Fishing & Angling in the Seychelles

WO & HOW TO FISH IN THE SEYCHELLES

Fishing information & Fishing in the Seychelles

Things to know about angling & fishing on the Seychelles:

Fishing and Big Game Fishing

Fishing and angling in the 1.4 million square kilometres of Seychelles fishing grounds is possible all year round. The months of June to October are favoured by deep-sea anglers ("big-game fishing"), while the other months are ideal for fly fishing and bottom fishing. A fishing licence is not required. There are no shops where you can buy bait or rent fishing tackle, but fishing trip operators also provide their customers with the necessary equipment, unless you bring it yourself. Some airlines carry fishing equipment as sports baggage at a special rate or even free of charge.

Why not charter one of the many excellent boats, with an experienced crew, and head south, out into the seemingly endless expanses of the sea, until you reach the Turcos Bank? The place is teeming with tuna, jackfish, dorado, streaker, kingfish, sailfish and marlin. On the way you can also stop and try your hand at the traditional art of palangrotting or bottom fishing!

Bottom fishing means fishing at the bottom. They load a long, weighted line with bait and let it drag on the bottom of the sea at a depth of about 50 metres. You will be amazed, because Palangrotte Fishing rewards you with the tastiest fish that you can find in this area. Ask the crew to fillet a freshly caught tuna or bonito and enjoy this ultimate sushi platter with a cold beer while you wait for the next catch.

Another possibility is to look for a fishing spot near the coast and try your luck at night fishing. The 'Bekin' or silver barracuda is not only exciting to catch, but is also excellent for barbecuing.

Where best to fish

The waters around Silhouette are particularly rich in fish and in the appropriate season you can catch sailfish particularly well here. But also a few excellent bottom fishing spots can be found in the area. A fishing experience around Praslin or La Digue will not only be rewarded with a good catch, but also an impressive view! The area around the twin coral islands of Denis and Bird is especially known for marlin.

An expedition to the Amirantes, or outside of Alphonse, will take you into the remote, barely fished waters of the Outer Islands. The areas around the St. Francois and St. Joseph atolls are becoming a mecca for fly fishers around the world due to the record numbers of bonefish and mackerel that have been caught here.

Anglers must observe some nature conservation requirements. In certain areas fishing is completely prohibited or restricted for these reasons. The waters are patrolled by park rangers. The use (and already the import) of harpoons is generally prohibited. Among sports fishermen it is common practice to release the caught fish alive after the usual photo ("catch and release").

Several fishing competitions are held in the Seychelles during the year. Of particular interest to foreign participants is the IGFA Fishing Tournament in the second week of October.

No matter where the compass leads you, you will find pristine, deserted waters where there is still enough room for real adventure.

Back to Sailing in the Seychelles or to Diving

Author: Karl Schnürch

In 2007 I started the website Seychelles.com to write everything I experienced from my head. Since then I have been constantly optimizing and expanding Seychelles.com to eventually present a complete picture of Seychelles on this site.