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Zambezi Drift
...a shedding of fish catching blinkers
By Keith Clover - Tourette Fishing
My earliest angling memories are of sneaking stealthily, clad in over sized army cammos, next to my father and grandfather along the Little Mooi on the family farm Game Pass. At some stage I was given an old rod, with what I recall to be a sinking line, most probably not matched. Armed with this mismatched hand-me-down tackle I would strip out line and let the current carry it down the rapids. An awkward figure of eight retrieve would commence. The majority of the time, my connemara black would snag on rocks, occasionally however I was rewarded with a lively wild brown. In time my hand me down tackle was upgraded, my casting improved, and so to did my angling. It was around this time I was given permission to join, older family members on overnight hikes up the Mooi River.
Multi day treks up a river, with the contents of your pack back your home, and your fishing rod your provider (well at least we would like to think) is for me one of the more archaic and primitive forms of our pursuit. Returning to ones nomadic routes, making ones way from start to finish, self powered and self reliant is definitely a exceptional angling experience. It was with this mindset that I began planning a recci float trip down the upper Zambezi in search of winter tigers. The primary objection of the outing being to recci a float trip for next seasons winter tiger fishing season.
When guiding canoe safaris on the lower Zambezi, I am constantly tortured by the inability to fish effectively along the way. There are numerous reasons for this, firstly one has to be on the constant look out for hippos, camps have to be reached on time, and lastly, after all ones paraphernalia is loaded in ones canoe space does not allow for it. Giving consideration to these limitations, preparation for our primary upper Zambezi tiger fishing float trip began in earnest. Four Rivers Rafting in the Drakensberg were very kind in loaning us a 14ft croc inflatable white water raft and ore rig, the perfect craft for this application. The late Mike Schultz from Desert Delta Safaris was also instrumental in obtaining permission from the local chief to allow us to camp wild along the Zambezi River as well as supplying a back up boat and driver. On arrival in Mambova, Zambia, with logistics taken care of, armed with GPS, tents, food, rafts, ores and a vast array of tackle we began our 70km boat trip up river to the put-in-point. Marking suitable lunch and camping spots on the way up I was surprised at the amount of really great sandy beaches and islands available to us - many of them of better quality than those found on the lower Zambezi.
The plan was to cover roughly 20km per day, taking at the most three and half days to float and fish our way back to the Sekoma Island. As the old adage goes, the early bird catches the worm, in the case of a float trip on the upper Zambezi it is crucial. A typical day's activities were as follows. Rising before the sun (mid winter it is not to early) we would enjoy a quick cup of coffee, rusks and fruit before breaking camp and beginning our drift. The idea was to have the raft and back-up boat packed and ready to go as the sun rose. Making an early start, particularly on a fly fishing drift trip down the Zambezi, has numerous advantages. Firstly it gives you time on the water for the mornings fish activity, secondly it allows you to get a fair portion (over half the distance) of your days drift complete by lunch, as well as allowing you a fairly easy drift before the midday wind picks up; which is often the case on the upper Zambezi during the winter months. The back up boat would head down to the prearranged lunch/siesta stop and we merrily made our way down, drifting, fishing and admiring the spectacular Zambezi river views as they were drenched in soft morning light. Stomachs full and limbs rested, early afternoon would see us once again entering the water for the remainder of the days drift.
Even with a current of 2-4kms/h per our in our favour, it was soon realised that we were slightly optimistic with regards to the distance we would be able to cover in a day. On a conventional canoe safari, covering 35km/d is easily obtainable, and at a relaxed pace. Drifting a raft, with head winds as often encountered, as well as getting stuck into some really good fishing spots we were found wanting on a couple of days. It was at these times that the back up boat was a blessing. If we were not near our prearranged overnight spot in time Costa would drive up river to meet us. A quick hop over onto the boat and after securing the raft we would shuttle down to our overnight stop. This system of making up lost time in the afternoon worked surprisingly well. Not only were we able to set up camp in daylight, but once set up we could fish the hot spots in close proximity to our camp off the boat.
With regards to fishing of the drift boat in the main Zambezi channel, there was not really much to it. When drifting, as you would on a conventional boat, cast are made up and across towards the banks or productive looking structure. Leaving the line sink to a good depth, retrieves are started as the line swings through ninety degrees - the wind, or oars man keeping the raft drifting slightly slower than the current. The idea is to keep the fly in the strike zone for as long as possible on the retrieve. Some of the most productive fishing is to be had deep and up close to the bank side, particularly where water is draining of the flood plains into the main channel. This however poses a problem; when casting directly down stream to get in tight to structure, the current is in apposition to ones line sink, effectively taking your fly out of the strike zone. One can compensate for this in a number of ways. Firstly if the wind allows, and you are drifting a good line and at the same speed as the current, one can cast directly down stream leaving the line to sink to the required depth before commencing a retrieve. An easier option is to anchor or tie up close to the bank side you are wishing to fish. From this stationary position casts, incorporating a large upstream mend, are made down and across. The mend allows the line extra time to sink to the required depth as it swings into a down stream position. The second option in this stationary situation is to make a medium distance cast with lots of slack, directly down stream, the slack incorporated into the cast allows for ones line to sink as it straightens out. Similarly, flicking loose line from the deck, down stream after the cast has been made has the desired results.
