A Fly Angler's Trip to the Okavango River in Africa

Cont. from It’s the Stuff of Dreams. Fly Fishing and Adventure in the Wilds of Africa.

My first morning at the Nxamaseri Island Lodge in Africa and I'm up easy.

Waking up in a room that looks like a high-end safari tent, cool air coming off the water, first light, and exotic bird songs all around.

Reason #377 why I fish ~ It takes you to some amazing places.

A bedroom at the Nxamaseri Island Lodge in Africa. — Photo provided by Desert and Delta

Time to Catch a Tigerfish

A full breakfast is offered to me.

I apologize to the staff and promise I’ll eat properly tomorrow. Today I grab a pastry, two muffins, black coffee, and head to the dock.

Not Fancy, but Functional

The boat is perfect for this. An 18-foot aluminum flat-bottom river boat, like you see on any river. Wide, stable, with a simple casting deck.

I get myself and gear situated. Native guide Adam Kapinga pulls away from the lodge and heads downriver.

A flock of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters is taking flight from the ground in the Okavango Delta. — Stunning bird activity, so bring binoculars. | Southern Carmine Bee-eaters | Photos courtesy of Desert and Delta Safaris

A Birder's Paradise

If you’re a birder you’d be in heaven. I’m seeing birds I’ve never seen before, decorated in colors that don't seem possible in nature.

A close-up of a lilac-breasted roller sitting at the top of a bare branch. — Bring your binoculars. The bird life is phenomenal. | A lilac-breasted roller. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

When we reach the point where the channel meets the main river, Adam shuts down the engine.

Reading the Water

Where the waters merge, there are two obvious ambush points and a far bank across the river with a chaotic current that makes baitfish easy prey.

One of the two ambush points on the Okavango River where we found tigerfish early in the morning. — One of the two ambush points where we found tigerfish early in the morning. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

Nothing Subtle in Fishing for Tigerfish

Then, directly across from us, on the other side of the channel, a big boil of water—as big as a tabletop—implodes the surface.

A hippo.

I know I’m in Africa. I know there are hippopotamus in this water. I heard them the night before.

A hippo stares at the camera, submerged up to its eyes in the water. — You have to watch out for the hippos and crocs. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

Still, I wasn't prepared. I haven't been here long enough to make hippos part of my morning routine.

I go from Geez, a big fish! to Geez, let's GTF out of here!

The Wrong Kind of Research

Before coming to Africa, I made the mistake of going down the YouTube rabbit hole and watching videos of hippos flipping boats or taking down animals that wander too close to their wallowing holes.

My guide laughs, tells me to keep my eyes open, and sets the anchor.

Back in the Game

I hear another splash. This one is much smaller as hippos go, but big as fish go.

Adam says, “Tigerfish, my friend,” and that’s all I need to hear.

I pick up my St. Croix 9-weight with a sinking line and cast down and across the channel.

Fly fishing writer Ken Baldwin keeps his fly line organized before he makes a cast. — Keeping my fly line organized, because when a tigerfish hits, you'd better have all your ducks in a line. | Photo provided by Ken Baldwin

I want to swing the streamer just short of where the channel meets the river, let it sink, then back it up toward the drop-off, making it look like something struggling.

Just Warming Up

I give the line time to sink. I move the fly. I don’t know if I back it up or scooch it forward.

I do know the line is violently yanked out of my hands, and whatever is attached to it is heading downriver.

It happens so fast.

Before

A fly box of big, colorful, gaudy, streamers for tigerfish. — The "before" photo of my tigerfish streamers for this trip. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

After

The Hit

I don’t know what a typical tigerfish take is, but this one feels like the fish is moving at full speed when it hits the fly.

I’m lucky the rod doesn’t get yanked out of my hand.

What Is It?

The fish jumps, jumps again, runs, and jumps.

I’m trying to get a good look at it while getting my fly line under control. This is my first tigerfish ever, so I’m struggling to ID it. I’ve never seen one in real life, and whatever this is is running away from me at full speed.

A fly angler on the Okavango River, standing in a boat, has a tigerfish hooked and is fighting it as the fish goes deep. — If they don't throw the hook on the jumps, the fish goes deep. | Photo provided by Ken Baldwin

Once I’m sure it’s a tigerfish, my brain says, It’s big. Don’t lose it!

And then the fish is off.

The Ones You Remember

I stand there like a surprised idiot. After a moment or two I blurt out, “That’s it! That’s all it takes? One freakin cast!”

Three Days of Fly Fishing Bliss

In three days of exciting and productive fishing, I catch a lot of small to medium-sized tigerfish. I land two that are just starting to push into the “big” category, and I get to fight five that are definitely big fish.

A fly angler picking up a tigerfish from the bottom of the boat by the fish's tail. — Keep those teeth away from my toes. | Photo provided by Ken Baldwin

None of the big fish stay on longer than three jumps.

Except for one.

When it’s a big one, you feel the weight and power right away. The fish does what it wants, and then you try to get some semblance of control. With one big fish, I tried, and I was succeeding. I kept my cool as best I could. It jumped a few more times and then went deep. It turned into a tug-of-war, but that gave me an opportunity to drive the hook in deeper.

With a 40-lb leader and wire tippet, I wasn't worried about breaking off. After some time, the fish starts to show signs of weakening. I’m bringing it to the boat, making progress, and thinking, "I got this"… and then, just like that, it shakes its head and comes unbuttoned.

A Fishing Trip That Won't be Forgotten

This fishery is unlike anything I’ve fished before. Getting a tigerfish to strike was pretty simple and straightforward. It’s how they strike and how they fight that sells the ticket.

Add to the mix, Nile crocodiles that you have to watch for when releasing a fish. The hippos. The colorful birdlife. It’s experiencing wild Africa up close, and in it. It's not a tourist stop, not something staged.

A Nile crocodile in the grass, on the bank of the Okavango River in Africa. — Where there is a good population of baitfish, with tigerfish feeding on them, you will find crocs feeding on all of it. | Photo by Ken Baldwin

It's Big

Visiting the Nxamaseri Island Lodge and Africa is definitely worth the distance traveled. There is nothing wrong with being on the sideline and watching. But chasing tigerfish on the Okavango River puts you in the arena, and you will find out real quick it's more than fishing, it's an up close and first-hand experience of the wild side of Africa. ~ Ken Baldwin Follow me here on my Instagram account

Next: A safari into the African bush.