A Fun Day Fishing in Phuket – Karon Beach

A fun day fishing at Karon Beach

We’ll today I thought lazing around was not the way to spend the day so instead I crawled out of bed at 5.45 this morning, jumped on my motorbike and raced onto the morning food markets.

The markets are just a few minutes drive but already I have been overtaken by a truck with 50 Burmese workers hanging onto anything they can to prevent them from falling off, then a family of four Thai’s on a motorbike – Dad driving, one young boy about three years old standing between his legs and holding the steering wheel for support, his older sister and mum sitting on the back. I smile as they pass and think, “Better you than me”.

At the markets I head past the prawn tables where the little fragile Thai lady points to her trays of assorted prawns. “You buy mister, cheap, cheap.”

She gives me a white plastic bag and I proceed to pick out a handful of the cheapest ones I can find. She looks at my with a clint in her eye as if to say, “You cheap tourist”. Little does she know that it is my mission to catch my dinner tonight.

With my 40 baht purchase I head over to another stall and buy a bucket with holes in it (“A bucket with holes?”). The next stall I buy a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and crushed ice. The orange juice at Karon markets is amazing.

Right I’m ready.

With my trusty 8 foot fishing rod determined to catch me some dinner I head down to Karon Beach. The waves are rolling in. The surf is pretty amazing and so I think to myself maybe I should have brought the surfboard down aswell. I watch the swell for awhile as it starts to carve and roll down the beach in a perfect barrel. Surfing here is always good from June to September.

After pulling the hook out of my finger (ouch) I prepare to cast in. The hook, line and sinker sail over my head with the prawns from the market. It lands between swells and I quickly take up the extra line.

Tug tug. “No way I think to myself”. I start to reel in and for sure I feel a fish at the end of the line. No fight…must be small…but it’s a start.

The little fishy grasps for air as I pull the hook out, give it a kiss and then throw it back. A maori tradition – always give back to the sea the first fish of the day.

I rebait and cast again. Tug tug. “No way I think to myself”.
Five minutes and already I’ve hooked myself and two fish. Again no struggle but difinately alot bigger. The fight ends fast and I’ve landed something resembling a bream. Yummy this one’s for the barbie tonight.

Now feeling confident I rebait and cast. Pathetic. I forget to click over the release button. The sinker lands two feet in front of me with the hook just missing my ear. Jerry 2 Fish 1.

The next cast sees it fly well over the sets of waves coming in. Nothing yet so I light up a cigarette just before the reel starts to run wild. Grabbing the rod I quickly add some tension and start to reel back. There’s weight in this one.

After what seems like a few minutes of fighting, you can clearly see the silver flashes in the waves as I slowly pull my prize ashore. Yep much bigger. This ones about 9 inches long and thick. A real handfull.

I throw it into the bucket with the other fish. Some local Thai’s start to gather around my catch saying “Chokdee, Chokdee”, or “Lucky, Lucky”.

Over confidently I cast again. Pathetic. I forget the release again. This time the sinker swings back into my forehead making me fall back onto the ground. The Thai’s start to laugh saying, “Mai Chokdee, mai chokdee” or “Not lucky, not lucky”. We all laugh as I chalk up the new scores. Jerry 3 Fish 5.

Next attempt sees it travel about 30 metres. Not impressed I start to wind it in when I feel…yep another tug. The Thai’s cheer as a small 6 inch fish is washed upto my feet. I take it off give it to the two Thai guys and say thats enough for me and head home.

Wow, what a morning. It’s only 8 o’clock and i’ve been hooked, hit in the head, laughed at and caught 4 fish. I put my catch in the fridge, sit outside my guesthouse and sip on a fresh cup of brewed coffee.

Life in Phuket is amazing!!!

BOOST GUESTHOUSE

249/1 Luang Por Chuang Road – Patek Road,
Karon Plaza, Karon Beach,
Phuket, Thailand
Phone: +66 (076) 398 451
Mobile: +66 (08) 3596 2580
Email: boosttravel@hotmail.com

WWW.BOOSTTRAVEL.WORDPRESS.COM
WWW.BOOSTTRAVEL.BEBO.COM