Fishing around the world (Backpacking)

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FintanMorrisson

Fishing around the world (Backpacking)

#1 Post by FintanMorrisson »

I’m heading off end of September on the whole ‘round the world’ – ‘finding yourself’ – ‘life changing experience’ crap… Eh yea in other words basically goin on the complete & utter piss for a year!
I’d love to get a bit of fishing done around a few of the different places from both shore & boat… Was just wondering if anyone has managed to get any good fishing done on similar travels?? & could you offer any advice on:
- where to go/where not to go
- Are any of the charter boats worth doing (are they too geared towards the average amateur tourist!?
- Is gear cheap to buy (as I cant find a backpack big enough to fit a beachcaster & tackle box – nor do I want to!)

Here’s a rough list of destinations I’ll be hitting:

Thailand
Cambodia
Vietnam
China (Hong Kong)
Oz – Perth/Melbourne/Sydney/Cairns
New Zealand – Aukland/Christchurch
Chile (Santiago)
Peru (Lima)
Argentina
Brazil

Realisticly I’m thinking Thailand & Oz would be my best bet of managing to get some fishing done.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

Pete.
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rapalajoe
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#2 Post by rapalajoe »

Fintan.....add malaysia.....go for inshore sailfish....i can provide u the contact,can get cheap dirt tackle too.....Ian (Id Pearl is there)....

Thailand....owesome...can get both nice fw and sw fishing....

OZ and Nz is good too...fish there before.....i think i know a guys that staying there and can help u if u need a contact.
FintanMorrisson

#3 Post by FintanMorrisson »

Yea sound - any contact details you could send on would be great! Just pm me if you like.

We have comtemplated travelling down to Malaysia alright but it's not guaranteed we'll make it... Have only got a rough plan which more then likely we wont end up sticking to - So we dont know when exactly we'll be hitting the different destinations either. Where abouts in Malaysia would you be talking about?

Are you able to rent gear in thailand or would it be cheap enough to just buy & then throw away!?

Cheers.
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#4 Post by MC »

just want to be the first to say," you lucky,lucky b*****d" :lol: , have a nice trip and if you can send back a report or two
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kieran
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fishing around the world

#5 Post by kieran »

Hi Pete

Did that many years ago and highly recommend it.

Started in Mexico and never made it out of South America, a year later!

Shocked still that I did not bring a rod with me. Get yourself a cheap easily repaired telescopic and don't spend a lot of money on it as you will probably lose / damage it or have it nicked. Don't expect to find the stuff there, in the poor countries they use nets and in Chile and Argentina, it will be expensive. Game fishing tours there is extremely BIG business.

From experience I can tell you there is phenomenal fishing in Chile, down south it is all salmon and sea-trout, 10 kilo trout, with brownies of a similar size in the rivers and bigger ones in the lakes! Amazing but not that cheap. Talk to Andrew Ryan in the Nire valley in Tipperary (Clonanav fishery ) as he does guided tours there and in Patagonia. Chile and Argentina are effectively an extension of Europe in terms of culture so big middle / upper class with disposable income, big tourism in this area. For God sakes don't stay in Santiago, go south and do the tour to the mountains on the boat / ferry. Phenomenal. Great fishing off the coast, and by this I mean the shore. Tons of new species for you to try. Very rich feeding grounds so long as El Nino has not arrived. Check this. And do not fall it, Humboldt current is extremely cold, dead in minutes.

Peru. Big country. Big big country. Great trout fishing in Ancash / Huaraz province up in the alps. Yep, that's what they call the mountains there.

Cold water fishing off the beaches on the southern shore is tricky but they sell the bonito to Japan, not sure if there are rocky outcrops. Try around Pisco, home of pisco sours. Good boat trips to a set of local islands full fo sea lions, so there must be fish. Picso is also home to the pisco sour.

I feel a Homer moment coming on .... pisco sours, mmmm!

You would probably need a boat as the coastline is practically one long beach. Arequipa down south is a beautiful city, make sure to visit the condors (get their very early) in the - memory going, age etc - local valley. Lima is a dump, avoid it. Get out of it. Try to get to the spots where the Shining Path were most active, very untouched still. Macchu Picchu / Cusco is excellent, do the Inca trail and take your time over it. Cusco is very good at Easter but you should not miss the festivities in Cajamarca at Easter, - better! - a rarely visited spot for us gringos. I will say not more, just do not miss it. Do NOT miss it. Not like anything anywhere on the planet. While you are there visit a place called Kuelap, again well off the beaten track but it predates the Incas. Mind blowing...

On the subject of mind blowing, avoid anything called peyote or any extract from agave or cactus plants. Hallucinogen, very dangerous, people known to do very unpleasant things when under its influence.

If you are in Peru, you will probably want to visit Bolivia - plan for it! Very cheap but pack a sub-four sleeping bag... for the buses! Damn cold place.

Highest golf course in the world, drove a ball 420 yards (downhill :wink: ). Apparently some American called John Daly has done 773 yards since then... show off!

Not sure about the fishing in Lake Titicaca, highest lake in the world, but visit the islands, Isla del Sol, especially if there is a festival. Look out for the bolivian two step and the polar bears. Mad stuff. Food is very hot. Potosi is worth a visit, but be in rude health before you go into a mine.

Up north inside the Andes in Peru you are into the lush jungle and you can catch picu (spelling?) to 1000 lbs using a tomate de arbol (bit of fruit!). One of the largest freshwater fish on the planet. In the lower lakes and rivers in the Amazon basin, a lawless area if there is gold mining be very careful, there are peacock bass - the ultimate game fish in many people's opinion - and the obligatory piranha, which btw are very good to eat.

Hope this gives you a flavour...

And they have internet cafes now... send us some reports!

:D
Kieran Hanrahan

Time spent fishing is never time wasted...

2015 targets - a triggerfish, a specimen bass, a three bearded rockling to complete the set and something big and toothy from certain north Mayo deep water marks
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#6 Post by corbyeire »

kieran you make south america sound great

you obviously had a great time

had a mate over there - said the same thing about lima - stay away

had a telescopic with him and had good enough sport from very inactive fishing tactics on the beaches in tobago :wink:

good luck pete enjoy
Aitch1964

#7 Post by Aitch1964 »

Fintan a friend of a friend has been doing it for a while, check out http://www.gulliblestravels.co.uk/ for inspiration!
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#8 Post by toaddi33 »

done some fishing whilst in brazil(amazon :D )- caught pirhannas and angelfish on prime beef chunks :D
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Ryan
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#9 Post by Ryan »

When you get to Perth (time of year depending) I'd recommend trying to get on one of the charters jigging for Samson fish. Definitely give your back and arms a work out with 20kg+ of fish pulling like a freight train! :lol:
FintanMorrisson

#10 Post by FintanMorrisson »

Cheers for the info lads! Kieran, that's some savage info on south america, cheers. Wont be hittin there til next summer though... but i'll probably be so broke by then i'll have to fish for food, not just fun!
That guilables travel website looks class too - haven't had a chance to have a proper look through it yet though.
Roll on 28th September!

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