Traditional Fishing Experience

Fishing remains a way of life along Sri Lanka’s west and south coasts, and many methods are still worked largely by hand. Around Negombo, fishermen throw cast nets from small canoes in the lagoon and set crab and prawn traps among the mangroves, while on open beaches teams haul in the ma-dela, a long seine net drawn ashore by rope. Further south, between Koggala and Ahangama, stilt fishermen perch on poles above the shallows, a technique said to have spread around the time of the Second World War.

Depending on your base, you might head out at dawn with a lagoon fisherman to learn the flick of a cast net, lend a hand on a seine haul, or watch the catch landed and sorted at a local market. Your guide explains the seasons, the boats and the risks fishermen face, so the morning becomes a glimpse into a real livelihood.

Good to know

• Most fishing happens early, so expect a pre-dawn or sunrise start.
• Wear clothes that can get wet, sandals and sun protection.
• Lagoon activities run year-round; on the south coast, seas are calmest from November to April.
• Stilt fishing is now often performed for visitors, and fishermen usually expect payment for photographs.
• No experience is needed; hauling a seine net calls for moderate fitness.

This experience can be added to any private itinerary, and we arrange the timing around the tides, the fishermen’s day and your plans.