I recall talking with Mr Stander (owner) about a trip to film at ​Majestic Rivers Lodge on the lower Kilombero. Before I left for ​my journey, there was nothing that could prepare me for the ​adventures that awaited. It started with an overnight drive ​from Dar es Salaam. Along the path, we switched vehicles just ​before we entered the wild and wondrous Selous Reserve. ​Upon arrival, the first thing that came to my mind was the ​utter desolation and the all-too-familiar feeling of being away ​from the world most of us know. Not a step was taken before ​I was kindly greeted with a warm towel and a cold juice. Soon ​after my introduction to camp, I felt at home. The kindness ​that radiated from Alester and JoJo brought a sense of calm ​to the stimulation of the jungle. Our first act was to cast a line ​into the twisted and turbulent Kilombero. The week passed in ​a flash as we explored the dense jungle, seeking fish and the ​remnants of the ancient ones that lived before. Between the ​adventures of the jungle, we explored some of the many ​braids and tributaries on the Kilombero, including one where ​the water grew tight and shallow. At this tributary we found ​diversity in many native species, some would go as far as ​eating the fly on the bank between casts. The abundance of ​fish in different flavors is something to behold. If what you're ​seeking is species, they come in vast numbers, and if you're ​after the sheer size, they hide among the deep and feed ​during the “golden hours” of the day.

Though the fishing is great, the food is excellent. On clear ​days we could eat a fresh lunch along the banks of the ​Kilombero, cooked to perfection using the wood brought ​down by the river in high water during the rainy months. As ​the angler is an artist with the fly, the chef is an artist of ​flavor. Alongside the Tigerfish, we found many Yellow fish, ​Alestes, Labeo, razor fin Catfish, and Vundu. During the two ​weeks I stayed, the only thing missing was an extraordinarily ​large tigerfish, the one of legends. Many trophy fish were ​caught but not the one myths were made from. That is until ​the final day of fishing when we had a single goal in mind: to ​hold this beast from the deep. We weren't even 30 minutes ​into the day when something in the air changed, it was as if ​the wind through the baobabs called the fish to feed. Sore ​arms and weary smiles could not have prepared us for the fish ​that came next, the myth we had sought and searched for. ​The Tigerfish holds much power and is a formidable ​opponent, yet it brings harmony alongside the calming nature ​of the lodge. So deep in the jungle, yet simply Majestic.