fishing in Thai way
We can catch fish in several ways. We can use our hands, or we can shoot a spear through it. We can also trap it in a net, use a hook and bait, or throw dynamite to the sea or lake, although this is not recommended. Fishing has been a livelihood and a way of life for thousands of years, which is why people had so much time inventing different ways to catch fish.
Just like dancing, there has been a lot of debate about whether fishing is a hobby or a sport. Some people strongly disagree that fishing can even be considered a sport, simply because they say that anybody can do it.
Fishing is hardly known as a young person’s hobby. For one, it does not require a lot of movement. You need to swing the rod back and throw it forward, and that can take some force, yes. But once the line is already in the water, you can even prop the fishing rod on a chair and leave it there. If you are in the saltwater, there may be a chance for you to exert energy as you can get big fish there. However, in case you are fishing in the lake or river, you may not even grunt when you pull the fish out with your rod.
Despite that, fishing still comes with a few dangers that not everyone may realize until an accident happens. To avoid that, here are safety tips that you can’t forget.
Be Mindful Of The Hook
The hook is attached at the end of the line along with the bait. The typical idea is that you should connect the latter to the former. When the fish eats the bait, therefore, it will get caught on the hook.
When you are attaching the hook or removing the fish from it, though, you should be mindful of its pointy part. I have seen several newbies nick, slash, and even stab themselves with a hook accidentally. While it is small, it is incredibly sharp – enough to pierce through a fish’s mouth and your skin.
Learn How To Swing The Rod Properly
As mentioned above, fishing involves swinging the rod backward and forward. This will ensure that the line can reach a specific distance. After all, you cannot simply drop it beside the boat. It has to be far away so that the bait will be more believable for the fish.
However, you need to learn the proper way of swinging the fishing rod. It is not like a rope in the rodeo or a ribbon that gymnasts twirl. Remember that a hook is at the end of the line. If it hits you or anyone on the boat, it will be disastrous.
Use Nets Neatly
Considering you have graduated from freshwater to saltwater fishing, there may be a time when you will use nets. That is especially true if you want to catch more than a bucket of fish. Your beloved rod will be useless at that point because it will slow down the process.
The thing is, a lot of unfortunate things can happen if your nets are all over the place. For instance, you may trip on it. How lucky you will be if you fall safely on the net. However, what if your face hits the side of the boat or you tip over?
Final Thoughts
A lot of people go fishing to calm their minds or get away from the city. It seems ideal and all, but you should ensure your safety first. Understand how every part of the fishing rod works, be careful if you want to use nets, and never go by yourself. This way, there is someone to watch out for you and vice versa.
Good luck!
Thailand is home to some of the best beaches in Asia. But people come not only for the saltwater but for the freshwater as well, as fish abound this colorful island.
Continue reading “Fantastic Fishing Destinations In Thailand”
Fishing is one of my family’s favorite pastimes. For as long as I can remember, my parents would set aside an entire week during my summer break from school for that. We would rent a cabin by the river or lake and pack our bags and canoes. Sometimes, we would sleep in tents or even camping cars.
During that week, chicken, pork, or beef was at the back of our minds. My mom knew a lot of recipes that involved fish as the main ingredient. Everything from stew to soup to grilled – we enjoyed them all, especially since the fish was always fresh. It was something that we could not enough of, frankly speaking.
My family still does this tradition every year, even when I am already in my mid-20s. I don’t usually take a leave of absence because I allocate those days to that fishing week. What is even better is that my cousins, aunts, and uncles come with us, so it is like a week-long reunion.
The thing is, I know that fishing is not for everyone. To be precise, it is not suitable for the faint of heart because:
You Will Be Dealing With A Wiggly Fish
The first thing that irks some people is the truth that the fish will fight back when you try to take it out of the water. Its body will wiggle from the moment you pull the line, making the task challenging. Even when it is on the boat already, it may not be easy to hold because the fish scales are too smooth. Thus, newbies tend to yell or jump in surprise when the fish slips out of their hands.
You Have To Remove The Hook From The Fish’s Mouth
It is an exciting sight when a fisherman raises his rod, and a hefty fish is at the end of it. What non-fishing folks may not realize, however, is that the hook pierces the mouth of the fish. The latter does not bleed a lot in that area, but it can be too much for a few individuals.
You Need To Open The Fish And Pull Out Its Guts
A movie or TV show where people are fishing and camping can be a bit misleading, in the sense that they only show the fish on the grill after catching it. What you have hardly seen in media is the process of removing the guts. After all, it requires slicing the fish’s belly and pulling out everything inside except for the bones. This procedure is necessary, though, to make sure that you will eat clean fish. The guts tend to go back to the water and serve as fish food.
If you find the de-gutting process gory or barbaric, though, fishing may not be for you.
The Fish Smell Won’t Go Away With Water And Regular Soap
You do not hear fishing enthusiasts complain about the smell that lingers on their hands, but it is not a myth. Fish odor can genuinely stick to your skin, especially while cleaning the fish because it releases chemicals that give off the universally known fishy smell. What’s worse is that the scent does not go away with water and regular soap alone, so forgetting the special detergent during your trip entails that the stink will remain with you until you go home.
