I have fished the same quay in Kadıköy for years, and the question I get from visitors leaning over the railing is always the same: can we do this? You can. Here is what I tell them.
Where people actually fish
Istanbul is a fishing city that forgot to mention it. On any morning there are rods on the Galata Bridge, along the Üsküdar shore, at Bebek, and on the Kadıköy quay beside the mosque under the Bosphorus Bridge, which is where I fish. The Bosphorus is a strait, not a lake: the water moves, fish move with it, and the shore is often better than a boat because you can walk to where the current is doing something.
What you catch
Depends on the month. Bluefish and bonito run in autumn, horse mackerel and small sea bass are around most of the year, and there are days when the water is full and days when it is not. I say this on the booking page and I will say it here: sometimes the fish do not bite. That is fishing, not a fault in the plan.
Gear, bait and the licence question
Local shore fishing is light tackle: a telescopic rod, a small reel, hooks the size of a fingernail and bait you can buy from the man at the end of the quay. Nobody is casting into the horizon. If you bring your own gear, you can fish; if you do not, renting is awkward because there is no real rental market for tourists, which is one reason I started hosting.
Recreational fishing in Türkiye is regulated, and the rules change with the season and the species. On my sessions the licence side is part of what I take care of, and I walk you through what applies so you understand it rather than guess. If you go alone, ask at a tackle shop before you cast.
The hosted version
The Bosphorus shore fishing experience is three hours on the Kadıköy quay, at sunrise or in the late afternoon, for a maximum of six guests. I hand you a rod, teach you the two knots that matter and how to read the current, and then we do the part nobody puts in a brochure: we wait, we drink tea, we talk. Rod, bait, tackle, coaching, Turkish tea and homemade sandwiches are included. What you catch is yours to take home or to hand to the man beside you, who will know exactly what to do with it.
- Price: ₺3,000 per guest plus 20% VAT (₺3,600 all in)
- Length: 3 hours, sunrise or late afternoon
- Group: maximum 6 guests; private sessions on request
- Experience needed: none, and complete beginners are the norm
- Children: welcome with an adult
- Shore only: there is no boat
Is it safe, and what about the weather
The quay is flat, wide and public, with the neighbourhood walking past. Kids fish here. The one thing that stops us is real weather: hard rain or wind that makes the casting pointless. In that case you choose a free reschedule or a full refund, and I tell you the evening before if I can.
How to book
Either pay on the page and your spot is held the moment payment clears, or send a free request first and pay after I confirm the slot, usually the same day. Cancel more than 24 hours ahead for a full refund, half back up to 12 hours. Everything else, including what to wear, is in the questions people ask on the experience page.