Fishermen's guide
Although fishing is not widely promoted in Egypt like other tourist activities, such as diving or snorkelling, Egypt offers those interested in fishing a memorable experience. Due to the fact that it is bordered by the Mediterranean in the north and the Red Sea in the east in addition to the Nile that runs from the south to the north, Egypt is rich in countless varieties of fish species.
Angling fans are allowed to fish in any site as long as it lies within Egyptian territorial waters. However, fishing is completely forbidden in Egyptian natural protectorates.
Before you start fishing you have to get permission from the Coast Guard Authorities. But you don't have to bother if your travel agent in Egypt or your hotel could do this for you.
According to professional fishermen, the islands of the Red Sea near the Gulf of Suez provide one of the richest fishing fields in the world. They extend in a great triangle from the mouth of the Gulf of Suez at Hurghada, on the eastern Egyptian shore, to Ras Mohamed on the tip of Sinai, and then back again to the Egyptian shore north of Gimsha.
It is more rewarding and picturesque to fish around the islands of Shadwan, Tawila, Jubal and Ashrafi. Around these islands a huge haul can be caught from a static boat with a single line and sinker. The deep coral formations are so rich with rock and coral fishes that a good fisherman can land 150 kilogrammes of snappers, groupers, bass and bream in a single day.
Whereas fishermen in most parts of the world have to consider air temperature, water temperature, wind strength, and how clear the sea is, fishermen in the Red Sea have few, if any, of these problems. Even an almost constant wind does little to discourage the enthusiast.
The best times for fishing in the Red Sea are between April/May and September/October. In the spring, the mouth of the Gulf of Suez is the most promising area for fishing. Later in the year, and especially towards the winter, people tend to go further south, to Qusseir, or even to Egypt's border with Sudan.
Fish in the Red Sea are divided into game fish and groupers. Game fish include the sailfish (farasa in Arabic) that are rare to find and when hooked are extremely hard to catch. They are fantastic fighters famed for leaping and tail walking on the water. There is also the dolphin fish, or dorado (hossan), one of the fastest and most beautiful game fish in the sea; the kingfish or tanguigue (dorak), noted for freight train strikes and sizzling runs; tuna, a valiant fighter that likes to go deep; the barracuda, a fish with a set of razor-sharp teeth which fights savagely at first but gives up soon; and the jack crevalle (kerm bayyad).
Groupers include the nagil, a red fish with blue spots and fierce teeth; fanous, a brown grouper which tends to run in schools; shaoor, a flat, less colourful fish and taweena, an almost legendary grouper that can grow to huge sizes.
There are also smaller fish that could be caught in the Red Sea while trolling, such as the amla, a silvery trout-like fish; balamita, a small tuna-like fish; and kherman, a billed needlefish ranging in length from 20 centimetres to a metre-and-a-half.
However, some particular fish can make your day rather unpleasant with poisonous stings or fierce bites. The most famous of these being the Lionfish and Turkeyfish (Dendrochirus Branchyptera and Pterols Vollitans). Locals fear the farkha -- which bears an uncanny resemblance to a chicken -- that is often found in shallow waters and stings its prey. Also to be avoided is the pointed fin of the Saber Squirrelfish (Adiorynx Spinifer) which looks harmless until the fin makes contact with your finger or toe. It is known locally as the kahaya.
There are several techniques for fishing in the Red Sea. The most rewarding method is trolling: trailing lines behind a boat which moves ahead at the speed of your choice. This is the best way to reel in most of the game fish and many of the groupers.
Or, sit on a rock or an anchored boat, put your lines in with weights and natural bait and wait for the big one to bite. You will almost certainly get something -- usually groupers.
The third basic fishing method is casting from the shore or from an anchored boat; with a weight you can get small reef fish, or shaoor or nagil.
With a casting bubble half-filled with water plus a metre and a half of leader and a small hook with natural bait, you can get kherman (needlefish).
