Since mankind first learned that we need to eat and survive, we have been fishing. Early fishermen used long wooden poles with sharp ends to catch their prey, while later fishermen used nets, poles, and traps to land hundreds of fish at a time. Even today, fishing is a massive industry that supplies much of the world with food, fish being one of the few sources of essential proteins that just about anyone can get access to and afford.
That history with fishing also extends to our leisure time. All over the world, men and women of all ages have long enjoyed getting up early, loading their gear, and heading for their favorite water hole to spend a solid day fishing. While serious fishing might require that you devote all of your attention to your reel, other types are so simple that you can literally cast your line, set your pole against the bank, sit down, and relax while you wait for the fish to bite.
For fishermen who also travel extensively, the world is literally their playground. Wherever they go, this worldwide love of fishing all but ensures that they’ll find somewhere that they cast fish for at least a few hours. If you’re one of these globe-trotting travelers, who never leaves home without their rod and tackle, you’ll definitely appreciate this list of the three best places in the world to indulge in your love of fishing!
1) The Kola Peninsula (Russia)
Home of the Umba River, the Kola Peninsula is usually a place that experiences snowfall, freezing temperatures, and thick ice year-round. With the warmth of spring, however, Kola transforms int a storybook landscape, with lush fields, beautiful flowers, and an onslaught of plump Atlantic salmon!
Making their way towards the ocean to avoid the warmer water, it’s estimated that anywhere from five to six runs of salmon make their way down the Umba River each year. For fishing enthusiasts, this presents an excellent opportunity to catch some of the biggest and most delicious fish available!
Salmon fishing can be challenging. Salmon often don’t linger for long, and once they’ve passed a spot, they’re not going to return anytime soon. You’ll need something that catches their eye immediately. Having the right kind of gear will make all the difference when you’re trying to land a salmon.
One word of caution – while the fishing in Kola is some of the most enjoyable you’ll ever have, you may have some stiff competition in the form of an animal that loves to feast on salmon – grizzly bears.
2) Brainerd, Minnesota (USA)
If you don’t mind enduring the cold and have the patience of a stone statue, then the town of Brainerd is the perfect place for you to enjoy a some of the best ice fishing this side of the Arctic.
Located in central-Minnesota, Brainerd is a town known for two things – year-round cold, and ice fishing. Ice fishing is such a big staple in Brainerd that every year they host the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, where over 12,000 participants compete annually for over $150,000 worth of prizes for landing the biggest and best catches.
This tournament is also a place for people looking to explore what ice fishing is all about since experts and vendors from around the country gather to peddle their wares, swap their best fishing stories, and share their most effective tips and tricks for newcomers. The tournament staff also pre-drills over 20,000 holes into the deep ice that coats Gull Lake every year, saving you a lot of labor.
Whether you’re looking to compete, or just want to take it easy, Brainerd is the premier choice for ice fishers everywhere.
3) Cairns (Australia)
Home to the stunning natural beauty that is the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns is a place that has been drawing snorkelers, beach-goers, divers, and fishermen for a long time. While others come for the warm temperatures and beautiful surf, fishing enthusiasts come to land one of the most highly sought but scarcely caught, fish species in the entire world – the Giant Black Marlin.
Sizing up to over 1,600 lbs and capable of swimming at speeds of up to 80 mph, the Giant Black Marlin is a veritable monster of the seas, one that is capable of crushing the hopes and dreams of even the most seasoned of master fishermen. Despite the challenge, indeed, because of it, hundreds of fishing enthusiasts flock to Cairns each year looking to land one of the most prized catches in all of the fishing world.
If you’ve never been before, I’d recommend booking a charter tour, with seasoned experts who know the tips and tricks to catch these massive fish. It takes a lot of practice, and even more, stamina, to land the Great Black Marlin, and you’ll save yourself a great deal of disappointment (if not injury) by letting a master show you how it’s done.