As part of our Dubai trip this year, Nick Bowles at Ocean Active fly invited us down to look at his operation which is under establishment in Southern Oman. OceanActive are real pros and when something gets done, it gets done right. We did the flight down to Salalah with Arabian Air, and it was efficient and easy, absolutely no travel stress whatsoever. A short ride from the airport to the lovely hotel in the port, and by that afternoon we were enjoying a cold beer on the balcony at our hotel.
Early the next morning we ran Nicks brand new 24ft Arabian Craft out to explore, with his loyal partner Youseff at hand. Youseff is a real local, having spent the majority of his life on the water in this part of Oman. It was easy to see when on the water with him. He knows every rock, every drift, every current, every cliff. It wasn’t long before we were on the fish.
The permit down here go by the name of Africanus (Trachinotus Africanus) and are the main reason anglers venture down to this part of the world. That said, the variety of species on offer is quite something, and certainly not a one specie destination. That said, it was nice to tick off the permit on our first session, and this will be a fish I never will forget.
Nick and I have know each other for a few years now, and to cut a long story short, this trip had been planned since Nick visited us in Norway in July. I was turning 40 in December, and wanted to do something different for it. We decided to head to Dubai for the celebration, and Nick then suggested we had to try and catch a Permit in Oman, at his new operation there. I naturally did not object. Being on the water with a good mate, and his business partner, who not only is local, but passionate about the water he fishes and the country he lives in. Getting this fish was a real box ticker, and a real privilege to share with good people.
As I say though, this was not all on offer. From blacktip trevally, to giant trevally, tuna, king mackerel, bream, triggerfish, sailfish, queenfish and more. This fishery is dynamic and diverse and certainly worth the trip.
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