Some Insight into a Seasonal Fishing Outfit

Majestic Rivers is a seasonal fishing destination due to Tanzania having a 'rainy' season that creates flooding. This makes operating and access to the camp nearly impossible. Hence we only host guests for a few months in the year - when the fishing conditions are optimal for success.

This does come with its own set of challenges and benefits, but overall, our main concern is and will always be the conservation and preservation of the rivers and hence we are always pro the floods!

Annual flood waters fill large plains and vegetated areas bringing much-needed nutrients into the river system in the form of organic matter, flooded vegetation, animal dung, etc. This creates a perfect environment for a plethora of insects, small fishes and other organisms to feed, breed and spawn. A healthy ecosystem is vital in growing those big Tigerfish, Vundu, Catfish, Yellowfish, Alestes and Crocs, the healthier the ecosystem, the bigger and more abundant the fish.

Annual flooding also renders large tracks of land and rivers inaccessible which protects the rivers from human encroachment and as a result, it makes it harder for poachers to access these areas or create any long-term footprint. It's no secret in Africa that there are many mouths to feed and that humans will go to great lengths to find food. This is why exclusive, tourist-orientated fisheries are becoming rarer and rarer as the damage of human encroachment grows.

It also makes it difficult to 'master' a seasonal river as every year the entire blueprint of the river will change. A seasonal river is ever evolving, making it an exciting fishing experience as each year you will face new challenges making it will feel like a brand new river, each time.  

Flood seasons help define the borders of a successful fishing season for tourism. This prevents overfishing and the impact that a fishing outfit could have on a fishery. Unfortunately, many outfits turn a blind eye to the pressure they could be causing a fishery by booking too many rods in a season. On the other hand, not operating in high logistics areas for the whole year comes at a cost to the operator as park and concession fees, anti-poaching, staff salaries and general upkeep still need to take place off-season.

In closing, Majestic Rivers and many other operators in Africa, fortunately, see the enormous responsibility that comes with the custody of these finite resources and hopes to leave them in better shape than we found them.