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Zamarky1, Please use this post to indulge us with...

102392 Views 342 Replies 79 Participants Last post by  noddy
your Tropheus collecting stories, pictures or anything else you can share that is tropheus related. I think everyone here is fascinated with the fact that you live and collect in Mpulungu and would love to hear more when you get time.

Thanks,
Steve
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lol thats soooo right, I've read all his post :p

I would love to live your experience.. :D
G
Yeah, keep typing 'till our eyes glaze over. :D (not in this lifetime)
Yes Mark, if you've got the time for a little question & answer thread and possibly further personal insights we can make your own thread and post it on top as a "sticky" so it won't get lost in the pile :)
hi

Sure no problem. I have many many tails of misadventure on the lake.

regards mark

P.s i am hving trouble with replying to P.M's..some go through some dont so if you PM'd me and you didn't get a reply let me know so i know which ones worked and which didn't. i find it really enjoyuable to talk with you guys.
A few years ago I had the pleasure of having Mark stay at my home as a guest for several days.
Wow! Talk about staying up and talking fish and listening to his stories, seeing his photos, it was a great experience.
I am glad to hear that his dream is coming true.
hmm
Tropheus related.....

how About Mbita Island tropheus which is a really under rated fish. It is every bit as colourful as Kasakawalwe (Mpulungu)

it has a lovely yellow spot on its side with yellow around the eyes. These fish swarm around the Island in Huge numbers. very very easy to collect and they are only about a 1.5 Klm from my front door, which is nice.

Unfortunately i dont have a camera. i am planning on a digital DSLR very soon. I would love a 1Ds MkII ..(hang on a sec , need to put my tongue back in..its on the floor drooling) alas thats an 8000 dollar camera not to mention the houosing and strobes. sure would be nice though.

Mbita Island got its name from the local tribe , the Lungu tribe. MpuLUNGU actually means "place for Lungu's". the Lungus brought there God and Goddess with them when they migrated down the lake back in the mists of time ( as you do ). On the Journey down they were arguing so much that they had to seperate them. The God, Lord kapembwa was installed on Cape kapembwa and Goddess Mbita was placed on the Island. this was done to keep them apart. ever since Mbita Island has been a scared Island and no one is allowed to live there. Women are expressley forbidden to step foot on the Island because the Lungu's say she is very jealous of other women. sounds fair to me. Once in a light hearted moment i suggested to a village headman that it would be a great place to build a bar....as no wife could come and drag you out as women are forbidden...that didn't earn me any brownie points i can tell you. I have since learnt to be very respectful of local customs and traditions.

As recently as the 1930's it was said the local tribe was still sacrificing the first born baby of the season as a offering to the Goddess for good fishing for the coming year. this was outlawed by the British occupation force of the time.

all the while the Mbita tropheus was swimming around underneath all this , just waiting to be found. this seems odd to me to say we found it...i say they were never "lost" so how did we "find" them ?? oops dont let me get on my soap box ;-)

Below is a view of Mbita island from my Front yard

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Hi Elwood

Dont forget your wonderful mate on RI who helped me out with that package i had to collect to take with me. Another Gentleman i have met in my fish travels. Was his name Ron Anderson ? Lovely chap.

Hey i would love to get back to L.A one day (wink WINK)

Mark
G
Mark - show them a pic of the out house. :lol:
G
Ok, on a more serious note, perhaps you can go in & edit your previous posts on the "algae rock" thread, and cut & paste them in here? Seeing as this is going to remain a sticky, I think those holding tank pics, as well as the info you supplied, would be great to keep in this thread.

Just a thought ....
I say we raise the funds to keep this guy on the internet when he is home!
If I might add...Mark and I are good friends and he is one of the true gems of the lake.Not only is it his work it is also his TRUE passion.Afterall who else would take the time to go online and post about his work unless he was completely consumed and devoted to the cichlids of lake Tang.

Thanks Mark!!!

Jon :)
Mark, thank you in advance for volunteering your time to share your experiences with fellow tropheus lovers. We all appreciate it greatly. Welcome to the forum.

Featherfin, thanks for moving this to a "sticky". I have a feeling that this post will have quite a few pages due to inquisitive questions from us and enlightening responses from zamarky1.

Thanks,
Steve
Mark, you are always welcome here.
Let me know when you will be in the States.
However, in a couple of years I plan on retiring,
and living in the mountains and prospecting for gold.
zamarky
truly amazing!!!!
please continue to share all your stories with us. I know you only get to see civilization rarely but in my opinon you are not missing much :lol:
I'm sure that at least 75% of us would do anything to do what you are doing.
So I'll be the first:
Need some cheap labor?
Just a bed and some food is all I will need. I have my diving license and although have only done 5 dives I am a quick learner and a HARD worker.
I really dont care what you have me do; bag fish, clean boats, polish shoes, just to be near a lake that I love and around people that share my passion. NOT JOKING
Cameron
Hey Mark,

I love reading what you've stated so far !

I posted on this forum a while back about living there for a few years and it seemed most people laughed at me ! Glad to know my dream is possible! :D

My question is not on tropheus but on petros.... any stories/experiance?
Here is a link to a great discussion on T.moorii Katoto and Lufubu variants. Mark has been kind enough to give us some insights on these gorgeous Trophs. I think I have some serious saving up to do to get some of both...
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=70999
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