‘FANTASTIC FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY – KAINGU
FISHING/SAFARI LODGE SET ON THE BEAUTIFUL KAFUE RIVER’ .............................
Africa-Angler.com is proud to introduce our fishing and safari trip at KaingU Safari Lodge. The KaingU Safari Lodge is set on the banks of the Kafue River above Itezhitezhi Reservoir, 200 miles upstream from the confluence with the mighty Zambezi. Accommodation is in our ‘meru-style’ luxury thatched tents on rosewood platforms with private decks OR one of our Family Houses with 2 bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms/shower, an outdoor shower, a living area and a private deck overlooking the river. This is a comfortable, well-run, small lodge and privately-owned. Guests’ comfort is primary here and there are many activities to keep the adventure traveller on the go all day long. All activities, fishing, bush-walks, canoe trail, overnights in the bush-camp, cultural visits etc are included in this package. It is the guests who decide on their activities program and as we are a small 12 bed lodge, the staff are able to organize these activities according to the wishes of the guests. There is no set activities program. Guests can also decide to spend a night or two in the new bush camp in the Park (no fishing there though).
THE FISHING Although the Kafue River is a tributary of the Zambezi, surprisingly there are no Tiger Fish in the area. When it comes to fishing, the Kafue is ideal for sport anglers who want to catch fish from 1/2lb – 30lb!! The Kafue is home to yellow belly/largemouth Bream (Nembwe) that can grow to over 8lbs, large Sharptooth Catfish (especially in the ‘home pool’ in front of the lodge, Yellow Barbel, African Pike, Yellow Fish, lots of other ‘bream’ and a host of other great hard-fighting species. We operate on a catch-and-release policy in order to preserve stocks of these incredible fish, but sometimes we do take a bream or two for the table. Delicious, especially if you have caught it yourself! Fishing can be combined with all our other activities and the lodge can supply basic tackle, although we recommend serious fishermen and fly anglers to bring their own gear. Fishing is done from boats or off the rocks and banks should guests prefer. The river is beautiful in every sense and with cascades and waterfalls, wide stretches and wildlife all around, this is a stunning destination for anglers of all ages.
TACKLE TALK We suggest the following gear for KaingU Fishing/Safari trips: RODS AND REELS 2 x Medium 6’6”-7’6” bait casting or spinning rods with bait casting or spinning reels with capacity of min. 120m of 50-60lb braid. These outfits will handle casting and using small - medium lures like minnowbaits, jerk baits and also for fishing plastic worm and jigs. 1 x Medium/Light 6’6”-7’6” spinning rod matched spinning reel with capacity for min.120m of 10-20lb braid. This much lighter outfit will give your arms and wrists a rest and will allow you to easily use plastic worms, jigs and smaller minnowbaits and spinners. For fly fishermen, 6-8wt fly rods should be matched with good, smooth drag system reels and loaded with a tropical, fast-sinking 200-300 grain, a tropical intermediate and a tropical floating fly lines, all with at least 100m of 30lb backing. Leaders are 1.5m-2m of 10-20lb straight nylon tied directly to the fly line. We advise a good pair of stripping gloves unless you want another lifeline burnt into your palm!! CAT FISH A slightly heavier rod and reel set-up can be used for Sharptooth Catfish. The hook is baited with fish cutbait and lobbed out into a deep hole. You do not need to strike when using circle hook rigs as the Cat will hook itself when running with the bait, with a 100% hook up rate in the corner of the mouth. Just raise the rod slowly, tighten the line and not striking for a good hook set!
