Nile perch

Murchison Falls

Nile Perch Fishing Trip - Uganda

Nile Perch Paradise Murchison Falls

The group tour starts when you leave your home country. You fly over Addis Ababa. It usually takes about seven hours to fly to Addis Ababa. You will fly from Addis Ababa to Entebbe. The flight takes about two hours. When you arrive in Entebbe, you will go to a small guesthouse in the suburbs. You will spend the evening enjoying good food and cool drinks in Entebbe.

The next morning, we will drive for six hours to Murchsion Falls National Park. You will drive through beautiful countryside, cross the equator and then arrive at your safari camp in the afternoon. Here, two guests share the simple but comfortable safari tents. Each tent has its own toilet and shower.

You can then use the evening to set up your fishing equipment or enjoy the fantastic view over the Nile. Eating a good dinner makes the day better.

The Fishing

The fishing day normally starts at around 5:30 with a good breakfast at the lodge. We will pick you up right at the jetty of the lodge. Pick up time will be at 7:15 in the morning. A traditional fishing day is around eight hours long! Two anglers share the small aluminium boats. These boats have enough space for two anglers to fish with spin or live bait. These are the usual fishing techniques used in Uganda to catch big Nile perch.

Spin fishing is a good option for people who like fishing. You fish in different places in the river with medium spinning rods and fake lures. Large paddle tails have proven to be particularly effective. But wobblers and jerk baits are also good lures for catching fish.

The Nile itself has different sections, which you can explore in your fishing section. The river’s path is winding and it makes some slow-moving parts here. The Nile perch usually lives in fast-moving water or in deep pools where hippos swim. These areas are the hot spots in the lower part of the river.

Fishing below the Murchison Falls

Other good spots are backwaters with deep pools and grass edges. These spots are ideal for fishing with jerkbaits and rubber lures. Slow bait retrieval has proven particularly successful here. The Nile offers plenty of spots on the way to the natural barrier, Murchison Falls. The extremely fast current below the falls makes fishing from a boat too dangerous and impossible. In recent years, the water level of the Nile has risen significantly. As a result, there is unfortunately only one bank fishing spot below the falls. The boats will drop you off below the falls. After a short walk, you will reach the first fishing spots. Your guides will accompany you and help you land the fish.

Spin- & Bait Fishing for Nile Perch

Below the rapids, you can fish with artificial lures such as wobblers and rubber fish or use bottom rigs to fish for small back-turners. Both fishing methods have proven to be effective. Fishing with bait fish is also very productive. You can fish with simple bottom rigs or, as already described, with balloon or float rigs at the only remaining spot. When bottom fishing, the bait is normally cast from the boat. In addition to Nile perch, you can also catch various species of catfish when fishing with bait fish. Vundu catfish and various species of African river catfish are found in the Nile. Awakas are used as bait. You will need to catch these at the beginning of the fishing day with a light match rod and floats. Another very good way to obtain bait fish is with small spinners or sabiki rigs. Small herring paternoster rigs have proven to be very productive in some places.

Please note that catching bait fish can take some time. There are no opportunities to buy bait fish or catch them in advance on site! Nets are not permitted in the national park! Therefore, you will need to catch your own bait fish every day with the help of the guide. Please follow the exact tackle recommendations for fishing for bait fish to avoid frustration!

Around midday, you will receive a delicious packed lunch, which you can enjoy in the shade of the shore, below the falls or on the boat. It can get very hot in Uganda at midday. Temperatures above 35 °C are not uncommon. You should therefore pace yourself while fishing.

The fishing day ends with arrival at the lodge between 3 and 4 p.m. After arriving at the lodge, you can enjoy the sunset and the spectacular view over the Nile with an ice-cold beer.

The departure

On the day you leave, you will leave the lodge after breakfast. The return journey takes about six hours and you will be taken directly to the airport. You might be able to have lunch in Entebbe, depending on when you’re leaving.

The return flight leaves around 6.30pm and, as on the way there, you fly back to your departure airport via Addis Ababa. You will get there the next day!

Accommodation Uganda Fishing Trip

The accommodation

Murchison Falls

Murchison River Lodge

The Murchison River Lodge is located on a hill with a great view of the Nile. There is no fence around the lodge, so it’s easy to spot wildlife!

The lodge has different types of rooms. You will stay in covered safari tents during your trip.

Two guests share a safari tent. These have two single beds and a private bathroom. Mosquito nets are available for the beds.

There is solar lighting in the tents, but no high-voltage sockets. You can charge your phone using the USB stations. If you need to charge your camera or other devices, there are charging stations in the main area.

The lodge has a great shared area with a bar and views of the Nile. All meals are served in the main area.

You can only use the internet in the Pool Lounge. There is a pool with loungers, showers and toilets here too.

Catering

Meals: Full Board

Beverages: Water is provided during fishing, additional drinks can be paid on site according to consumption

Entebbe

Papyrus Guest House

The Papyrus Guest House is a stylish hotel near the airport.

All rooms have their own bathroom, as well as two single beds, mosquito nets and seating on the terrace where you can relax.

The guesthouse has its own restaurant and free internet.

