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Nile perch are part of the Centropomiadae family; also called giant perch or Niger perch. Endemic to the African continent, they can be found in rivers and lakes in tropical regions. It is known to be present in the Blue and White Niles, the Niger and Benue rivers, and in lakes Rudolph, Albert, Tanganyika, Fayoum, and Menzaleh. Good Nile perch fishing is well known below the Aswan Dam and at the junction of the Blue and White Niles. Until recently, there were no Nile perch in Lake Victoria, but recent introductions of this species into Lake Victoria have been extremely successful, and the species is said to be prolific there now due to the availability of plentiful forage fish. However, in waters where they have been introduced, they have decimated local indigenous fish populations, especially the cichlids. Be that as it may, most operators in Uganda and elsewhere practice catch and release of the species, and though no one seems to have aged Nile perch, a fish over 100kg can be considered a trophy worth returning to fight again. 

Reports started trickling in about a mammoth Nile perch catch from Murchison Falls late in 2013, with the African Fisherman getting our hands on a copy of a DVD documenting the catch early in 2014. A group of mainly Zimbabwean anglers - known as the D’Anglers - had been on their annual fishing jaunt to Uganda - a destination they had yet to conquer in their nearly 30 years of fishing. John Steel, one of the group, remembers “D’Anglers fishing club was started in 1985 by my brother Chris Steel and Angus Milne from Johannesburg and is between 12-18 people. We used to organize their trips to Kariba or the Zambezi having a casual Zim vs SA sort of competition. We have fished in Zim, Mozambique, Zambia and now Uganda. Over the years we must have had over 100 members ranging from 25 to 75 years in age. Some great characters and memories.”

John and some of D’Anglers were fishing close to the falls, and not having much luck, when an unfolding drama caught their attention. Realising the boat across the water was into a big fish, John immediately began filming. The footage is amazing, and John recalls “They fought the fish for a long time, I even have footage of the fish pulling them upstream! They very nearly capsized twice before getting it in the boat.”

Kevin Nicholson - a native New Zealander who has worked in Uganda for sometime - was the lucky angler, and remembers “I had not planned on a fishing trip, I was spending a few days up in Murchison Falls to visit some friends and have a few days off after a busy few months at work in Entebbe. However after the inevitable few beers in the evening at the Red Chili Backpackers I made plans with my friend Marinus to go fishing the following day with Echi - a guide from Wild Frontiers.

Heading out at seven the next morning, Kevin and co caught a good haul of bait fish and headed to a place just below the gorge, where within a few minutes, Marinus at around 8am, hooked and successfully landed a good looking perch of 24kg. Kevin continues “Feeling it was going to be a good fishing day we headed up into the gorge, stopping at a couple of good spots at the mouth but without much action. We made our way up over the rapids with the intention of hiking along the north bank, however another group were moored at the only mooring point (John Steel’s group), so we anchored in the adjacent pool and popped a line in the water to little avail.

“John’s group eventually moved across the river, and we met them briefly and even loaned them a bait fish or two. They offered us some beers in return but I remember saying that the fishing gods would pay us back with some good fishing. We moored up, packed our kit and hiked to Dead Tree Pool, right up in the hard waters below the falls. We stayed there for over an hour with a couple of good runs that were great fun, but only resulted in some well chewed and spat out bait fish!”

Murchison Falls, also referred to as the Kabarega Falls, is a fierceom waterfall found on the course of the Great Nile. It actually breaks the stunning Victoria Nile, that flows across Uganda’s northern region from the vast Lake Victoria to the deep Lake Kyoga and continuing to the northern tip of Lake Albert within the western arm of the great East African Rift. Right on the peak of the Murchison Falls, the waters of the Nile - some 300 cubic meters per second - force their way through a small crevice in the rocks, which is just 7 meters or 23 feet wide, and plummets 43 meters (141 feet) below with a thunderous roar creating a residual water spray that forms a beautiful rainbow. From here it then continues its westward flow into the stunning Lake Albert.

The falls are located within the Murchison National Park established in 1926, and named after the breathtaking waterfalls. The park is located in the northern region of the Albertine Rift Valley, an area where the huge Bunyoro escarpment joins together into the vast Acholi plains. The park is recognized as one of the best National Parks in Uganda.