Autumn 1995
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Editorial 73
As I write this editorial wearing just shorts, that wet cold winter seems a mile off, lakes flooded, rivers swollen, thoughts of everything else but fishing. The weather has now turned on its head and we have a heat wave, low water levels, and low oxygen levels. Along with your bait you must not forget the floppy hat and the sunscreen, or else return like a lobster. The fishing is about as good as the winter, well not quite, but on my sojourns out the opportunities to catch are focused in a couple of hours in the cool of the morning when the fish put in a brief appearance. This said, my trips to Harefield have been successful for the magnificent Tench, with fish to 5lbs 13oz from No2, and 4lb 12oz in No1, lets hope it cools down a bit, and more success forthcoming.
The Weed
In the close season Harefield No 2 was treated with herbicide, the decision was taken after much discussion with both yourselves, our landlords and the NRA. The results were moderate and areas were fishable. It was with some surprise that Terry Gibson told me of weed cutting in No 2 by the sailing base. What surprised us even more is the fact that the Society had previously discussed this most ineffective method of weed control with them and left them in no doubt this was not a solution to their or our problems. This discussion has obviously fell on deaf ears. In attempting to clear the centre of the lake this method just allows the dead weed to drift into the margins on the wind and finds spots to re root nullifying of all our work. The Secretary furious at this act, has written to out landlords to seek redress in this matter, a further update will be given at the members meeting which will be held on: 27th September Ruislip Manor Sports & Social Club
My thanks to those who submitted articles for this issue, to Jim Griffiths for a highly amusing tale of fishing as a naturist, and to Gary Blinco who gives us an insight into his honeymoon! Read on for the juicy bits! As always articles are required along with cover pictures, don't feel put off, we can do wonders with all sorts of material. My thanks go to HAS America correspondent, Mick Read for an article out of the publication 'Outdoor Life' for July 1995 entitled 'Carp Shoot' and details the worrying American sport of Bowfishing, lets hope Mike hasn't been tempted.
Rule Book
With this magazine you will find your new rule book as amended at the AGM, please read it and abide by it.
Steve Jenner
Those of you who came to the AGM will have heard of that Steve is to step down as an officer of the society at the next AGM because of his move Dorset. I would like to thank him for all his hard work for the society, much of it thankless and not recognised. As a colleague and good friend he will be missed both on the bank and off. I would like to wish him well.
Vince Sutton
My Last Season
Dear Friends,
Some of you will have already heard at the AGM that this will be my last season as a active member of the Harrow Angling Society. So there will be two vacancies on the Committee next year, Assistant Secretary and No2 Fishery manager. So now there is a chance for the moaners to put their ideas into action.
After nearly 20 years as a member of the Harrow Angling Society I've made a lot of friends, some of my closest friends I've met through the Society. There are also a lot of good memories, not only of fish caught, but also of the good times down at the lakes. After 20 years fishing the same waters, I'm still learning and I'm just about to start all over again with a new club on the south coast, where the pursuit of Bream, Tench and Carp will be running in second place behind Salmon (hopefully), Barbel and Chub from the Hampshire Avon and the Dorset Stour (eh Warren).
I would like to thank all the people who gave me advice and encouragement over the years and all the friends I've made, too many to mention here, but they know who they are, I only hope the man who gets the No 2 job gets as much help as I did.
Thanks to everybody
Steve Jenner
African Adventure - Fishing on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
As some of my friends in the Society will know, I married in February this year and for part of our honeymoon we visited Zimbabwe in southern East Africa. My wife, Wendy, was born in Zimbabwe (or Southern Rhodesia as it was then known) and as I had always wanted to go on a Safari based holiday it seemed the ideal place to go. We spent 10 days touring the country, experiencing the wonderful sights including the spectacular (but very wet!) Victoria Falls and the abundant wildlife in the National Parks. Our first three days were spent on Lake Kariba in the north of the country and it is this part of our trip that may be of interest to Harrow Angling Society members.
Lake Kariba was created by damming the Zambezi River and flooding a vast expanse of land downstream. The lake is approximately 175 miles long and over 25 miles across at its widest point, covering more than 1900 square miles, it is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. The lake has many shallow, weedy bays and large areas of submerged trees, evident by the numerous tree tops visible above the lake's surface. Over forty species of fish inhabit the lake providing excellent fishing possibilities for the angler.
