The Musandam in the north of Oman became well known for its GT fishing almost 15 years ago. The Musandam-area is fairly small and the amount of fishing pressure it can handle limited but the initial impressive catches of big GTs showed some of Oman’s potential.

That there was much more to come became clear when the Hallaniyat Islands in Southern Oman was discovered a few years later. The islands rise up from depths of over 2000 meters and in the strong currents running along the islands and the underwater mountains surrounding them monster GTs hunt at the top of the food chain. For the last few years this monster-GT hot spot has continuously made headlines that shook the popping world.

At Getaway Sea Angling we followed the development of the fishery closely but we couldn’t get the right deal. We finally found a new partner but due to the worldwide pandemic situation we had to wait for almost two years to make the first trips happen.

Good things come to those who wait and eventually we got the right deal that let us offer top weeks at a very competitive price. Oman/Hallaniyat, here we come again!

SEASON: End of September to early May.

FLY TO: Salalah, Oman.

TYPICAL ITINERARY:
Day 1: Flight to Salalah, Oman.
Day 2: Arrival at Salalah, Transfer to Shuwaymiyah.
Day 3-8: Six full days of fishing.
Day 9: Morning transfer to Salalah. Evening flight to Europe.
Day 10: Arrival in Europe.

The season runs from mid-September to the end of April. December and especially January and February can offer good fishing but these three months can also be a bit challenging if conditions aren’t right.

Giant Trevally is the main target but these rich waters has much more to offer: Amberjack, Yellowfin Tuna, Groupers, Snappers, Sailfish, Kingfish, Wahoo, Queenfish, Cobia, Dorado and many other species. Many of these fish will hit poppers but jigging can also be very productive. With the big GT stealing the limelight other species are often neglected and there is still much left to explore.

If you want the best chance of hooking a monster GT of 50-60 kilos or more the Hallaniyat Islands is the place to go. At least as long as you understand that fishing for monsters is not always easy and that hooking a huge GT is no guarantee of landing one. We don’t recommend Oman as your very first popper destination but if you have tried popper fishing before and feel ready to put your tackle, knots and skills to the test, then why not go for the really big one?

We also think that the GT sometimes gets a little too much attention. These waters have so much more to offer that you should spend some time fishing for other species, too. Shore fishing is being explored as well as fly fishing for milkfish and other species. Chances are that if you are reading this you might not care about neither fly fishing or milkfish. It’s the big GTs and other brutes that get your juices flowing. Don’t worry, we understand.

The boats are 32 ft Arabian Crafts and special designed for fishing these waters in Southern Oman. Equipped with twin 200 or 225 hp engines they are fast and offer enough space for up to 4 anglers.

Our standard package includes all nights at a lodge at the main land but we also have the opportunity to use a house at Hallaniyat or do some camping on one of the islands. All rooms at the lodge are air conditioned. Each room has an own bathroom with toilet and shower and multiple bed sizes to choose from. Large single or comfortable twin sized beds offer a good sleep after an intense day of fishing. Contact us and we will individually plan your trip.

In fact, we have some fantastic options at one of the best spots in the world for catching record size Giant Trevally and fishing all different kind of species until your arms are sore.

The climate  features a huge monsoon called the “Khareef”. During that period it rains quite often. The sea is rough with high waves and unfishable. Therefore we run the season from end of september to mid-May.

If you would like to use your own gear these are our recommendations for Oman/Hallaniyat:

Heavy Popping
Popping rods rated for PE10 or PE12. Consider to bring the big guns because you are going to cast big poppers and stickbaits for GT and you need to be prepared in case one of the real prehistoric monsters decides to take your lure. Rods in that class are usually 7 to 8″ in lenght and quite stiff.
Shimano Stella in 18000 or similar with 100-130 lbs braid.
PE10 and PE12 lines or braided line rated from 100 lbs to 130 lbs.
Poppers and stickbaits ranging from 100 grams to 200 grams.

Medium Popping and Stickbait setup
Semi stiff popping rods rated PE5 to PE6. We favour slightly longer rods (between 8 and 8,5”) that casts really well.
Shimano Stella 8000 to 14000 or similar.
PE5 and PE6 lines or braided line rated from 50 lbs to 60 lbs.
Poppers and stickbaits from 40 to 100 grams.

Jigging
Special short jigging rods rated for PE6.
Shimano Stella 8000PG with a 10000 or 14000 spool upgrade.
PE6 lines or braided line rated at 60 lbs.
Speed jigs from 100 to 200 grams.

Light Tackle
If you don’t bring a PE2 setup you are going to miss so much fun. Just take your regular pike fishing setup and you are good to go.
Shimano Stella 5000 or similar with 20-30 lbs braid.
Small poppers and stickbaits around 9 to 12 cm in length.

We will send a list with our current tackle recommendations before you go.

There are different flight routes from Europe to Salalah. The most common ones are via Quatar Airways with a single stop over at Doha and a direct connection to Salalah. Turkish Airlines is offering connections at very attractive prices but with two stop overs via Istanbul and Muscat. Both connections usually work flawless and if you look into it we are sure a lot more options will pop up.

Salalah’s brand new airport is approx. 350 km from your lodge at Shuwaymiah. The roads are great so it is normally around a 4 – 5 hours drive by bus through the desert or along the coastline with scenic views. The driver will pick you up at the exit of the main building. All you need to do is to lean back and enjoy the ride.