and blows through his nose, do you know what this means, and if a hippo ducks under the water as you go past and blows loudly under the water, do you know what this means? If you are going to launch a boat on a hippo river, I suggest you find out, coz it might just save your life in an extreme situation. Safety is a major concern in some parts of the Delta, and in the Cobe area, it is totally forbidden to operate boat on the river without a local competency certificate, due to the wildlife hazards.

[Michael]

.... If a hippo sticks his head out the water and blows through his nose, do you know what this means, and if a hippo ducks under the water as you go past and blows loudly under the water, do you know what this means?....

All of the above means: "Get the f*** away from the Hippos!" to me.