Fishing

Fishing in Style

Its a fishing paradise out here! Commercial fishing is heavily restricted in the Maldives meaning the sea is popping with pelagic game fish and reef fish throughout the year.

The unique combination of lagoons, reef passes and steep reef cliffs provide a variety of opportunities for trolling, fly fishing and the locals’ favourite popping and jigging. Fishing from a comfortable, luxury sailing yacht is unlike any fishing you’ve done before. The unparalleled access to remote islands, reefs and the lack of any pressure to return to base means you can really concentrate on understanding the fish in their local environment and maximising your catch ! The non fishermen in your group always have plenty to do so everyone’s happy.

There’s no such thing as a bad day when you’re fishing.

Ways to Fish

There are so many ways to fish in the Maldives.

One way is to jump onto the catamaran tender which sports a 70 hp engine then you can easily choose your location and change spots at a moment’s notice. A particular favourite is to get up just before sunrise and troll along the reef wall on the tender as the sun comes up. Fresh catch before breakfast !

Other options include trolling directly from the yacht as you swap one idyllic island for another, night fishing with its particularly relaxed mood and starry skies or standing in a lagoon’s calf high, translucent water while you fly fish to your heart’s content.

Shorefishing is also surprisingly productive for those who want white sand underfoot and a case of cold drinks under the nearest palm tree.

the CAtch

Game fish commonly found out here are Yellowfin and Dog Tuna, Barracuda, Marlin, Sailfish, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo and Giant Trevally.

Among the many reef fish are Groupers, Sweetlip Emperor, Jobfish, Squirrelfish, Snappers and Jacks.

The gear

The captain and crew will assist you with the right equipment and lures, live bait or skirts for your chosen fishing spot as well as making sure that you catch plenty! They will also know in which locations which types of fishing are permitted.

Luckily the Maldives have strict fishery regulations which ensures an extraordinary abundance of fish for everyone. Lastly you can always bring your own equipment if that’s preferable. That lucky rod might come in handy!

The Two Seasons

The NE and SW monsoon each provide different opportunities for catching specific fish due to variations in water temperature, visibility and current flow. While there is technically no off season for fishing in the Maldives big game fishing is best in the NE monsoon from November to March.

Dry Season

The North East monsoon creates currents from the NE bringing good visibility and great fishing. The Eastern side of the islands sees great aggregations of fish in the clear water. The temperature rises to 30c at this time of year and the billfish like to hunt the forage fish in deeper waters.

Wet Season

The South West monsoon brings colder water up from the South. The visibility is around 10-15m on the western side of the atolls. This is a good time to catch pelagics including yellowfin tuna closer to the reef drop offs.

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