Where?

Tigerfish are found in many of the larger rivers in Tanzania. Most of the river systems in Tanzania are heavily fished by the local population. The best Tiger fishing is found in the Rufiji river system which is one of the big five rivers of Africa. The system includes the Ruaha, Kilombero, Mbaragandu and Luhombero Rivers, to name but a few. Much of the Rufiji river system lies within the Selous Game Reserve, the largest Game Reserve in the world. Sport fishing is however allowed throughout the Game Reserve. Almost all of the Selous Game Reserve is divided up into sport trophy hunting “blocks” and this makes accessing the rivers nearly imposable for much of the year as the hunters have exclusive use during the dry season. The Selous Game Reserve becomes a logistical nightmare during the rains.  There are “photographic” areas in the northern Selous Game Reserve, and some of the camps in these areas offer fishing as an activity, however they are not specialized and generally bait fish. The Selous Game Reserve charges substantial fees for the privilege of visiting the Reserve increasing the cost of fishing there. It is possible to access some of the tiger fishing areas without entering the Game Reserve making these areas less expensive to use. Good tiger fishing can also be found on the Ruvuma River on the boarder between Tanzania and Mozambique. The Emperor or Giant Tiger is rumoured to be found in Lake Tanganyika however none have been reported caught in the Tanzanian waters of the lake. Tiger have also been caught on the Malagarasi River System.

When?

The best tiger fishing is to be had when the water levels start to drop and the water clears. The season therefore starts in mid May and ends in early November.  Please remember that the rainy season varies from year to year and we hardly ever have a year that can be reasonably classed as normal. I don’t necessarily think this has anything to do with global warming but is just how it has always bean in this part of the world. Northern Tanzania has a quite different weather cycle from the south as the southern Tanzania seems to lie between the southern African weather cycle and the East African weather cycle. When it floods in Mozambique northern Tanzania often experiences a drought!