After many years of fishing and exploring the coastal and inshore waters of Oman, catching some excellent fish and having some great adventures, we finally found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. A few years back, we started doing some exploratory trips to Hallaniyat Islands in Southern Oman, and what we found was quite staggering –, an island lost in the past and inhabited by Jurassic-sized fish!
We set up our charter operation and boats 30 miles offshore on the main Hallaniyat Island. We originally based ourselves on the mainland in Shuwaymiyah, but with the long open ocean run everyday out to the island and bad weather hampering the crossing on occasions which had become a safety issue, we finally set up our 10- bedroom lodge on the island with our own marina, water and fuel facilities, in addition to a 70ft traditional Dhow bringing fuel and supplies to the lodge every 2-3 days from Salalah which ensures fresh food and supplies. This remote island is a truly an amazing place and setting, with the bonus of being about 1km from some of the best fishing waters in the world for the infamous and powerful Giant Trevally (GT).
We fish from two Seamaster 37ft Center Console boats with twin 4- stroke 225HP Yamaha engines, and fully rigged with 
safety and navigation equipment. Local Omani captains, who have excellent knowledge of the culture, history, sea and seasons, skipper the boats. The trips are also guided by specialist expat sports fishing guides that have grown up with sports fishing; so a perfect harmony and mix between local and international knowledge and experience.
The season starts in September at the end of the Khareef (monsoon) winds and runs through to end of April when the Khareef winds start again. This is one of the reasons why fishing is so good here, as no one can fish the waters around the islands for 4 to 5 months of the year. The 2,500m+ deep-water and strong currents that wash the islands bring in a continuous stream of fish that come to the islands to feed in the shallow waters, which are abundant with smaller fish and food, The huge number of whales, dolphins and turtles are also proof of the abundance of food and harmony of this remote place.
After fishing the islands for the last two seasons, we have come to realize that local is definitely better in this case. We have fished all over the world and can comfortably say that Hallaniyat Islands is one of the top destinations for sport s fishing anywhere on the 
planet. Initially, we set up the operation to target monster GTs which we have caught up to 70kgs, which is close to the present World Record. But over the last few seasons, we have found excellent fishing for amberjack (AJs), yellowfin tuna, grouper and lots of varieties of trevally, kingfish, wahoo, billfish etc. We are still finding and catching new species almost on a weekly basis.
Fishing in this remote part of Oman is definitely an adventure and something that will stick in your memory with the endless desert landscapes, to the harsh beauty of massive, rocky mountains dropping directly into the ocean. But it is the big, apex predators cruising the drop-offs and shallows of the islands that make the Hallaniyat Islands a very unique and special place.
For more information on fishing the Hallaniyat Islands or Musandam, Oman, come to our specialized Fishing Shop at the Dubai Garden Center just off the Exit 42 on Sheikh Zayed Road. We also have a full range of Popping, Jigging, Spinning, Offshore and Fly fishing Tackle. Or visit our Facebook www.facebook.com/oceanactive or website www.oceanactive.com for more information.
Published in August 2012
