Catch n Release in Mozambique
I was early up each morning, Guinjata a few years back, about 5, meeting up with a little kid from the Free State. We had baitcasters for saltwater, and could pump a dropshot for miles, especially in the prevailing offshores.
What we did was stick a little fly at the leader knot about a metre up from of the dropshot.
The baby Kingies were wild for the combo!
After a few days, a little local kid came down and sat watching us. But not with any enthusiasm.
So after about 20 released baby GT’s, so cute and lively as they swam away each time…the little local boy came up to me with a very serious face on.
“If you let go one more fish…I call police!”.
In dismay, I kind of obliged, and the free stater kid and I walked slowly away.
And then another time…
At Pomene again, but a long, long time ago…you could, at spring low, make the few kilometres by running over the soft sandbanks at dead low tide, to where the estuary mouth narrowed with a strong and deep flow of water. The kingfish love this place, and as we got there…they were smashing the hapless baitfish right into the shallows, and all around our feet!
It was a few casts with a nice big dropshot and bang!
A solid hour later, I was reviving the yellowfin of about 12kg’s, in the current, and across the water, a gathering of locals were admiring my feat- or so I thought.
After a few minutes, the most beautiful kingfish swam away – I was ecstatic.
Only then did my senses come to me, and I looked up to the most irate crowd of locals. They were appalled with me, and amid threats and threatening gestures, I appreciated the small expanse of high running water between us, and turned tail and ran for the tide and safety.
