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Fishing Tackle
Uganda : Fishing for monster Nile perch
28 April 2009
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I had no idea that water could simply explode, but I have found a very special place where indeed it does. When the mighty Nile is unceremoniously squeezed through the narrow gap that is Murchison Falls in Uganda, so the water quite literally explodes amongst the steep walls, sending up great fountains of spray and soaking the surrounding countryside with a wet sheen of turbulent, precious African water. Standing above these falls simply does not do them justice; you need to tread the long path downwards and stand at plunge-pool level. Not for nothing is this turbulent “pool” know as the Devil’s Cauldron, for a name as extreme as this is needed to encapsulate the sheer, unbridled ferocity of so much water writhing, dancing and spewing forth, all at the same time.
But there is a fish that lives here, a fish that grows to such large proportions that actually the mind slightly boggles at how such bulk enables a fish to inhabit conditions so treacherous. But the Nile perch is nothing if not resilient, with huge glowing eyes that surely must have extra special capabilities for seeing all manner of sorry prey, and such muscled flanks that serve to give the intrepid angler a gloriously torrid time. And Nile perch are eminently catchable with all manner of techniques. A very seriously aggressive predator of a fish swimming in an area where water simply explodes : yet another perfect mix that only Africa can provide for the travelling fisherman.
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Now in fact the Nile perch is meant to be a fish of the lakes, such as Victoria, Albert and Nasser, but for some reason they have taken up serious residence at Murchison Falls and all along this stretch of the Nile. Nobody is quite sure whether they stay and breed in the area or simply travel to and from the downstream Lake Albert at various times of the year. My own hunch is that with so many prey fish innocently minding their own business around Murchison, then surely these huge perch would be fools to leave and expend precious energy commuting between the lake and the river. Why leave a natural larder ?
Like a lot of fishing in Africa, it does help if the angler goes both with a mind that is open to all kinds of fishing techniques, and also the ability to carry out these methods. I can not stand here and say that the dedicated fly-only fisherman will have great success at Murchison all of the time, but if that same angler goes prepared to cast lures and fish with livebaits as well, then so the chances are hugely increased. Naturally there is a certain amount of colour to the water anyway, and I saw a couple of big fish turn at large flies fished just out of the main currents, but we also had incredibly torrential rain one night and this really put the fish off looking at flies. But then how fantastically they switched on to our livebaits.
Uganda sadly comes saddled with an ugly past, like so many African countries, but for a few years now numbers of tourists have been heading to this fascinating and diverse country. A third of the world’s bird species can be found in this country, and quiet national parks abound with game and of course the famous gorillas and chimpanzees are there to see if you go to the right places. Murchison Falls itself is part of a huge national park. Lakes and rivers crawl with fish. You can even get a direct flight from London. Our winter is great for fishing out there. What more incentive does the adventurous fisherman need ?
I have to admit to a disliking for trolling lures behind boats for hours on end, but this is how many of the monster perch are caught in the lakes. Happily though this kind of fishing just can not happen around Murchison; certain innaccessible areas can be accessed with boats, but really the place is about fishing from the river bank. A certain level of fitness is required for the long walk down to and up from the river back to the main path, especially in the midday sun, but its nothing too strenuous. If you fish with the right people then you will not believe firstly where it is possible to walk (or scramble) to around here, and secondly the kinds of waters that perch are to be found in. From the turbulent washing-machine kind of angry maelstrom that is fishing in the Devil’s Cauldron, to casting lures and drifting livebaits in the “relative” calm of a few hundred yards or so downriver from the main falls.
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The actual fishing is simplicity itself, for there is simply no point carting loads of complicated tackle around and these fish will happily tear to pieces any notions of fancy set-ups. Remember that perch to over 200 lbs have been caught from this area and that is a very serious lump of fish; if that kind of monster gets out of a back-eddy or pool and into the main current, there is nothing on this earth that is going to put the brakes on. The parallels with masheer fishing in southern India are really quite close.
The perch do tend to feed well in the eddies, swirls and natural bays just out of the main current, for in truth the water running down directly off the falls is seemingly too strong for anything. Indeed I saw a couple of dead hippos tumbling around, waiting to be taken further downstream to some horribly large crocodiles when the river decides to let them go. But soon enough the main current starts to mellow and spread out, giving all manner of fishing spots to the intrepid angler. Here though I would really caution for the need of a proper guide; of course there is nothing to stop anybody heading to Murchison, purchasing the relevant permits and then trying their luck. But this is remote Africa and this river and terrain demands very serious skill and knowledge; put a foot wrong at your peril. You will meet few guides as enthusiastic, knowledgeable, skilful and just plain “great to spend time with” as Alastair Brew.
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The hit from a Nile perch is savage, perhaps even as savage as the volume of water spewing forth from the falls; indeed, is not the symmetry perfect ? A few times I cast big lures not fifteen yards, aiming to put them under specific tree branches and current seams, and then watched open-mouthed as a perch came from nowhere and literally smashed into the imitation like an angry buffalo. I continually risked line breakages and tried to give the fish virtually no searing runs to work me over, but these fish will always find a way to remove some line from your reel. A fish over fifty pounds is going to do something.
Livebaits are fished under a balloon, perhaps six feet under the surface, and quickly you learn where the bait likes to swim, where the current wants to take it, and of course, where the predators are likely to lurk. Perhaps the float simply flies under and everything goes tight in your hands, but greater excitement to me comes when the fish seems to charge into the bait and move off with purpose. You can watch the float career across the surface, perhaps even feel a momentary sadness for the fate of the bait, and then quickly gauge the exact moment to set that hook.
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A place as wild as this demands a hands-on approach to staying there. We camped in real comfort above the falls where the sound of the river and the hippo grunts lulled one into an exhausted sleep every night. Quickly one falls into the rhythm of fishing in Africa; up early, a couple of cups of strong coffee and then on down to the water’s edge to fish for a few hours. Wipe the sweat from the brow as you climb back to base camp and then relax over a late breakfast, cooked out in the open under the biggest skies in the world. Relax, take it easy, prepare for the afternoon ahead; perhaps you need to sharpen your hooks, maybe the line on your reel needs renewing, always know that fish of this size will exploit any weakness they can find. As the heat of the day starts to burn off, once more make your way down the winding path to take your turn at trying to conquer one of the world’s great freshwater fish. The very thought that fish over 200 lbs are swimming where I am fishing is enough to induce the odd heart flutter at every bite. I can get my head around fish of the sea reaching those lofty weights, but to fish a river where true leviathans lurk is something of a fishing pinnacle. The mighty Nile hides many a jewel; just imagine seeing a fish that big. Monsters hide within Murchison Falls, make no mistake.