The Barotse Floodplains offer a game fishing experience like none other in Southern Africa.
The annual flooding of the Barotse Floodplains makes it a breeding ground for fish. As the floodplains recede, millions of baitfish are washed back into the main system, creating a thriving food source for tigerfish and bream. Matoya guests reel in 10lbs to 25lbs trophy tigerfish every season, and trophy bream from 5lbs up to 12lbs.
At Matoya, we pride ourselves on our strict 100% catch and release policy. We aim to preserve the fish species of the floodplains to allow for continued sport fishing in the future.
To enhance the experience for our guests, we have seven flat-bottomed fibreglass boats available — each equipped with a personal guide, environmentally friendly four-stroke motor, live well, and a depth finder. Our guests are also provided with ample snacks and beverages every day to take on their fishing expeditions.
The scream of a reel’s drag, the force of the take, and unrestrained aerial ability of the river beast make tigerfish Africa’s most coveted freshwater sport fish. Barotse tigerfish can be caught by fly, art lure or drifting with live bait, and our lodge’s record tiger is 26.5lbs.
The “Barotse Express”, the feeling one has when reeling in a monster tigerfish, has become a sought-after sensation — anglers travel to the Barotse Floodplains from far and wide to experience it for themselves.
Enormous bream (up to 12lbs) like nembwe and humpback largemouth, as well as hard-fighting three-spot bream and mercurial pink happies are fantastic fish to target on the banks of the upper Zambezi.
May and June are the best months of the year to target tigers on fly and art lure.
In July and August the floodplains drain and fishing for tigers is done by a mix of lures, fly and live bait, with bream fishing getting consistently better.
From September to November, the river is at its lowest and warmest — the prime time for live bait trophy-tiger fishing, and when bream fishing is at its best.
Our guides on the boat will have the necessary equipment to assist in rod and tackle set up, as well as extra fishing equipment in case you have run out or forgotten a specific item. If you wish to bring any of your own “magical lures” etc. please do so, as the below is just a general guideline.
Every fish returned. Every time. We preserve the fish species of the floodplains to allow for continued sport fishing in the future.
Reel in a river monster on the Barotse Floodplains — the finest freshwater sport fishing in Southern Africa.
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