7 Facts About Sport Fishing an Murchison Falls National Park.

7 Facts About Sport Fishing an Murchison Falls National Park.

7 facts about sport fishing in Murchison Falls National Park: Sport fishing in Murchison falls national park is one of the most adventurous sports or rather tourism activities that any traveller can do while on vacation in Uganda. Uganda is considered to be the ‘Pearl of Africa,’ and for a good reason; the East African country is known for her good tropical climate, stunning greenery that is characterized by a wide connection of hills and mountains. The country has also been blessed with lots of beautiful and breathtaking lakes and rivers, with its Lake Victoria being the largest fresh water lake on the continent. To add to its rich bio-diversity, is the abundant wildlife base. Uganda has a variety of wildlife species that ranges from big cats such as lion, leopards, and cheetah to other savannah animals like elephants, antelopes, buffaloes, impala, hippos, Nile crocodiles and so many more.

7 Facts about Sport Fishing in Murchison Falls National Park.

Sport fishing in Murchison falls national park is one of the most exciting and adventurous activities that can be done by tourists visiting the national park. Murchison falls national park, located in the northern part of Uganda, is the largest savannah national park in the country. The park spans over a radius of approximately 3,840 square kilometers. It was gazetted as a national park in 1952, thus making it one of the oldest national parks in Uganda. This national park shelters over 451 bird species, and about 76 species of mammals. If you are planning to do sport fishing in Murchison falls national park, you might want to know the following facts.

1. Sport fishing in Murchison falls national park is conducted at the bottom of Murchison falls. This activity can either be done at the Nile river banks or downstream in the water pools that have been crafted by Mother Nature. It is also important that you take your safety as top priority; the Nile River at Murchison falls is known to harbor a large concentration of water predator’s like Nile crocodiles and Hippopotami. It is therefore advisable for tourists doing sport fishing in Murchison falls national park to hire the services of an experienced park ranger or guide.
2. In order to do sport fishing in Murchison falls national park, one MUST obtain a sport fishing permit at a fee of USD 50 dollars per day or USD 150 for 4 days. However, the cost of the permit excludes park entrance fees.
3. If you are planning to do sport fishing in Murchison falls national park, it is recommended that you bring along your own fishing equipment. Although you can hire sport fishing equipment at the park from Wild Frontiers, a tour company based in the national park that offers sport fishing activities in the park. This is because sport fishing equipment can run out in supply, especially during the peak seasons when lots of tourists come to the park to take part in the annual sport fishing tournament that are conducted in the national park.
4. The best time for one to do sport fishing in Murchison falls national park is either during the morning hours, or in the evening. During this time, the fish tend to swim nearer the water surface.
5. It is important to note that sport fishing in Murchison Falls national park is carried out under the Catch-and-release policy, in order to preserve as well as conserve the various fish species that are existent in the river.
6. Some of the fish species that you are likely to catch in Murchison falls include; Tilapia, Nile Perch, Cat fish, Tiger fish, electric cat-fish and so many more. The largest Nile Perch that was caught in the national park weighed 113 kilograms, while the largest cat fish ever caught in Murchison falls national park weighed 45 kilograms.
7. Some of the fishing methods commonly used by anglers doing sport fishing in Murchison falls national park include; casting lures, spinning and catching on live bait. Anglers are advised to use spinning rods of between 8 to 11 feet with multiplier reels or fixed stools.

When best to go sport fishing in Murchison Falls National Park.

Sport fishing in Murchison falls national park is best done during the dry seasons in the months of June to September and December to February. However, the activity can be done at any time of the year for those interested in it.

Where else can one do sport fishing in Uganda.

Other sport fishing sites in Uganda include; Lake Mburo National Park which is located in the western part of Uganda, at Sipi falls in Mount Elgon National Park, which is located in Kapchorwa district in the eastern part of the country. Sport fishing in Uganda can also be done at Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria which is the largest fresh water lake in Africa.

How to access Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda.

Murchison falls national park can be accessed by either road or air transport. Tourists can travel to the national park by road from Kampala via the Karuma-Pakwach road. This route covers about 305 kilometers and takes about four to five hours of driving on well tarmacked road. About two or three kilometers of the total journey is covered on dirt road, and this is the road leading to the national park.

The national park can also be accessed by air. Tourists can charter a domestic flight from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield in Kampala to airfields in the Murchison falls national park like Pakuba, Chobe or Bugungu airfields. Domestic flight companies such as Aerolink conduct air transfers to the park on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Sport fishing in Murchison Falls national park is one of the best tourism activities that any tourist can do while on a safari in Uganda. The activity can also be done with friends or family, and it is a great way for individuals to connect with each other, bond and forge lasting relationships with both other tourists, service providers and the local people.