Feel the mighty power of the Nile Predators.
In Egypt in the 1960, a dam was built on the Nile at Aswan. The result was one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, Lake Nasser. This lake is a magical wilderness of stunning desert scenery, it's the greatest venue in the world for Nile Perch and while your lure is in the water you literally don't know if the next fish is going to be 50lb or over 200lbs. Nile Perch are spectacular fighters, their aggression as they hit is just mind blowing. One minute you are working your fly/lure and the next the take is enough to whip you off your feet. Like many sport fish Nile Perch are also great jumpers.
A fishing safari on Lake Nasser is a must for those who enjoy “getting away from it all”. The areas we fish are extremely remote and you will be literally completely cut off from the rest of the World. Your tour will start from Aswan dam, from here, you will make your way up the lake with all the fuel, food and water you require for the full length of your tour, for this is a true safari. Just you, your fellow anglers and guides completely at one with Mother Nature for the rest of your tour. What awaits you is pure heaven, you can fish as hard or as little as you like. For those who have a sense of adventure and appreciate out life, a fishing safari on Lake Nasser is a perfect match.
Officially you can find 32 different fish species in Lake Nasser. Some are pretty astonishing like the Moonfish. You will be most interested in the Nile Perch (Lattes Niloticus) and the Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus Forskalii). Lake Nasser is the best destination in the world for Nile Perch, which only exist naturally in the African river systems and lakes. By comparison with other lakes in Africa, Lake Nasser is remote and sparsely populated; this isolation has allowed the lake to maintain an excellent quantity of big Nile Perch.
The Nile Perch is the largest freshwater fish in the world. The Guinness Book of Records lists an incredible 232kg Nile Perch caught by local fishermen on Lake Victoria. The largest reliable record of Nile Perch from Lake Nasser is a fish of 176kg (392lb). A few Nile Perch of over 100kg have been captured by anglers on Lake Nasser, our record is 108kg (238lb). Research shows that Nile Perch have a better chance of reaching record sizes in lakes rather than in river systems and there is every indication that there are massive fish still living in Lake Nasser. A magnificent fish, which resembles a giant black bass or a large Barramundi, the Nile Perch has paranoiac power and will test your equipment to the limits. Great attacks and violent head moves on the water surface are characteristic for this beautiful local fish specimen.
As for the Tiger Fish, it does not reach such paranoiac proportions. However, it is also very powerful and will surprise you by its acrobatic fight especially on light tackle a Tiger takes a lot of beating. Few fish have such a fierce fighting energy. Tiger Fish thrive in the lake and of the two species, the most common is Hydrocynus Forskalli that grows to 7kg. Tiger Fish are related to the South American Piranha and just one look at their vicious teeth, leaves you in no doubt that they are savage predators.
Catfish also provide an exciting challenge. There are 18 species found in the lake, two of which are interesting for anglers: the Bagrus and more notably the legendary Vundu. If you hook a Vundu it will really give you an unforgettable fight. The local fishermen talk of specimens that have achieved weights of well over 100lb; the largest cat-fish we have caught to date is a 40kg Vundu and a 34kg Bagrus. Catfish can be caught while trolling, but you have a much better chance ledgering for them at night with dead or live bait on a single hook.
Finally, the famous Tilapia deserves to be mentioned. This fish is abundant in Lake Nasser. As small fish, it is certainly one of the main food resources for the Nile Perch.
We divide our year into two seasons: summer and winter (northern hemisphere).
Summer season – from March to the end of September.
From approximately mid March to the end of September, the Nile Perch is found in shallow water. This is because the Tilapia, the Nile Perch’s principal prey, are spawning and then after spawning the huge population of Tilapia fry are growing up; all this takes place in the water between 2-6m. This is the best time of the year for shore and fly-fishing. Trolling provides good sport using shallower lures. There are still a lot of big Nile Perch around but they tend to be less concentrated than during winter season.
Winter season – from October until the end of February.
The lake is at its highest level and the Nile Perch are found in deeper water. We believe that the bigger Nile Perch are feeding up and then coming together to get ready for spawning which takes place sometime in January / February. Year after year we capture bigger fish during this season and almost all these fish are caught trolling over underwater promontories and sunken islands. The winter months, except for the month of October, are not the best time for shore and fly-fishing.
