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Ethical fishing means more than net profit to Nick Bowles. We hooked up with him find out why...

Give us your life story in three sentences?

I lived in South Africa, up near the Mozambique border where we have the most amazing coastline and lived for fishing on the beach as a boy. After a two year spell in the UK , I moved to the Emirates eight years ago and have married the reason I came here.

My father fished competitively for South Africa, so you could say fishing is in my blood.

I'm now a partner in Ocean Active, a specialist charter fishing company; which is funny as my mum always told me, "You'll never make m0ney out of just fishing all the time!"

You say specialist? What is different about Ocean Active?

While there are good tourist charter companies doing a decent job in Dubai, we've chosen to stay away and run our boats out of the Musandam - or organise trips to the Seychelles and Maldives.

Our clients tend to come from Europe, North America, Brazil, Japan and Singapore and are generally experienced fishermen who come to target specific fish.

This allows us to set up the boat, gather the right kit and hunt out the right location to put them on their desired fish.

We specialise in jigging, popping and fly fishing and use only high-end equipment. The boats we have are Centre Console Hareb Marine Seamasters and were designed and built locally, by guys who know the Gulf waters well.

So trophy hunters come here to bag a stuffed fish for the study?

Far from it! We operate a catch and release policy. Whilst we will keep the odd eater for the pot, we'll never fill the hold with 20 kingfish just for the sake of it. We don't sell or pass on the fish we catch to someone else.

The reasons behind it are twofold really; firstly we're not here to slaughter indiscriminately, we'd rather take a photograph than a fish home. Secondly killing fish of all size and ages will deplete the breeding stock, which will in turn damage our business.

It can take a long time for a big fish to grow and mature - we figure it's better to put them back and have a chance of catching them again the next time we're out.

Are the Gulf fish stocks in danger of over fishing then?

Nobody really knows to be honest. Ocean Active is currently involved in trying to initiate a tagging programme for Giant Trevally with the Omani Government.

We are also in the process of subscribing to the World Wildlife Foundation's shark tagging scheme. We take the sustainability of the oceans and fish stocks seriously and will help enable research into the movement, breeding and stocks. Whilst we can assist in the operational phase, hopefully other organisations will promote the eductaional aspects.

Hasn't all the construction damaged the environment for fish?

This is a common misconception. People used to come from all over the world to catch sailfish in Dubai - but I've not caught one in the last three or four seasons.

Construction is blamed for their absence; but is it true? This is why we need to start tagging.

Personally I believe that construction has aided local fishing - it has created the world's largest manmade reef, dredged trenches and made the seabed's contours far more interesting. I've been catching far more species and bigger fish closer inshore lately.

How do you rate fishing here in the Gulf?

There's two answers to this really. It may sound like a paradox; but on one hand we're 40 years behind the rest of the world in sportfishing and availability of equipment.

The shops, variety, technology and techniques are way behind at the moment. For this reason we assist companies with R&D and are about to open an online store and distribute products to local tackle shops. We will specialise in fly fishing equipment, but also in supplying kit customised to our client's needs.

On the other hand I have an immense amount of respect for the local fishermen and their knowledge. Their knowledge of how the seasons, winds and currents affect fish in the Gulf is unsurpassed anywhere I've visited.

We've been out fishing four days in a row without any amazing fishing, while the local fishermen stay in the harbour. On the fifth day the current may change and they're out in just the right spot and catching big.

What is it about fishing that makes it such a passion for you?

Fishing is a passion and way of life that gets us out into some amazing places. I also get to meet some fantastic people, and for a short time we leave all the worries of the modern world behind.

What really attracts me though is not necessarily just a rod bending in my hand - it is what it takes to get to that point and the experience as a whole.

A fishing trip for me is like a well organised expedition. I'll do my research, source the right kit, organise the right boat - and then I get to share it with other people.

This sharing of adventure is very important to me; we are going to work hard to build a flyfishing ‘community' in the UAE with social events, competitions, trips, fly tying clinics, advice workshops, a dedicated website and lots more.

What has been your most memorable fishing experience?

There have been so many... but a fortnight ago my father was over visiting from South Africa. We went on a trip to Oman and at 67 years of age he proved he still has the touch by landing a 46kg Giant Trevally! We've caught over a thousand GT this year, in places as disparate as Oman, the Seychelles, and Maldives - but dad's was the biggest.

That picture will always sit on my mantelpiece. In that moment I felt like I was able to pay a little back for everything he had shared with me over the years.

He taught me so much and I was able to take him out on my boat, using my kit and at my secret spot. Shared interests like fishing enable you to create that sort of bond.

So, three final sentences of advice for our readers...

Obviously taking safety seriously is paramount, whether coastal fishing or out on a boat in deep sea.

Secondly I'd suggest checking the legalities for where you are fishing (e.g. licence requirements, seasonal restrictions and minimum size requirements) - respecting local culture and the laws is very important. Finally, nothing beats experience and time on the water.

Every time you go out you'll learn something new, which is one of the joys of fishing. Even if you try one spot and catch nothing - at least you've learnt it's not worth going back there!

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