What is International Men’s Day?
Held every year on November 19th, International Men’s Day (IMD) was first celebrated in 1992 before disappearing for 7 years. Its aim is to focus on male health, improve gender relations and promote gender equality as well as highlighting positive male role models. Whilst it’s celebrated around the world, it doesn’t have a huge profile and it doesn’t look like this is going to change any time soon. We’ve decided to celebrate International Men’s Day by looking at some of the top fishing spots around the world. Whether you’re looking to cast a few flies or haul in a 1,000lb marlin, we’ve got the right location for you here.
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Fish: salmon, sea trout, brown trout, European eel, pike, perch, roach, chub.
We have to start in Scotland really. Home to some of the best fly fishing in the world, Scotland is perhaps most famous for its salmon. With numerous Lochs and rivers to choose from you could end up the only fisherman in sight. We have however gone for a slightly better known location in Loch Lomond.
Photo by: Brendan Howard/Fotolia
Easily accessible from Glasgow, Lomond is the largest body of water in the UK by surface area. As a result, there’s plenty of places to set up. You will have to share the water with kayakers, canoes, wind-surfers, jet skis, speedboats, and dinghies.
Alternatively: Visit one of the whisky distilleries around Loch Lomond such as Auchentoshan.
Catalonia
Fish: tuna, dorado (mahi mahi), sea bass, mackerel, grouper, amberjack, swordfish, snapper.
South west of Barcelona lies the fishing town of Cambrils. This is a great base for Mediterranean game fishing. The weather makes the Costa Dorada the perfect place for any sort of holiday. There are a number of activities to keep you occupied should you fancy a break.
Photo by: JackF/Fotolia
Summer is the best time to trawl for the big game fish. You can still do well in winter should you fancy a break from Britain’s rain.
Alternatively: Visit Barcelona and catch a match at the Camp Nou to see Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez in action.
Hawaii
Fish: wahoo, tuna, mahi mahi, marlin, swordfish, spearfish, sailfish.
Fly into Honolulu and prepare yourself for some of the best game fishing in the world. May is the best time to head here. There’s some great fishing to be had any time of the year.
Photo by: Vacclav/Fotolia
All of the islands provide a great fishing experience. Oahu is the pick of the bunch and offers plenty of other activities should you wish to keep your feet on dry land for a bit.
Alternatively: Head to Pearl Harbour and the USS Arizona memorial, resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 men killed on December 7th 1941.
Nova Scotia
Fish: tuna, salmon, cod, haddock, sunfish, blue sharks, mako sharks, halibut.
Nova Scotia offers some excellent big game fishing. It also has a number of great lakes and rivers that are home to speckled, lake, brown, and rainbow trout, perch, and a variety of bass.
Photo by: pmstephens/Fotolia
The weather can be unpredictable. Make sure you’re prepared for fog and rapidly changing conditions. If you want to try something different, try your hand at shark fishing. Whilst you won’t be landing a great white, you may come face to face with a mako!
Alternatively: Stay on the water with a whale watching tour. Blue whales, minke, humpbacks, killer whales, and pilot whales are all to be found around Nova Scotia.
Gold Coast, Australia
Fish: cobia, tuna, snapper, wahoo, mahi mahi, sailfish, marlin.
We couldn’t leave Australia off the list and the Gold Coast region is a great place to visit. Whilst it’s most famous ocean location is Surfer’s Paradise, the Gold Coast does pretty well when it comes to fishing. It was originally known as the South Coast because it was south of Brisbane (how original!) It was first discovered (aboriginal tribes aside) by Captain Cook in 1770.
Photo by: Andrew Bayda/Fotolia
The scenery is stunning along this stretch of coast. You’ll certainly experience some great fishing but be careful of the water! There are regular sighting of sharks along this stretch of coast and Portuguese Man O War (aka blue-ies) are not uncommon. Just to make matters even worse, you should keep an eye out for blue ringed octopus and stone fish. Probably best to stay out of the water – or read more about them here!
Alternatively: Head to the Robina stadium to see the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL Premiership or learn to surf.
Ready to take the bait?
So, there you have it. Whether you’re hoping to land a marlin or a haddock, you should be able to find them in one of these top fishing spots. If you’ve been to any of these locations or have any other recommendations, let us know below.
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