Snail Hunting

Towards the end of our trip to Vietnam, Tara and I visited a "homestay" in the Mekong Delta.  When I expressed an interest in fishing, our hostess was happy to oblige.  After seeing only a couple of fishing poles in the entire country I knew that sportfishing was a luxury so I wasn't sure what form our "fishing" would take.  I did not expect what happened next...

Tenkara Plus

Tara and I took a trip to Oregon in the end of June, our first visit since moving back to Honolulu three years ago.  It was wonderful to visit with all of my brothers, to catch up with some dear friends and to reconnect with some old friends too.
Of course I brought along my tenkara rod and managed to fit in some quality trout fishing too.  After returning home I put together a short article which Daniel Galhardo, the founder of Tenkara USA, was generous enough to post on the Tenkara USA website.  You can read the article here.

Interlude

On the way to Vietnam we had a six hour layover in Japan's Narita Airport.  While Tokyo is about an hour away by train, Narita town is only one stop away.  Though small, Narita boasts a surprisingly large temple and garden complex which is free to visit and within walking distance of the train station.  Before taking a stroll through the gardens, Tara and I stopped for a lunch of grilled freshwater eel, a summertime favorite in Japan.  While perusing the menu I was very interested to see koi arashi, a carp sashimi dish.  I had heard of carp sashimi but never tried it.  In fact, I have only eaten carp once before, and never raw.
The thinly sliced fish came with a few crisp vegetables, served on top of ice to keep it cool in the summer heat.  Alongside was a tangy ginger and sesame dipping sauce.  The meat was firm with a mild flavor and overall quite delicious.  I asked the old man who prepared the fish if it had been caught nearby but he did not think so, "from the mountains" he replied.  Wherever it was from, I certainly enjoyed it.

The Kracken

Tara and I just got home from a trip to Vietnam.  It was my first proper vacation since visiting Korea last year.  We landed in Hanoi and drove north to beautiful Ha Long Bay for a two night cruise aboard the Paradise Luxury 4.

After dinner activities involved (more) drinking, a movie screening, sleep, or ... squid fishing!!!  I don't know why no one else found the last option irresistible but among the dozen or so passengers Tara and I were the only takers.  After dark the crew plugged in a large spotlight on the aft deck.  The bright light presumably attracted zooplankton which in turn attracted numerous small fish, including some very active flying fish.

The small fish attracted pods of elusive squid that would periodically dart through the glow of the light and then disappear again in the darkness.  There were several handpoles available, each with a bright-colored, weighted jig about two inches long.  Instead of hooks, the jigs had a dozen bent wire prongs on the bottom.  We stood on the deck and rhythmically jigged the lures up and down.  The squid hit just like fish but when removed from the water they sprayed ink everywhere.  The trick was to keep them at rods length while they expended the black goo without letting them wiggle free and escape back into the depths.

The unlucky cephalapods that were brought to hand were placed in a bucket with the rest of the nights catch (while all the guests were occupied with dinner it appeared that the crew had taken the opportunity to relax and catch some squid themselves).  I was disappointed that fresh squid did not appear on our menu the next day but I am certain that the crew must have enjoyed them thoroughly.

A squid boat at anchor. Note the row of large light bulbs hanging over the cabin. The bulbs are lit at night to attract squid.

Justified

I finally made it back onto the water with Chris.  This time we were better prepared and both the weather and the fish were cooperative.  Together, we scouted a couple of new reefs and rocks, including "monster rock" where I hooked up to a big fish that peeled line off my reel for a few thrilling seconds before I lost it (and all of my tackle with it).

Unfortunately, that lost fish was not the only casualty of the day.  Upon returning to dry land I noticed that my rod had a six inch crack where the two pieces join together.  For the $20 or $30 I paid, it has been, dollar for fish, one of the best rods I've ever owned.  I don't usually believe in spending top dollar for fishing equipment, but I do firmly believe that when I break or ruin something through proper use then an upgrade is justified.  I guess it's time to do some shopping...

The Secret of Chan's Reef

I have been fishing with my friend Kirk for more than a decade.  During that time we have fished all over Oahu; on sandbars, reefs, flats, docks, streams, lakes, bays and islands.  We have caught everything from tiny native gobies to hammerhead sharks.  Just before New Year's I had a chance to join Kirk for an afternoon of papio fishing.

Papio are an ultra-popular game fish in Hawaii but Kirk has his own method for catching them.  It is hard fishing but the rewards are commensurate.  The scenery is spectacular and the experience of fighting a strong apex-predator fish over a jagged and pitted reef in the pounding surf is a truly unique thrill.

Kirk picked up the first fish and narrowly missed a second, much bigger one.  I caught the next two fish, with each successive fish a bit larger than the last.  The second fish was so strong I had a moment of panic as I felt the plastic reel-seat on my rod bend nearly to the breaking point. 

Eating sashimi on New Year's day is something of a tradition in Hawaii so we kept most of the fish to share with friends and family.
I don't keep fish very often so I had dust off the sushi knives and try to remember how to cut fish. You can see the results of my effort below...

A Sea Apple a Day...

Way back in March Tara and I spent two weeks in Korea. We spent time in Seoul, visited the DMZ and took a short trip to Jeju Island. Besides hiking the famous Mount Hallasan we also booked a morning fishing trip. I wasn't sure what to expect because everything had been arranged through the Hotel's concierge, a very friendly man who spoke very little English.

We took a short taxi ride to the harbor and were greeted by the captain of a local fishing boat. Together with three or four other Korean tourists we boarded and were soon underway.

Bottom fishing, not surprisingly, has everything to to with the sea floor. It took about 25 minutes to reach whatever reef or ledge or outcrop was our destination. The captain deployed a sea anchor which I had read about but never seen in action and then broke out the rods.

For bait we used long worms that resembled a cross between an earthworm and a hellgrammite. Whatever they were, they worked well and we were soon hooking fish by the ones and twos! Many of the fish looked familiar to me, lots of hawkfish and wrasses, but Tara pulled up one exotic specimen with beautiful pectoral fins.

Back in Seoul we took the train to the Noryangjin Fish Market to see what other fish inhabit the waters of Korea. The market was lively and colorful with a wide variety of seafood. (Including sea apples - ask me what those taste like!) I was especially surprised to see tanks containing large red drum which are a prized game fish in the Gulf of Mexico.