Jungle Hooks

[Paul Boote]

single parent on benefits

unable to work due to cardiac probs

the ex owns half the house i live in

 

Q where does the money come from

Q how can i go trudging round mountains and thru jungles

Q how big was your shoestring

so instead of saying get off your ass i suggest you sit down

 

 

Oh dear.

 

So you want to talk pennies, eh, jimp?

 

Well, how about me and my girlfriend, fishing India, north to south and back again, for over 9 months in the late 1970s, for a grand total of £420?

 

During that time we both managed to do jardiasis, amoebic and bacillic dysentery, malaria (both of us, twice)...

 

Oh yeah, it was a breeze.

Edited May 6, 2006 by Paul Boote

[Paul Boote]

PS - I have just pulled out one of the four volumes of big, hardback exercise-book diaries that I kept during that first India trip (I have done thirteen jaunts now, but none for three years, and I rather doubt there will be any more).

 

Make that £380 all-in .

 

We returned to Britain homeless, jobless and with just £40 in our pockets with which to start a new life.

[peter mccue]

PS - I have just pulled out one of the four volumes of big, hardback exercise-book diaries that I kept during that first India trip (I have done thirteen jaunts now, but none for three years, and I rather doubt there will be any more).

 

Make that £380 all-in .

 

We returned to Britain homeless, jobless and with just £40 in our pockets with which to start a new life.

 

Paul, quite a few of your posts (mainly the late night ones!) have left me wondering what planet you were from, what you were drinking & whether drugs were involved!!

 

But your last few posts about India have left me well impressed. Very ballsy

[Ken L]

I agree that it's not about money. My total expendeture for 6 weeks in India including flights and two weeks stay in a lodge to fish for the Mahseer was a little over £1000.00. It's perfectly possible to fly to Barcelona and back for thr price of a train ticket to London and have a long weekend after giant catfish for less than £200.

 

To be honest, I get sick to the back teeth of people looking at TV angling programs and moaning about how the "stars" are always fishing exclusive waters that are out of the reach of mere mortals. The reality of course is that most of these "exclusive" waters can be fished by anyone for the price of a night in the pub and some for a lot less than that - I've seen Mat Hayes fishing on BAA controlled sections of the Severn on his Show and that's only £25 a year for a season ticket that'll let you fish better than 50 miles of rivers..

 

What does limit people is their lifestyle choices.

OK, so you can't travel for long periods because you have kids and a family and can't simply up sticks and leave them. Instead, your holidays consist of 10 days a year in Greace. You made your choices. They arn't all negative, enjoy your kids and don't bemoan others who don't share your situation a bit of wonderlust.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ken we are obviously on different planets mate when it comes to finance! A grand would have financed my whole fishing year!

 

Jimpy allow me to explain whaat I mean about a shoe string.I wont go into all the details of my early Catfish trips er no expeditions is probably a better word as these are well documented in various internet and written articles.Suffice it to say it was something I realy wanted to do before anyone (or to be fair many) were doing.

 

I did this with an old mate of mine Rob Dixon.We were both in very poor states of health (Rob having just recovered from a life threatening brain operation and so on extensive medication and myself with chronic diabetes and recovering from a severe mental break down) We were both on long houred low paid jobs.To raise a bit of extra cash and get enough time of work we worked non stop back to back shifts for several months whilst thoroughly researching our proposed trip. A second hand Ford Cortina estate was brought and many hours put in by both ourselves and through friends generousity we got it prepared for the drive to Spain.

 

The required tackle was obtained through our contacts with Bruce &Walker but we only had a couple of these prototype rods so we put our old Terry Eustace Big Pike Specials in to use.The biggest baitrunners that we could get (at the time 4500 Seaspins) were borrowed from our carping mates etc etc.

 

Christ the boat we took (on top of the car) was "aquired" one dark night from a local quarry and a lot of work had to be put in to make it "sea worthy" Talking of sea the ferry tickets were two x day return tickets from a Sun newspaper offer a mate in the travel game fiddled us.

 

We drove all the way there non stop(Northern Spain) avoiding all toll routes to keep the cost down.The car was that overloaded you couldnt even get your hands under the wheel archs!Our only insurance against disaster was the amount of prep we had put in to the car and the AA Five Star cover that Robs Mum had brought us! She thought (along with many others on many other trips all round the world weve done) that she would never see us alive again! Bless her! We ate by stopping off at supermarkets along the road and buying bread and cheese.

