The Nile perch (Lates niloticus)is also know as sangara, mputa, or capitaine.  It is a  large-mouthed game fish that grows up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long and 400 lbs (180 kg).  It is a predator and feeds on other fish. The Nile perch is the largest freshwater fish in the world accessible to anglers. There is an account from Lake Victoria where local fishermen caught an incredible 232kg (516lb) Nile perch. The biggest recorded Nile perch from Lake Nasser is 1 76kg (392lb).  The all tackle world record for Nile perch was a spectacular fish of 213lb and the second largest was a 210lb Nile perch.  The largest Nile perch caught on an African Angler safari was 6'2" long and had a girth of 4'11". This huge fish was landed by Gerald Eastmure, a 78 year old tea planter from India. There were no scales big enough to weigh the fish, which is estimated at 125kg (275lb+). Research shows that Nile perch have a better chance of reaching record sizes in lakes rather than in a river system, there is every indication that there are massive fish still living in Lake Nasser.

Tiger fish abound in the lake, and of the two species the most common is Hydrocynus forskalli that grows to 7kg (15lb+).  Tiger Fish are related to the South American Piranha and just one look at their vicious teeth, leaves you in no doubt that they are savage predators. The size and strength of a Nile perch is one thing, but for sheer sport on light tackle a Tiger takes a lot of beating. Not only is the tiger a beautiful fish, but its ferocious elegance will get any angler's adrenaline going, few fish have such a fierce fighting energy.

Catfish provide an exciting challenge. There are 18 species found in the lake, two of which are of interest to anglers. These being the Bagrus and more notably the legendary Vundu of Lake Kariba (Zimbabwe Southem Africa) fame. If you hook a Vundu it will give you an unforgettable fight. The local fishermen talk of specimens that can achieve weights of well over 100lb, the largest Vundu we have caught to date was an 86 pounder.  Methods of fishing are varied, you can either troll from well appointed boats or lure cast and fly fish along the shoreline. Shore fishing is an exciting challenge and has also produced a lot of big fish, the largest shore caught fish to date is a 179lb Nile perch.

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