Salalah, located in Southern Oman, is your base to access this diverse and exciting fishery. Salalah itself is a captivating blend of green oases, golden deserts, sparkling coastlines, and majestic mountains. Its unique climate and landscape make it a showcase of Oman’s natural beauty.

The coastline of Salalah is a contrast of pristine white sandy beaches and towering rugged cliffs with the turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea holding a variety of target species.

The Hawana Salalah is an excellent hotel and resort conveniently located just 30 minutes away from the airport. It offers top-notch accommodation, delicious dining options, inviting pools, and a picturesque marina. The resort also boasts a delightful promenade encircling the marina, lined with charming shops and restaurants, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

A number of international airlines fly into Salalah but definitely consider flying via Dubai and fishing with Ocean Active Fly in Dubai before departing for Salalah. The operator recommends Fly Dubai (a subsidiary of Emirates), Air Arabia and Oman Air because the daily flights out of Dubai and Sharjah give flexibility depending on the amount of time you want to spend in Dubai before your flight.

Depending on your dates and schedule, flights are either via Muscat or direct. Transport will be arranged from the airport to your hotel.

Season: September to April

Ocean Active Fly has a long-standing connection with fishing in Southern Oman, dating back to the company’s inception 15 years ago. The area is known for its remote and untamed beauty, offering fishing experiences that are simply extraordinary.

While Southern Oman boasts some of the largest Giant Trevally in the world, it is the other fishing opportunities that genuinely excite anglers. Inshore species include queenfish (in impressive sizes), golden trevally, yellow dot trevally, black tip trevally, Pompano, bream, emperor, parrotfish, and bluefish (also found in substantial sizes). Offshore produces monster GTs, Amberjack, Sailfish, and Milkfish.

However, what truly elevates Southern Oman to the top of every angler’s bucket list is the pursuit of Permit, not one, but two species.

The Indo-Pacific Permit (Trachinotus Blochii) poses a formidable challenge for anglers, as anyone who has spent days casting at them can attest. These Permit patrol the beaches of Southern Oman, and while they remain elusive, the satisfaction of catching one is incomparable. Yet finding the Trachinotus Africanus ignited fervour within the flyfishing community. These Africanus Permit are large and thrive in incredibly challenging environments, making them the ultimate target for those who are passionate about Permit fishing.

Ocean Active are currently operating 1 boat in Oman

The standard recommendation is to use 10-weight rods for the majority of inshore species. 10-weight rods are versatile and can handle larger fish like queens, goldens, permit, trevally, and more. Include a 12-weight if heading out to the islands to pursue bigger gamefish like GTs, sailfish, marlin, and tuna.

High-quality saltwater reels with at least 200 meters of backing. For the heavier weights, at least 50lb+ (80lb for the 12-weight) is recommended.

Floating lines are primarily used as well as floating lines with an intermediate tip. Have a 400-700g sinking line available to target fish in the deep.

The selection of flies depends on the targeted species. For permit, a range of Alphlexo crabs in various sizes from no4 to 1/0. It is recommended to have both light and heavier-weighted crabs to reach the surf wash for Africanus. A variety of crab patterns adds versatility for times when the fish may not be actively feeding and require a different offering. Suggested colours for flies include white, tan, tan/yellow, olive, and black/red. For fishing trevally, queens, bream, and similar species, 1/0 – 3/0 clousers and other baitfish patterns in natural colours are commonly used. Packing some 2/0 – 4/0 gurglers or small poppers for shoaling fish and active fish on the surface. It is also worth considering including some milky dreams for milkfish, big GT flies, and poppers if the fishing itinerary includes island exploration or the possibility of encountering GTs patrolling the beaches. Lastly, for offshore billfish targeting, sail/marlin flies are essential. The operator can arrange fly packs for you, but keep in mind that it may take a minimum of 30 days to tie and deliver.

Quick-dry shirts, shorts, and trousers with a high UPF factor for sun protection. Shirts with hoods or lightweight buffs are handy for protecting against excessive sun exposure. A lightweight rain jacket is also useful for rare occasions when it rains during the fishing season. In the colder months of December to February, pack a fleece for early mornings and late afternoons when temperatures can drop significantly. Hats play a significant role in sun protection and shading the eyes, and it’s important to invest in high-quality polarized sunglasses. For walking on the beaches, lightweight wading shoes are sufficient and practical.

Packages are based on 3-day (4 Night) or 6-day (7 Night) fishing packages. All trips include transport, accommodation, breakfast, boat and guide. All meals can be arranged from the Hotel or surrounding restaurants on request.

