Generally fly fishing guides work in pretty wild places. But Scottish guide Alasdair Grassie works in one of the wildest places on Earth, Nyerere National Park (formerly known as the Selous Game Reserve) in Tanzania where, amid Big Five game and other toothy critters, he guides clients of Majestic Rivers into Tanzanian tigerfish, yellowfish, vundu, bagrid catfish and other species. He’s The Mission Issue 46’s High Fives guide.
5 best things about where you guide?
1. The scale of water in the Kilombero Valley. We’ve touched only a small portion of what’s available.
2. The incredible variety of fishing – white water nymphs, vundu poppers and the whole catalogue of tiger rigs are necessary on every beat.
3. The remoteness. It’s an extremely special place that very few people have visited. It is possible for us to go months without seeing another person. It’s fantastic for the visiting anglers, and an interesting social experiment for the seasonal camp residents.
4. The bush. Being deep inside Nyerere National Park is very special. The vegetation and wildlife are unique, even compared to neighbouring wild spaces in Tanzania.
5. The setup. The camp was once just an angling basecamp. A woman’s touch has since created a refined bush oasis.
5 fishing-connected items you don’t leave home without before making a mission?
1. A tourniquet. Given to me before my first season in the valley, this item lives permanently in the bottom of my fishing pack.
2. Zinc stick. In season I opt for the Aussie cricketer or lifeguard appearance. A vital piece of kit for long sessions on the river.
3. Copious amounts of optimism. The dense Miombo woodland hosts tons of beautiful surprises and every cast has fish-of-a-lifetime potential.
4. Spare spools. There’s lots of fishy structure hidden in the coloured water, and it’s not rare to have your fly lines punished. I’m always carrying spare lines and a variety of options to fish throughout the water columns.
5. The river stompers – the nickname given to my sandals. They’re far from fashionable yet deliver ventilated four-wheel drive.
Fly fishing guides know a lot more than fly fishing.
5 bands to listen to while on a road trip?
1. Peat & Diesel.
2. Dire Straits.
3. Mànran.
4. Tom Petty.
5. Springsteen.
5 things you’re loving right now?
1. Arusha (Tanzania’s third-largest city and the safari gateway to the Serengeti and other northern national parks). I’ve recently relocated up to the north. I’m loving the social life and surroundings.
2. Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode’s Rugby Pod. Released weekly, it keeps me up to date on the beautiful global game.
3. Club rugby. Now at the business end of the season, things are getting exciting across all competitions.
4. Mexican food. We’re not spoilt for options in Tanzania but some gems do exist.
5. Bada Bing Burger, Tanzania’s finest hole in the wall. A very unsuspecting establishment on the Arusha bypass run by a crazy Kiwi bush pilot.
5 indispensable flies for saltwater?
1. Crazy Charlie bead eyes.
2. Crazy Charlie lead eyes.
3. Homer Shrimpson.
4. Small deceiver patterns.
5. Salty Mullet.
5 indispensable flies for freshwater?
1. Veteran guide Lionel Song’s Kilombero Tsetse fly.
2. Brushy Baitfish.
3. Puma varieties.
4. Cascade Shrimp.
5. Sunray Shadow.
5 favourite fly fishing destinations globally?
1. The Kilombero. There are lifetimes’ worth of water in the valley and dozens of targetable species in a remarkable setting. It’s angling paradise.
2. Scottish Highlands. Every puddle and hill loch is teeming with trout.
3. The Carolinas. I lived a few years in the US and had lots of fun between the coastal mud flats and the Appalachian rivers.
4. Central Otago. I did a study exchange in New Zealand some years ago where I spent many more hours on the rivers than in lectures.
5. Cameroon. I’ve been once to the Faro River. Super place.
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THE FOLIAGE LONG-SLEEVE TR450,00 incl VAT
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THE RETRO TRUCKER – BLACKR400,00 incl VAT
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THE YELLA FELLA DAD CAP – GREENR350,00 incl VAT
5 of the best things you have picked up from guiding?
1. Lots of enjoyment. I really do love my fishing and it’s a treat being able to spend my time surrounded by the sport and by others who are equally passionate.
Collect the rest of Alasdair’s pearls of fly fishing guides wisdom in The Mission Issue 46 below – it’s free, as always.
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