Safari Boats & Guides

What happened next will stay with me to the end of my life. One second the lure was wobbling quietly towards me, perhaps 25 yards away. The next it was hit with unbelievable power...." Dr. Barrie Rickards Ph.D., D.Sc. (Cambridge) "Kings of the Nile” Coarse Fishing

In 1993 we had the privilege of pioneering Nile perch fishing safaris on Lake Nasser and our Kenyan origin has brought the atmosphere of traditional African “Hemingway style” safaris to Lake Nasser together with old fashioned hospitality and attention to service.
Spend the day fishing and exploring this huge desert lake in your own private live aboard fishing boat then, for meals and in the evening, join the social atmosphere of a well-appointed mother ship where you can have sundowners as you watch spectacular desert sunsets followed by a night sky full of brilliantly bright stars; there is no light pollution from cities, a natural phenomenon few people have experienced. Camps are moved on a daily basis to insure you frequently fish in new areas.

Fishng Safari Boat Units

Fishing safari units are made up of live aboard fishing boats supported by a Mother Ship. You spend the day fishing and exploring the lake in your fishing boat and then link up with the mother ship for meals and overnight stops. Each fishing boat is skippered by experienced English speaking Nubian fishing guide; most of our guides have been escorting safaris on Lake Nasser for fifteen years or more.

Mother Ships
Mother Ships are an essential part of a well-organized safari unit; they carry the equipment, provisions, fuel and the safari staff leaving the live aboard boats free to do what they are designed for – catch fish. Mother ships are fitted with a built-in kitchen, dining area, toilet, and shower and there is plenty of space on the upper deck to relax sunbathe or just watch the world go by. Most people are pleasantly surprised at the standard of food on safari; the style of cooking is a blend of western taste merged with Nubian cuisine, which is superb. Beer, wine and soft drinks are in plentiful supply and always ice cold. Each of our mother ships is equipped with a satellite telephone which can be used if required.

Fishing Boats
Fishing Boats are divided into two sections, cabin and living area and then the fishing decks and they can accommodate up to three anglers. They have on board sleeping facilities with two full-sized single bunks and at night the cabin can be enclosed by canvas, providing a cosy sheltered sleeping. Many anglers prefer to sleep on the roof of the cabin under the desert stars... it hardly ever rains in the desert.
The bow deck and stern decks provide ideal casting or trolling platforms and there is also an all-round deck in case a quick manoeuvre is needed when that big fish takes a dive under the boat. They are fitted with long-range fuel tanks, a 12v lighting system, a fish-finder, scales up to 220lb. and plenty of storage space for your equipment. Unlike the house boats the fishing boats do not have an on board toilet and shower, these facilities are provided for on the Mother Ship.

House & Fishing Boat Combo
House Boats are bigger than the fishing boats with two spacious cabins which sleep four people comfortably. They are fitted with a toilet, shower and a small galley. The sun deck is a comfortable shaded area which is ideal for relaxing and sightseeing. They are twelve meters long, powered by two 85hp outboard engines with long-range fuel tanks and the electricity supply is provided by an on board generator. House boats are not designed for fishing; you live comfortably aboard a house boat and use your second boat for fishing. Having two boats is the ideal way to include your family on a fishing holiday, while they explore the lake in the comfortable house boat, you can go fishing in the smaller boat. This combo also works well for small groups of friends; the more of you who share a house boat the less expensive the safari becomes.

Stealth Boats
Stealth Boats are alternative fishing platforms which can fish hot spots more quietly and efficiently than is possible from our larger fishing boats. Whilst our live aboard fishing boats are also excellent fishing platform a stealth boat has the advantage of being smaller and less obtrusive. They can be quietly drifted or rowed over underwater promontories or past rocky drop-offs, allowing anglers to cast lures, or wobble dead bait without the commotion caused by a bigger boat. Stealth boats carry two anglers and are skippered by an experienced fishing guide and can easily be towed by your fishing boat between fishing grounds.

Guides & Safari Guides

One of the most important requirements for a successful safari is the crew and fishing guides; we take this seriously and devote time and effort in selecting and training our team although almost all the key members have been with us for ten years or more.
African Angler's Safari crews and fishing guides are all Nubians who are the people that inhabited the Nile Valley before it was flooded by Lake Nasser. The Nubian people have a proud and rich heritage that dates back long before the Pharaohs were in control of ancient Egypt. To this day, Nubians still maintain their own distinct traditions, architecture, and their own language, even though they had to migrate into Egypt or south to the Sudan after Lake Nasser swamped much of their traditional homeland. There is an excellent esprit de corps amongst our Nubian staff; they are proud of the work they do and you can’t beat them for their spontaneous and genuine friendship. All our guides speak fluent English.