fishing

The stuff of fisherman's tales. Over 1,4 million sq. km of fishing grounds offering catches of marlin, giant barracuda, shark and other prize game fish. Wheather saltwater fly-fish, blue water fly-fish or deep-sea fishing, you will be rewarded with some of the finest fishing in the ocean.

For starters, why not charter any one of the great fishing boats available and head, with its experienced crew, in a south easterly direction until you reach the Turcos Bank which is teeming with the ultimate mixed bag: tuna, jack, dorado, barracuda, streaker, kingfish, sailfish and marlin.  You can even stop along the way and try your hand at the local method of fishing – ‘palangrotte’ or bottom-fishing.

This art of literally, ‘fishing off the bottom,’ involves baiting a long, weighted line which you then let drift to the ocean floor to a depth of around 50 metres.  You’ll be surprised at the fish that will take your bait; groupers, bream, rock cod, barracuda, emperors, snappers and shark.  This method will bring some of the tastiest fish around to your table.  Be sure to ask the crew to filet a freshly caught tuna or bonito for the ultimate sushi platter and wash that down with an ice cold beer as you wait for the next strike.

You might even consider picking a spot closer to shore and trying your luck at night fishing for ‘bekin’ or pick-handled barracuda which is an exciting fish to catch and a delicious one to ‘Bar-B-Q’.

The waters around Silhouette Island are especially fish-rich and a great place to fish sailfish when the season is right.  There are also some superb bottom-fishing spots in the location.  Fishing around Praslin and La Digue promises a good variety of catch with some stunning scenery to boot, or you might wish to head north to the twin coral isles of Denis and Bird which is serious marlin country.

An expedition down to the Amirantes, or beyond to Alphonse, will take you into the remoter, little-fished waters of the Outer Islands where you might even get your name into the record books.  The flats of the St. Francois and St. Joseph atolls are also becoming a Mecca for serious fly-fishermen the world over on account of the record bone fish and trevally that have been caught there.

     Fishing on Mahé                    Fishing on Praslin                  Fishing on La Digue    

Fishing on Bird Island             Fishing on Denis Island           Fishing on North Island