If you want to capture the really big fish then the winter season is your best bet. The summer season will provide you with more action and a greater number of fish but the average size of the fish captured tends to be smaller. However it is also a great experience to hook up a middle size Nile Perch around 25kg just under your feet while shore fishing. When referring to smaller Nile Perch we are talking about fish between 8 and 15kg, while the bigger Nile Perch can grow to 100kg +. Please take into consideration that the months of April & May – November & December are high season and are often booked up well in advance.
Fishing safaris offer a combination of fishing techniques. A typical fishing day may involve getting up at first light for a couple of hours of shore fishing and then, after breakfast set off in the boats for a day of combined trolling and shore fishing. At night, dead or live bait lines can be put out to catch Vundu (Catfish).
Trolling
You will catch most of your big Nile Perch while trolling because trolling covers a larger area of water than shore fishing and as a result puts the lures in front of more fish. While trolling, your lures will swim at a greater depth. Landing big fish is much easier from a boat than it is from the shore, because you will force the fish to come out to the deeper waters near the boat and therefore your line will be safer from the sharp rocks near the shore.
Spinning & Drift Casting
To land a big fish from the shore, you need to fish heavy. Bring strong rods between 20 to 40lb (50/100 g), minimum 2.70 m long. A strong reel is important. It should contain a minimum of 200 m of adapted monofilament (minimum 45/100 or 20lb), don't use braid line for shore fishing because of the abrasion on the rocks! You might also want to bring lighter spinning equipment (10-20lb) for small Tiger Fish and medium size Nile Perches, for example it can be fun with a little spinner Meps in some spots.
Fly Fishing
This technique is mainly suited for the summer season. Together with Stéphane Giraudeau, our fly fishing specialist, we have constantly improved this technique. Today we offer special fly fishing weeks guided by Stéphane Giraudeau who also produces special Nile Perch and Tiger Fish streamers.
You need 2 fly fishing rods. One will be 8’- 9’ AFTM tarpon or tropical fishing type for a 12-15 floating line with a 3.50m sinking leader or a shooting head of around 9m sinking, and linked to a quality running line. Do not use a total sinking line because you will hook up more easily with rocks and other obstacles near the shore line.
Your second rod will serve to catch Tiger Fish and medium size Nile Perch. For that, you should bring a 9’6” AFTM 7-9 floating line, standard reservoir type or the one you use for black bass or bonefish. Any fly fishing reel with at least 50m backing will do it.
FISHING METHODS
Trolling, Shore Fishing and Fly Fishing
SPECIES TO CATCH
Nile Perch
Season: All Year
Weight: 4lb to 238lb
Average Weight: 550lb |
Tiger Fish
Season: All year
Weight: 1lb to 16lb
Average Weight: 3lb |
Vundu
Season: September to Jan
Weight: 6lb to 100lb
Average Weight: 20lb |
Note: these figures are complied with catch reports over 5 years, however they can be affected by adverse weather conditions.
TOUR INCLUDES
Flights (WT), transfers, accommodation, guided fishing, all meals while on safari and fishing licence (photocopy of passport must be send in with booking form).
WHAT’S EXCLUDED
Holiday insurance, personal items, drinks on boat, local tips (20-30 Egyptian pounds per day) and fishing tackle.
OPTIONS
Seat upgrades available with British Airways & Egypt Air.
VISA
Required from either the Egyptian Embassy in London.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS
No vaccinations currently required
PLEASE NOTE
All details of visa and medical requirements are correct at time of press. However, please check these requirements for changes.
DEPARTURE TAX
There is no additional airport departure tax when leaving Egypt, however this can change regularly.
FLIGHT ROUTE AND FLIGHT TIME
UK - Cairo (approx 6 hrs)
Cairo - Aswan (approx 1 - 2 hrs)
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE (EGYPT AIR)
(WT) 1 checked in item 23kg (WTP) checked in item 23kg (C/F) 3 checked in items 23kg.
TRANSFER TIME
Cairo Airport - El Gezirah Sheraton Hotel (approx 40 mins)
NILE CRUISE
Regarded as one of the top experiences in Egypt. An opportunity to take a cruise down the Nile, taking in the wonders of Cairo.
RED SEA DIVING
Due to the Great Rift Valley; a trough running from Israel to some degrees south of the equator, this immense crack in the earth's surface makes for some of the best diving in the world with over 1000 species and 150 different types of coral to see.
WALKING / SIGHT SEEING
A great opportunity to view the beautiful landscape as well as a great opportunity for stunning photography.
