Author Topic: Getting ready for 8 days of Zanzibar (Read 5408 times)

Timothy Scriven · « **on:** December 01, 2010, 05:54:37 AM »

I sit at my laptop this morning typing to all my fellow UA mates, whilst taking a break from packing my gear for my (and the wifes) 8 day trip to Zanzibar.

We fly out tonight and I'm looking forward to 93% fishing and 7% romance.
....think I might be over generous with a % or two on the romance side..
Might have to take a % away..

We have mates who live on the island so boat and fishing gear provided.
Try getting told "you don't need to bring any fishing gear" and see if you can resist packing "just a few things anyway".

I've ended up with 2 reels and rods, a few poppers, plugs, pliers, .....and sunblock.

SO ANYWAY here's a thought, It cost the same to fly JHB/DAR/JHB as it does DBN/JHB/DBN

I am going to be fishing one day with Gerry as well so let's see how far I can stretch these biceps ....

Will be taking plenty photo's and will post on my return.

Cheers All

John F · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2010, 06:29:53 AM »

Enjoy and

Cam Mundy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2010, 06:39:24 AM »

Lucky bugger, have a blast!

Fishton · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2010, 07:14:53 AM »

Have a blast Timothy. look forward to hearing from you when you get back.

Gerhard · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2010, 07:23:12 AM »

Enjoy it...

Hope you have a good trip.

REEFMAN · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2010, 07:29:37 AM »

Spoilt rotten!

Hope you have a great time and look forward to the report!

Lichia amia · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2010, 08:08:09 AM »

Some Blokes have all the luck !!! Enjoy and

benniejordaan · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2010, 08:28:55 AM »

Lucky lucky bugger!

Take it easy Tim, tight lines!

Capt. Hook · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2010, 08:49:43 AM »

Awesome bud, bring back lots of pics.

PS: Better make your lady feel special or else she will get

TUNAMAN · « **Reply #9 on:** December 01, 2010, 09:33:59 AM »

Have a blast Timothy and may all the huge fins find the end of your line.

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #10 on:** December 01, 2010, 09:41:28 AM »

Good luck hope you get many fish

CLS · « **Reply #11 on:** December 01, 2010, 10:26:38 AM »

Enjoy and keep us up dated, it is a fantastic place.

eric cotton · « **Reply #12 on:** December 01, 2010, 05:40:46 PM »

Some guys have all the lucks, And the small guy is he going with??????? Will be waiting for the report and PIC!!!! ENJOY and have a blast.

G!enn · « **Reply #13 on:** December 02, 2010, 01:15:16 AM »

I hope all of our good lucks and have all the blasts bring you all the luck with great fishing on your trip away!

Ps .. I would actually add a few % to the romance rather than take a few away for safe keeeping!

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2010, 12:52:49 PM »

Hi All.

Thanks all for the good wishes.
Got back from an awesome week and had to catch up on a few hours of sleep that were missing..

Before I start, I will give you all the best advice I can on how not to "catch something" you don't want to while on Zanzibar........

If you see a pretty little foreign tourist (Italian, German, French etc) on the island and you find yourself thinking that you could do with a holiday romance, ............ rather take a mental picture and keep walking!

I'm finding it hard to comment without being prejudice however my comments are more safety-related than race orientated.

Let's just say that if you were a local herd-boy or hotel security guard, you would be having the time of your life..
_____________________________________________________

Ok so back to the fishing.

We stayed on the North East side of the island at Metemwe Village.
There is a reef that sits +/- 800m off the main beach which can be reached by foot in knee deep water.
Good reef shoes are much needed as due to the accessibility of the reef, all forms of fish-life have been wiped out from the inner reef by the scores of "rapists" that walk the reef in search of things to plunder.
As a result, there are millions and millions of sea urchins that need to be carefully negotiated.

I had taken two rods with me in a travel tube however the airport staff somewhere along our trip mistook my "fragile" sticker for one that says "place foot here".
My Exceller rod ended up in three pieces and I now need to replace the front piece.

My Diawa Megaforce 8ft matched with my Exceller 4500, braid and several plugs and spoons then become my only source of fun and served me very well.

Day 1
The first boil and tail-slap behind my needle-nose plug sounded like my kids smacking a slop on the surface of our pool, and had my heart racing.

Within the first few casts, I had landed and safely released a 5 -6kg Kingy much to the disgust of the now-gathered locals who were hoping to receive the fish for food.
I thereafter caught several more in the same weight category however released all of them from where I was standing at the edge of the reef in waist deep water and so as to avoid the numbers of "rapists" decided not to take photos.

I even rescued a large Conch Shell with a creature still inside and threw it off the edge of the reef so that it could live a little longer and not be killed as well..
Once again, not received well by the local chicken-parade.

Capt. Hook · « **Reply #15 on:** December 10, 2010, 01:00:05 PM »

Geez, I have mixed feelings about your report. Although the thought of Zanzibar sounds great, it seems like its future is doomed....... which makes me very sad.
I also do not like the idea of the locals right there scavaging and trying to get you catch, to do this I do not need to travel and can do it at Inanda dam.

I understand that people need to live, but raping and plundering serves them no good and they are only destroying themselves.

How do you educate these guys, becasue this is the only way.

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #16 on:** December 10, 2010, 01:07:45 PM »

Day 2

We went out with one of Gerry's boats as my mate Nick's boat "Trinity" which is used in Gerry's fleet is in Dar Es Salaam getting repaired.

First day we trawled out to 11 Banks but blanked.
It is extremely hard to compete with the drift nets that are all over the ocean.
One of the nets we found was boiling with tuna inside however it's not as easy as merely drifting in to the nets and gaffing a few due to the fact that the Nganows and Dows (Local Boats) are always nearby and as such there will be HUGE sh*t if a charter vessel is found to be tampering with the local nets.

Day 3
We trawled around Mnemba Island which has an exclusive resort on the island that charges between USD2 - 2,5000 per person per night.
We ended with 1 small Barracuda of around 7kg and Jessy caught a female Dorrie of around 7kg.

Stopped to jig and plug on one of the pinnacles however I reefed a few times.
Nothing to show for the sore shoulders.

Prego · « **Reply #17 on:** December 10, 2010, 02:00:00 PM »

Yo Tim, Welcome back mate.

What happen to day 5-8

Did you get your rig sold yet?

Timothy Scriven · « **Reply #18 on:** December 10, 2010, 02:08:52 PM »

@ Prego

I decided that since I wasn't winning with the fish, I'd pay more attention to the Minister of Home Affairs.
..I'm proud to say day 5 - 8 were spend collecting shells and walking hand in hand on the beach.

My rig is still at PWS but not gone yet..

Prego · « **Reply #19 on:** December 10, 2010, 03:01:42 PM »

Quote from: Timothy Scriven on December 10, 2010, 02:08:52 PM

@ Prego

I decided that since I wasn't winning with the fish, I'd pay more attention to the Minister of Home Affairs.
..I'm proud to say day 5 - 8 were spend collecting shells and walking hand in hand on the beach.
I hear you mate!

My rig is still at PWS but not gone yet.. Bummer man, hopefully soon.

Author Topic: Getting ready for 8 days of Zanzibar (Read 5408 times)

Fishton

benniejordaan

TUNAMAN