Fortune favours the brave

In all honesty, fresh water sport fishing is a new and exciting prospect to Tanzania.
If you are the adventurous type and like to explore off the beaten track, welcome to one of the most beautiful wild countries on the planet.

As generally understood and implied by the term sport fishing, tigerfish caught are released back alive after being photographed as trophies. Other species that are good to eat may be kept for the pan.

If you are to come all the way to Tanzania I would also recommend that you combine fresh and salt water fishing to take full advantage of the long flight. In one or two places it is possible to do a bit both in a single day. 

 

Equipment

It goes without saying that if you are going to invest in a fishing trip in a location that is expensive to get to, you will not want your equipment to fail. Spend the money on good equipment and it will reward you for many years to come.

Over the years I have found the big brand names like Orvis, G. Loomis, Sage, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Rapala and others, have become recognised brand names with good reason. Always pay a little extra for the middle to top of the range products, and you will not be disappointed.

 

Fly

Generally sea fly fishing equipment is used on tiger. An AFTM 8, 9 or 10 fly rod of 9 or 10 ft length is suitable. A fast to medium sinking line with a shooting tip of some sort is essential for the oft windy conditions. 

Lighter tackle can be more exciting to use and will require more skill, but when the fish is to be released fighting it for a long time on light tackle will tire the fish out too much and may hinder a successful healthy release.

Tigerfish occasionally feed on the surface so if you can, bring a spool of surface line just in case. A metal leader is essential and the leader and line needs to be capable of handling a tigerfish and need to be of the twenty to twenty five pound breaking strain range. If you prefer a soft braided metal trace bring plenty as it will normally kink and require replacing after every big bite.

Tigerfish are generally not fussy eaters but will attack almost anything that moves near them. However they seem to prefer different colours and their preferences vary from day to day. I would recommend that you bring a variety of surf flies and a few of each colour as they will often be badly disfigured after a tiger strike.

 

Spinning

The weather and water conditions are often not suited to fly fishing and it is always good to have an alternative ready. A spinning rod and real with a selection of lures and even bait fishing rigs are always good to have along, just in case you need them.

If you are only going to bring one rod and real, then make it on the heavier side near to the twenty five pound range. You should remember that there are many other species of fish found where tigerfish lurk and some of these can grow very large indeed.

I believe in mixing it up when fishing and always trying something different until you can find what your target species are eating that day, then stick with it until it stops working. I would recommend bringing a selection different colour crank baits that run at different depths.
 


How much does it cost?

The price of a tiger fishing trip to Tanzania starts at five hundred dollars a day per person and goes on up to one thousand seven hundred dollars a day per person. The daily rate differs according to several factors. Lodge accommodation ranges from two hundred dollars a day on up to one thousand dollars a day per person. This depends on the perceived standard of luxury and the season. The high season is generally when the northern hemisphere school vacations take place. 

 For those who are truly adventurous there is always the option of avoiding lodges all together taking out a light mobile camp with as couple of staff to assist with cooking and general camp duties. This will however still run at about the five hundred dollars per client per day mark because of the distances involved. The Selous Game Reserve charge substantial fees for the privilege of visiting the reserve, so the cost of a safari can be reduced by avoiding the reserve.

 The number of participants on a safari, or group size, also affects the daily rate per person. The cost per person decreases somewhat with an increase in the number of participants. Generally small groups or individuals come on fishing safaris. It is, after all, a quiet and individualistic pursuit. I would recommend a maximum of four fishermen per boat, and then only two of the party would need to fish from the shore at any one time. 

 

Other activities

 Please follow the links on the links page for more information on any of the activities below. 

 Game viewing safaris are what Tanzania is famous for, and the options and areas are almost limitless. Often fishing safaris are tied in with game viewing safaris. It is note uncommon for part of a group on safari to tag on a few days fishing. 

 Climbing Kilimanjaro is one of the biggest money earners for Tanzania and hugely poular.

 Whatever your views on hunting are you must recognise that hunting safaris play a vital part in conserving Tanzania’s wildlife. 

 Deep sea fishing has been established here for some time and there are several experienced operators based out of Dar es Salaam and Kilwa.