The following is a detailed account of a two week angling safari on Lake Nasser in Egypt, in May 1997. Within the following, I have endeavoured to capture the excitement and sense of adventure that a Lake Nasser Safari gave to me. I have attempted to describe the unique experience of hooking, playing, and landing a large Nile perch, and the excitement of finally landing that elusive big fish!

Of course the fishing was not the only important thing about Lake Nasser. Often just the pleasure of being there was enough, and to witness crocodiles, snakes, scorpions, desert foxes, jackels, kites, egrets, pelicans, and many other exotic species, in their natural environment, was a special experience.

On Sunday 11th May 1997, I travelled to Gatwick airport, and my final destination was to be Aswan in Sourthern Egypt. I was embarking on a two week fishing adventure on Lake Nasser, and this was my second visit to Egypt and to this exciting destination. The flight to luxor was only 5 hours, and I then had to catch a second flight to Aswan, and spend the night in the Basma hotel, in Aswan. An early start the next day meant that I would be fishing on the lake by Monday afternoon!

I arrived at luxor in no time at all, and I had already met up with other anglers on the same trip as me, including Martin Bowler, and his brother Richard, who were on a Nubian safari for two weeks. On our arrival at Luxor airport we were met by an African Angler representative, who escorted us to the next flight to Aswan, and we were soon checking in to the Basma Hotal, which is a nice friendly establishment on the outscurts of the busy busling arabic town of Aswan.

In the evening we had a get together in the bar, and I met up with our guide Shaban, and a guy called Ray who I was sharing a boat with. Apparently we were meeting up with two other anglers who were on the lake already, and we were going to be taken by minibus to a small fishing port called Garf Hussain, which is approximatly one third of the way down the west bank, and is approximatly three hours journey by road.