Go Fish
Caroline Leung takes the bait and checks out Hong Kong’s recreational fishing scene.
Saltwater fishing can be done at spots including Stanley, Sai Kung and Lamma Island, and the catch can range from mackerel to barracuda. “Much of it depends on the weather, tides and season,” says Charles Frew, resident fish expert at HKOutdoors.com. In other words, don’t expect to catch a coelacanth on your first try.
Essential Equipment
Po Kee Fishing Tackle
1/F, 6 Hillier St., Sheung Wan, 2543-7541. www.pokeetackle.com
Established at the height of Hong Kong’s commercial fishing era in the 30s, this is the region’s oldest equipment store. Online ordering is available through their website.
Delya Industrial Centre, 7 Shek Pai Tau Rd., Tuen Mun
Freshwater fishing is rare in Hong Kong due to the lack of freshwater, but it’s still possible in the reservoirs on the city’s outskirts. Get everything you need for it at this well-hidden store.
Yat Fan Fung Shun
B/F, 7 Ho Wui St., Tuen Wan, 2409-9299.
www.fishingtackle.com.hk
Whether you’re looking for a fuchsia fishing net or a weightless rod to ease your arm, Yat Fan Fung Shun is the right place. They offer rods of all shapes, sizes and weights, along with an extensive supply of other tools.
Where to Fish
Tai Mei Tuk Fishing Park
Tai Mei Tuk Rd., Tai Mei Tuk, Tai Po, 2662-6351
http://yp.ypdomain.com/tmtfishfarm
Tai Mei Tuk is a private fishing park that’s been open for over 30 years now. It’s a 40,000 square foot lake that has separate areas for whatever your skill level. Best of all, it’s really cheap: $25 an hour ($30 on weekends), and $10 to rent tools and bait.
Triton Deep Sea Fishing
1/F, Pinnacle Building, 9 Ship St., Wanchai, 2866-8551. www.tritontackle.com
If you’re bored of tinny little minnow, go all out do some fishing with the big boys in some deep-sea fishing. You can’t sign on to a whaling ship out of Nantucket for three years, but Triton, also one of the biggest tackle shops in Hong Kong, offers more manageable two-day offshore fishing trips. The boat will travel to an oil rig in the South China Sea—the fishing is good because reefs form around them—where you can angle for all the bluefin tuna your skill can manage, under the guidance of a friendly captain, who will not in any way be obsessed with white whales. $1,800 per person; weather dependent.
Hong Kong Mandarin Sports Fishing Club
1/F, 6 Hillier St., Central. www.msfc.com.hk
Fishing isn’t just a solitary activity, and anyone who enjoys
it can join this club, which meets at Hong Kong’s oldest tackle shop. Members exchange techniques and plan excursions together.
Fishing Tips
Ng Lo-yuen from the Hong Kong Fishing and Research Club gives us some of his best.