Phuket International Sportsfishing Tournament 2013 (PIST) Review

Hi once again my fellow Ofishinadoes

Following October’s atrocious weather November also remained seriously fickle although the annual P.I.S.T. (Phuket International Sports-fishing Tournament,) the start of our fishing “high” season had three days excellent angling weather. Well done “Fish Eagle”, a well deserved win. Once again, for the second year running, Dorado’s abounded.

Commiserations to “Queen Marlin” for losing a Sail when “4 Reel” and a “sleeping” (that’s how to scupper the competition) Gerry ran over your line, I also hear you brought in two dead Sails. If you had just photographed them and not returned the poor beasties to port, you might have been on the podium as your points total would have been much higher. In my view, although you did the right thing, it’s a bad rule that could encourage cheating.

Bad luck also to “The Rawai Pla Boyz” Naval Frigates going at a rate of knots, klaxons blaring and on general quarters, are not meant to be used for surfing in their wake. I hope your repairs were not too expensive and you get back out there soon.

After Saturday Nov. 23^rd’s storm many boats were damaged at Ao Yon. Obviously October / November are good months to have shares in a boatyard. It looks like “Sail in Asia”, along with many others, were hit quite hard, while all our “Mena” crews, much to their disgust, were on standby for the duration and got tossed about for hours only to wake up the next day to start with salvage operations on a friend’s submerged dive boat.

Bad weather and three day of solid competition fishing with P.I.S.T. did not deter our pal Ian on “Thai2On” who gets Jimmy’s “Fish of the Month Award” while on a trip to the Similan Islands. Marlins are always great to see, nice one Tubbsy. (Picture above)

This month’s Pirate joke:- Pirate walks into a bar with a ship’s wheel between his legs, Bar man says. “You know you have a steering wheel between your legs?” Pirate answers “ Aarrr aye, it’s driving me nuts.”

Please keep the stories / jokes / anecdotes coming in.

Tight lines to all,

Jimmy