The Zambezi makes a gorgeous but deadly border between the countries of Zim and Zambia. Teeming with hippos, crocodile, and an occasional elephant on commute to one of its lush islands, this river running through the Chirundu region is famous for its tiger-fishing.
Boats and guides can be rented by the half day or day, and bait is readily available at both the farms along the banks, as well as from small boats on the water. Here is husband Kurt and son Jonas with friends Jon and Nisse and our guide Alex on our first of three days on the water.
If ever you wonder why my hair looks messy in our Chirundu pictures....
The bait used to catch tigerfish is a fish slightly smaller than my hand, called “bream.” Here we stop to pick up a dozen bream and take a quick moment to step onto Zambian soil while we wait for the farmer to get them from his shed. We were surprised to find out the bream do not come from the river, but are instead raised on small farms near the shores.
Local Zambian children are curious and friendly.
We visited during the slow season, but did not do too badly. The hotter it gets, the more action there is on the river and the more active the fish are. Famous tiger-fishing competitions occur in the region throughout the summer, attracting hundreds of fisherman and tourists.
All along the river the local villagers can be seen bathing and doing laundry. (Took me forever to find one empty of bathers for a respectful photo!) Spots like this have been built by the village as a safe communal place to do these activities. The posts and thorn branches placed below the waterline prevent crocs and hippos from attacking people while they wash.
Here some children on the banks have a blast- sledding down the dirt hill on cut pieces of old plastic vegetable oil bottles.
Crocs are a legitimate concern. This is a famous photo re-posted by thousands on facebook… It is legitimate and was also taken in the northern part of the country.
Hippos, though, are considered even more dangerous. Here a group sunbathes in the middle of the river next to our boat.
These fish get to be up to 50 kg. (110 ponds) -huge! Known for their large teeth and predatory skills, they are popular sport fish because they put up a tough fight and almost always jump out of the water once or twice during a catch. Kurt’s largest, a 4.2 kg (about 10 pounds) was a fun five minutes of work.
In total we caught five fish: one each for Nisse and Jon, and three for Kurt- one of which was reeled-in in part by a proud three year old Jonas. Though I had an equal amount of fun, I was the only one with nothing caught... Good thing everything was catch and release by a new Zim law- we all walked away with empty hands and good memories.
Local fisherman use boats carved from a single tree trunk.
In these boats, fishermen and women use fishing line wrapped around empty soda bottles rather than rods. The result is a beautiful intricate art learned over a lifetime of providing for one’s family.
Here we pulled up to a clearly exhausted mother fishing- baby on the back (called a berika), child in the front. She was trying to provide for her family with about six feet of line and a hook. Our guide Alex gave this grateful woman a package of hooks, a few bottles, and a container of line.
The art of tiger-fishing involves a great deal of patience. It is done where the river’s channels merge downstream of islands or downstream of joining tributaries.
The bream are put on the hook, and cast out to drift downstream, along with the boat- no bobbers or anchors needed on this river!
…Unless of course you are gaping at the surrounding wildlife. Pictures of Chirundu’s incredible Zim-Zam wildlife to come! Stay tuned…
