Fishing and game in Lake Kariba

At the time it was built it was the biggest man made lake in the world and was a real test of man to build it in such an isolated and forbidding terrain and the taming of the ferocious Zambezi river.

Notwithstanding the fact that within the context of the times it was largely uninhabitable, due to the Tsetse fly carried by Buffalo mainly and causing Trypanosomiasis ( Sleeping Sickness )which was deadly to man, but the Government of the time had more or less got on top of this with spraying programs.

Initially it was to provide hydro electric power for what was then known as Southern and Northern Rhodesia,now known as Zimbabwe and Zambia.Furthermore it was an extremely difficult decision to make at the time regarding humane causes.The Batonka people(unusual in that they are the only tribe in the world that I know of who only have two toes and webbed feet) would have to be re-located as the rising waters would engulf them.

Logically they resented this and could not understand that it was in the countries best interests. It's so sad and the rights and wrongs of this can be debated endlessly.

Furthermore an operation had to be put into practice by the game rangers to save the animals being caught up in the rising waters. A massive undertaking code-named "Operation Noah".

This would be if you wanted to go with a whole gang of your friends. Best suited to reunions and birthday parties and is real good fun for the younger crowd.

A predator at Kariba and marvellous fun to try and catch. If one becomes bored with fishing for bream, where you have just to put a worm on your hook, drop it over the side of the boat and wait for a bite. For Tigers you have to pitch and cast trying to lure them. One can either use an artificial spinner or small fish ( kapenta ) as bait.

If you get a bite that is when the fun begins, as they are terrific fighters and very strong fish. They will jump out of the water trying to release themselves amongst everything else and one has to try and outsmart them. This particular fish almost pulled my son ( aged 9 ) into the water and eventually went under the boat on the other side, but in the end he managed to make the catch. Of course he was ecstatic and he insisted we have it mounted for him. It weighed in at 5 Kgs. but they can go up to ten and more. Still a grand catch for anyone.

Sadly, because the ownership of the kapenta fishing boats have changed hands. The tigerfish is becoming more rare and harder and harder to find. They are an extremely boney fish and not that edible, so in the old days when caught by the kapenta nets they would be tossed back overhead. Now however this does not happen and they are sold to a starving populace.

My daughter visited Kariba a couple of years ago. We just can't seem to stay away. She went with one of her childhood friends (pictured here) and their families. Because so few tourists now go there, the fishing is good. Here is a catch of bream. Beautiful to eat, imagine this as a hors doeuvres on the gas barbecue, with a bit of garlic butter thrown in. Ah, magic. As it turns out my daughter and my son are there at the moment and I can't wait to see some photo's. The call of Africa is so strong.