Targeting Tigerfish

Over the last decade or so, targeting tigers has become a big focus for many South African, as well as a growing number of international, fly anglers. This is to be expected since the species has so many attributes that make it an incredible adversary.

By: ROB SCOTT

One of these attributes is that there is still a lot to learn about this species. In my mind discovering new ways to target them, and honing existing techniques is at the core of what the sport of fly fishing is about. One of these frontiers is targeting really big tigers, and to specify, I am referring to feat of landing a 20lb plus tiger fish on fly. There are only a handful of anglers that can claim such a privilege, making landing one of these amazing fish that more special. Over the last few tiger seasons we have managed to find a number of good techniques and subtle changes to increase the chances of connecting with a tiger of a lifetime.

Firstly, and this may seem like an idiotic statement, you have to fish where the big fish are. Although I am the first to say that true fly fishing is more about the experience and journey than the size of the fish, if you want to catch a trophy fish you have to choose a destination where there is viable chance of doing so. Tanzania has grown famous for the number of trophy fish that are landed on fly each year, and it is important to look at why. The main reason is because of Akram Aziz, a prominent businessman and conservationist.

His work in conserving the Mnyera and Ruhudji rivers and surrounding wilderness is exemplary, and without his vision the fishing in this area wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is today. This is what makes it possible to catch so many of these incredible specimens there.

By restricting the number of fisherman on these rivers, and following a strict beat system, Akram Aziz is ensuring that the quality of this fishery is maintained and even improved. Obviously it is not possible to do this is most destinations, but there is a valuable lesson that can be taken away from this is. This is the vital aspect of managing your beats and resting water. Granted, in most tiger destinations this is hard to do, because of the amount of traffic on the water, but even in these conditions it is possible to micro manage your own fishing.

Finding a spot that is working, and bagging a number of good quality fish is great, but most anglers make the mistake of rushing back to that same spot day after day.

A much wiser approach would be to try and rest the water for a couple days before going back. The problem with this scenario is threefold; firstly, you are fishing to area that has been pressured and the fish are spooky; secondly you are wasting time on the water when you could be exploring and fishing a more productive area; thirdly, you are continuing to put pressure on a good spot which will ruin chances of great fishing in a few days time.

Knowledge is an imperative part to be able to consistently connect with big tiger fish.

Be overjoyed that you had a great session but use the next couple days to explore new spots, or travel further. Don’t be shy to use this time to fish off the beaten track, or spend time trying to figure out a new spot, or one where you know there to be good fish, but have never worked out a strategy to connect with them. By planning your fishing like this you can greatly improve the effectiveness of your time on the water, and improve your chances of landing a real trophy fish.

Knowledge is an imperative part to be able to consistently connect with big tiger fish. Over the last five years on the Mnyera and Ruhudji rivers we have accumulated almost 450 days on those 2 rivers. If you multiply that by the number of guides, it amounts to an astonishing 3950 days.

Granted not all the guides have been there for the full 5 years, but this is often an advantage as well. New guides quickly learn want the older guys have discovered about the rivers, and their fresh energy drives them to figure out new spots and techniques. Having the right combination of experience and youthful energy is the key to any successful guide’s team. I digress, the point I am making is that experience with a certain species, and particularly a certain stretch of water is paramount to maximising your chances of connecting with

a trophy fish. If you are not being guided by a professional guide who knows the water well, then make provisions for this. Do your research before reaching the destination. There is a mountain of information available so make use of this and read articles, contact people who have fished the area before you, speak to locals. Whatever it takes you need to educate yourself with enough local knowledge to give yourself the edge.

Cold Fact: Arriving at a new destination armed with only enthusiasm and good gear is not going to get you that fish of a lifetime, local knowledge will. During this last season we found that we were consistently connecting with big tiger fish off anchor. Each spot that we anchor is different, but following a certain methodology can result in a much higher return for effort. Most importantly you have to have plan. Approaching a spot and merely fishing it is never going to have the same impact as thinking about your actions and applying yourself to a certain strategy. This can get extremely complex, but there are a few simple ideas that can make the world of difference.

You can almost predict when the fish are going to eat the fly

Having a plan of action with your choice of fly can most definitely have a big impact. The area and light conditions definitely have a big impact on the choice of fly, but I am talking more about the sequence of patterns rather than any particular fly. As a general rule, this is how I often approach a new spot. First of all, I will fish with something large and natural. For example a natural brush fly, or olive deerhair pattern. After fishing this for a 10 to 12 casts, I would change this to something smaller and sparser, such as a clouser in any of the darker to natural colours. After the bigger original pattern, changing to a smaller pattern will often induce a take. Importantly, in a lot of situations I will often make the change from the bigger fly to a smaller pattern before the fish stop eating the larger fly altogether. This way you can often get better results, as you don’t want to put too much pressure on the fish with one pattern, leaving them too spooked once you eventually make the change to the smaller offering. Lastly, before leaving a spot, I will fish with very hot colours, such as a fire tiger clouser, or hot orange brush, thus invoking an aggressive response rather than a feeding response.

Once you get into the right frame of mind, and you get your timing right, you can almost predict when the fish are going to eat the fly. Some days it works so well that every fly change will get a result. I am not advocating the practise of continually changing flies, as I think this is an article on its own and is hugely detrimental to your fishing, but am rather trying to shift focus onto having a strategy.

Once you have a plan in place, but before you actually start to fish a spot it is important to realise the fact that the first few casts you make are the most critical. If a fish is going to eat the fly, it will more than likely be in the first 1 to 5 casts. This little snippet of vital information can be used to your advantage. As anyone I have ever guided will know, I will always reiterate the importance of concentration. Having the ability to anticipate the hit is often to difference between a successful hook-up and the missed opportunity at the fish of a lifetime.

I would say that after arriving at a new spot the importance of concentration is a priority above everything. When fishing for that one fish of a lifetime, one that will be remembered forever, you don’t get endless shots. In reality you may only get one, or perhaps as many as a three. The difference between getting the shots and holding that 20 plus pound tigerfish in your hands is often concentration. In summation: don’t let the tiger catch you by surprise.

A vital aspect to consider towards the end of fishing an area, is the matter of changing the angle of your fly. This is a big problem with fishing off anchor, in that it is very hard to significantly change the angle of retrieve. For this, consider what the tiger has been seeing for the 15 minutes you have been casting at drop-off or area with good structure? The patterns would have been taking the same route back to the boat, cast after cast.

Changing the angle can be hugely affective in inducing a take. This can be done in one of two ways. Firstly, by re-anchoring the boat so that you can cast at the spot from a different angle, getting the swing of the fly and the retrieve to be totally altered from the original spot. Alternatively, and often more effectively, you can pull the anchor and make casts towards the spot off the drift. By doing this you can change the angle of retrieve from straight upriver, to perpendicular to the current. From my experience, this change can be incredibly successful.

Although the size of one’s smile is often closely correlated to the size of the fish I’ll be the first to admit that size doesn’t really count. With this in mind these small changes can be used to improve your time on the water, no matter what the size fish you are targeting. Connecting with the fish of a life time after carefully thinking through your fishing may be one of the greatest feelings in our beloved sport. It is often the subtle changes that make the biggest difference and unfortunately these are often the changes that are most easily overlooked. So take the time to plan properly: before you arrive at your destination, the night before, and before you make your first cast.