The Kingdom of Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf, was warm last week, high temperatures near 90 degrees F. Since Orvis had kindly replaced my 2 piece 8 weight (tip-broken on my last flight) with a 4 piece, the rod and reels were carry-on baggage… no damage this time! Although business left virtually no time for fly fishing, I did rise early on the last day and walk within the hotel compound, past the swimming pool, beyond the lagoon and out to the open water. A little pre-flight homework using Google Earth revealed that there were flats nearby with some drop-offs. Internet info stated that the fishing had declined near the airport (visible about 5 miles across the water from my spot) since the island had reclaimed so much dry land through dredging. The hotel was built on such reclaimed land. I guess that the fishing must have been pretty spectacular before. The water was very clear and dropped off pretty rapidly to about 5 feet. The bottom was sandy with occasional coral or vegetative outcroppings. It was sunny and there was no wind for my hour-and-a-half adventure. Within the first 20 minutes, two queenfish (locals call them “Lihia”) were victims of mushy, EP-type flies, tied using Farrar material with flash included. Queenfish are members of the Jack/Pompano family. These queenfish have a row of iridescent round spots above the lateral line (barely visible in the picture) that are only slightly different than the rest of the silvery sides. Polarized sunglasses may have helped to reveal these spots. Interestingly, both of these youngsters were hooked in the fleshy meat on the ventral surface right between the two gill openings. Were these queenfish “bumping” the streamers to scare them away? I don’t know but they got caught! It is amazing that this occurred twice, especially since the flies ride hook-down and the fish were hooked on the ventral (bottom) side. I’ll take them!While I was removing the hook from the second fish, several of its dorsal fin spines pricked my stripping hand. These pricks stung for about a half an hour. As visions of my hand swelling to the size of Brooklyn danced through my head, I thought how stupid I was to be handling fish in a region where I am totally unfamiliar with the species. With a few more minutes and no swelling, I rationalized that it was just a little salt water in the wound. But, after a little research back home, I found reports that “dorsal and anal fins may carry toxins,” at least for one queenfish species. Hmmm… Mental note to myself, “This may be a good reason to hire a guide when fishing a new area!”The clarity of the water revealed curious fish chasing my offerings on the first 2-3 casts but then losing interest with each new streamer after about 5 to 10 casts, so streamers were switched up frequently. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the focus switched to deeper water with clousers. After a few casts, a nice hit led to a hook-up. This little Emperor who fell for my white clouser was quite intent on staying in the rocks, repeatedly diving into the rocks to hold. If I pulled him out he would fight like mad to get back down there. Finally he came to hand after 4 to 5 drag-singing runs. Another hotel guest (an Aussie or South African) witnessed the landing of the fish and offered to take a picture. I believe that the fish was a Spangled Emperor (locals call it “Shari”). Doesn’t it look like a snapper? It does to this novice.All the fish were returned to be caught again. The water was aquamarine and clear. Lots of fish were following streamers all morning. I know that they’re not so big; but, they are two more species for my diary. Both species tend to be found in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Maybe the next trip, I’ll get into some of those Giant (Golden?) Trevally suggested by nicko. This American is just happy to have cast the line a few times and not gotten skunked in the Persian Gulf.
Nice! 2 new species for you and you got to make a few casts in the persian gulf .. pretty cool accomplishment! that’s what i love about fly fishing .. depending on the dynamics of any situation .. the goal is always different. sometimes it’s a big fish, sometimes just one fish, sometimes any fish, sometimes just to make a cast and sometimes just to know you did it … i kinda look at my fly fishing life as a journey. and, like all journey’s their is an end .. but, before my end comes .. i am gonna try my best to fish as many places, catche as many species and make as many casts as possible … doing that requires, i think, what you just did. slipping the fly rod into the suitcase on a business trip or whatever, even though the opportunity to fish might not present itself and packing it is a pain. but, somehow it seems, no matter where we go for work or whatever, little windows of fly fishing opportunity present themselves. and, your experience here proves that point exactly. not all “fishing trips” started out that way … but, all trips can be “fishing trips” with a little creative scheduling and packing. nice work. i really enjoyed this fish tale alot. if life travels ever bring me to bahrain, i’ll be sure to pack a fly rod.
