I'm heading up to Jozini in november and am keen to try to catch some Tigers on my fly rod. I would appreciate any hints tips or tricks from anyone who has had a bit of experience with this. Other than big orange baitfish imitation what other flys are effective? Is a steel trace def required? ect
Tiger on Fly
- Thread starter Spudatsea
- Start date
Hi Spud and welcome! You can do a search on the topic as much has been written but in brief: Jozini, 7 weight and intermediate and sinking lines. 6kg hard leader (maxima)straight through to bite trace, connected by albright. Irrespective of what certain flyfishers proclaim, wire is compulsory. Just 10cms will be enough. I like to use 25lb Malin. Blue and silver, black, black and silver, white, chartreuse are all good colours. I use Polarfibre baitfish in orange and black most of the time but will use clousers and deceivers as well. Tie them to the wire with a haywire twist. Prior to a trip I tie up about 20 prerigged flies, all with wire preknotted to 6 inches of 16lb flourocarbon with a surgeons loop on the end. I also tie the same loop at the end of the leader. When I need to switch flies, it is just via loop to loop rather than mess around with knots. There are many smaller tigers in the shallows but some big girls are there as well. Good luck and welcome again!
I was a flyguide up on the Zambezi for 2 years.
I agree with Fins - fish piano wire with an albright knot to the leader - I used to fish 30lb Flyline to shocktippet (piano wire).
I also hate this misconception of having to use red or orange flies - this is only applicable to upper zambezi where most of the prey species are red/pink etcv(pink happy/zambezi happy/bulldog/red breasted etc etc etc).
I found the most effective flies were clousers white Slinky fibre overlayed with a bit of peacock hearl and the biggest Dumbell eyes I could find - you need to get down as quickly as possible.
I also had a preference to use fast sinking lines as often the hit would happen on the drop - seem they are attracted to the sound of the fly hitting the water.
BAsically you need to find structure - drop offs are best/holes/ timber/ deep water adjacent to shallows. You will find early morning and late evening the Mamma's with the big broken teeth will move up into the shallows hunting whilist the lil ones are prevelant throughout the day.
Hope this helps
I agree with Fins - fish piano wire with an albright knot to the leader - I used to fish 30lb Flyline to shocktippet (piano wire).
I also hate this misconception of having to use red or orange flies - this is only applicable to upper zambezi where most of the prey species are red/pink etcv(pink happy/zambezi happy/bulldog/red breasted etc etc etc).
I found the most effective flies were clousers white Slinky fibre overlayed with a bit of peacock hearl and the biggest Dumbell eyes I could find - you need to get down as quickly as possible.
I also had a preference to use fast sinking lines as often the hit would happen on the drop - seem they are attracted to the sound of the fly hitting the water.
BAsically you need to find structure - drop offs are best/holes/ timber/ deep water adjacent to shallows. You will find early morning and late evening the Mamma's with the big broken teeth will move up into the shallows hunting whilist the lil ones are prevelant throughout the day.
Hope this helps
When you strike, strike hard, strip like hell (obviously within your rods limits), but keep your rod tip down. Otherwise the tiger will jump, give a serious aerial display and then spit your fly out! (And then you will be heart broken!)
Enjoy Jozini and post some pic's when you back!
Enjoy Jozini and post some pic's when you back!
There's a theory on using wire bite traces: During the barbel run and other feeding frenzies where the competition is fierce for food, the tigers will try and pry the bait from another fish's mouth. This is when most guys get bitten off when not using wire bite traces.
We have fished Jozini, Kariba and the Zambezi and did not use wire traces at all (this included spinning tackle) and to date have not lost one fish as a result of a bite off. As an example, I caught a 4.2 kg tiger in Jozini on a 30lb fluorocarbon shock trace. I gave the same advice to a work colleague who fished Jozini and although he did not make any record catches, he did manage fish in the 1kg range and did not lose one fish that bit him off.
Use it don't use it, but in my opinion you will get far more strikes when not using wire..
We have fished Jozini, Kariba and the Zambezi and did not use wire traces at all (this included spinning tackle) and to date have not lost one fish as a result of a bite off. As an example, I caught a 4.2 kg tiger in Jozini on a 30lb fluorocarbon shock trace. I gave the same advice to a work colleague who fished Jozini and although he did not make any record catches, he did manage fish in the 1kg range and did not lose one fish that bit him off.
