Paul Arden | Monday, 21 May 2018
Ashly and I are having a short break in Thailand. We've been here a few times by car (with the Rocket Condom) but this time we flew up to Krabi. It's been a very long time since I've been this far north, almost 20 years in fact, and CHRIST!!! It's busy now!!!! And this is currently low season!!!! I'm pleased I saw this part of Thailand before it changed and became the tourist herding place it is now. I had the idea that we might drive up with the truck and the boat sometime, drive through Thailand and visit Vietnam and who knows where else - but I'm not sure I can do this nowadays... I like people but can't stand crowds. To give you an idea of how things are now, we did a couple of tours. On one tour, on one small beach, I counted over 50 speed boats and that was just a small snapshot. The mind boggles to think how it must be in high season.
Of course this all applies to fishing too. I first started fly fishing New Zealand in 1991 and fished the islands for almost 20 seasons. I think you can imagine the changes that occurred. Sure there is a lot of fishing but the experience was to have it all to yourself or to share it with a friendly backcountry encounter. Now it's so busy they're considering methods of reducing visitor angling pressure.
It's a difficult balance; anglers - and particular fly anglers, who are often catch and release - genuinely can help protect a fishery. We can through our wallets, protect a fishery from commercial netting and transform it and the local economy. But when the destination becomes too popular we lose the feeling of isolation, that I for one, appreciate most in fly fishing.
Sorry it's a difficult problem and I don't know the answer but I do think about it a lot. I've seen first hand the problems and accidentally in the past have been responsible for some of them. This is one reason I spend more time discouraging people from fishing with me in Malaysia than encouraging them! That and it is very hard - thank goodness!
This week there will be more Spey Casting videos in the Masterclass
http://www.sexyloops.com/flycast/introduction/
We are busy as hell building rods.
http://www.sexyloops.com/htoc/
Life is good. Have a great week!
Cheers, Paul