The Tiger Fish appeared ready to snarl and emit a loud roar asits powerful 17-pound body violently flopped on the floor of theboat. Each tail flop sounded like a bass drum. Its large mouth wasloaded with razor-sharp teeth, biting the air, still looking for atarget.

Wow!

Chuck Smith and Mel Edmonds of Brookhaven smiled and admired themonster. It was definitely worth flying halfway around the world tocatch the remarkable fish. They were fishing in the Zambesi Riverin Mozambique, located in southern Africa. Their fishing buddieswere former Brookhavenite Perry Atherton of Jackson and Oklahomaresident Pat Bishop.

The fishing adventure was organized by their good friend BennyCummings, of Wild Wing Hunts and Outdoor Expeditions, based inShreveport, La. It required an 18-hour flight but the journey wouldbe enjoyed, especially the memories.

“We had a good time,” said Smith. “It was a long, hard trip. Butwe caught a lot of fish.”

The fishing buddies flew from Jackson to Atlanta and fromAtlanta to Johannasburg. They stopped in northern Africa to refuelbefore flying 9 more hours to South Africa.

The veteran fishermen were warned in advance and instructed onthe type of fishing tackle that would be required. They usedregular rods and reels, suitable for bass fishing. For obviousreasons, they spooled their open-faced reels with 40-pound testline attached to steel leaders. Tigers’ teeth are 3/4 inches longand cut fishing line like sharp scissors.

“That’s the meanest scoundrel I’ve ever got ahold of,” saidSmith. Recalling one lunker, Smith said, “He took one of my rodsand reels away from me. I fought him for five minutes. Then he tookthe line under our boat and pulled it out of my hands.”

For bait, the fishermen used a large, minnow-type spinnerbaitand silver and gold spoons with a single No. 5 hook. Most of thespoons were similar to the classic Johnson Silver Minnow.

Hungry and aggressive, the tigers nailed the bait with the forceof an All-Pro linebacker.

“When they hit it so hard, it was unreal,” said Smith. “Theywould jump three to four feet out of the water when they werehooked. They look like a striped bass.”

Tigers, a relative to the piranha, have been described as thestrongest and fastest fresh water fish on the planet. They “havethe tail of a tarpon, the paint job of a striper, teeth like a bullshark, the fuselage of a bone fish and a compound, hinged jaw likea turbo-powered paper shredder.”

Tigers swim in schools. Smith remembered the experience. “Wewould catch six or seven-pounders. Then they would move out. Thenyou catch an 11 and 12-pounder. Then they would move out and youcould catch a 17-pounder.”

Smith said,”The guide told me the largest they had caught wasaround 30 pounds.”

Tiger fish meat is delicious. “It’s real pretty white meat.”

An avid bass fisherman and outdoors enthusiast, Edmondshad fished for peacock bass in Venezuela for several years.He thoroughly enjoyed the African experience.

He was impressed by the tiger fish. “Of all the fishI’ve caught in that range, they are the hardest hitting,fightingest fish I’ve caught.

“Because of the teeth and the way they attack the bait,you have to use something that is generally all metal,” explainedEdmonds. “They are kind of like wolves. They run in packs. Theyfind their prey and then they all attack.”

The Zambesi has been dammed into a large reservoir.Tigers have a gourmet diet on a variety of tasty fish. Talapia, afavorite on American tables, thrives in the lake.

“There are a lot of Talapia in the lake and the tigerfish feast on them.” said Edmonds. “They get huge. We caughtseveral on a casting spoon.”

Edmonds said they removed the treble hooks from thelures and attached a single hook. “It gave us a better chance toset the hook deeper in their mouths.”

Lure size wasn’t a factor as the tigers attackedanything that resembled a meal.

“Our hands and arms were sore at the end of the dayafter all that reeling and fighting,” said Edmonds.

When they weren’t fishing there was plenty of uniquescenery. Elephants would come to the lake’s edge for water. Gianthippos could be seen swimming in the river, along with hugecrocodiles. Swimming was not encouraged.

Instead of regular bass boats, the fishing guidesprovided a pontoon boat and rubber-type boats. The Zambesi is thefourth largest river in Africa.

“We were just a speck on the corner of that lake,” saidSmith. “You just tie up and start casting or pull up to some grass.You could fish for 40 minutes at a time beforemoving.”

The camp was located near the lake. The fishermen sleptin tents on cots, complete with mosquito netting. Grunting hipposprovided a nightly serenade

“The cities are huge and the people dress a lot likeus,” said Smith. “But the countryside is very poor. The people havenothing. Mexico looks wealthy compared to Africa.”

Like Edmonds, Smith said he hopes to make anotherfishing trip to Africa.