It’s funny how things work out. Our team had all been set to head to Nepal, chasing the legendary mahseer and hoping to spot a tiger or two. Nepal, you know, that famously peaceful and laid-back place which has kept quiet on the international stage for years?
Well, the month we were due to go there was a Gen Z revolution and violence erupted. Our very experienced and rightly cautious ground handler wisely suggested postponing the trip until things calmed down.
Some of our team diverted to Belize, a couple to the Seychelles, while myself and 3 others decided to make the most of our original flights and headed to Oman – a country I had not visited but had long wanted to explore. I knew of a fly-fishing operation there run by a guide I had met previously in Alphonse, a great guy called Brandon. We had kept in touch, but diaries and other commitments never allowed a trip, what a fortunate piece of timing it all proved to be!
Warm welcomes in Salalah, Oman
We arrived at Salalah, a beautiful coastal city in southern Oman, and were immediate greeted with beaming smiles and warm hospitality. The Omanis really are a lovely nation of people, thrilled to see you and genuinely kind.
After meeting our guides in the hotel and having a tackle run through (the guaranteed time you realise that you should have just used all their kit, ours was fine but wrong!), we toasted our mutual good fortune and repaired for an early night.
At 5:30am the next day we were at the marina, a mere 12 steps from the hotel, and ready to spend a day fishing on the Omani coast.
In search of the African permit
Our main target was the African permit which, as far anyone knows, is unique to Oman. The fish cruise along the coast looking for mussel beds that are clinging to the cliffs.
We had 3 guides with 3 boats and we all starburst in different directions but the one generic thing we did was to travel a long, long way. Our first run was about an hour, and each subsequent day saw us boating for a large part of it. It’s not a problem, and the Omani coast is beautiful but is worth noting.
This is sight fishing but it’s not flats fishing. The trick is to see the permit tailing and flashing in the surf and aim a mussel imitation fly as close to the fish as you can get. The wash of the water and the waves mean that the fly has very limited “hang time” in front of the fish and you need to be very accurate and quick to cast again – it’s very exciting and intense.
You ideally need to be able to double haul and have experience of line management as whilst you will see the fish, you won’t always see the take and stay in touch with your fly to feel the slightest knock.
Permit fishing expectations and success
The first thing you need when you want to catch permit is a lot of permits! They are famously fickle and shot after shot went unrewarded. However crucially, there were always lots more shots and we managed to land a good number between us.
What does that mean? Well in 6 days, our luckiest rod landed 12 permit and our unluckiest did not land one although did hook up.
I think that is a reasonable expectation which are numbers of permit that you just can’t expect anywhere else.
And these are big permit…. Their mussel and crayfish diet means that they grow fast, and they grow very strong. To me they more resembled jacks in the Caribbean than they did their Indo Pacific bedfellows.
More than just permit…
When we wanted to do something different, we went after mahi-mahi and queenfish, fantastic fun on the fly and indescribably strong. There are also sailfish, trigger fish and all manner of sea fish that you would expect.
It’s a strange mix of uber technical fishing for the permit and then bait ball bashing for other crazy species of fish and it’s a lot of fun.
Top-class guides and comfortable accommodation
The guides were uniformly superb, very knowledgeable, likeable and enthusiastic. It’s a well-run operation and they know how to make it work.
Our hotel in Salalah was very comfortable and well-equipped with 2 swimming pools, bars, massage table and a very good in-house restaurant. This was perfect for a dedicated fishing trip, although couples looking for a more luxurious holiday in addition to a few days fishing might prefer one of the nearby hotels along the coast.
Why fish permit in the Oman?
It’s not flats fishing and it’s not for everyone. But for anyone serious about adding permit to your caught list (as opposed to their “I cast to” list) then Oman deserves your full attention.
Brandon’s team at Arabian Fly are highly experienced, knowledgeable and friendly, offering you the best chance at a successful permit fishing trip.
If you are looking for your next challenging and unique fishing adventure, do email me on charlie.white@roxtons.com.