I was hoping for the chance to do some fishing whilst I was there but did not know what opportunities might be available. I hadn't had chance to do much research prior to us leaving and I had decided against taking any fishing tackle with me as I thought that may be pushing my luck a little too far on Honeymoon! At the Bumi Hills Safari Lodge where we were staying for two nights I discovered that fishing trips were available, so one was duly arranged.
Nearly all fishing is carried out from boats on Kariba as this is the most efficient way of approaching such a large expanse of water and it is much safer than bank fishing in the vicinity of lion, buffalo, crocs and hippo! An experienced guide piloted our boat which came fully equipped with outboard motor, sun canopy and a cool-box full of drinks. All tackle and bait was supplied to fish for a variety of species.
From an angler's point of view, the Tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) is arguably Kariba's most famous and sought after resident. A smaller cousin of the monstrous Goliath Tigerfish (Hydrocynus Goliath) of Zaire, the Tigerfish is widely spread throughout the Zambezi water system of Zimbabwe and East Africa. It is a predatory fish vaguely similar in appearance to the Chub with a green-blue back and silvery flanks marked with distinctive horizontal, black stripes. Its concave fins and forked tail are orange-red and it also possesses an adipose fin. Without doubt though, the most striking feature of the Tigerfish is its fearsome set of teeth after which it must surely be named. Both upper and lower jaws are equipped with approximately ten large, canine-like teeth which appear to be completely out of proportion with the rest of the fish. A fish of 8 lbs or over is considered a very good fish and anything over 15 lbs is exceptional. The Zimbabwean rod caught record is a 34 lb specimen caught from Lake Kariba in 1962.
Its staple diet, and therefore one of the most popular baits for Tigerfish is the Kapenta, a small fish which is very similar in appearance and taste to our whitebait. Kapenta were introduced into Kariba as a food source and are fished for on a commercial basis. They may be presented as static or drifted deadbaits or fished sink and draw style. For best results the Kapenta should be as fresh as possible. Trolled or cast lures are also popular, particularly floating plugs and large spoons baited with either Kapenta or cubed fish. Livebaiting is also practised. Substantial tackle is required for the hard fighting Tigerfish, particularly as they tend to inhabit the very snaggy areas of Lake Kariba. A 9'-10' spinning rod, rated to around 60g and fixed spool reel with 12 - 15 lb line should be adequate. Wire traces are absolutely essential and good quality hooks and swivels should also be used. For bait fishing a simple rig consisting of wire trace and a large single hook is commonly used. Weight in the form of split shot or a drilled bullet can be added to suit conditions and one or two Kapenta mounted on the hook completes the rig. A fast and positive strike is necessary in order to set the hook in the toothy mouth of the Tigerfish. Areas to concentrate on include the deeper parts of the lake amongst the sunken trees, although Tigerfish do move into the shallows in preparation for spawning and it is therefore advisable to keep on the move, spending up to 1 hour in each likely location until fish are found.
Other Lake Kariba residents that provide good sport for the angler is a group of fishes known locally as Bream. These are not Bream as we know them but are predatory fish, Perch-like in appearance with a single spiny dorsal fin and growing to between 1 - 7 lbs in weight. Of the several sub-species that inhabit the Lake, the 'Robbie' (Serranochromis robustus jallae) is one of the larger and more popular sporting quarries. Lures will take the better specimens with spinnerbaits and crank-baits being top of the list. Other Bream species such as the 'Mozie', 'Rendalli' or 'Thinface Largemouth' can be caught on very small spinnerbaits and small Mepps type spinners. Alternatively light float tackle and worms fished amongst the marginal weeds and water lilies will provide lots of sport with the smaller Bream.
The Lake is also home to carp, bass and giant catfish called 'Vundu' that grow to weights in excess of 100 lb.
As for our fishing trip, I managed to catch several Bream up to about 1/2 lb fishing in the Lake's margins using light tackle and worms. We then moved to deeper water amongst the sunken trees and with heavier tackle, fished for Tigers during the last hour of the trip. I hooked and lost a small Tiger of about a pound which took a Kapenta on the retrieve. In apparently typical and spectacular fashion, on feeling the strike the fish leapt clear of the water and threw the hook. This highlighted the need for a fast, hard strike but unfortunately no more chances came my way.
