Uganda Fishing
Fishing in Uganda is done on an extensive scale and it’s done both for economical and spot fishing. Fishing in Uganda is done on different lakes and rivers that are found in Uganda and these include lake kyoga, lake Victoria, River Nile and other water bodies. People have also come up with fish ponds to supplement on the fish that is currently on the market in the country.
Spot fishing in Uganda
Spot fishing is an experience that one should not miss as this gives you a chance to catch the different fish species that can be found in Uganda and these include the Till, Nile perch, catfish, Tiger fish and many more other species. The best places for spot fishing can be carried out at Lake Victoria, Lake Mburo Natioanl Park, ssesse Islands, Murchison falls National park and River Nile. Spot fishing allows fishing equipment and methods that are modern so that there is clear preservation of the aqua life and the water bodies themselves. Spot fishing in Uganda is mostly done in Uganda mostly by tourists and a few locals and can be carried out in the following places.
Murchison falls National park Sport Fishing
Murchison is locate in the North western part of the country and it is approximately six hours from the capital city Kampala. Although spot fishing at the moment is done at the base of the murchision falls, it has two major sites found near karuma falls at chobe lodge and the other below the murchision falls.
Fishing at the falls can be done all throughout the year but the best time to get a good catch is from January to April and the most commonly caught fish includes the cat fish and Nile perch. As you head to Murchison, make sure you carry your own fishing equipment or gear to enjoy the fishing experience more. It has been recorded that the largest fish caught at Murchison falls was 113 kilograms.
The different methods that are used for fishing include the catching fish live bet, casting land spinning. And apart from the Nile perch and catfish, the other type of fish that is caught are the tiger and silver fish.
You will also have to go with experienced tour guides so that they assist you during the spot fishing and you should carry insect repellent, put on long sleeved clothes to avoid insect bites and also carry enough sunscreen to protect you from the blazing heat.
Spot fishing on Ssese Islands
Ssese Islands are located on Lake Victoria and they are a good place for one to go from fishing. It’s a quiet place with good scenery and it offers you the privacy that you need when it comes to spot fishing. Just like in other spot fishing locations, you will need to carry your own fishing equipment or gears. The fish species that can be caught at Ssese include the Tilapia, Nile perch and the Lung fish. The largest part of the Ssese is not occupied and us filled with a very dense forest and the few people who are there are fishermen who are looking for fish for commercial purposes.
Spot fishing at Sipi Falls and Mountain Elgon
Sipi Falls is locted in the Eastern part of Uganda near Mountain Elgon. The Mountain Elgon National park has a lot of tourist attractions to see but when you post make sure spot fishing does not miss on your agenda. Spot fishing in Uganda is carried out on the three dominant waterfalls in sipi an the permits allowing you to do spot fishing can be got from the sipi River lodge.
You will also have to carry your own fishing gear so that you enjoy to the fullest and there will be trained tour guides who will take you through the experience so that you fish with ease. The most common fish species that you can fish from the area is the Rainbow fish which is a rare species. Visit Sipi falls to enjoy spot fishing in Uganda.
Spot fishing on Lake Mburo
Lake Mburo is located in the Western part of Uganda in Lake Mburo National park. This is known to be one of the best destinations for those who love spot fishing. In order to carry out spot fishing, one needs to first get a permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and its for five dollars only. The spot fishing on Lake Mburo is carried out around Mazinga and the most commonly caught fiah species is the Tilapia.
Spot fishing on Lake Victoria
Lake victoria is the largest water body in Uganda and second largest fresh water body in the whole world and is located in the great lakes region. Lake Victoria is shared by three countries which include Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya and it receives it’s water from River Kagera.
There are alot of activities that are carried out on Lake Victoria and spot fishing is one of them. The best time to go for spot fishing on Lake Victoria is from October to March because this time the fish species are many in number though you can still spot fish all year round.
There are different techniques that re used for spot fishing on Lake Victoria and these include the bait method and trolling with a lure method. The fish species that you will see are the Tilapia, Nile perch, silver fiah, catfish and many more other species. Fish spotting on Lake Victoria is done either by use of boats or canoes.
Make sure you get boats that have an overhead protection from the sun, life jackets and do not forget to walk with insect repellent to a kid insect bites. You should also carry your own equipment and you will have experienced tour guides who will take you through this lovely experience. Note that there are no specific places where one can do spot fishing on Lake Victoria because it all depends on the weather conditions. The spot fishing normally begins at 9:00am to 12:30pm and the evening trip normally begins at 1:00pm to 5:00pm.
Economical fishing in Uganda
Uganda has a lot of fish species that are sold within the country whereas others are exported to neighboring countries. The districts that normally deal in fishing activities are all located around lake Victoria and these act as the landing sites, fishing sites and the places where the fish is sold at wholesale before being transported to the different parts of the country.
Uganda has two sources of fish that is fishing from Lakes and Rivers and aquaculture. The major water bodies where fishing is carried out from are Lake Victoria, Lake kyoga, Lake Albert, Lake George and Lake Edward. Most commercial fishing is carried out using rudimentary methods and it is mostly done at night when the moon is shining at full capacity.
Fishing in Uganda mostly takes place on landing sites and Islands and these end up acting as the point of trade when it comes to fishing and some of these include:
The lake Victoria fishing communities
There are very many fishing villages on Lake Victoria but the major one is located on the Lutoboka landing site. Here different people can be seen fishing on the shores of Lake Victoria as they cast out nets with bait to cartch some fish. The fishing village is filled with different ethnic groups but to note is that the largest population is of the male species and most of the people here are married with children.
The fishing village is a bit crowded but if you want to get fish cheaply, this is the best place to buy from and you will get it fresh from the water. The fishing is done by children, woman and men since most of them earn a living from selling fish. The different species of fish caught from here include silver fish locally known as Mukene, Tilapia and Nile perch. They also sell both fried and dry fish too.
Ggaba landing site
Ggaba landing site is used as a trade center for fish and is located on Lake Victoria in Kampala. The fishing at Ggaba is done mostly a distance away from the shore in the middle of the lake and the most common fish that is caught includes Tilapia, silver fish, Nile perch, catfish and lung fish. The fishermen use moist boats for fishing and have since abandoned fishing using canoes. After fishing, some of it is auctioned off immediately whereas others are transported in frozen trucks to the different parts of the country and others exported to other countries.
Aqua culture has been adopted by many people in Uganda due to the increasing sanctions that have been put up by the government concerning fishing on lakes and this has helped to keep the fish market busy.
Visit Uganda and experience the wonderful fishing world of both economical and spot fishing on the numerous water bodies in the country.