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Tofo in season again…

Fish, surf, cycle, snorkel, scuba, swim, suntan, shop, eat and party. Everything for everyone here in Tofo as the nicest season gets underway.
Families and foreign tourists line the beaches and in the market you can hear the buzz as seafood harvesters negotiate with vendors who negotiate with tourists and so on.
Yes, Tofo in March is special…and sets the tone for the next few months of idyllic weather and ocean conditions.
Fortunately it gets quite full here in March, but not overcrowded. A welcome change from the absolute quiet of February and it’s sweltering heat.
Check out the advertising columns on thesardine.co.za for many options on acommodation, restaurants and fun activities.

The following pics were shot yesterday morning on Tofo Beach…

Joao Magulu is the best Natal Stumpnose hunter I have ever encountered. These fish he gets on handline in the shallow troughs down at Bamboozi and beyond.

Bicycles are great for cruising the beaches and streets of Tofo. At low tide you can ride to Barra and back with ease.

Sunbathing out front of Fatima’s Nest, a favourite for backpacker tourists.

You never what you might find on the ride to Barra!

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Surviving the heat: Barra to Linga Linga and back…

Co-ordinating the large crowd to our Barra mooring… Johnny English did a sterling job and had us under steam to Linga Linga at 11am.

The mid day sun tried to roast us on the hour long sail to Linga…but shade and excellent grilled chicken was waiting. Trolling lures never produced anything but we were treated to the amazing sight of a stingray flying through the air 3m high. Twice!
Great trip on the all new party boat -‘ Babalaza’. Powered by a twin cylinder Lister diesel, she rides soft and stable…with a draft of a few inches only!
Call us on +258 840 666 471 if you have a special occasion you’d like to make extra special. We can collect anywhere in the Inhambane bay…and can load entire kitchens with fridges if necessary.
Otherwise. The food at Linga Linga is great and the beer cold…a fantastic lunchtime break from the heat and action…

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Jimmy Bonefish!

Jimmy Bonefish!

Anyone who has fished the point at Tofinho, in Inhambane, Mozaambique, will have been impressed by Jimmy Bonefish’s skills. Fishing with a rod and a handline, he consistently produces  the best catches…sometimes hauling in two fish at once. I have seen Jimmy coming back from fishing at night with 2 queenfish, 2 kingfish and a huge couta!
Subsistence fishing rock n surf must be one of the biggest challenges available as far as career choices go. But Jimmy handles it with aplomb. Targeting big gamefish at night, off a 20ft high point made of razor sharp rock! On his own!

Jimmy Bonefish with another potential world record bonefish, that frequent his local fishing spot at Tofinho
Jimmy Bonefish with another potential world record bonefish, that frequent his local fishing spot at Tofinho often

These huge bonefish weigh around 10kg’s are are readily encountered, and caught, in the surf zone, all around the Tofinho headland.

Other subsistence guys fish off the cliffs right into broken and foaming white water, where they pull out smaller bones by the bunch. Perfect live baits for kingfish and other mean backline predators. These guys only have handlines.

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South Coast to Tofo

Setting out from Pumula at 4:30am, we made Swaziland in great time. The roads are good and the Sunday traffic was minimal.

Not too many journeys feature Giraffe families along the side of the road…
Passing through Pongola into Swaziland we encountered this adult and a bunch of smaller guys a little further into the bush. Monkeys and bird life kept us entertained driving through this piece of Zululand.

Swaziland featured more cops than wildlife. But again…the traffic was quiet and soon the Goba border post came into view. Mozambique!

The Frenzy checking out the biltong shop in Pongola…

We stopped for a layover at the awesome Casa Lisa, north of Maputo. Great all round experience.

And finally made Tofo. 15 hours of driving over two days, Barry Krause of Fairwinds did a sterling job and only got speed trapped once. 1000 mets fine. Got receipt. Evidence of the recent floodwaters was everywhere especially in the Xai Xai area, but on the whole the affected places have recovered completely and life is back to normal.

Tofo Point in the morning…

March weather is just around the corner but it’s still hot as hell here. This is certainly the quitest time of the year for Mozambique. Everyone just biding time until the next holiday/season.

The fishing is very good though. Loads of couta…a few big ones. The sea alive…all kinds of baitfish in the netter’s catches. The water is 26 to 28 degrees and blue blue blue. We normally have a little sailfish run at this time…let’s see!

(above) Netters rowing past Praia da Congiana this morning…

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