Shoot’n, Fish’n ‘n’ Hunt’n

Tigerfish Introduction:

The tigerish is one of the most sought after, and probably the most spectacular of Africa’s freshwater gamefish. So named because of their stripped body and large, prominent canine teeth, they are great fighters capable of blistering runs and spectacular leaps. The tigerfish is also a willing taker of lures, baits and flies and this adds to its appeal and reputation as one of the great freshwater sportfish of the world. The tigerfish is truly Africa’s toothy sportfish.

                      The premier freshwater sportfish of Africa; the Tigerfish.

There are five species of tigerfish:

•  Hydrocynus vittatus: is the most widely distributed ranging from the Nile in northern Africa to the Pongola River in Natal, South Africa,
• Hydrocynus forskahlii: is a smaller species, of tigerfish, found in northern and western Africa,
• Hydrocynus tanzaniae: found in the eastward flowing rivers of Tanzania and in the Ruaha and Rufiki river systems,
• Hydrocynus brevis: as name implies, this is a small species of tigerfish from Nilo-Sudan, Upper Guinea, Cameroon, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast, and
• Hydrocynus goliath (Goliath Tigerfish): is the ‘big daddy‘ of the tigerfish clan and can grow to over 50kg (110lb) but is found only in the Congo River, it’s major tributaries and in Lake Tanganyika (where very few have actually been caught).

As the most commonly encountered tigerfish is Hydrocynus vittatus, most of the comments in this article refer to that species.

Kariba International Tigerfish Tournament:

The tigerfish’s reputation, and following, has becomes so great that each year, in the month of October and for nearly 40 years, the Kariba International Tiger Fish Tournament (KITFT) has been held at Kariba, Zimbabwe. Hundreds of teams compete in this tournament and competitors come from all over the world. This is in addition to the thousands of fishermen and women, both local and international, who make the pilgrimage to fish for the might tigerfish throughout the rest of the year.  In addition, many keen fly fishermen venture to Tanzania to chase the trophy sized tigerfish of that country (see: Tourette Fishing).

About Tigerfish:

In addition to its fighting ability, few fishermen would be able to avoid being impressed and awed by the teeth of a tigerfish.  The tigerfish is a member of the family Characidae to which also belongs the infamous piranha of South America. One look at the dental work of a tigerfish and you are left with no doubt about this. The scientific name, for tigerfish, hydrocynus translates as ‘water dog’ which further emphasises the nature of the tigerfish’s dental armoury.

                             The ‘business end’ of a tigerfish.

Tigerfish also appear to be quite curious and are often attracted to noise. Divers in Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba are often visited by inquisitive tigerfish. Similarly, tigerfish are attracted to the sound of outboard engines and some local fishermen will run the engine, from time to time, to try and entice tigers into their area. This trait might also explain why trolling can be so effective.

Tigerfish are a shoaling species and these shoals often patrol large areas searching for food. They will eat most fish, including their own kind, which can be up to 40% of their own length. For this reason, shoals of tigerfish usually consist of fish of approximately the same size.

The tigerfish is a very distinctive fish and cannot be mistaken for any other species.  A streamline and powerful fish with a large, swept back forked-tail, a mouthful of large canine teeth and prominent black stripes along the body being the most striking features. The body is mostly silver along the flanks but can be light grey to dark blue on the upper surfaces. The dorsal fin is usually a medium grey while the tail and other fins feature red, orange or yellow highlights. The mouth is extremely bony and notoriously hard to sink a hook into.

Tigerfish World Record

The current world, all tackle record for tigerfish (hydrocynus vittatus) is a 16.12kg (35lb 7oz) fish taken from Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. The current all tackle record, for the Goliath tigerfish is 44.09kg (97lb) but there have been credible reports of fish exceeding 60kg (132lb) having been caught. With a fish of this size, and with the teeth that go with it, it is not surprising that there have been reports of Goliath tigerfish attacks on humans; at least one of which was fatal. However, even the smaller hydrocynus vittatus has been implicated in attacks on humans as featured in one episode of the TV series ‘River Monsters’.

In the next parts of this article, I will talk about where to find tigerfish and how to catch them on bait, lure and fly.

© Copyright 2017 Robert Pretty