FLYFISHING SAFARIS TO CONSIDER FOR VISITORS TO SOUTHERN AFRICA
Brought to you by The Southern African Trout and Flyfishing Directory
SOUTHERN AFRICA AS A FLYFISHING DESTINATION
Southern Africa is exciting! It's justly famous for magnificent game parks and birdlife that abounds. What is less appreciated is the array of flyfishing opportunities that are available.
So, if you're thinking of a business trip or a holiday and want to pack that four-piece flyrod this may help put you on the right beaten track.
SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR FLYFISHING SAFARI
TIGER FISH IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
Top of the list has to be
a trip to deceive a tiger fish or six. Only in Africa that you
can tackle this magnificent freshwater fighter and its a strong
recommendation to spend a quartet of days on Botswana's Okavango
river on the world-famous Zambezi or even closer to home at Jozini.
And while you battle an acrobatic tiger, it's very likely you may do so in the company of game on the banks and wonderful birdlife around you.
This is an excellent way to see Africa in ALL its glory.
TROUT
Not
everybody is aware of the trout of Africa, but there's an abundance
of fishing for you to consider.
It's a pretty decent quality of angling that you can enjoy as well in the presence of green valleys and dark mountains. Of course there are managed waters with stocking programs and wild rivers as well - browns and rainbows too.
Trout exist all the way from Cape Town to the Equator and there's no shortage of venues. Even if you're on business in Durban or Johannesburg, you're only a couple of hours away from splendid surrounds.
Indeed, why not think of a special breakaway on your way to the Kruger National Park
YELLOWFISH (BARBUS AND LABEOBARBUS)
Have
you heard of India and Nepal's famed mahseer? Our array of yellowfish
species are not quite as big but they can attain some hefty weights.
However, they provide some woderful stream and river flyfishing
you'd care to enjoy on the continent. On
a reasonable day, you can come away with having returned a dozen
or more of these golden beauties with many of 3 - 4 lbs snatching
your size 16 nymph from a bubbling run.
There's more than one species from which to choose and a variety of venues from South Africa's Highveld, Bushveld, and Lowveld, through the midlands of Natal down to the Western Cape.
Fishing for yellowfish is one of South Africa's best kept secrets.
BLACK BASS
Another
category of fish that rates a mention is the bass - large- and
smallmouths in particular. You'll be happy to know that, if you're
a bass fanatic,it can be arranged to spend a few days after some
largemouths.
Previously some Florida bass were also distributed and this means that there are some hefty specimens out there waiting to be caught.
SALTWATER FLYFISHING
Another
highly recommended trip is to the African coastline. Saltwater
flyfishing has been expanding and the Mozambique coastline in
particular provides excellent fishing for kingfish (trevally),
queenfish, bonito, kawakawa, Natal snoek (queen mackerel) and
Couta (king mackerel) amongst others. However, more and more
venues along the Kwazulul-Natal coastline all the way down to
the Cape have been opened up.
- a little about a big fish to the north -
THE GIGANTIC NILE PERCH
The Nile Perch is
Africa's barramundi and, as such, rates a special mention to
anglers as a whole.
While the Perch reaches weights in excess of 300 lbs, flyfishers have ample quantities of fish in the 10 - 50 lb range to whet their appetites.
It's big water you're on and the visitors compass needs to point northwards to the great lakes of central and east Africa and to Egypt's Lake Nasser.
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