Sport Fishing Licences

I was 5 years in Qatar, from 2004 to 2005.  I was teaching students who had parents in the police force and other high-up roles and checked about licences for fishing. At no point was a requirement for a licence for sport fishing mentioned as being a required option or available. The number of fish did seem to decline close to shore due to netting in the final year.  This was because groups of low skilled workers were clubbing together to buy 25m long and 1m deep surface nets that they used to clean up fish wading through the shallows.
On arrival in the UAE, I was informed by the concierge at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Abu Dhabi that an Abu Dhabi Environment Agency licence was required.  This was purchased easily on a one year basis and required a form (the same one as for commercial purposes) to be filled out and a ID photo.  The online application requires the details from the Emirates ID card. When you book a hotel fishing trip in the UAE they sort this out for you. Abu Dhabi is not really organised for shore fishing with rod ans especially not for fly fishing, with a lot of the shore built on or fenced off by oil companies. 

For Dubai the licence is FREE (use the this link http://dubaifishingclub.com/page/how-to-get-fishing-license-in-dubai )

As far as I can tell, Kuwait doesn't required a sport fishing licence except for commercial fishing boats http://www.un.org/depts/los/general_assembly/contributions_fisheries/2012/Kuwait.pdf ) .

FatFisherman and Tackle Shops

FatFisherman Info
I have been in contact with http://www.fatfisherman.com/links_geo/middle_east/kuwait.html and have been asked to write an introduction for the page and provide an image of fishing to use on that page for Kuwait.
This has been put on the back-burner as I have yet to get around to it.  At the moment it seems like the water may finally be warming up (April has just arrived) and inshore fishing by fly may yet improve.
With that in mind I have been searching the web for information on fishing in Kuwait and thought that the following would be useful as a starting point.
Tides and weather -Kuwait
http://www.met.gov.kw/Forecasts/marine.php
The following link also shows the range of the tide, demonstrating the little tide and big tide effect of the Gulf.
http://www.tides4fishing.com/as/kuwait/kuwait
and
http://www.tides4fishing.com/as/kuwait/al-funnayhil
It also relates the solar and lunar effects to highlight fish activity for fishing times in the south and north of the country.
Deep Sea fishing link
http://www.fishfishme.com/blog/fishing-in-kuwait/
This link shows the variety of fish available
http://afishtec.com/

Many of the comments on forums are about where to get fishing equipment in Kuwait. Decathlon, the French sporting equipment chain has opened a shop in the Marina Mall in Kuwait (N29 20.449 E48 03.925 )and is well stocked with rods etc.  Nearby is (The Sultan Center), Salmiya (N29 20.520 E48 04.496) which has rods, reels, spinning/trolling lures and lead sinkers/weights.
Update - As of my visit of 10th Oct 2014, "The Sultan Center" Salmiya did have a much better selection of fishing gear than Decathlon, who have certainly let an opportunity slip by, given the extensive range they have in their French shops..

In Qatar, Carrefour at City Center mall was well stocked with line rods, reels, hooks etc. and their were tackle shops around Al Khor also (under the dark mark on the map).

There was a useful little shop for fishing and snorkelling supplies near the Qatar petroleum gasoline station just after the Gharaffa interchange beside the post box.

Carrefour in the Landmark Mall, Abu Dhabi was not as well stocked.  There were a few fishing shops tackle shops at the northern end of Hamdan Street grouped together around a block.

In Abu Dhabi the Environment Agency building is located at N24 27.797 E54 23.337 for getting your annual fishing licence - ID pictures required.  If hiring a boat from a hotel, they will sort a temporary licence for you.

After a visit to Bahrain (28th March 2014) I was located at the Ramada Palace Hotel and just 100m west beside the road junction opposite the Casablanca hotel was the Dasman Center.  This holds a branch of The Daiso.  This is a shop that stocks thousands of different items, among which are a small selection of hooks, weights  lures and other small items to do with fishing.  There is also a branch of The Daiso above the Gold Souq near the central post office in Abu Dhabi.  The Daiso may be connected with other Dasman Centers around the Gulf area.

For fish identification I would suggest http://www.fishbase.org/ and then go to the relevant country under all fishes or games fishes.  The following are the game fish links.

Kuwait http://www.fishbase.org/Country/CountryChecklist.php?c_code=414&vhabitat=sports&csub_code=

Qatar http://www.fishbase.org/Country/CountryChecklist.php?c_code=634&vhabitat=sports&csub_code=

UAE  http://www.fishbase.org/Country/CountryChecklist.php?c_code=784&vhabitat=sports&csub_code=

And with summer coming along......

 Kindle "Fishing Trip An Introduction to Fly Fishing and Trout"

Hardback version, glossy prints and paper with book box from Photobox 79-74GBP

Saltwater Flies and Lures

The images on this post show the selection of flies and lures I have used in the Arabian Gulf.

They have each performed with varying degrees of success, though by far the most successful in terms of numbers of fish, are the orange trout poppers followed by the white floating fry (of which I have none of the originals left).  The white fry shown tried to combine the qualities of the red and white poppers and fry and worked well until the flying treble was lost along with most of the tail to a toothy critter.  In the pictures, the more successful a fly has been, the less legs it has remaining attached.  The attachment of a flying treble also seems to improve the rate of hook-ups and this I attribute to the hardness of many of the fish species' mouth areas.

I have used bit detectors to construct my own popper variants as often it is difficult to get the appropriate materials in UAE, Qatar or Kuwait.  Fore example, I was unable to get olive wool for the Arno's Milky Dream fly so used some chartreuse material and white marabou and, at the time, had no internet access, so had to go off a verbal description of the fly scribbled on a piece of hotel note paper.

Some trout poppers ended up being so chewed up they disintegrated.  The one mentioned in the picture is the last of the three originally purchased.

Some of the flies are sea trout trebles and salmon doubles which are too heavy to cast from the shore or while wading with my 9'  rod with 8 wt line, and so are used  trailing from a boat, or flicked into deep water from a pier and allowed to sink and drift before being retrieved.

UAE flyfishing - Abu Dhabi Emirate

I did find out some useful information when staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Abu Dhabi from the concierge.  A fishing licence was require from the environment agency (100 dirhams) which was obtained easily.  Secondly, Milkfish could be caught using Arno's Milky Dream fly at a location south of Abu Dhabi island.

Mark trying his luck at Al Dabbiya

I researched the fly and made up a couple before setting off to find the spot.  As myself and Mark (the car owner) approached the area signs and fencing warned off further attempts to access it near to N24 14.594 E54 17.525 area.  I can only assume those willing to access cared nothing for the consequences of being caught or we were given spurious directions so we couldn't catch the fish.

 

Anyway, we returned to the main Qatar Abu Dhabi road, and headed to Al Dabbiya.  Again, apart fro access to the water between buildings in the village, all other parts were fenced off and patrolled by the national oil company and police.
Mark went spinning and I tried the fly and again caught more needlefish.  The water's edge in the village was rocky and full of obstacles.  The Milkfish remained like the fly's name - a dream.  However, it's not one that's forgotten yet.  They are in the Gulf somewhere.

Read about the Milkfish and Arno Matthee at this link - http://www.fieldsportsmagazine.com/Saltwater-Fishing/milkfish-mayhem.html