​"What could you catch and release?"

The Tigerfish

(Hydrocynus Vittatus) 

​The tigerfish is definitely one of the strongest fighting freshwater fish out there! Aggressive bites, acrobatic jumps, and teeth like a shark characterize this fish. The tigerfish is most commonly found in the Okavango and Zambezi rivers, but occasionally also in the Kwando River. It’s best to use rods rated for classes 8 or 9. With these strong rods, you can effectively cast larger streamers and withstand occasional winds. Using a sinking line is the most successful, but smaller tigerfish can also be caught with a floating line and poppers. Tigerfish can be caught throughout the year, with the most productive months being from March to May and from October to December.

Nembwe 

(Serranochromis robustus)

​belong to the cichlid family. Catching this fish is a real challenge, as they often stand quite deep and are usually well-protected among reeds and rushes. Once you get the hang of it and do catch one, you’re dealing with a very persistent fighter. Good populations of Nembwe can be found in the Kwando, Okavango, and Zambezi rivers. In the Zambezi, they can reach a weight of up to 3 kg! Rods rated 7, 8, and 9 are ideal. Of course, you'll need a sinking line and a few weighted streamers. The best time to catch Nembwe is between April and June, and then again from September to November.

Three-spot

(Oreochromis andersonii) 

​are mostly caught in quieter, weedy bays. This fish also belongs to the very large bream family. It's a very persistent fighter and quite beautiful at the same time! The best chance to catch a three-spot on the fly is in the Kwando and good populations are also found in the Zambezi (up to 4 kg!!). I prefer to use a 5-weight rod and a sink tip with a lightly weighted fly, being most successful between April and June and again from September to October.