LURES FOR KAFUE RIVER PREDATORS 5-6 x small-medium cigar-shaped stick baits like Rapala Skitter Walks can used with a walk-the-dog, side to side, swishing action that ‘sways’ the lure like a snake across the water. This is a lure to be used when fish are being really aggressive and crashing on the surface. 2-3 x small Poppers can also work well and if used properly, they catch a good number of fish. They should spit and gurgle and spray water in front, or pop. The best we have found is the small-medium Skitter Pop or the Chug Bug skimmed along the surface or quickly popped. 6-8 x small Minnow baits and crank baits from 2-4” will always work well in most situations and our choices are shallow running Rapala X Raps, Fat Raps, X Rap Sub Walk, Rattle Traps, Cotton Cordell Redfins etc. 4-5 x deeper diving lures like the small-medium Rapala Tail Dancers and X Raps can be cast out and worked in the deeper pools and drop-offs. Great lures for bigger fish in the depths, like below cascades and rapids. 20-30 x mixed plastic worms and grubs fished on jigheads and Texas-rigged worm hooks. Cast behind rocks and over structure, crawled or jigged, these are real fish-catching baits. 4-5 x Spoons and other bright spinners like Mepps will sometimes catch more fish than plastic lures and flies. Work areas thoroughly with these lures at various depths until you find where they are. Great prospecting lures for all sizes of fish. 5-10 x small 1/4 - 1/2 oz spinnerbaits, cast to all likely structure and also close to the margins and slow-rolled can induce some great strikes from Nembwe and Pike.
FLIES Normally anglers will use 6-8wt fly rods with interchangeable reels of floating, intermediate and fast-sinking, 10-20lb straight mono leader and a shiny streamer fly. Predatory fish are everywhere in the system but love fast water, cascades, ends of rapids etc. and the glides below. Cast to rocks and structure and fast strip your fly back to the boat. Most fish are anglerfriendly in that they will not head straight for structure when hooked, but instead make fast runs, especially the Yellow Fish. Nembwe, tilapia, bream and sharptooth cats will attack smaller flies. Fly patterns for Kafue predators, in general, are either tied in 2-4” longprofile streamer flies with lots of flash in Deceiver, Clousers and other streamer patterns, with and without weighted eyes or even popper-type surface flies that provide plenty of noise and action on the surface Usually a fast strip is used on streamer flies and a series of gentle, constant ‘spits’ for surface flies. Don’t waste too much time on too elaborate fly patterns as they will get destroyed quickly, especially by smaller fish!! Go simple!
WILDLIFE AND SAFARIS This venue is aimed both at the game viewer and birder as well as the avid lure and fly fisherman. The incredible diversity of game and birdlife on the Kafue River is a photographer’s dream world come true, especially in the low water season from September to December when animals come from all over in their hundreds to take a cool bath and drink water. There is such an abundance of wildlife in the region and with Kudu, Water Buck, Buffalo, Elephant, Hippos, Gazelle, the list goes on and on ………….. Wildlife is in abundance around the camp and along the river. Game viewing is made on Bush Walks and in the Park in open vehicles.
CLOTHES We recommend clients follow the list of items below to keep it simple and as lightweight as possible. Laundry is done daily, so only one or two changes of clothes are needed at camp. Clothes here in general are shorts or long pants, a shirt, a fleece in cooler weather and a hat!! One change of clothes can be used for travelling. For travelling: 1 x pair lightweight shoes, socks, underwear, light jacket, 1 x light shirt and long cargo pants with pockets for documents, money, passport etc. This outfit can also serve as fishing clothes to save on additional weight.
For fishing and safari: 1 x wide brimmed hat or fishing cap with neck cape, 2 x lightweight shorts or long pants (zip-off’s are a good idea and can also be used as travel pants), 2 x lightweight, long or short-sleeved shirts with pockets (can also be used as travel shirt), 1 x pair of either CROCS, sandals or similar comfortable boat shoes, 1 x fleece, 1 x lightweight rain suit/jacket and 2 x pairs of polarised sunglasses (in case you lose one pair), 1 x pair light safari/trekking shoes.
