Perched on poles in the surf, the stilt fishermen of Koggala are one of the most photographed sights in Sri Lanka.
A young tradition
Stilt fishing is said to have begun during the Second World War, when food was scarce and rocks along the shore were crowded. Fishermen drove poles into the reef and sat on a small crossbar, casting their lines into the shallow water for small fish such as mackerel.
Today
Today few families still fish this way for a living, and many poles are used mainly to pose for photographs – for which a tip is expected. At dawn and dusk, however, you can still see the real thing along the coast between Galle and Weligama. Our guides know where to go and how to watch without intruding.
