Time to Fish or Cut Bait

After 11 years living as an expat in Taiwan I have finally returned to my favorite hobby--fishing. I have no idea why I have waited so long to explore the local waters. I have fished all my life, from my earliest memories of childhood right through to adulthood. However, it has been an activity that I have mostly restricted to my native California. Even after moving to Taiwan in 1999, most of my subsequent angling adventures have taken place on return trips to the U.S.

It is difficult to explain why I have waited so long to wet a line in my adopted home. Perhaps it is because the local aproach to recreational fishing seemed so, for lack of a better word, foreign to me at first. The equipment and tackle was often unfamiliar, as were most the target species.

I have since learned that many of my prejudices were either unfounded, irrelevant or inconsequential. Initial investigation has revealed that familiar "western-style" equipment and tackle is available and more local anglers are beginning to explore "foreign" fishing techniques. There is even a growing fly fishing community taking hold.

Some famiar species like largemouth bass can be found with a little effort, while exotic and local species offer new challenges to the expat angler. A wide and varied array of fish habit can be found on the island, from bays and harbors to large rivers and tidal estuaries, urban canals and pristine mountain streams.

So begins a second grand experiment in blogging and hopefully one that generate more personal interest than my  business related site.This site is by no means about sharing learned wisdom of an expert angler; I am a journeyman at best. It is a log of my attempt to understand and enjoy what Taiwan has to offer the anglers of ever skill level and degree of devotion. I am just getting started and hopefully my discoveries as well as my missteps and failures will help guide others.

I will also be posting as much information that I can glean from other sources about the local angling scene, target fish species and how and where to catch them.  I have found that there is very limited information specifically pertaining to fishing in Taiwan available on the web in English and most of it is spread around thinly. Hopefully I can bring some of it together under one roof.

Tight lines and happy fishing!