I have just returned home from a trip to Rubondo Island in Lake Victoria, where we went to target Nile Perch. These giant freshwater fish are becoming ever more elusive as they are on the receiving end of immense fishing pressure. Nile Perch is a very popular table fish in Europe and that, coupled with the fact that they are found in areas where there are populations of poor and hungry people has resulted in […]

The Okavango catfish run is an annual event, where thousands of sharptooth and blunttooth catfish from all over the Okavango congregate and move up the main channels en masse, flushing the baitfish out of the papyrus and going on a feeding binge. This takes place between September and November, depending on water levels in the delta each year. Tiger fish take advantage of this event and follow the runs, feeding off the baitfish that are […]

This species is one of the most incredible fish to catch on light tackle, its scientific name is Elops machnata, but it has many common names in different places. In South Africa it is most commonly referred to as a springer in KZN and skipjack in the Cape. It has a number of other names such as ladyfish, tenpounder and giant herring, and is found in the Indo-West Pacific regions of the world’s oceans. In […]

One of the lesser known species of kingfish that we catch along the South African and Mozambique coastline is the golden kingfish, Gnathonodon speciosus. This hard fighting species is one of my favourite fish to catch, giving a really good pull and always being a nice surprise to land. Golden kingfish found from Northern KZN, up the East African coastline and around the Indian Ocean Islands. As juveniles they are a striking golden colour, with […]