Uganda Nileperch

Murchison falls

Uganda Nileperch

Murchison falls

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Imagine this: you are sitting on a bench in a boat with a fishing rod in your hand, waiting for things to come. In the distance you see a waterfall: with a and continuous loud roar the water plunges down dozens of meters. Suddenly you hear crackling in the bushes on the bank.

Startled, you look up and find yourself face to face with an African elephant. The animal is in the water up to his knees, less than 15 meters from you - he is so close you can count the grooves in his tusks.... Just then, a group of hippos emerges on the other side of the boat. One pulls its mouth open, and again you can count grooves in its teeth.

Are you in an amusement park? Or in some other fantasy world? Anything but! You are in Uganda, on the Nile, and the waterfalls are the most powerful in the world. In fact, every second, two hundred bathtubs of water are forced through a hole less than seven meters wide. These waterfalls are in the middle of what many people say is one of the most beautiful national parks in Africa: Murchison Falls. Lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, zebras, antelopes and so on. They are found here in large numbers. More than 76 mammal species and as many as 451 bird species can be found here!

Safari and bird lovers are in luck here. But anglers are also in for a treat. Because this stretch of river runs through the nature reserve, fishing by professional fishermen is not allowed, and this has resulted in a spectacular fish stock. Those looking for the world's largest Nile perch should be here. Fish of 100 kilo + have been caught on several occasions, and a 50 kilo + fish will not surprise anyone.

None other than Jeremy Wade of River Monsters and well-known British fisherman and TV presenter John Wilson have traveled to this location to fish for these impressive species, and with success. Several catfish species also swim around in the deep pits of the Nile, including the Sudan Catfish and the Vundu. These too can reach impressive sizes of 1,5 metre or longer. And finally, many species of smaller fish used as baitfish live here, such as large scale tetras and some barbel species. Some get bigger than half a meter and give top sport on light spinning rods.

Nile perch can be baited in several ways.

- First, you can fish statically with live or dead baitfish on the bottom. A sliding lead of about 50 grams keeps the baitfish in place. As a leader you use a piece of 100/00 fluorocarbon or nylon, with a large circle hook. That way, you also have (a lot of!) chance of catching the catfish.

- Secondly, you can offer your baitfish at half-water in the rings. Then use a balloon or catfish bobber as a bite indicator. And finally, you can also attack these giants with lures: shads, crankbaits and jerkbaits with the spinning rod and even with streamers in combination with a lousy fly rod.

The fish are always swimming there so it doesn't really matter when you come. However, it's still river fishing, so it's not unwise to avoid the months of November and April-May, when it sometimes rains quite hard and the water can be murky. The best months are December to March, and June to October.

A local guide who knows the river like the back of his hand will get you to the best spots quickly and comfortably. And as we wrote, don't forget to look around while you're boating and fishing, because it's not only impressive underwater.

You are accommodated in a luxurious lodge that includes thatched luxury tents that look more like a comfortable home than anything else. The homes are equipped with every imagiable comfort: beds with mosquito nets, shower with hot and cold water, safe to keep your personal belongings... You'll feel right at home here! The restaurant is excellent, as is the bar that serves soft drinks, wine and beers.

While you enjoy your cool drink or food, you have a phenomenal view of the river. Of course, there is also a swimming pool, also overlooking the river, where you can take a refreshing dip after a hard day of drills. The entire grounds are very clean and lit with candles at night.

Every evening the hippos come here to graze: they hoist themselves out of the river and just walk around freely. So to walk back to your home in the dark hours, you always get a steward appointed to accompany you.

Our local partner has Kingfisher boats that can fit up to five people plus the captain. However, we recommend fishing with up to 3 people max per boat. The boats are very sturdy and comfortable aluminum console boats with well-maintained 60 HP Yamaha outboard motors on them. They have a bimini top so you can sit in the shade during the warmer times of the day. Of course, all safety equipment such as life jackets are standard on board.

Equipment can be rented on site: our partner has uptide rods with sturdy Shimano baitrunners on them. However, it is definitely recommended to bring your own rods. For boat fishing, we recommend 30- to 50-pound rods with a length of 2.20 to 270 cm - some extra length to the rod is often nice when fishing with lures. Catfish rods are also ideal. On these rods reels from the 8000 to 10000 series are perfect, where the dyneema line should be 80 lbs. Fly fishermen need at least a #12.

As a leader, use 1 to 1.5 mm fluo carbon or nylon and an assortment of very sturdy circle hooks or regular single hooks. Also bring some sturdy trebles in sizes 2/0 to 4/0 in case you want to attach an extra stinger to a large baitfish. Furthermore, a number of strong big game swivels (150 lbs or heavier) and some floats or balloons complete the equipment.

As lures, crankbaits that go two to four metres deep are ideal. The Rapala Super Shad Rap is a very good lure but it is wise to replace the treble hooks and split rings with some stronger material. Shads with a length of 15 to 25 cm are ideal, and you can either stick them to simple jighead or to a screw on lead head in combination with a sturdy treble hook with a kevlar line of 150 kilo.

For baitfish fishing, or to have fun in the calm hours, it is best to bring a light spinning rod (30 gram casting weight). With a hook 4 under a small float you can catch one hard fighting Nilefish after another in some places... Many of them have teeth so even with small lures you will get your money's worth here.

You have to fly to Entebbe. There you will be picked up by the private driver who will take you to the hotel for the first night. After breakfast you will be picked up again by the private driver and taken to the lodge in a 4 x 4 car in a 6 hour drive through the impressive nature of Uganda at Murchison Falls. A lunch is also planned along the way.

During your presence at the lodge and during fishing, all meals are included in the price and only beverages need to be paid extra. Water and soft drinks while fishing are also included. Also, permits and national park fees are all included in the price. In short, this fishing trip is complete and leaves little to be desired.

In summer time there is 1 hour time difference and in winter 2 hours versus CET. That makes traveling to this location ideal from central Europe.

Even though you are going to see quite a bit of wildlife while fishing, it is well worth booking an extra day of safari here. This national park offers a huge amount of wildlife which is absolutely worth your while.

The journey back leaves early in the morning from the lodge and takes you directly to the airport where you will arrive in time to catch the evening flight back home.

When you want to go fishing with 4 people for 5 days you should take into account an average amount of € 4.395,- per person and with 2 people the cost start at € 4.995,- per person including all meals, permits, park fees, transfers, accommodation, fishing boat and fuel. Additional costs are visa of Uganda for € 50, -, international flights, drinks on site and tip for the staff. Prices vary and have an early, mid and high season rate. So this is just an example but feel free to send us an e-mail and we will make you a quotation.

This is truly an unforgettable fishing location where you can catch a Nile Perch of 50 or maybe even 100 kilos + in addition see a huge number of wild animals. Who wouldn't want that?

Are you alone and still want to fish here once? Then check out the possibility of joining our group trip here in March 2025.

Uganda Nileperch