Loneliness of a Big Game Fisherman

Ahoy me hearties,

Once again it’s a foul weather report:- in fact neither my friends nor I remember such an atrocious start to the ”low” season, but while most of the companies were busy returning deposits, PST’s web site advised us that Thai 2 On managed to sneaked out between storms, mid-month, and bagged 7 Sailfish, so the boys with the bills are back. That will make for a few Jolly Jack Tars - Brilliant!!!

This month the organizers of PST (Phuket Sport-fishing Tournament) also announced the dates of the next PST competition which will be the 21^st to the 24^th November 2018, and assuming they will be offering an “early bird” entry as usual, I will keep you advised.

And for all you lucky, rich, old pirates, at the pinnacle of our celebrated sport, both Thai 2 On and the 60ft sport-fisher Deja Blue have advised me they are now taking bookings for the coming high season. (Mid-February to Mid-April) Thai 2 On will be returning to the Burma Banks for 5 to 8 day trips while Deja Blue with her large fuel capacity and water maker will once again be visiting India’s Andaman Islands, (January to the beginning of May) Both boats can accommodate five, at a push, but like the “day” boats we recommend a maximum of four. These are undoubtedly the two best fishing areas here in the East and the nearest thing you will get to a “guarantee” while Big Game Fishing. Please e-mail me, via the web site, for further information on either of these truly amazing fishing adventures.

This month’s humor relates to a Russian boat owner who took some Ballyhoo on board his boat. (Bait fish, for the uninitiated) He asked his new Thai decky. “Do you know how to tie these?” -  And given an affirmative.  The next morning you will never guess what he had fried for his breakfast. Yum-Yum.

Considering we have had weather warnings, for small boats, more or less continuously for the past couple of months, isn’t it about time we changed our mental attitude? Isn’t it strange how everyone seems to accept the weather as being “it’s just the weather”? With half the world on fire and the other half flooded is it not about time something was done about it before the planet spins completely out of control and demand that the world’s political ostriches, remove their heads from the sand where they have been firmly buried for far too long. While plastic and all the other toxic waste we pump into our oceans should not be ignored, warming is already burning, drowning and burying us by the 1,000’s.

Am I the only voice in the wilderness shouting - ENOUGH! Sometimes I wonder, am I completely alone on this planet? While I have experienced this/that incredible feeling of isolation combined with a sort of happily womb-like security that all “sea” fishermen can relate to, this is definitely not the case when returning to dry land, where every damned thing seems to want to take a bite out of you, one way or another.

No one owns the water. No one owns the lands. No one owns the oceans. No one owns the sands. These are given by our Mother. The planet provides for free. Only by the hands of the greedy does the Earth require a fee.  Anon.

As usual, tight lines all round.