Sodwana Bay, South Africa
You'll seldom hear stories of the "one that got away" at Sodwana Bay, because it's world-famous for black and striped marlin. The best time to head here is November, but catches are generally good throughout summer. Rock anglers are rewarded for their patience with catches of kingfish, queenfish, kob, shad, stumpnose and pompano.

Shelley Beach, Near St Michael's on sea, South Africa
From the slipway at Sonny Evans' Small Craft Harbour, hundreds of ski boats head for Protea Reef, five nautical miles from shore. The game fish that gather here in the stream of the Agulhas Current include barracuda, kingfish, yellowfin tuna and yellowtail.

Henties Bay, Namibia
Cast your bait from any part of the coast brushed by the cold, plankton-rich Benguela Current and you'll probably hook your supper. Most fishermen, however, tend to haul in their stumpnose, kabeljou and galjoen from the area stretching from Henties Bay to Terrace Bay.

Bazaruto Archipelego, Mozambique
Bazaruto is the largest of these five islands in the Mozambique Channel just off the mainland. On the eastern side, where blue water comes right up to the island in places, tuna and sailfish have been caught from the shore.

Hemingways, Kenya
The main centre for bluewater fishing is 140 km north of Mombasa, at this famous hotel overlooking the beautiful white sands of Watamu Beach. During the season, which runs from August to April, the chief attractions are sailfish and marlin, but there are also yellowfin and skipjack tuna, wahoo, dorado and kawakawa to be caught.

South Kenyan Coast
The Pemba Channel Fishing Club, Kenya's oldest sport fishing organisation and holder of most East African records (or so it is claimed) is based at Shimoni, 80 km south of Mombasa. Although marlin can be caught off Kenya's 550-km coast all year round, the peak period is from January to mid-March. December is the best time for hooking sailfish.

Desroches Island, Seychelles
Lying outside the shallow Seychelles Bank, in the Amirantes group, the reefs of Desroches Island go down to great depths, which shelter yellowfin and dogtooth tuna, sailfish and marlin. Around the shallows of the nearby atolls you can catch bonefish and kingfish. Fishing expeditions are run from Desroches Island Lodge.

Terre Rouge Beach Camp, Madagascar
Tented Terre Rouge ("red earth") is a fishing haven on a palm-fringed curve of the island of Nosy Be, off the northwest tip of Madagascar. A fly-fishing trip for game fish here will be a blend of an adventurous ride in a boat, barefoot-on-the-beach informality and French cuisine.

Hotel Club Centre De Peche, Mauritius
If one of the aims of your visit to the island is to hook a marlin, you'll set off from this hotel. It's located on the southwest coast of Mauritius with a river on one side, the sea on the other, and a swimming pool in the centre. February and March are the prime months of the game-fishing season, which runs from October to March.