AFRICA-

A Child’s Dream of toothy critters

Growing up I loved watched nature shows about Africa.   It seemed raw totally primal, so unlike my Midwest surroundings, surely it was another planet.  Being awake for school the next day paled in comparison to reading about the endless Sahara, sweltering Congo jungles, mystic Egyptians, Moroccan horse stables and endless herds - I read late into the night under the covers with a flashlight.  After fly fishing took over being a hunter facing down a charging lion or stalking a water buffalo some what paled in comparison to toothy critters that swim the rivers and lakes.  

There are so many opportunities to fish in Africa: the Nubian salty flats, the Lesotho Three Rivers system, tarpon on the Atlantic side, the Seychelles, the Red Sea, the Nile, the Zambezi- a list that does not end.  Fishing opportunities abound and the more I learn the more I am amazed.  The toothy critters in the water are almost as formidable,  as those that roam the land.  

Tigerfish are brutal looking they make muskie and pike look positively domestic.  The largest of the tigerfish species, the goliath can reach well over 100 pounds while others top out around 40 pounds.  Tigerfish are apex predators they have powerful tails, sharp replaceable teeth and acute eyesight.  While they prefer small fast moving prey (I hope you are  thinking streamers and baitfish flies) prey almost twice as big as themselves is not safe.  Their fellow tigers are not safe cannibalism is not uncommon.  Parents do not let your children play in these waters tigerfish have been documented to attack humans.  

Why fish for them.  They fight dirty, jump high and pull like a pissed off locomotive.   Any fish that chases down a fly and hits it like an A Bomb is a worthy adversary.  Match the hatch your fly should represent the most common forage around at the time and match the light conditions of the day.  Many flies are weighted to get the fish down quickly- it seems tigerfish like rivers that are super pushie.  

Like most people I am fighting cabin fever.  My fly boxes are overflowing and I troll the internet for anything toothy critter related to get my mind off the epic ice still on the rivers.  Even my redfish box is filling up I just tyed a few flies based on the St Simons Scampi for Georgia reds.  But late at night I hear the roar of lions, the bellow of hippos and scary call of hyenas.    Like a kid again I cannot get the majesty of Africa out of my mind: tigerfish, yellowfish, nile perch, bohar snapper, GTs…...

The Black Death Tigerfish Fly is tied by a guide from Tourette Fishing, a great looking outfit in Africa.  It is a relatively easy fly to tie and most materials you will already have.  On the left is the replica and on right my version- someday if I dream big enough I will be able to see which version works best.  Either way it will look good in the mouth of tiger fish.  Enjoy