Top 10: Fishing Vacations

They say that a bad day fishing beats a good day working. Presumably, these are the same guys who make fishing a second career -- or even an alternate religion. They could probably land a trophy mount out of a mud puddle. Regardless of skill, however, you owe it to yourself to take a fishing vacation. Forget antiquing in quaint villages or reining in your full-throttle brats while they terrorize a theme park; instead, take a manly vacation alone or with the guys. Here are some choice locations across the globe to get you going.

Number 10

Hayward, Wisconsin

It takes a hardy soul to endure ice fishing in northwestern Wisconsin, so dress warmly and tuck a flask in your parka. Not only does ice fishing in Hayward mean a great chance to catch crappie, panfish, perch, and walleye, but it also introduces you to a neat little subculture. When the conditions are right, virtual villages spring up on the frozen lakes, complete with neighborhoods of ice shanties and ATVs. If you prefer, you can visit the area’s lakes in warmer weather for some of the best muskie fishing in the world.

Number 9

Limón and Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The name means “rich coast” for a reason, but the good news is that you don’t have to be rich to go there. It’s true that the idea of deep-sea sportfishing brings to mind captains of industry on their own massive yachts, and plenty of them do just that. But average Joes and their average budgets are just as welcome. Another great thing about fishing in Costa Rica is that you have a wide range of choices. Off the eastern province of Limón on the Caribbean, you can land jack crevalle, mackerel, tarpon, and tripletail. Then, head to the western coast of Puntarenas, where you’ll wrestle with roosterfish, tuna and wahoo. Both coasts are also great for dorado, marlin and snook.  

Number 8

Sutherland, Scotland

You may not equate decent fishing with Scotland, but it’s among the UK’s best. In fact, plenty of brown trout and sea trout -- plus some salmon for good measure -- can be landed in the area’s many lochs. In the rare event that you don’t have a successful catch or are visiting on a Sunday when fishing’s not allowed, you’ll still be able to absorb the fantastic scenery of the lightly populated Scottish Highlands. The views do almost as much for the soul as does the fishing, and that’s saying something.    

Number 7

Phuket, Thailand

If you hear someone say, “You’ll never believe what I caught in Thailand,” your first thought will probably be something like, “Why the hell didn’t you wear a condom?” For a country that caters to many vices, Thailand is also a great place to get your fishing fix. Off Phuket, game fishing is still gaining momentum, so you can be reasonably certain that you’ll get lucky without much competition. Barracuda, giant trevally, mackerel, mangrove jack, queenfish, and sea bass await. On the Mekong, you can angle for a number of good fights with barbs and comically oversized carp and catfish.

Number 6

Amazon River, Brazil

As you know, when it’s winter in the United States, summer heat is upon Brazil. What you may not have realized is that peacock bass fishing on the Amazon River is also at its apex. Aside from seeking a break from winter’s discontent, why would you travel thousands of miles in pursuit of a 20-pound fish? If you have to ask, you obviously haven’t tangled with a peacock bass. Like its name -- it’s not really in the bass family -- its fight is also deceiving. It’s one of the biggest battles you’ll ever face; it even goes beyond the aggressiveness of many saltwater species.

Get your spearfishing on in Sicily or reel in some sharks in Australia…

Number 5

Sicily, Italy

Contrary to popular belief, one of the greatest Sicilian pastimes is not sleeping with the fishes, but fishing itself. Some contend that it’s become too great a pastime or that demand is exceeding supply because the fish population has dwindled. Nonetheless, you have to try spearfishing. No, this doesn’t mean standing waist-deep in the water and waiting for the barracuda, dorado and tuna to inquisitively wander over; you have to dive in and pursue them. Perhaps this form of fishing could allow for a compromise between sportsmen and activists: If you can successfully spearfish, you earned the damned thing.  

Number 4

Capetown, South Africa

Sure, you can do the whole big game sportfishing thing in Capetown, and it’s not a bad time. But to fish like the locals, stay ashore -- well, mostly ashore -- for saltwater fly-fishing. As the waves dissipate at your feet, you’ll be casting toward the breakers for snoek and boggems. Never heard of either? That’s the appeal. Britons old enough to remember food rationing in England after World War II will cringe upon reading “snoek,” and like boggems (mullet), they’re not for everybody. Yet, just as trying a new style of fishing can be fulfilling, tasting your unusual catch can be an adventure as well.

Number 3

Victoria, Australia

Aussie blokes don’t take a wimpy approach to anything -- fishing included. So if you want to land a shark, you might as well do it with guys who have the guts to wrestle one out of Bass Strait with their bare hands. Incidentally, they don’t -- and neither will you. You will, on the other hand, have a fantastic time fighting and maybe even catching species like the bronze whaler, common thresher, great hammerhead, gummy shark, oceanic blue whaler, school shark, seven gill, shortfin mako, and spurred dogshark. A couple of species you won’t be allowed to claim are great white and grey nurse sharks, which are protected by law.

Number 2

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Let Sammy Hagar have mas tequila; the biggest buzz you’ll get in Cabo San Lucas is offshore. The Gulf of California boasts almost 3,000 species of marine life. Not only do you stand to reel in dorado, sierra, wahoo, and yellowfin tuna, Cabo is probably the best place on the planet for marlin. Like in other areas, you’ll have to release any marlin you catch, but you’re free to bring the fruits of your intense labor back to port and recall them as often as you like.

Number 1

Western Montana

If you’ve mastered the art of fly-fishing, Montana should be your destination. Wetting a line in Big Sky Country is the antithesis of the frenetic pace of deep-sea gamefishing.  It’s more relaxed overall, but it’s not without excitement. Of course, Montana itself is different from most other fishing destinations, as the state holds more than 59,000 miles of rivers and streams. Zero in on the western region for some of the most outstanding cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and Arctic grayling action you can imagine. The only regret you’ll have is leaving.