Thorough Preparation For a
Fishing Holiday Abroad

By Ian Ford

A fishing holiday abroad is all about adventure and, like all adventures, you need to be thoroughly prepared. Extra effort at the planning stage will ensure that your travel arrangements are slick and that you have all you need. You will then be in a position to get on with the fishing - and that means more chance of big and exotic fish.

Travel Permissions

Any travel overseas, and a fishing holiday abroad is no exception, will require some governmental permissions. You will need a valid passport. Check that this is valid for the duration of your trip (and note that some countries require it to be valid for 6 months beyond your stay) and has sufficient clear pages for any visas and immigration stamps that you will need. Again, bear in mind that some countries also have requirements about the number of these. A minimum of 6 pages can be required just to get a visa.

You will almost certainly require a visa for your destination country. You may also need transit visas for countries passed through long the way. These are not normally required just for changing planes within an international airport but could be necessary if you have a stopover en-route.

Travel Arrangements

Depending upon your itinerary and style you may have more or less work to do with your travel arrangements. The independent angler will have lots of arrangements to consider (accommodation, transport, food, licences etc) whereas anyone buying a package may well only need to book their own flight.

Ensure that you have a detailed daily plan, and consider timings carefully. You will not want too much down time but it is also worth allowing for delays especially when travelling in undeveloped countries.

Money Matters

You will also need to prepare a detailed budget and allow for contingencies. International banking does mean that in most cases you can get emergency funds but this is an expensive and time-consuming option. Remember, our key criteria is to maximise time at the water not another kind of bank.

It pays to carry your money in a combination of cash and some more secure form. Do a bit of checking to see whether Traveller's Cheques or a debit/credit card will be useful.

You may be able to obtain some local currency before travelling. Otherwise think to get some at the earliest opportunity - usually your arrival airport.

Rates can vary so also see if you can find out where to get the best rate before arrival. Any black market options are risky and not worth it for the short term visitor.

Information

The internet and guidebooks offer a wealth of information. You will need to read widely to sift through to the useful stuff.

If you have booked any services with a local fishing outfit then they should be able to answer pretty much any questions you have. Just be sure that you allow for possible misunderstandings when dealing with non-native English speakers (writers). The clearer you are the more chance you will get a clear response.

Safety and Insurance

It is definitely checking the Travel Advice from your own government for any country you intend to visit. This may not be specific to a fishing holiday abroad but will cover your general safety in-country. It can be interesting to look at other governments advice too, especially where this is a current issue such as a health scare or security concern. Different agencies can offer very different advice.

You should certainly take out travel insurance. This should cover emergency medical cover and repatriation. Repatriation ensures that you get brought home for treatment when that is a medically acceptable option - and that can be a very costly exercise if you have a nasty accident.

Make sure your travel insurance covers your fishing tackle and any other expensive items you take along.

Clothing & Equipment

You should be able to get accurate climate statistics for your intended destination. These will allow you to consider the appropriate clothing and other equipment to take. Do protect against the strong sun and do prepare for unseasonal weather. That said, you will want to review your total luggage to see that you can manage it without undue struggle.

and let's not forget about your ...

... Fishing Tackle

The main purpose of your fishing holiday abroad is to catch some big and exotic fish - and you need to equip yourself accordingly. It is no good just taking your standard tackle from home. This may not suit the local species and is unlikely to be strong enough to land the monsters you have surely targeted.

Do as much research as you can to establish the best fishing tackle to take noting as much detail as you can. It is no good to say 'fishing lures' when you should be thinking in terms of specific colours, patterns and sizes.

Wherever you are heading on your fishing holiday abroad - Good luck & tight lines. Please just think about conservation and practice Catch & Release. You know it makes sense.

Ian has lived and travelled extensively in Asia over the last seven years. He has been a passionate fisherman from school-days and is now combining the two fields by offering exciting and affordable fishing holidays abroad for individuals and groups.

The Gone-Fishing-in.Asia site provides lots of relevant tips on fish and fishing for each of the destinations on offer as well as practical travel and equipment information. Any angler preparing for a trip away would benefit from a look at the Fishing Tackle Checklist. Print yourself a copy today.

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