Aย whenweย is a former British settler orย expatriateย who talks nostalgically about their former homes in colonialย Africa, i.e.: “when we lived in…” (the origin of the term).
In my case “When we were in Rhodesia…”.
But Iโm Zimbabwean and do sometimes harp on about the fishing in Zimbabwe and would love to go back to some old haunts with my fly fishing gear and knowledge.
I also feel like I missed out on a lot of opportunities growing up there. My father was a very keen fisherman, had a boat, and would go on exciting trips away camping and fishing through the night to big lakes like Ngezi and Mazvikadei. I was too young to join them and often hung around the family get-togethers listening to my father and uncle’s stories of fishing and hunting adventures. I remember the excitement of when they came home and peering into the fishing basket to see exotic fish like bottlenose and the occasional tigerfish. When I was finally old enough, the Zimbabwe bush war started and the trips away ended, the boat was sold and the camping gear collected dust. We did still go fishing but very close to home, armed, just in case.
Even after independence in 1980, it was still unsafe to venture too deep into the bush because attacks were still being reported by what we were lead to believe was guerillas not coming home and resorting to banditry (dissidents). But years later it was exposed as the genocide of Ndebele people in the south, the Gukurahundi, carried out by the North Korean trained 5th Brigade stationed in my home town.
It wasnโt all bad and things got better, I got older and Zimbabwe was magic in the late 80โs. Hereโs a bit of a pic dump from those times. We didnโt take many photos as film and printing cost a fortune at the time because of sanctions imposed on the country. The quality and bad prints of photos the size of a pack of Madison cigarettes was the norm.
BASS FISHING
NYANGA – EASTERN HIGHLANDS
The eastern highlands of Zimbabwe has cold flowing rivers and dams holding trout. It’s a mysterious magical place. This is where I learned to fly fish.
HOUSE BOATING ON LAKE KARIBA
MILIBIZI – LAKE KARIBA
ZAMBEZI RIVER JUST ABOVE VICTORIA FALLS
THE END
2 thoughts on “I AM NOT A WHENWE”
Excellent article . Very emotional. The good old days. Wonderful memories
Excellent article . Very emotional. The good old days. Wonderful memories
I too am a whenwe. The fishing was brilliant and the girls were all gorgeous.