Fishing in Sicily?

Can anyone help please?

My best mate is going on holiday to Sicily in June, near Catania and then Syracuse - so east/ south-east Sicily.

It looks like (on google earth) there are some good size lakes about and there is some talk of carp and tench on the island...

Has anyone been? Any advice on potential venues and necessary permits very welcome?

Cheers (on behalf of) Jim

Best to have a word with the local club's Chairman...

http://www.dvddisk.net/media/import/img_disk/Godfather 11.jpg

Complete and utter chaos, beautiful women, a climate for creative tax-accounting ... you can't help liking Italy and the Italians...

Italian ski resort lays bare tax evasion - Telegraph

I've been several times to that region, and enjoyed some interesting fishing experiences whilst out there.

Tench were the main species I came across in both lakes and rivers. Tench are eaten by Sicilians, however I think they are considered as 'peasant food' and only the really hard-up or very traditional bother fishing for them, many prefering fish traps to acquire the meal.

I found it very difficult to get information about licences or permissions, partly because the concept of 'pesca sportivo' (i think that's what they call catch and release fishing) is a bit alien in Sicily. Even my Sicilian father-in-law couldnt get answers from local officials, so probably quite stupidly, I just went and dangled a line in a few likely looking spots

There was a river just outside of Catania that was quite productive, and if I recall a recreational lake (jetskiiing, sailing, etc) right on the main Catania - Syracuse road that had both carp and tench and advertised fishing as a tourist activity.

My most memorable fishing was well off the beaten track, and I caught several nice tench in some of the smaller rivers, and some local fish that looked halfway between a barbel and a carp.. all on sweetcorn.

Finally, I recommend visiting the Anapo river at the Pantalica nature reserve... a stunning limestone gorge home to a native Sicilian "iridescent" trout, and also some fine tench. I saw wild porcupines there too. Avoid the 'divieto di pesca' signs! :wh

I'm here, and it doesn't seem that Many people know of a place to fresh water fish here in Catania...