Travel - Paris

Pêcheurs sans Frontières

September 23, 2006

One probably doesn’t think of going to fish in the Seine, while in Paris, anymore than one would think of attending ballet in Saudi Arabia, but this is my job: to fish the capitals of the world and report on them. Somebody has to do it, for all the non-Green, Red establishment demagogue ignorance that lays waste to the fragile ecosystem we call Earth …

Besides asking a policewoman, if one was permitted to fish the Seine and her reply that it was non permis/interdit/defendu, I saw only one person fishing along the banks. Everyone else was either reading, smooching, on cell phones, on iPods, snoozing ... I could not believe the photo op that was totally ignored: hauling a fish from the Seine late afternoon with the Eiffel tower in the distance. Tous ces gens la sont fous!

Travel - Gdansk (Danzig)

Real Fish

The city was 90% destroyed by the Germans and Russians during WWII, and has decided to rebuild in the Hanseatic style that made it famous in the 14^th century. They could have left the city as a memorial (now one small park along the river of a bombed out building. Think Warsaw.) Or modernized it, like Japan, but instead they went probably the most expensive route by redeveloping as a 14^th century city.

The only place I saw anyone fishing, in the Motlawa River between the Crane/Maritime Museum and the Green Gate; [Proof]. He was cranking a fairly large jig head (1/2 oz?) with a chartreuse grub. What else. Did not see him catch anything, but he was carrying a plastic bag with a couple of fish. No wonder he was having problems: sprat on a #2 hook?

Travel - Tallinn

The only port at which we were actually able to dock and therefore the only place we could walk into town. It was also the oldest city we visited in Scandanavia, without major reconstruction, going back to the 13^th century.

I saw signs for fishing – at the dock – but the bus would take an hour each way. Not on a three hour stay. Problem with the “just one more cast” phenomenon …

Apparently does or does not require a license. I tried fishing at the pier but found absolutely nothing. In fact, it was the only place I actually wet a line. Will pass on posting the pictures.

Travel - Helsinki

Water Everywhere, But Not A Spot To Fish

With a cruise, one measures ones time in hours – or minutes. Helsinki was a five hour stop (against the three hours in Stockholm). Great city, very modern, trolley loop to get around.

But we are here for fishing, and Helsinki might as well be Scotland or British Columbia for “ease of use”. There are 3 lakes/ponds in the city, but no one fishes there, as the salmon fishing in the sea is (apparently) so much better.

After a couple of hours trying to orient ourselves, read Rick Steves walking tour and a discovered a recommended fishing store: Schroder Sports Shop on Union Inkatu – basically straight up from the leftmost road of the market by the pier. The coffee house and park is opposite on the left.

Very interesting shop, but enormously expensive. Rapala plugs were at least twice as expensive as in US – and, of course, they are made/invented there! Average prices were 12-15€. Never seen such a display of spoons (apparently for pike). Asked about licenses, and was told one needs two; one for Finland and one for the city/province. Have to buy the first at a bank(?!)

Oh, and forget about Stockmans, the űber-department store. Lovely store, but fishing tackle was minimal; think LL Bean, not Bass Pro Shops.

I really detest anything other than first-hand experience, but just in case you are thinking of fishing there, there are walls, piers, where one can fish for salmon – or perch. Supposedly. Saw no one fishing.