Use it don't use it, but in my opinion you will get far more strikes when not using wire..
Its a contentious issue Posthud. I fully understand what you are saying and it certainly makes sense that you may get more strikes. I confess to not having fished Jozini much but I spent a couple of years on the lower Zambezi and at Kariba and clients regularly had bite-offs when fishing without a trace. Last month I was at Chirundu and tried to get the best of both worlds by using a 6/0 circle tied straight to flouro. Damn, I struggled and lost 7-0, just couldn't get a hook up. Went back to 2/0 with wire and went 1 for 1. Will continue to experiment with circles as I thunk it may be the way forward.
I agree Fin-S, there are different schools of thought on the issue and I thought I would share them with Spudatsea. When fishing and nothing seems to work, it is best to remember some odd advice someone gave you and give it a try as well, you never know. For a first timer, he might get plenty more strikes by using FC i.s.o wire - it is then up to personal choice - would he rather get 10 strikes and land 2 fish or only get 2 strikes and land 2, taking into consideration that most of the fish caught in Jozini are in the 500g - 1 kg mark?
Spudatsea - most guys fish the inlet of the dam, however, November might be too late for clear water and you will have to seek the tigers elsewhere - towards Swaziland are some good spots all over. Structure as well as drop off's will hold fish. Look for the cliffs along the bank of the inlet - always a good spot.
Enjoy your trip!!
Spudatsea - most guys fish the inlet of the dam, however, November might be too late for clear water and you will have to seek the tigers elsewhere - towards Swaziland are some good spots all over. Structure as well as drop off's will hold fish. Look for the cliffs along the bank of the inlet - always a good spot.
Enjoy your trip!!
Awesome response. Thanks people. I am going to try both wire and 30lb Fc if I have no luck with the wire. I presume that I should try variable depths but what depth would you say is the most effective. Should I let the fly drop all the way or is it just better to let it sink a meter or so before stripping?
Best is to start off shallow and catch a few racing snakes and then move gradually deeper - this is just give you a better feel of what to do when you start getting into the bigger stuff.
As Nyathi has indicated you will need to set the hook and you must remember not to strike using the rod but rather strip stike using the line - be warned you are in for some burns. I picked up a 9.4kg on the lower zambezi in 2001 and was unable to use my stripping hand for 2 days as he burned the poo out of it.
I agree 100% on not using the wire - but first get used to fishing for tiger using wire.
I have had the privlege of fishing with Malcolm Meintjies who pioneered the "No Trace for tiger scenario" and he does not strike the tigers but has the drag set correctly on his reel that when the tiger picks up the fly it pulls all the loose line till on the reel and the "Drag" effectivly sets the hook the drag is much looser than what I prefer to fish too.
ANyways bud - keep making changes till you find what works and when you find the pattern play around with it till you find perfection. Don't be shy to fish Poppers either - caught a 6kg a few years ago on a pitter putter popper....
Nyathi - you working for safari camps up there - which outfit?
As Nyathi has indicated you will need to set the hook and you must remember not to strike using the rod but rather strip stike using the line - be warned you are in for some burns. I picked up a 9.4kg on the lower zambezi in 2001 and was unable to use my stripping hand for 2 days as he burned the poo out of it.
I agree 100% on not using the wire - but first get used to fishing for tiger using wire.
I have had the privlege of fishing with Malcolm Meintjies who pioneered the "No Trace for tiger scenario" and he does not strike the tigers but has the drag set correctly on his reel that when the tiger picks up the fly it pulls all the loose line till on the reel and the "Drag" effectivly sets the hook the drag is much looser than what I prefer to fish too.
ANyways bud - keep making changes till you find what works and when you find the pattern play around with it till you find perfection. Don't be shy to fish Poppers either - caught a 6kg a few years ago on a pitter putter popper....
Nyathi - you working for safari camps up there - which outfit?
Some of the guys who fished bait on the Zambezi while we were there used 20lb fireline (30cm) as bite trace - they had no problems in landing fish..
The major problem is the visibility of the braid, however, I see that Berkley released Fireline Crystal which should resolve that issue.
The major problem is the visibility of the braid, however, I see that Berkley released Fireline Crystal which should resolve that issue.