Activities and things to do: big game fishing

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IF you thought that fishing was either boring or hard work, a day out in a boat here will change your mind. For a start, there is no question of casting your line and waiting for hours to see some action. The Andaman Sea and Krabi's rivers are bountiful and it really is easy to catch something - even with a simple, unbaited hook and hand-held line.

Fishing will give a purpose to your island-hopping day and brings a deeper satisfaction. Believe us, spearing a barracuda will bring out hunter-gatherer instincts you may even knew you had! And what other activity allows you to visit the islands, top up your tan, learn about nature and local tradition as well as take care of lunch and dinner?

Two type of trips are available: group tours to the islands on a specially equipped large boat, or traditional longtail boat; or a fishing and homestay tour in a local fishing village, an excellent opportunity to watch and participate in traditional activities. Private and night fishing trips can also be organised.

All of the fishing tours use guides with expert knowledge of the local seas, which means the fish should almost be jumping out of the water. You can expect to catch anything from small, tasty mackerel to larger trevally, king fish or even barracuda. Morning catches are cooked fresh for lunch and you are free to take home whatever you hook yourself - many beachfront restaurants will be happy to serve you your own personal ‘catch of the day’.

For those who prefer to stay put while they fish, there are also a couple of fishing parks in the Krabi area. The first, Krabi Fishing Park, is more of a restaurant with private pavilions set around a lake, about 10km out of Krabi Town off the Phuket highway; the second, Gillham's Fishing Resort, near Ao Thalane, is designed for serious amateur and professional anglers, with a well-stocked lake of rare species and some real monster fish.

Note: it is has been brought to our attention that some fishing tours are catching endangered species such as blacktip reef and leopard sharks, presumably in a bid to impress their guests. If this happens on your boat, we strongly encourage you not only to report it, but to make sure that the crew throw the fish back into the water alive.