Fishing
Possibly the biggest fish I have ever caught. No, really.
I like fishing.
No, it's nothing mystical. It's not about the solitude or learning how to be patient. It's not even about being with nature and all that.
It's about getting something for nothing. Seafood is becoming ridiculously expensive, and the thought of catching my own fish rather than paying for it turns me on. Then again, looking at my track record, that's false economy, because what I spend on fishing tackle (cheap stuff though it may be) far exceeds the market price of all the fish and other sea creatures I have caught so far.
So maybe that's not it, either.
Well, OK, I admit it. There's a definite thrill to having something struggling at the end of my fishing line, holding my breath while hauling it in, waiting to see what I've caught. And I spend time dreaming about how I might fool a fish into letting me catch it. I'm no purist, though. No such thing as the thrill of the hunt for me or (gag!) fair play. I try to catch those fish any way I can. Casting nets, drift nets, crab nets, small hooks, big hooks, many hooks. I'm no sport-fisherman, and here's a photo that should prove it:
Environmentalists relax - those are my bait fish.
My favourite fishing spot is Bedok Jetty, because it's convenient and easily accessible. It's been condemned as a no-no site by Spike, (whose site is probably the definitive one on Singapore fishing) but hey, I don't believe in having to climb mountains and cross rivers just to catch fish. And then let them go, at that. Here's a picture:
Bedok Jetty
Can't you just smell the salt spray? Or is that an oil slick?