Drumming a similar beat to its cousin the kabeljou, the Senegalese kob can be heard all along the West African coast. Mike Dames of African Waters weighs in on what it takes to catch them on fly. Also known as otolithe, this is our Wish List Fish from The Mission Issue 47.

WHAT 

We call them otolithe or Senegalese kob (Pseudotolithus senegalensis), yet the name changes throughout their distribution along West Africa from “corvina” in northern Angola to “casava” and “law croaker” in Senegal. Even the Latin name gets confusing between P. senegallus and P. senegalensis.

“They are silver in colour and wear the same sheens of purple and pink as our dusky, which no photo will ever capture.”

The otolithe strikes home with us South Africans as they resemble our beloved dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) in so many ways, both being part of the worldwide drum family Sciaenidae. They are silver in colour and wear the same sheens of purple and pink as our dusky, which no photo will ever capture, but are pimped out with darker diagonal rows of spots along the flank and a dotted dorsal fin.

Little is known about their life history and biology. The maximum recorded size is 230cm (tail length), yet that is probably not accurate as the specimen was most likely a close relative A. regius, which also occurs along the West African coast. The IGFA record is 20.9kg, yet there are potentially bigger specimens. We encounter them from several kilos up to double-digits with a mid-teen considered a stonker. 

WHERE 

Although they have a wide distribution, Gabon is arguably your best bet to catch them on fly. They seem to shy away from freshwater as they are more common along open surf or adjacent to estuary/lagoon mouths, especially during big spring tides which push marine water into the systems. We have seldom caught them in the day but, come nightfall, they arrive to hunt in their masses. Like our dusky kob, they can surprise you at how shallow they will hunt in the white wash. 

HOW 

Where we are, otolithe aren’t the only fish that will hammer a fly. So, we only use 12-weight setups at night, in case a tarpon or big cubera snapper takes instead. Intermediate lines are the mainstay but heavier sinking lines have their place depending on formation. Bigger bulky andino-style flies tied with natural materials are always the first choice. If the surf and/or skill level allow, then you can target them in the rolling waves. But most are caught on the swing in the mouth, where the waves wash over the dropoff. 

WHO 

You can try tackling Gabon DIY. But African Waters’ operation at Sette Cama realistically gives an angler the best shot at one. africanwaters.net 

Read the rest of The Mission Issue 47 below, for free.