Final Thoughts
I decided to write this blog not to discourage you from learning how to fish but to keep you from quitting when you see or experience the things mentioned above. When you know what to expect beforehand, and you still go for it, it means that the hobby will stick for long.
Good luck!
Visiting Phuket, Thailand won’t be complete without having a taste of their seafood extravaganza. The island is not only known for its beautiful beaches but also for the rich marine life that has tourists and locals appreciate seafood more and eating the likes of giant prawns, crabs, and sweet shrimps should never be missed while you’re in this colorful island. Continue reading “Where To Eat The Best Seafood Cuisine In Phuket”
When I pick up a new hobby, I love sharing it with my family and friends. It has never bothered me even if they end up being better at it than me. It merely indicates that there is someone who can help me learn the ropes.
The thing is, I have tried new hobbies that my loved ones have started doing, too. When I brought my brother to a boxing class, and he loved it there. One time, I wanted to learn how to bake and asked mom to tag along with them. She turned to be a natural baker and loved the activity as well.
If there’s something that not a lot of my friends and family cannot accept, though, it’s my love for fishing. I did not grow up around bodies of water; the closest beach was a plane ride away. But somehow, when I was given a chance to start fishing, you could say that I got hooked.
Noodling, angling, netting – I have tried different techniques to catch a fish. I am not against fishing at any time of the year either, considering you can do it even the water is frozen solid.
Now, it has taken a while before I have encouraged my parents and siblings to go fishing with me. I tried many things to get them to hold a rod. At a low point, I even bribed them, but that did not end well for me. My family took my bribe but managed to come up with excuses not to come with me at the last minute.
Nevertheless, it did not stop me from coaxing my loved ones to try fishing and reap the fishing trip benefits. It was not until last year that I got my family to do it, and now they keep on asking me when we can go again.
If you want to accomplish the same thing, here’s how you can entice someone to go fishing with you.
Rent A Cabin Near A Fishing Lake
The first thing you can try is renting a cabin by the lake. There probably isn’t a single soul in the world who has never dreamed of waking up in one. You can open the door and bask in the beauty of nature.
Despite that, when you are deciding where to bring your family, you should make sure that the lake has fish. This way, you can suggest fishing to them one morning.
Give Your Family Something To Do While Waiting For The Fish
One of the reasons why your loved ones may not be up for fishing is that they have zero patience for waiting. When you do this activity, after all, you may have to wait for hours before a fish takes your bait. Some species are smarter than you expect as well, in the sense that they can eat your bait without touching the hook.
To keep your family from getting bored, therefore, you should think of games that you can play while waiting.
Prepare A BBQ Party Afterward
Another thing you can do is announce that you will prepare a BBQ party after fishing. There will be all kinds of meat, including the fish that any of you may catch. In this manner, you may encourage them to take fishing seriously because there is a yummy reward in the end.
Don’t give up on your family if they don’t like fishing as much as you do. Try coaxing them with the tips mentioned above. Good luck!
Skip Bennett has founded and still owns Island Creek Oysters (ICO). With the help of oyster farmer Christian Horne, his local fish market owner and friend Don Murray, and his father Bill Bennett, the Island Creek Oysters has been staying true to its mission since its establishment: Grow. Give. Enjoy.
History
It was the year 1992 when Skip Bennett had been initiated into oyster-growing in Island Creek, Duxbury, where he spent most of his life. Before that, the quahog razor clams that Bennett was working on became infected. However, instead of letting it pull him down, the ICO founder decided to focus all his attention on oysters. Since making that decision, the following occurrences happened:
• Skip Bennett partnered with Christian Horne in 1997 and founded Island Creek Oysters.
• They were later joined in the year 2000 by Don Murray and Bill Bennett, Skip Bennett’s friend and father, respectively.
• The four of them sold oysters from the back of a truck to some restaurant chefs.
Because of Skip Bennett’s and his associates’ passion for oysters, ICO is now producing more than 100,000 oysters per week, and their customers now come from all coasts.
Oyster Farming Process
The growing, planting, and harvesting process for oysters take 18 months. The work is tedious, but allow us to break down the steps below:
• Seeds of 2 millimeters arrive every May from New England hatcheries in blue cloth packets that can hold 2 pounds of baby oysters.
• The seeds go to the bottom of the handmade upwellings that comprise of eight boxes, a beautiful mesh screen as a bed, and a white pipe that keeps the baby oysters fresh all the time.
• When the last quarter of July comes, and the baby oysters are already ¼-inch long, they are graded or sifted to separate the still-small oysters from the larger ones.
• The ¼-inch oysters are brought to the nursery where they will remain to double in size for 2 to 3 months.
• After that, the oysters are planted in the acreage of underwater ground, where they all continue to grow until after winter.
• Eighteen months after the growing process, the harvesting of oysters through handpicking and dragging takes place when there is low tide and high tide, respectively.
• The harvested oysters are then culled in oyster barges to know which ones are ICO-material or not.