OTHER RECOMMENDED GEAR It gets hot out there in the full sun, often over 90ᾒC, so come well protected with good-quality sun-block with at least 50-75 SPF. Lip cream is essential. We fish in areas that have mosquito and other insect activity, so bring a high DEET content insect repellent just in case. Bring any personal medications and allow for headaches, stomach upsets, fevers, infections, allergies etc. And also personal toiletries, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, shaving gear etc. A small amount of talcum powder is a good asset in the jungle for those hidden, sweaty areas! Reading books/magazines/Kindle, pen and paper for notes. Small torch/headlight and spare batteries Camera(s), interchangeable lenses, batteries etc. Binoculars Multi-tool Boga Grip or similar fish holding/weighing device. Remember, they’ve all got teeth!!!!
TRANSFERS, SCHEDULES AND COSTS
Day 1: Arrive in Lusaka, meet our representative and road and boat transfer to KaingU Safari Lodge. Guests will be taken via the newly reopened Spinal Road to the boat launching site in the park from where guests are taken by boat across the Kafue river to KaingU Safari Lodge (boat 20 minutes). The entire transfer is about 5 hours. Day 2 - 6: Enjoy your time in total comfort at KaingU lodge and/or new bush camp and take advantage of all the activities available. Day 7: Boat and road transfer back to Lusaka (5 hours).
COSTS: *Example for 6 nights, 5 days: 2 persons sharing . . . . . . . . . . $2,460 pp 4 persons (2 each sharing) . . . $2,355 pp * All costs above will be increased by Zambian law by 16% VAT (Value Added Tax). Included: Transfers from Lusaka and return, accommodation, activities, laundry, house wines, drinks, all meals, VAT, park fees. Not included: International airfares to and Lusaka Airport, tipping, passports, visas, meals other than in camp, costs associated with medical advice and medications for your trip, lures, specialised fishing tackle etc. Transfer from Lusaka to river. (approx. $400 return max. 4 people).
** All above costs are charged in US dollars and payments made in any other currency will be adjusted at the exchange rate at time of payment. ***A 50% deposit is required to reserve places when booking. The remaining payment is due 90 days before arrival in Zambia.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Health Information: Travellers must note that on entering Zambia immigration, they may be asked to present an up-to-date YELLOW FEVER vaccination certificate. This is now law in Zambia. The Lower Zambezi is a malaria affected area so appropriate prophylactic like Malarone is advisable. Climate: Most of Zambia's elevation on a plateau gives it a moderate to tropical climate with three distinct seasons: December to April is warm and wet, May to August (winter): cool and dry, September to November: hot and dry. Average summer temperatures range from 25 to 35 deg C and winter from 6 to 24 deg C Clothing: For clothing, layers are most practical for the fluctuating day/night temperatures at certain times. Don't bring too many clothes as laundry is available in the camp. It is best to pack hardy, durable clothing in a soft bag rather than a suitcase. Visas: At point of entry into Zambia, you will be required to buy a tourist visa. A single entry is approx. 50$USD and a double entry visa is 80$USD. Airports: Anglers must travel to Lusaka International Airport, Zambia. British Airways, Emirates, KLM, Ethiopian, Kenyan and South African Airways operate flights to the airport from all major cities, via O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, SA. From here, you must catch a small plane. Royal Air Charters and Proflight Zambia offers flights into the LZNP and onto the Royal Air Strip. These flights can be booked online. Current airport departure taxes - International approx. ($30), Domestic ($10) Time Zones: Zambia is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 7 hours ahead of Eastern USA time and 10 hours ahead of Pacific and Western time. *PLEASE NOTE: YELLOW FEVER INJECTIONS - RECENTLY IT HAS BECOME A REQUIREMENT FOR PEOPLE ENTERING ZAMBIA TO HAVE A VALID YELLOW FEVER CERTICATE. THIS MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE DEPARTING FOR ZAMBIA OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO BOARD THE PLANE. THE INNOCULATION IS VALID FOR 10 YEARS
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