Destination Guide

TARGET SPECIES


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Nile Perch
Tiger Fish
Cat fish

NILE PERCH     Lates niloticus

Fighting a big Nile perch is awesomely exciting

Nile perch are the largest freshwater fish in the world that are readily accessible to anglers.
There is an account from Lake Victoria where local fishermen caught an incredible 232kg (516lb) Nile perch. The most reliable record from Lake Nasser records a fish of 176kg (392lb). A 78-year-old tea planter from India landed the biggest Nile perch we have caught. There were no scales big enough to weigh this fish but careful measurements were made and it was reliably calculated to weigh some 250lb plus.

The International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) has ratified three world records that have been broken on African Angler safaris.
All tackle world record
World record
World record		230lb on 20lb line class
213lb on 30lb line class
210lb on 50lb line class
Research shows that Nile perch have a better chance of reaching record sizes in lakes than river systems; there is every indication that there are some very large fish still living in Lake Nasser.

There is no doubt that Tiger fish are fierce predators

TIGER FISH     

Tiger Fish abound in the lake, and of the several species the most common is Hydrocynus forskalii that can grow to 16lb. 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.

The size and strength of a Nile perch is one thing, but for sheer sport on light tackle a Tiger takes a lot of beating. They can rightly claim to be one of the most spectacular freshwater fish in the world, not only is it a beautiful fish, but its ferocious elegance will get any angler's adrenaline going. Few fish have such a fierce fighting energy. A Tiger can leap clear of the water and throw your hook, break wire trace, rattle swivels to bits, and generally wreak havoc on tackle.

A pair of Vundu caught ledering from a fishing boat overnight

CAT FISH     Heterobranchus longifilis

There are 18 species of Catfish in the lake of which two are of interest - Vundu and Bagrus. Catfish can be caught whilst trolling but you have a much better chance ledgering for them at night with dead bait. They are definitely worth targeting - if you do hook a big 'cat' it will give you an unforgettable fight.
Catfish forage along the shoreline looking for food that has been washed up on to the beach. When using dead bait at night only cast the bait 2/3 meters from the shoreline don't cast out into deep water.





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