Good products and services can really help you achieve the most from your time spent fishing. We will not post a review if we feel any product is unsatisfactory, or not up to the job. In which case, our product reviews are more like content than advertising. We take the risk for you…and deliver the lowdown – in a thorough test drive type report.
Early winter mornings down on the Umzimkulu River are crisp and still…it’s just before first light that you got to stalk down to the river bank, and get in a few quiet casts.
The flatheads are aggressive estuary feeders and put up a great bucking bronco type fight, using that big flat forehead to present drag. The strike was a solid thud and the fish immediately headed for the bottom and sulked their for some time. When I finally moved the fish, he took off upstream against a kilo of drag?! Eventually he got tired and I pulled him onto the floating dock, much to my shoal of dogs’ delight! And mine.
So it’s called a Bar Tail Flathead, a River Gurnard, a Sandfish, a Flagtail or a Dusky flathead…actual name… Platycephalus fuscus. Great to catch and to eat…but this guy went back as part of the fishtube.tv initiative, otherwise I would’ve eaten it!
The MYDO Luck Shot Mini, available here for now and soon in tackle shops, is a versatile and fun lure for everyone and for many fishing styles, fish species and applications. This time I was moving it along the bottom much like I would be for bass, the head feeds back and gives me complete control of the action over the flat mud bottom. That flathead just pounced on what he thought was a flailing injured baitfish.
When we were in Barra, Mozambique a few weeks back, we trolled the small Luck Shot Mini with the Rapalas and the yellowfin tuna could not leave it alone. It actually breaks the surface at higher speed, and creates a smoke trail much like a kona or a plug?! Unfortunately we were acting in a TV show and couldn’t use any of the material shot that day.
I was lucky enough this morning to be joined by two guests staying at the lodge, who had some experience with the camera…and they got this great one off…many thanks ladies!
Len Matthews with his boat Mafuta, and crew were in Chidinguele, in Southern Mozambique, in May recently. The reports and photographs are astounding.
From Len…
“Hi Sean,
Thanks for your quick reply.I have taken a quick look at your MYDO Luck Shot
and I agree, you have a winner!!
You are most welcome to use the pic (I will send more) in your mag. This was
from a trip to Chidenguele in Moz from 23 – 30 May ’14. We caught a ton (yes
a TON) of fish in 5 days!!!, Most of them on no 2 and 3 MYDO’s.
The pic shows 17 Couta caught in 3hrs, 1 under 10kg and 11 over 15kg, ALL
caught on MYDO’s!!! We also got a saily and snoek on MYDO’s, and hooked an
estimated 220kg Blue Marlin on the same no 3’s.
One of the 5 days we parked on a shoal of cob and got a bunch n 2 1/2hrs!!!
Regards,
Len.”
Now that’s a fishing trip!
Dustin Volker, in the proverbial green room, not far from Casa Algodoal, in Tofo, Inhambane, Mozambique, this week already. Casa Algodoal is top drawer modern holiday living…with unobstructed views out over Praia da Tofo.
Tofo is a favourite beach destination, and is scattered with backpackers, surfers, divers and travelers out in the warm winter sun looking for adventure.
The diving is world class and many Scuba operators offer all kinds of diving and all kinds of reefs. Humpback whales, dolphins and whale sharks frequent the clear warm waters of Inhambane, and you don’t have to blow bubbles to swim with them…take an ocean safari and snorkel if you like!
The famous calm clear waters of Inhambane Bay are home to seahorses, dugongs, starfish, panzy shells…all sorts, and the bay is great for swimming and snorkeling with whole family. And you can get a boat to the islands or Linga Linga across the bay.
The “manne” can book deep sea fishing trips to target tuna, wahoo, king mackerel and billfish…black marlin, striped marlin and sailfish are all taken off Tofo regularly…which is just down the coast from the famed Bazaruto Archipelago.
Inhambane town is a wonder on it’s own, attractive old buildings, some from centuries ago, characterise the overall state of Mozambique. The place can be challenging but if you maintain your senses and take it on…it’s extremely rewarding.
Contact Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com to make a booking.
A quick visit to the Wedge Surfboard factory in Umzumbe, by Craig Sinclair, with a load of surfboards in for repair, after the carnage left by the swell over the last spring tide.
One broken, 2 with fins out and a smash into the “My Little Pony”.
Gary and Justin Maisch (and company) are busy with all sorts of projects in and around producing quality and deadly surfboards every day. Ding repairs can be requested and slotted into the hectic production schedule though.
