Zambezi vs Barbel showdown in the Umzimkulu

Zambezi vs Barbel showdown in the Umzimkulu

Unbelievably, the remains of what could have been a 6 foot long barbel, washed up next door to the Umzimkulu Marina, just last week. The mouth was closed, but the action in the river certainly wasn’t. The guys fishing at Spillers down the way, reported hearing, but not seeing, huge attacks out off the wharf. We have been seeing a free jumping Zambezi up and down the river for months now. And many bust ups have been reported.

Judging by the size and shape of the bite marks, and the incisions made by shark teeth, this was a hefty shark. Zambezi for sure. It’s not the acrobatic jumping Zambezi we have been seeing around. He is only about two metres. This one looks huge.

There have been so many shark sightings and encounters in the Umzimkulu, since the sand miners pumped out all the sand. Right from the deep corner under the Fish Eagles roost, all the way up past the bridge and further, is deeeeeep water! Some places 8 metres or so. The average depth has also increased and the Umzimkiulu offers more draft in the channels than the Umzimvubu (Port St Johns) nowadays.

It’s not only the sharks that have taken advantage of this recently restored river, a brace of outsized garrick were spotted terrorising mullet recently at the slipway at the Umzimkulu Marina. Many lovely kob have been coming out, in the deep channels, on live mullet. Weight your bait and bang! Some of the rock salmon we have hooked lately have been merciless. Straight into the rocks.

But the story of the season definitely goes to the unknown angler who pulled in this beast. He weighed in with the biggest kob recorded in the Kulu ever. A whopping 42 kgs’s. He promises to release the next one. But this one he got on 6kg line and a light stick, which tired the big fish out.

To come fishing in The Umzimkulu, get in touch on umzimkulu@gmail.com and we can put a package together for you.

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