Adopting these techniques gives one the opportunity to draw strikes from a number of species. Nembwe and other large mouth bream ambush their prey from the protection of the bank side vegetation or undercuts in the mud banks. Accurate casts into likely looking lies are therefore imperative. Tiger fish intern hunt along similar lies where unsuspecting bait fish flushed from the cover are promptly devoured.
Superb tiger fishing was also had at the junction of channels and on the bigger sand bank drop offs. Swirling fish and bird activity are dead giveaways to the feeding frenzy taking place below. Fishing off the drift boat in these circumstances was really productive. Drifting quietly into, and maintaining position or slowly following the activity, without disturbing the fish with noisy outboards was a definite plus.
The third water type encountered along this stretch of the Zambezi is the rapids. It is when fishing these areas that a drift raft really comes into its own. Surrounding Sekoma and Ilombe Islands is a rich tapestry of intertwined rapids, channels and back waters. These waters are inaccessible to conventional outboard boats. Fishing these rapids and channels of a drift boat is truly spectacular. The general technique employed when fishing the rapids off a drift boat is both productive and exciting. Drifting the flat water between consecutive rapids, one adopts the same strategies as when fishing the main channels. Casts across and down or into likely looking lies will produce. Entering the rapids is when things become exciting; team work is required here, as at times both anglers are needed to assist the ores man when getting into position. The heads of most rapids are marked by rocky outcrops. The eddies associated with these outcrops provide the perfect "parking bay" for raft and anglers from which to fish the individual rapids. The bigger eddies will comfortably hold a raft in position, the smaller eddies however require some work to hold in. With the aid of the anglers and a couple of bungee cords a secure holding can be achieved. Once in position one can comfortably fish the waters below. Tiger fish, nembwe and catfish are species regularly encountered when fishing the rapids. I am also fairly confident that in the right conditions sight fishing to Zambezi yellows will also be an option. This however is an entire new ball game, and something I am itching to explore.
Small minnows and robbers are commonly observed milling around the structure or under the raft when anchored next to the bank, or holding in an eddy. Grey and white, or grey an olive clousers are a good general imitation for these bait fish, either variation tied in the correct size will produce. As many readers will know, black, black and grey, and back and red clousers are extremely popular fly choices on the upper Zambezi, and rightly so. However, having just mentioned that lighter to translucent coloured bait fish are more commonly noticed, the consistent performance of darker coloured flies does not add up. I have always suspected that these darker flies imitate small eels or squeakers. Drifting quietly along the papyrus banks and through the rapids gave me the opportunity to closely observe feeding cormorants for the first time. Nine out of ten times the birds surfaces with small dark brown to black fish struggling in their beaks. I am pretty sure that these are tiny squeaker and are the reason that dark flies are so productive in this system. Zonker bait fish patterns, tied palmer style with dumbbell eyes behind sequence, in blacks and dark brown are great imitations of these fish. This style of fly displays an almost perfect profile, as well having superb inherent movement when in the water. While on the subject of tackle, DI 7 lines, matched to a corresponding 8 – 10wht rod, are the order of the day. I prefer to use a rod with a medium to fast action, particularly when casting DI7 lines. Reels capable of holding 150 metres of 30lb backing with a smooth drag system are imperative. A stripping basket also comes in handy, particularly when fishing off the rocks in the rapids.
A fly fishing float trip is as much an expedition as it is an angling experience. In many situations fishing from a conventional boat would be more productive, particularly when passing through a "quiet" stretch of water. From personal experience fishing the Zambezi and any other location for that matter, I have realized that we anglers are often somewhat fickle. This realization was firmly driven home on the float trip. In normal circumstances, after the slightest lull in activity, or blank at a particular spot, we are far too eager to scream off at break neck pace to 'richer' waters. This darting, from point to point definitely has its merits. Often however, I feel this scuttling is simply a form a proactive behaviour we employ when all else seems to be failing. Is the new location really superior to the previous, or did the fish come on the bite after the half hours boat trip? When speaking to fellow anglers, who after you having left, fished the same location successfully, I feel the latter is often the case. Similarly, in the process of all the scuttling are we really absorbing the full river experience?
Sport fishermen in Africa are blessed in that the majority of our pristine angling destinations offer far more than just world class angling. Is a great fishing trip not a combination of hot fishing, wonderful scenery, wildlife and appreciating nature in all her details? I am of the personal opinion, that all the above contribute in making a good fishing trip exceptional.
How does all this fit in with a float trip? I believe a wonderful analogy can be drawn between a float trip and viewing master landscape painting. The more time spent really observing such a piece, the more one begins to appreciate it in all its intricacies. The river and raft being the canvas, the fish landed along the way the focal points. The scenery, experiences, and fauna and flora encountered making up the body of the painting. Floating down a river of such pedigree as the Zambezi; fly rod in hand, field guides and cooler box on hand with Africa's fauna, flora and peoples surrounding one, is a wonderful experience. Not only is it a unique and productive form of angling, it forces us to remove our fish catching blinkers. It is only when ones focus is shifted from purely catching fish to embracing all that compliments fishing in Africa that one can completely experience African angling in all its intricacies. When drifting onto a lethargic winter croc, or slipping silently past nesting carmine bee eaters can be appreciated us much as landing a 12lb tiger fish, one can honestly say they have reached this state. I personally have a long way to go, but the winter tiger float trip definitely pushed me in the right direction.
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