AD cool story, slaying fish in the Persian gulf. That’s quite an experience. Must have felt nice to break away from work for a while and wet a line. Way to get it done.
Wow! Flyfishing the Persian Gulf!
How many people can say they did that?
Moral or the story…always bring a fly rod.
Way to dial in David
I digg it!
Hello David
I have been here just six weeks but will be around for a year or two. Although I am mainly a metal lure coast fisherman scandinavian style, I have added the flies to the gear or wooden float Norwegian style and caught cod pollack and coalfish up to five pounds. Even on the bottom to cod who have never seen a fly! I am currently based in an apartment in Seef and exploring the coastline for suitable casting places, without rock or boulder climbing I may add. My lure gear precludes catching anything small and non eatable and in Red sea catches Golden Travallee when they come off the reefs at high tid and into shallow water and also young barraccuda. This akso worked in the gulf in southern Iran. I believe it should here if I can find the casting spots which are a little thin on the ground. maybe I will have to get my legs wet. i believe that maybe good flyfishing grounds are good lure casting grounds. maybe we can swop some local info? I will be bringinging over the flies and floats after my xmas visit back to the UK. I have not yet found an angling shop selling flies, have you?
According to local guide books, the local fish are Butterfly, Angel, Parrot, Clown, Barracuda, Grouper and Rays The tides from 1.85 to 2.5 meters are available from
dubby dubby dubby
myforecast.com/bin/tide.m?city=51121&metric=true&tideLocationID=T1411
Coming Saturday morning at 0600 is the big one !
STA…MAN:
Thanks for the comment. If you have been there for 6 weeks, that’s much longer than I (who visited for only 4 days). I recommend that you try looking at Google Earth for locations along the coast that you think are accessible. I find that Google Earth shows a fair amount of detail of the water very near shore so you can see rocky vs. sandy vs. vegetative bottoms. I brought all my own flies so I didn’t even look for fly shops. I did see a posting on another site about fly fishing in Bahrain by some guy who had caught many of the species you mention.
Good luck and fill us in on your success!
AvidDavid
Thanks Joey!
I enjoyed the brief adventure but was really impressed by the water clarity. It gave me the opportunity to see fish chasing my flies (ones I tied!). It was a learning experience and I always enjoy the thought that I tied a fly that worked!
Dave
Boz:
Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, bring the fly rod! Last summer, I flew to Santa Barbara and took my fly rod; but, the two piece rod had to go as luggage rather than carry-on! The tip eye broke off so I felt like an idiot casting with extra rod blank beyond the last remaining snake-guide. (I felt like an idiot; but it didn’t stop me from casting along the beach. And I did catch a little perch.) I guess that I must not be such a great caster, cause I didn’t really notice the difference of a 5-inch-shorter rod!
Dave
Jeremy:
You know, I can remember some posts of people considering a new fly rod and having trouble deciding whether to save an extra $10 – $20 and get a 2 piece or pay up and get the 4 piece rod. I have a clear new perspective. Get the 4 piece rod. You can carry it on an airplane with no questions (other than the security people thinking its a bazooka or something). And nobody in baggage handling cares for your rod the way that you can when you carry it yourself. Although I didn’t carry on any flies (they have hooks), I did carry the reels so I wouldn’t end up with a rod and no reel at the destination. I think that the carry-on idea is really a no-brainer (…now that I have thought it through for a while).
Dave
It sounds like the fishing wasn’t too bad. I’m guessing you were fishing at the Ritz, correct?
I have recently moved to Bahrain and am looking for some spots to do a little flyfishing. Has anyone responded to you with additional information about guides, etc.?
Looking for somefishing…
Regards,
Travis
Travis,
I also live in Bahrain and have found luck fishing from the shore on the reclaimed land in Busaiteen near the airport. The fish that I have caught has predominantly been the queenfish mentioned in the article.
Regards,
Chris
Hi Guys,
I’ve just arrived in Bahrain to work here for the next few years. Can someone please give me a few pointers to do some SWFF around here. Are any of you still here or close by?