I have always been fascinated with traveling and seeing new sights around the world. Thanks to the internet you can view the world without ever leaving your home. If still photographs are not good enough for you, check out EarthCam’s 25 most interesting web cams of 2005. These cams feature many places all over the world, including the Pyramid Cam, St. Thomas Virgin Island Cam and a live piranha Cam as well.
Sit back and enjoy!
How do you catch fish in water over ten meters deep using a rod that does not have a reel, or even guides for your line? Simple: fashion the rod from bamboo, hollow out the centre and run the line through the middle and out the very end of the rod. Wrap your spare line around a couple of pegs at the other end, and you are ready to indulge in the traditional Japanese fishing technique known as tebane.
I first started using this technique to catch a fish known in Japanese as haze. Its scientific name is Acanthogobius flavimanus; however, there appears to be a lack of consensus over its common name in English, with references calling it spiny goby, yellowfin goby or spotted goby. For the sake of simplicity, from here on I will refer to the creatures as just ‘goby’. Gobies are a small, seasonal fish widespread throughout Pacific Asia, and grow up to 20cm in size; they favor muddy habitats and are tolerant of a wide range of temperature and salinity. The traditional goby fishing season starts in September, when the fish migrate from rivers and estuaries to the sea, in order to spawn. Boats packed with goby fans leave port early in the morning from all over Tokyo and Yokohama, and head to sheltered coves and bay areas where the gobies are known to congregate; although the general regions are fairly well known, each skipper has his own secret spot, usually well-managed and handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. The best goby points are those that are inaccessible from land, preventing others from casting or throwing nets from the shore, and where the waters and tides are relatively calm. When I go fishing for goby, I always use the services of a boathouse called Fukagawa Fujimi, which is located in the southeast of Tokyo. Fujimi is one of the longest-running such businesses in Japan: they have been a family-run affair since before the beginning of the Edo Period, over four hundred years ago. The skipper, a lean, sun-tanned Tokyoite known to regulars as ‘Captain Beard’ due to his whiskers, is famous for both his prowess at catching gobies (which is quite fearsome) and for his no-nonsense, old school approach to not just fishing, but to life in general. Although his countenance is often intimidating to newcomers, he is always happy to take the time to teach beginners – in his thick, east Tokyo accent – the science of traditional goby fishing with bamboo rods, and as a novice I count myself lucky to be able to learn from his vast experience.
The shore fishing in the British Islands is always exciting wether you are catching fish or not. During the day, the view is filled with breath taking colour in any direction you look. Crystal clear water means that you will be sighting fish before you cast. By night, anywhere street lights hit the water, especially bridges, will hold fish. I have spent many nights fishing off of the Queen Elizabeth bridge, which is the bridge that connects Tortola (the biggest island in the BVI) and Beef Island (home to the airport of Tortola)
The channel separating the two islands is home to numerous species of fish. By day you can watch jacks feet on small baitfish and if you are lucky you will see one of the channels biggest consitent residents, a five foot long barracuda. By the darkness of night the bridge area become a nightclub for tarpon. On any given day you can spot 10-20 tarpon lounging around the bridge. One would think this would make for an easy catch, but in my two months of fishing for them at night, they show little to no interest to lures, flies and live bait. I havent decided if they are just really smart fish, or extemely lazy.
For 2006, I will be keeping a log about the tarpon activity here in the BVI. To end 2005, I’ll be heading to Anegada with my girlfriend to take advantage of some of the best flats fishing in the world. Expect pictures, and enjoy your holidays.
Happy holidays everyone!