Excellent facilities are available for the holiday angler on Kariba ranging from fishing camps to 3 and 4 star luxury safari lodges. Hire of tackle is available and is probably the most sensible option for the angler just wishing to go on one or two short fishing trips in between other holiday activities. For the angler on a dedicated fishing holiday it is worth taking your own tackle, bearing in mind that there will not be much tackle for sale around Kariba. Plenty of spare line, hooks, leads etc. should be taken as loss of tackle is inevitable and sun creams and insect repellent are essential.
Fishing on Kariba is carried out in spectacular surroundings and provides an excellent opportunity for game viewing. During our afternoon trip we saw fish eagles, a giant kingfisher, hippo, crocodile and elephant. In fact, we enjoyed the whole experience of Zimbabwe and Lake Kariba so much that we will certainly return at sometime in the future to see more of the country and hopefully, next time I'll catch one or two of those Tigerfish!
Gary Blinco - Aug '95
Tench
Dear Mr Webb,
On the advice of a fellow member, I thought I would write to tell you about some Tench experiences at Rowley this season. The first occasion was in October whilst fishing with Ian Potter. we were fishing from the island on a very wet and slightly cold day. After a morning and early afternoon without a touch, the early evening saw a lively 6lb Tench for me. On such a dismal day and heading towards twilight we both thought that was probably it for the day, but about half an hour later Ian hooked and landed a magnificent 7lb Tench from the other side of the lily pads to mine. Both fish were taken on boilies: mine on mini's, Ian on standards. We both came away thinking, "Tench on a cold wet October day; outrageous!"
However, things took another turn this week when I was fishing, again from the island, for late season Carp (call me an optimist!). It was mild for February, but still warranted several layers of clothing and the weather moved from sunshine to hail storm, to rain and back to sun again.
Again after a quiet morning with only the occasional tail bite the keep things interesting, the afternoon saw first a Tench of 5lb and then an hour later a second fish of 5lbs. Both fish were in good condition but for a few parasites on their sides and were again taken on boilies. The catches were seen by a fellow angler from the other bank and it was he that suggested that I write.
Neither he nor myself had taken Tench in February before and therefore thought that you would be interested to hear that Rowley is fishing so well.
Colin Peters
Award of Trophies 1995/6 Season
Harrow Angling Society Cup - Harefield No 1 Excluding Pike and Carp
Winner J.Burrows Tench 6 lb 8oz
Runner Up D,Edgar Tench 6 lb 7oz
Commended I.Kempster Tench 5 lb 4oz
Commended D.Edgar Bream 5 lb 12oz
Mick Read Shield - Harefield No2 Excluding Pike & Carp
Winner R.Wildey Tench 6 lb 12oz
Runner Up C.P.Taylor Tench 6 lb 6oz
Commended B.Smith Bream 7 lb 8oz
Ken Miller Rowley Lake Trophy - Excluding Pike and Carp
Winner Charlotte James Tench 5 lbs
Commended D.Rojewski Tench 5 lb 2oz
Commended I.Kempster Tench 4 lbs
Ladies Cup
Winner Sharon Millard Pike 11 lb
Ron Porter Memorial Cup - For Juniors
Winner D.Edgar Tench 6 lbs 7oz No1
Runner Up D.Edgar Pike 20 lbs 2oz No2
Harrow Angling Society Carp Bowl
Winner D.Rojewski 21lbs Rowley
Runner Up D.Rojewski 20 lb 12oz Rowley
Commended D.Edgar 20 lbs Rowley
Steve Jenner Pike Shield
Winner D.Edgar 20 lb 2oz No2
Runner Up A.Hague 19 lb 10oz No2
Commended D.Edgar 18 lb 8oz Rowley
Les Mead Memorial Trophy - Best Magazine Article Vince Sutton the magazine editor decided that the best contribution to the magazine was submitted by Gary Blinco with his 'African Adventure - fishing on lake Kariba, Zimbabwe', published in the September issue.
Frank Webb Hon Curator