Casting from the bank, or from rocky outcrops in the water, has brought the most success in the past. Live bait is the most effective way around the surface jetsam. Small fish for bait can be caught with worms, bread or the local cassava and millet dough.
Fishing for nile perch (locally ” Emputa”) is the major attraction for anglers in the park waters. The most exciting place to fish is in the fast flowing waters above the falls and just below the falls.
Nile perch have not always found above the falls. The falls stocking was made in 1954 when seven perch were transferred from the water below the falls. They were caught by Game Warden Bruce Kinlcoh and carried up the steep escarpment in a bath tub!
Further stockings were made over the next four years before the programs was discontinued because it was found that the perch could ascend into Lake Victoria through the turbines of the Owen Fall Dam. This sparked heated debate to wisdom of risking the ecological balance in the lake.
Too little., too late, as recent studies indicate the perch now constitutes 80% of fish population in the lake.
Once hooked, the perch will flight hard, often running almost across the river. A strong gaff is essential.
The record fish taken on rod and line from the bank below the falls is 73kgs. The record fish taken on rod and line from a boat on Lake Albert is 103kgs. Bigger fish are there, as specimens of 106kgs have been caught in nets in the lake by the local fishermen.
Trawling for nile perch in Lake Albert requires the availability of a reliable boat. With careful selection, one can be hired from the fishing village of Wanseko or Butiaba further south.
Tiger-fish are reputed to be the most aggressive of all fresh water fish.
They are found in the water immediately below the falls and in the open lake. A light spinning rod, light line, a small spoon and a wire trace is suitable tackle. Some success has also been had with a fly rod baited with a live grasshopper or cricket.
Accounts of a giant Tiger-fish in Lake Albert are not uncommon amongst the local fishermen officer in 1929. It weighed 35 kilos (usual range 1½ – 3 kilos) and was assumed to be giant species known only to occur in Lake Tanganyika.
The most commonly caught fish throughout the area below the falls and into the lake are known locally as “Ngara” (Genus Alestes). Silvery, bluish-gray in color, they average about a pound in weight and go for almost any bait. However, worms and the local dough get the best results.
Small “Ngara” make good live bait for nile perch. They are a very bonny fish and not very good eating. Electric cat-fish will often take the local dough or dead meat on the hook. Once landed care in handling is needed as they can give off a violent discharge.
Very rarely landed but very often hooked, the soft-shelled turtle, is a hazard. Typical behavior would be a strong strike, followed by a run of about 10 seconds, followed by a stiff anchor under the nearest rock for the rest of the day. When the hook is eventually spat out it will as if it has been crushed in a vice.
Above the falls, perch, tilapia, barbel and catfish are the most commonly caught. In the past, Chobe Lodge catered best for the fisherman, where good equipment was available for hire and the guides knew all the best spots. The waters near the lodge were famous for consistently large nile perch and catfish.
There is no equipment available for hire anywhere in the park today. Fishermen must come prepared and self-sufficient, although the local dough can be arranged.