To fish in the Red Sea you have to get trolling rigs: a line, a reel and a rod. You can get no more than 20 to 30 pound test line on a 4/0 reel. The fish usually range between five and 30 pounds, and a really big one may reach 60 pounds. These sizes are all generally catchable with 20 to 30 pound test line. If you decide to fish near the reefs, then go to 50 pound test line.
You should also use lures and baits. For trolling, you can use big silver spoons, feathers, plastic squid, etc. Sometimes, the only thing the fish will take is natural or live bait. For casting, use smaller spoons, rapallas or natural bait with weights or casting bubbles.
Leader materials such as wire or coated wire are essential in addition to other accessories such as swivels, snaps, snap swivels, wire-cutters, knife, scissors, hooks, casting bubbles, net, gaff, a tackle box and rod holders to hold all of your gear and an ice chest to keep drinks and the fish you catch cool.
In order to fish, you need a motor boat for trolling or bottom fishing. If you do not have your own and cannot borrow one from a friend, you can rent one from any of the several marinas situated on the Red Sea in Ain Al-Sokhna, Hurghada, El-Gouna, Safaga, Qusseir and Sharm El-Sheikh. A good boat, that is clean and luxuriously furnished, would cost you approximately LE1,000 per night. A boat can accommodate up to six persons. In order to stay overnight on the sea, you have to get special permission from the Coast Guard Authorities.
Fishing on the Nile could be similarly wonderful. There are several recommended sites, the foremost being Lake Nasser in Aswan. On lake Nasser, you can catch Nile Perch, the largest freshwater fish in the world accessible to anglers which can grow to over 150 kilogrammes. You can also catch Tiger fish that abound in the lake. However, it will take a lot of work as they have fierce fighting energy. A Tiger fish can leap clear out of the water and throw a hook, break wire trace, rattle swivels to bits and generally wreak havoc on tackle.
There are also 18 species of Catfish in the lake. They can be caught whilst trolling, but you have much better chance by fishing for them at night with dead bait.
Big Nile Perch can mostly be caught while trolling. Landing big fish is much easier from a boat than it is from the shore due to the heavy boat tackle and the advantages of playing a fish from a boat.
You could try a "one-on-one" challenge between angler and huge fish from the shore. Although it requires more skill than trolling, shore fishing will occasionally produce extra fish from a good area, rather than trolling over the same area with a noisy engine.
When wind conditions are favourable, fishing boats may be used for drift casting. With the engines switched off and the occasional use of the anchor for better control, hot spots can be covered quietly.
The best times for fishing on Lake Nasser are from February to the end of July, and from mid- October to end of January.
The Mediterranean is another option for fishing in Egypt. There are wonderful sites in Alexandria, Rosetta, Damietta and Port Said. Grey and Red Mullet, Sea Bass and Blue Fish are among the species that you could catch during your excursion.
For serious anglers, the Egyptian Angling Federation organises annual competitions on the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Nile. The Red Sea National Sport Fishing Competition is held in Hurghada in September, and the Red Sea International Sport Fishing Competition is held in January. The Sinai National Sport Fishing Competition is held in Sharm El-Sheikh in May, while the Sinai International Sport Fishing Competition is held in November. There is only one competition -- the National Competition Fishing Beach for Clubs -- on the Mediterranean at Port Said in October, and only one competition on the Nile in Aswan sponsored by the Abu Simbel International Sport Fishing Competition in October as well. For more information contact the Egyptian Angling Federation (00+(202) 575 0496 or 575 0626).
If you did not bring your fishing equipment from home, you can find some good stuff in Egypt. There are well-stocked stores in Cairo, such as Mohamed Amin on Sabri Abu Alam Street in Bab Al-Louq, or Al-Sayyad Al-Masri (The Egyptian Angler) in Zaki Street, Tawfiqiyya, and the Alfa Supermarket in Mohandessin.
Useful links:
www.worldsportfishing.com/egypt.htm
www.nwalesflyfishingschool.com/fishing_holidays.egypt.htm
