Southern Oman

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EugeneC

Sealiner
Before I moved to Salalah I tried to do as much research as possible on the destination from a fishing point of view and came up short for the most part. I even contacted a few fairly well known anglers who had been here and got cold shouldered (no names here). The country is still off the main tourist beat and being that the local approach to fishing is rather basic, reliable, accurate information can be hard to come by.

I've also had quite a few members reach out to me enquiring about fishing in Oman and, as there's relatively little info out there on fishing in the area, I thought I'd put together some ideas based on my experience here. I'm by no means an expert angler or an expert on Oman, but I'm happy to share my humble views and hopefully I can offer some insight that adds value to an angler looking at a trip to this beautiful country.
I'm based in the south and the best fishing is from roughly the middle of the coastline running south to Salalah, so I'll focus my attention on this stretch.
 
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EugeneC

Sealiner
Getting here and getting around

There are no direct flights from SA to Oman as far as I'm aware. There are definitely no direct flights to Salalah anyway. You will likely have to travel via Dubai or Doha to reach Salalah. The city of Salalah is quite small, getting around is very straightforward, however be warned taxis are unregulated and more expensive than any destination I have ever travelled to - think OMR 30 - 50 for a 20km ride, depending on how wide-eyed and obviously new to the country you look.

By far the best way to get around is hiring a car - you can hire a SUV for around OMR 200 for a month, including insurance. Petrol costs around R3 a liter, so no worries there. Make sure you have an international license though, they drive on the right side of the road here and you don't want to be caught breaking the law.

Getting around by taxi is definitely not a good option if you're on a fishing trip, you simply will not be able to get to the good spots. Most locals speak basis English, but it seems out of every 100 people you meet you will get 99 different names for the same fishing spot or even the same fish, which can be very confusing. The only other option is to hire an Indian driver - that's basically an Indian national offering an illegal taxi service - only Omanis are allowed to drive professionally - they are cheap and effective, but not all that reliable. Also hard to arrange if you don't have a local contact and again, it's illegal, so not recommended as a foreign traveler.
 
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EugeneC

Sealiner
Accommodation

Salalah is slowly becoming more well known as a tourist destination in Europe thanks to the endless deserted beaches, mild climate and very friendly hospitality. There are currently three 5* hotels in the city, with a bunch of lower ranked hotels, guest houses and lots of apartments with rooms available on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Expect to pay upward of OMR 100 per night for a room in a 5* hotel, OMR 30 - 60 for a budget to mid-range hotel and anything from OMR 40 - 100 per night for an apartment with 2 - 3 bedrooms, depending on your negotiating skills.

In my view the absolute best way to experience the country and the amazing fishing is to camp out. The country is totally open, zero restrictions as long as you stay off the Sultan's property (you'll know it when you see it). You can drive on the beach, camp out on the beach and do pretty much whatever you like, as long as you respect the local culture (meaning no alcohol and no monkey business in public). You'll need a 4x4, which you can rent as mentioned above and obviously camping gear.
 
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EugeneC

Sealiner
Money and costs

As a South African, it's a painful experience visiting with Rands. The current exchange rate is ZAR 35 = OMR 1, so costs stack up fast. If you're working in Dubai or elsewhere, it's less harsh, with an exchange rate of OMR 1 = AED 10.

A liter of petrol doesn't cost much more than a bottle of water, which is probably the only good news. If you're self catering and want to eat a decent meal daily without being too lavish, expect to spend about OMR 200 for a month, excluding alcohol.

Tackle here is non-existent, so forget about trying to buy anything; more about that later. Bait wise you can spend as little as OMR 5 and have enough fresh bait for a day's fishing.
 
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EugeneC

Sealiner
Fishing

The fishing here, in a word, is superb. Like no other destination I've ever been to. The species list is huge and it can be difficult to decide what to target when there's so much on offer. From Salalah moving East the coastline is rugged, beautiful and very sparsely populated all the way to Ras Madrakah. Long stretches of sandy beach is interspersed with rocky areas, all easily accessible from the road and easily fishable.

The climate is mild - temperatures average around 30 degrees Celsius year round, with little wind and generally very calm seas. The only exception is May to September, when the local Khareef (monsoon) season turns everything upside down. From October to April is prime fishing season, with October to January being the cream. It is possible to fish during Khareef, when large Omani kob are around, but conditions are tough to put it mildly.