• The oysters that have passed through the oyster barges successfully get washed. The goal is to get rid of all the muds that stuck on them. Workers manually count the shellfish into mesh bags, pack them into ICO trucks, and deliver the bags to your favorite restaurants.
Final Thoughts
Island Creek Oysters allows visitors who want to experience being an oyster farmer firsthand. It has also ventured to the catering business, and it is suitable for all kinds of events that have guests who want to have raw bar experience. Anyone can shop for shellfish, gears, and packages online through the ICO website.
We often overlook fishing as a sport that can also burn calories. Often we think that fishing is just lounging in a boat and waiting for a fish to take the bait, but it is so much more. Who knew that fishing can be rewarding and have significant effects on our overall physical and mental health? Even psychologists, who are specialists in the mental health field. “You can easily see how a pastime like fishing can become much more than a way to relax and unwind at the end of a busy week,” says psychologist Bridget Grenville-Cleave. You can also consult the positive effects of the activity from mental health professionals via online counseling apps like BetterHelp. This article will teach us the benefits we get from fishing and how it affects our mental state.
Fishing can make anyone a better person. It is not just backed up by therapists, but also backed up by science. Don’t be fooled by the traditional stereotype of fishing. Anyone, no matter the age, gender, and income level, can participate in fishing activities or fish themselves. Most families have already been doing this as a weekend activity in any accessible lakes or fishing sanctuaries.
They say it can be therapeutic. But how and why? Read on.
It Is Definitely Relaxing
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Fishing involves waiting, and that’s a fact. All you need to have is a fishing rod, a couple of baits, lots of patience and maybe a snack for yourself. Since it involves waiting, it will coincidentally also involve looking around and appreciating your surroundings. Sooner or later, as you wait for a fish to bite your bait, you will feel yourself to be one with nature.
This fishing activity will let you breathe fresher air. The calmness, pollution-free, and vibrant colors of the surrounding environment will decrease your stress and anxiety. As explained by Gretchen Flores, MA LPC LCPC “Some stress is unavoidable but if you can keep perspective then it can be a whole lot easier.” Unlike in the city or the confines of your home, there are no exerting pressure or mental force here. In your home or office, there may be that piles of documents that scare you. In a fishing sanctuary, there is none.
It Teaches You The Art Of Patience
Therapists treat fishing as a reflective and meditative activity by its nature. There are an essential tip and lesson that fishing beginners should know. That is, not everybody will hook a fish at every fishing activity. Therapists, however, believe that this will never cause you more significant stress or anxiety. It will instead teach you the unwillingness to quit. Alicia H. Clark, Psy.D. once wrote that “The sensation of pressure doesn’t have to be negative—it can be a positive challenge and motivating.”
Therapists point out correctly that people should learn how to have patience and deal with impatience. In the real world, everything takes time. Impatient people are the ones prone to stress, depression, high blood pressure, and physical weakness. Fishing is one of the activities that will bestow the proper patience upon you. In this case, online therapy apps like BetterHelp can also be beneficial in helping you understand the positive effects of fishing.
It Can Improve Your Balance
Jennifer Bradley, Psy.D., HSPP, Clinical Psychologist once said, “When we are imbalanced, we develop various types of difficulties, including psychological and/or physical symptoms, and we begin to use ineffective or damaging coping mechanisms.” Whether or not you are joining a regular fishing activity with practiced fishers already with you, this expedition will nevertheless teach you some physical balancing techniques. It is some form of exercise. It requires physical strength this time, forcing you then to move and crack those tight joints from working or overthinking.
It Can Boost Your Immune System
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As mentioned, fishing still requires movement not just mere sitting or waiting. It does not only involve balancing techniques, but it has something to do with finding the perfect fishing spots. The ideal fishing sanctuaries are usually in natural places which will require walking, hiking, biking, or even paddling.
For beginners, this may sound like troublesome mainly if you are not into exerting that much physical effort. However, fishers who were once a beginner just like everybody else can say that the excitement and the unwillingness to quit will motivate you to go a little further. Sooner or later, you will be into the art of fishing and everything that comes with it (such as physical exercise).
Moreover, being outdoors is in itself already benefits our physical well-being. Imagine getting plenty of vitamin D that you would not get if you are staying most of the time indoors. Science reports that vitamin D plays a significant role in improving our mood, boosting our energy, and making us happier.
It Promotes Family Bonding
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Letting go of the ugly sight and mental and emotional exhaustion brought about by official or school paper works will do wonders even with your communication with your family. While waiting for a fish to hook in your bait, talk with your kids or parents about their week in school or work. Talk about your next family vacation. This is a good way to unwind and improve the overall mental state of the whole family.
Think of this activity as one where you will and should never take your phone or paper works with you. It is the time where you should keep in touch with each other’s personal lives.
With all of these facts in mind, fishing can be an option for you to lead a happy and satisfying life in the long run. Catching a fish is only a bonus. Think of it as a reward once you felt that you are one with nature, improved your mood, and got in touch with family and friends once again. For beginners, there are a lot of organizations and fishing programs in your area that will help you get started, starting from the tools and skills you need to have if you want to begin. To know more about how online counseling can guide you through this, you can check out this review.