If there’s one activity that will not only pose a challenge but also get you out into the wilds of the world, it’s angling. For the biggest, most challenging and most iconic fish, you’re essentially forced off-trail, going as far from human civilization as the waterways will let you, since this is where the monsters reside. Right now, adventurous angling is wildly popular, so here we’ve got the best places to cast a line for mighty freshwater and ocean catches.
A fishing fad that’s not fading
While there has always been a vigour amongst many fishing enthusiasts to battle with the hardiest denizens of the deep, it’d be fair to say that it became much more widespread in the 2010s and into this decade. Chiefly, this was down to the River Monsters series and Extreme Fishing show, led by Jeremy Wade and Robson Green, respectively. The British anglers went around the world to challenge great fish and expert fishermen alike.
The shows ran riot when they were airing, setting records for viewership in the US and the UK, and even now, many tune in for the re-runs or follow the spin-offs on streaming platforms. It’s this and the long-standing fascination with the pastime that has led to even more entertainment-set outings based around angling and catching big fish.
Easily the next or even the most popular place for fishing entertainment now is the online casino. The launch of the Fishin’ Frenzy slot ushered in a new age of fishing fandom on the reels. Its innovative fishing feature, where players can catch fish of different values when they land alongside a fisherman wild, is still popular today. Now, there are many games in the series and many copycat series to appease the massive fandom.
Best waterways and seas to cast a line for monster catches
Starting with saltwater fish, some of the best places to adventure to are also some of the most scenic and inherently adventurous in the world. On the open water, marlin, tuna and sailfish are the most prized catches, which is what makes the Maldives such a hotspot for sea fishing. Going a little further afield, New Zealand’s North Island remains a popular place to cast off from.
It’s in the waters around New Zealand that kingfish and marlin are particularly prevalent. A little further to the northwest, you’ve also got Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef. While a must for scuba divers, it’s also a great place to catch record black marlin. If you’re sticking to the UK coast, you could still dare to fish for the 10-ft porbeagle shark.
Moving inland to the rivers, lakes and pools of fresh water, few would scoff at the challenge presented by the Wels catfish. As detailed in this How Stuff Works entry, these hulking fish can grow to over 9 feet long and are found in large populations in the watershed of the Danube and Volga. From scavenger to predator, if it’s the streamlined pike you’d like to try to reel in, try the Netherlands with its easy-going fishing licensing scheme. Of course, one of the wildest and most challenging inland angling adventures you could go on is to the Zambezi River for tiger fish.
If you’re feeling up for a few days of battles with nature and want to adventure to particularly scenic and secluded parts of the world, you can’t go wrong with trying to catch a marlin, tuna, pike, tiger fish, Wels catfish or a porbeagle shark.
Top photo by William McAllister from Pexels
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