The edibles species list is simply too long for me to get into it here. My main targets have been trevally, queenfish and permit, although I have also landed many other species unintentionally. I focus most of my time on lure angling, but bait fishing is equally effective if you're prepared to put up with lots of nuisance fish like catfish (huge - I've seen them landed up to 15kg), eels, rock cod (can be a real nuisance here and loads of small tropical reef species.
Fresh bait is available from the local fish market in the form of fresh sardine, herring, mullet, mackerel, cuttlefish (squid is relatively scarce) and shrimps. Often when I'm on the beach if a trek netter goes by and I'm in need of bait, I'll offer to buy a couple of mullet or sardine and they'll usually just give me a couple for free. You can also collect your own on the rocky stretches - crab, various molluscs, even lobster if you're lucky.

If anyone wants info on specific spots, feel free to get in touch. My suggestion is to hit the road, which winds along the coastline anyway, keep a good look out and if you see a spot you like, stop and give it a bash. 9 times out of 10 you'll put a bend in your rod that way and it's a very rewarding experience.
 
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EugeneC

Sealiner
Tackle and tactics

If you only take one bit of advice from me about Oman, let it be this: bring absolutely every item of tackle you need with you. You will not find anything locally that's worth a second look.

Ideally you want to bring at least 3 set-ups:

Light spinning: 9 - 10' rod, 5000 size grinder, 30lb braid, .6mm leader (I always lean toward the heavy side here, you never know what you'll hook next) and a selection of lures in the 3/4 to 2.5oz weight range.

Med/Heavy spinning: 10 - 12' rod, 8000 size or larger grinder, minimum 40lb braid (I recommend 50lb), up to 1mm leader and matching lure weights.

Scratching: whatever your favourite is for back home will suffice here too. I like my Exage 110H & Torium 20 with 30lb Giant Abrasion.

I don't target sharks, so I can't advise in that area, although from what I understand there aren't too many left in these waters. There are HUGE giant sandies though, I have seen one taken by trek netters that was easily over 100kg.

I won't go into brands here, but as we all know, as long as you stick with Shimano you won't blank ::craz

If you're bait fishing, bring a range of hook and sinker sizes, definitely some steel wire and all the usual. In terms of lures, bucktails are super effective as everywhere. White, chartreuse and red are my favourites, but I doubt the fish here are too colour conscious. GT Ice-creams are my next pick, I wouldn't leave home without them.

I have also had success with Onda's, Halco Twisty's, Roosta poppers, slim spoons, couta casting spoons, various walk-the-dog style top water lures and various Rapalas. Bring your favourite lures, some bucktails and ice-creams (if those are not your favourites) and you'll do great. Make sure you have strong hooks and check your knots before casting. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)

I have fished primarily from shore, tactics obviously differ according to the kind of fish you want to target, but if I had a gun to my head and had to choose only one method, I'd throw a bucktail and bring it back with a medium fast jigging retrieve. If you come to Oman between October & March, throw a white bucktail, use this retrieve and blank, I'll give you your money back.

If I had a gun to my head and had to choose my second best option, I'd throw a ice-cream and bring it back fast. The rest you can figure out as you go along :cool:
 
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EugeneC

Sealiner
Safety

From a South African point of view, this is the best part. The country is exceptionally safe. The crime rate here is virtually zero and violent crime does not happen at all. Take care like any country, but know that there's no need for "safety in numbers" fishing here. I've spent countless nights by myself on deserted beaches fishing, been approached a couple of times in the dead of night by strangers and the worst that's happened is I've been offered fresh brewed Omani coffee.

The people are very friendly, warm and welcoming. This is a beautiful country with amazing people and world class fishing.

I think that more-or-less sums it up. Again, this is based on my experience living here for almost 2 years. People take different views of the world and other may well hate the place. I consider myself open minded and I've been fortunate to live in a few places around the world, I am leaving Oman in a couple of weeks for a new destination and I can honestly say I will miss this place. To anyone planning a trip out here, you're welcome to get in touch, I'm happy to help wherever possible.



::tight:
 
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DocPhil

Senior Member
Fantastic post! I would love to fish that area, I had no idea the fishing is that good!
Thanks for sharing.
((goodp_
 
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