The Ultimate Tiger Fishing Fly Rod Package (Works For Salmon & Steelhead Too)

[rookhawk]

Well Friends,

I had the time of my life when I fished the Zambezi for Tiger Fish. When I did my research, I found that it was completely achievable to catch Tigers on a fly, and I found that truly a handful of people have successfully done it. (<100?) I spend 2 years assembling a "best grade" setup that was sure to catch Tigerfish on a fly in the limited 2 days I had to dedicate to fishing on a DG safari.

This is a complete package of the finest tackle one could buy. I spent probably about $4500 on this and had long import and fabrication delays for the kit. I'm not heading back to the Zambezi anytime soon and my trout river doesn't have fish big enough to justify this tackle.

1. ) A custom order RB Meiser 11'0" 7wt 4-Piece Graphite Switch Rod. The rod is a custom build and has custom inset jungle fowl feathers and all the bells and whistles.

2.) A Hardy Perfect Taupo Reel, box, papers, and its wool and leather case. This reel was made in Alnwick, England and is perfectly balanced to the rod.

3.) A handcrafted safari leather rod tube. All brass fittings. Excellent tooling and saddle leather was used in its making. Lined with Royal Purple wool baize. Includes the aluminum original Meiser rod tube as well.

4.) A large assortment of many hundreds of dollars of the flies required to catch tiger fish. Many patterns by Lee Wulff and others, validated with the top fly fishing experts I could find that caught a tiger on a fly. Also many bite guards for the flys.

5.) A shooting head wallet that allows you to use the rod for several applications with floating and sinking lines and leaders for not just Tigers, but also for steelhead and salmon.

The pictures speak for themselves. Price: $3000 shipped via FedEx anywhere in the lower-48 States. To date, this is the only Tiger Rod setup I've seen offered for sale anywhere, saving you years of waiting and years of research on how to get it done. This setup gets it done. I had one on the line in the first handful of casts. Payment: Prefer electronic payments, would reluctantly take a check. Would include free consulting to get you ready for your trip with Q&A and other facts.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Rook, how did they hit the fly ? Do you just cold cast and hope one is in the area. Or sight fish them ? How did you fish them

 

[rookhawk]

Rook, how did they hit the fly ? Do you just cold cast and hope one is in the area. Or sight fish them ? How did you fish them

Many techniques worked, but I never attempted to sight cast. Best technique was to cast across a fast-moving channel in the zambezi into slow water. Mend the line, strip up some slack, let the line and leader sink, let it tail out into the faster water. The cavitation when a fly hits the faster water causes it to bounce around just like a small fish or an injured fish does and the tigers cannot resist the sucker punch attack.

 

[Tango]

What a great looking set-up. I keep thinking about bring a fly rod along on one of my hunts.

 

[rookhawk]

What a great looking set-up. I keep thinking about bring a fly rod along on one of my hunts.

Its definitely doable. You need a switch or spey rod or you'll exhuast yourself. You need a sinking line. You need bite guards. You need a lot of backing.

Definitely doable, but probably not doable without a ton of prep work or getting a turnkey setup. Experimentation and frustration are not what you want to do on a safari, you just want things to work flawlessly.

 

[Doubleplay]

Beautiful rod and set up.

 

[LES7]

Very nice set up! I just did my own custom Winston outfit or I’d be sending you the money

 

[John the Electrician]

Just curious what is the length of pull?

 

[Red Leg]

For any of you not realistically planning a tiger fishing expedition, this (less those particular streamers) is the perfect rig for big reds and specks out of either Lake Charles (Hackberry) or Venice Louisiana. Either expedition will run you a lot less than airfare to the Zambezi. I have essentially the same set up by Hardy in an 8 wt, and it has handled reds up to 22 lbs. I should also add that a 7 wt rod makes a superb large mouth bass choice on larger water. My go to bass rig is an Orvis 10 ft 7 wt rig. Take it to Canada, and you could wear yourself out on Northerns using most of those same streamers.

Did I mention, really nice rig.

 

[rookhawk]

For any of you not realistically planning a tiger fishing expedition, this (less those particular streamers) is the perfect rig for big reds and specks out of either Lake Charles (Hackberry) or Venice Louisiana. Either expedition will run you a lot less than airfare to the Zambezi. I have essentially the same set up by Hardy in an 8 wt, and it has handled reds up to 22 lbs. I should also add that a 7 wt rod makes a superb large mouth bass choice on larger water. My go to bass rig is an Orvis 10 ft 7 wt rig. Take it to Canada, and you could wear yourself out on Northerns using most of those same streamers.

Did I mention, really nice rig.

Thank you, @Red Leg

It is a switch rod, so it is rated as a 7wt to 9wt depending on which of the shooting heads is used and if it is roll cast, or overhead cast. It can absolutely handle anything from a 5 pound Tiger Fish to a 22lb redfish or steelhead. For those unfamiliar with the terms, a switch rod is a “switch hitter” in that it can be treated as a 1 handed rod and cast as such, or it can be treated as a two hand Spey rod, all depending on which line/leader/tippet is selected from the included wallet. Why is that better? If you’re chucking big flies all day or sinking heads, you’ll fatigue quickly with a one hand rod and an overhead cast, but you can roll cast or snap-t with zero effort extending your fishing time without fatigue.

 

[Tango]

Never tried the Spey rods/casting, but it's on my list!

 

[rookhawk]

Never tried the Spey rods/casting, but it's on my list!

@Tango go try it out at a demo day on a river. Spey casting allows 100’+ casts with no effort. All derivative casts of a D-loop and a roll cast, but with unbelievable power and precision. It’s also righteous when you’re backed up to a tree line, or a cliff, and you want to send a fly forward but no back-cast or overhead cast is possible. It allows you to put the fly where you want without spooking the fish.

If you want to Spey cast, get a switch rod, its all the best things of a one handed overhead casting rod, and a two handed Spey rod, rolled into one.

My Spey rod has seen 5 days of use in 20 years. (Salmon on the Miramichi). My one handed rods have seen countless days. A switch rod could have worked under all of those days.

 

[Tango]

Thanks, yes I'll have to try that. I have a good friend in OR who's been on me to come out and try it on their rivers.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

PM me if it does not sell.

Lon

 

[rookhawk]

PM me if it does not sell.

Lon

It's still available, Lon. Happy to send it to Hemet, CA or CO for ya! You won't find a nicer Zambezi rig at any price.

 

[rookhawk]

Sunday bump.

 

[rookhawk]

Trout and salmon season is upon us, surely someone wants a tiger rod too?

 

[rookhawk]

Sold Pending Funds to an anonymous member. (I think he's gifting it to someone that reads these forums)

 

[rookhawk]

Friends, it appears I misunderstood the note from a member. The notes I received said "Do you still have the tiger fishing out fit for sale?" and follow up email was "can you send all details please. I would like to buy".

Bottom line, I misunderstood those were aspirational statements rather than declarative statements.

The outfit is still available. (and all packed up, ready for shipment)

 

[rookhawk]

Still available.