Catering

Meals: breakfast included

Beverages: Drinks can be paid on site according to consumption

Your fishing boats in Uganda!

The Boats

During your stay in Uganda you will have four aluminum boats at your disposal. The boats offer space for two anglers and are sufficiently motorized!

Boat Fishing

2 Anglers per boat

For fishing from the boat, you use one of the four aluminum boats. The boats have a good engine and have a modular awning and comfortable seats.

You can spin fish from the boat or fish with bait. A bait fish tank as well as a cool box are also available on the boats.

Shore Fishing

Murchison Falls

In recent years, the water level in the Nile has risen by several metres. As a result, there is currently only one spot below the falls where fishing is possible. To fish at this spot, you need special equipment, otherwise you will not be able to land the fish. PE10 popper rods with heavy fixed spool reels and 200 lb monofilament line are a must. Otherwise, you will have no chance of landing the fish!

The mooring points for the boats are located below the first eddies. This means you have to walk to the spot below the falls! Good footwear is therefore recommended!

You need this fishing gear in Uganda!

Tackle Talk

If you want to go fishing in Uganda, you will need three different types of rod. A medium-weight PE6-8 spinning rod for catching Nile perch, a PE8 popper rod for fishing with baitfish and a light match rod for catching baitfish.

Soft baits, wobblers and jerk baits are used as artificial baits. If you’re fishing with natural bait, you’ll need to use bottom leads, catfish floats, large circle hooks, single hooks and treble hooks.

You need these spinning lures for Nile perch!

Spinfishing for Nile Perch

There are different types of lures that are used in Uganda for spin fishing for Nile perch. Large soft baits with heavy lead heads are very effective. The soft baits should be between 16 and 25 centimeters long. The Zeck Fishing Butcher & Rippler is a great lure! The Lunker City Shakers 7″ and 8″ are also good.

As well as soft baits, wobblers that swim in the shallows and deeper waters are also very good. The Rapala Super Shad Rap and similar wobblers that are 15 cm long are great.

The Halco Lazer Pro 190 is also a good wobbler for the strong current found below waterfalls. The wobblers should be able to dive to depths between 2 and 6 meters.

Jerk baits are also great for the slow parts of the river. The Hybrida J1 Tropic is perfect for this!

Try using large spinnerbaits, like the Westin Monster Vibe with 45g.

How do I catch baitfish for Nile perch?

Catching Baitfish

To catch bait fish, you will need a match rod or a light spinning rod. The rod should not be too long. Fishing for bait fish works best with a float rig, light clip-on lead rigs and herring paternoster rigs!

Therefore, you should bring a few locking floats with you. Small gold hooks in various sizes, clip weights, float stoppers and a few small swivels complete the rig.

Water balls also work well as floats. Compact float shapes are best suited!

Herring paternoster rigs or nymph systems with at least 5-6 flies/nymphs are a MUST. The hook size should not be too large! Fishing with paternoster systems has been extremely successful and can significantly reduce the time spent fishing for bait fish!

The best lines and leaders for Nile perch fishing!

Leader & Main Line

For Nile perch spin fishing, you’ll need a leader between 100 and 150 lbs. When choosing leaders, it’s best to go for quality brands like Fishermen, Varivas, Nomad or Climax. When fishing with natural bait, you can use braided or monofilament leaders.

The main lines should be high-performance PE lines. When spin fishing for Nile perch, you need a PE5 (50lbs load capacity) minimum. For natural bait fishing, you should use at least PE8 (80lbs carrying capacity). Some good lines are Gosen Diver x8, Daiwa J-Braid x8, JB Line One and other high-performance lines.

Terminal Tackle

Hooks & Terminal Tackle

No compromises may be made here. Please only bring BKK brand hooks. You should bring GT-Rex hooks in sizes suitable for the bait.

Snap and solid rings should have a minimum load capacity of 220 lbs. Owner Super Heavy Duty snap and solid rings (solid rings #7.5 – #9) (snap rings #10 – #11) are a good choice here.

We recommend Zeck screw-in jig heads between 28-45g.

For natural bait fishing, use 6/0 – 8/0 circle hooks. Mustad has various hooks available! For treble hooks, use BKK hooks in sizes 2/0 – 4/0!

Helpful tools for your fishing trip!

Other fishing equipment

It is a good idea to bring a pair of split ring pliers. We recommend the hPa Game Plier split ring pliers. This means you can open very strong split rings easily.

It’s also a good idea to have a waterproof bag for your boat. The company Zeck Fishing has some great fishing bags. We recommend the Tackle Container Pro or the Tackle Container Pro Catfish!

You often throw for several hours, so we recommend that you bring a pair of good gloves with you.

It can get very hot in Uganda, so we recommend wearing UV protection shirts, a sun hat and LF50 sunscreen! You can order our Expeditions UV shirts directly from us.

Good polarized sunglasses are essential for fishing. We recommend glasses from gloryfy unbreakable. The best polarized sunglasses for anglers currently available are also indestructible!

You can take a closer look at the gloryfy unbreakable polarized sunglasses for anglers here: Polarized Sunglasses for Anglers!