 

When we got there (and believe you me I have resisted telling all about the two day drive which in them days seemed like an adventure in its self) there was no luxurey hotel,B&B or even Caravan.Living rough on the bank was the order of the day.As the travel was the most expensive part we went for two weeks initially allthough subsequent trips were longer work permitting.Whilst on the bank we lived on Bacon Grill,Beans and tinned Mushrooms or tinned stew.We brought bread locally and would occaisionaly treat ourselves to a "Hamburger Completa" from Emmi's cafe in the town! No restraunts or **** it up as finance wouldnt allow it.Every thing was sacrificed to get us there and keep us there fishing for as long as possible.

 

All our bait was either brought from the UK (once again scrounged from contacts in the fisheries world who owed us favours) or caught locally.Whilst there we went out of our way to make friends with the locals.I dug a rubbish pit in the orchard we was staying in for the farmer who owned it.Rob serviced the outboard of the local tackle shop owner! Later trips saw us picking fruit during the mornings to boost our cash whilst there on extended trips.What ever it took.

 

Yes we were lucky in the fact that both our employers would allow us to work "flexi time" giving us both the time off,a bit of cash and as importantly a job to return to! Yes we were lucky having contacts in the fishingtackle and fisheries world to help (and later in Spain itself) BUT I reckon we made a lot of this luck our selves and so could anyone else.

 

Through the years of doing this in several countries I had some great fishing and eventualy got to become a professional guide (hard though it is, still a dream for most anglers).As any who have read my stuff on the early days/trips to Spain will know we got it right (I wont say lucky cause we worked hard to get it right and see no need for false modesty)we had some great fish including several Spanish "records".All for under £450 between us for several weeks at a time!Not got the £450? then get out and get it.At one time I was working three jobs and Rob two to finance our trips.From fruit picking to door work,delivering leaflets to debt collecting!

 

I havnt got a decent car anymore,I havnt got a bulging bank account only just at the age of 45 got my own home.BUT these are all choices I made myself,all sacrifices I made so I could live my angling dreams.

 

So when you ooh and aahhh at my pictures dont anyone dare say "Its all right for some"

 

Ive bored you enough with Spain so wont recall storys of "RAF indulgence flights" to India,being stuck in "quarantened districts" for months on end struggling to get travel permits and angling permits in countys as various as Russia to the US. Im sure Paul knows.

 

I will say it again if you REALY want it then get off your arse and go.....

[Dick Dastardly]

Im sorry Ken just noticed you said 6weeks in India for under a grand! Thats the way mate! thats good going by todays standards.

[Ken L]

Well, it wasn't exactly Bheemeshwari. We had no power. Washing water was carried up from the river and we had to buy in our own cooking kit, food and water. Oh yes, and the nearest town was almost 20km away.

It was fantastic though with wild animals, fabulous birds and (once we figured it out) great fishing.

 

The coastal fishing was easier 'cause it's easy to get a cold beer and a hot meal.

 

India is as expensive as you make it. I paid 150 Rs a night (About £2.00) for my room for the last two weeks but it was definatly BASIC.

 

The only thing that stung my pocket was the unpaid leave that I had to take to get out there for long enough to make the flight worthwhile.

Edited May 6, 2006 by Ken L

[Dick Dastardly]

Spot on Ken its always the catch,balacing up the lost earnings whilst making the trip long enough to justify the travel costs.

 

When I guided it always used to make me laugh how much money my customers would bring with them and end up taking back home!

[Paul Boote]

Hmm...

 

Better not start doing any no-bucks reminiscing...

 

Or someone will think I have been doing (late-night) drink / drugs (you can't do what I have got up to on either).

 

Or some Me-too East Anglian Angling Super Hero will kick off again in the weekly / monthly comics, AGAIN...

[GlennB]

Hmm...

 

Better not start doing any no-bucks reminiscing...

 

Or someone will think I have been doing (late-night) drink / drugs (you can't do what I have got up to on either).

 

Or some Me-too East Anglian Angling Super Hero will kick off again in the weekly / monthly comics, AGAIN...

 

Is it late? Only just before midnight in these parts. "up to" ? goodness.

Edited May 6, 2006 by GlennB