3 Full Days Fishing Package (arrive on Saturday or Tuesday):

• 2 anglers, shared boat, shared accommodation – USD 4,600 (USD 2,300 pp)
• 2 anglers, shared boat, individual accommodation – USD 5,100 (USD 2,550 pp)
• Single angler, single boat, single accommodation– USD 4,400 (USD 4,400 pp)

6 Full Days Fishing Package (arrive on Saturday):

• 2 anglers, shared boat, shared accommodation – USD 8,200 (USD 4,100 pp)
• 2 anglers, shared boat, individual accommodation – USD 9,200 (USD 4,600 pp)
• Single angler, single boat, single accommodation – USD 7,800 (USD 7,800 pp)

The package does not include:

• International travel
• Any required visa’s depending on your passport.
• Tips
• Dinner (arranged on request)
• Trip insurance to cover cancellations and bad weather days.
• Holiday loading on hotel rates

SOME ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FROM OCEAN ACTIVE FLY

• Your passport should have 6 months’ validity. Currently, single-entry visas for Oman for a maximum of 30 days can be obtained online for a number of countries. Please visit www.rop.gov.om for full details. Check well ahead of arrival for any changes to this process.
• Ocean Active Fly boats are licensed to carry max 4 people plus 1 crew for the 24-foot boat, we restrict the capacity of all the boats to two fly fishermen per boat at any one time.
• There are no bathroom facilities on any of the boats.
• All clients must bring their original passports on the boats at all times.
• There is no alcohol allowed aboard the boats and, in addition, Ocean Active reserves the right to refuse boarding to intoxicated guests.
• 50% payment is to be made on confirmation of the booking and the remaining 50% payment is paid 45 days before the charter date. Last-minute charters booked within 45 days of the charter date must be paid in full on the date of the booking confirmation unless otherwise agreed. In either case, failure to pay by then could result in the cancellation of the charter at the client’s cost.
• Trips are package deals and incorporate transport, accommodation, charters, administration etc. There will be no refunds for days not fished or trips cancelled once a booking is confirmed. All clients will need to take out travel insurance to cover for any trip’s cancellations, or bad weather days not fished.
• All clients need to take Medivac Insurance like Global Rescue and provide a copy of the policy and a contact person to contact in case of an emergency.
• Ocean Active Fly provides quality fishing tackle at no extra cost to those clients who request it. In order to be able to continue providing this service breakages to rods or reels will be charged at a flat fee of $250 for each breakage.
• Ocean Active Fly can provide fly packs for Southern Oman if requested 1 month prior to arrival dates. Ocean Active does have flies on the boat which will be charged to the client as used and can be settled at the end of the trip.
• Ocean Active Fly works to conserve the fishery and fish and have a maximum of 4 permit per day if you are lucky enough to be able to catch one, two, three and four. Highly unlikely but can happen on the rare occasion you hit perfect conditions.
• All charters are day charters, which is considered 9 hours from leaving the marina to arriving back in the marina.
• Tipping is optional for good service. An industry standard of $100 per charter is a good rule of thumb.
• The sun is strong, bring high-factor sun cream and lip balm and use it regularly. Similarly, good quality polarizing sunglasses and a hat are a must.
• Drink lots of water
• The hotel is fully equipped with your favourite beverage.
• Respect the people, the culture, the wildlife and the environment and they will respect you.

CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY:

1. Cancellations by the Client

1. Cancellations of bookings will only be accepted in writing.
2. Ocean Active retains the right to keep any payments in compensation for potential lost bookings and income. Ocean Active reserves the right to resell a trip/charter at a discounted rate if a fully funded booking is cancelled.
3. Cancellation Charges: If a client cancels a booking any costs will be expected to be covered by the appropriate travel insurance as per clause 1f. Travel Insurance, taken out by the client at the time of making the booking and paying deposits/full payment.
4. Trip cancellation due to weather, forced cancellations, unstable political conditions, sea state, accidents out of our control, natural disasters, epidemics, war, riots, strikes and other force majeure events.

If Ocean Active cancels a trip/charter due to weather, forced cancellations, unstable political conditions, sea state, accidents out of our control, natural disasters, epidemics, war, riots, strikes and other force majeure events or instructions from authorities this will be done as early as possible and will be confirmed with the client. Ocean Active will offer to provide another suitable date within 12 months. If no suitable date can be agreed no refund will be forthcoming so, ensure that the clients travel insurance covers this eventuality. If necessary, Ocean Active will provide a letter to your insurance company confirming the cancellation. Ocean Active has made all of the preparations for the trip and incurred costs.

1. The trip was cancelled due to broken engines or boats.

If a trip/charter is cancelled due to the broken engines or boat, then Ocean Active will provide a reasonable replacement on a best endeavours basis, if a suitable replacement is not found or provided then Ocean Active will work with the client to ensure that, together with any travel insurance payout, that the charter is refunded or a 100% credit issued. If a client chooses to use the provided replacement boat, then a refund or credit day will not be provided. Ocean Active suggests taking out travel insurance to cover any lost costs.

1. Cancellation for reasons caused by the customer: Ocean Active reserves the right to cancel a booking or services if actions on the client’s part give justifiable cause to do so. In such instances, Ocean Active will not refund any payments already made. Further claims against Ocean Active will not be entertained.
2. Unused Services: No refund will be considered for non-acceptance of pre-booked services once the trip/charter has commenced irrespective of the reason. Where a client is unable to travel due to invalid or mislaid travel documents (e.g., passport, visas), the unused portion of services which are included in the client’s package is not refundable.
3. Trip Interruption: If the client interrupts or calls short a trip/charter then Ocean Active is not liable to any refunds or credit