Big Game Fishing

In 1954, after crashing his plane twice in Uganda and getting caught in a bushfire, Ernest Hemingway came to Shimoni to relax. Following a rumour that giant marlin were being caught in the Pemba Channel, Papa tagged along on a fishing trip with colonial farmers who had set up a fishing camp which is today Shimoni Reef Lodge.

Ever since, sport fisherman have been coming to Shimoni for some of the biggest marlin catches in the western Indian Ocean. During the fishing season between August and March you can catch all the main Indian Ocean pelagic fish, including sailfish, tuna, shark, striped, blue and black marlin, dorado, wahoo, kingfish, trevally, swordfish...

We have two fishing seasons: the cooler period from August to November with the Kusi south-east monsoon providing scattered rain and the warmer Kaz-Kazi north-east monsoon season from December to March, bringing new surprises and new fish.

If you're hooked on fishing, let us know and we will send you detailed information on seasonal catches.