The super-scary, walks-on-land, razor-toothed snakehead fish--that's so frightening that even a dead one threw Lincolnshire, England into a panic in February--has once again washed up on American shores. And it's coming to get you, bedroom communities of Upstate New York!
In Wawayanda, just south of Catskill Park, officials have ordered that any snakeheads must be shot or otherwise killed on sight to keep them from infesting the Hudson downstream. (Once the ferocious fish invade an ecosystem, it's next to impossible to clear 'em out.) The state Department of Environmental Conservation is using designer pesticides to poison the baddies in local waters while residents are poaching them with .22s from golf carts. Seriously.
While the killing may seem like swatting flies with a cruise missile, you don't mess around with these terrors. To wit:
Gale A. Norton, United States secretary of the interior when snakeheads were discovered in Maryland in 2002, called them "something from a bad horror movie" before ordering a federal ban. Since then the fish have spawned not one but two bad horror movies, "Snakehead Terror" and "Frankenfish."
Related Stories:
· A Potion to Beat Back "Frankenfish" [NYT]
· Snakehead Fish Caught In Lincolnshire [Jaunted]]]>
It's good to know that despite her "High School Musical" fame, Ashley Tisdale is still happy to go on family outings. She must've been glad to be there this weekend when father Mike Tisdale caught a 480-pound marlin off the coast of Maui last week.
Tisdale wasn't on the boat with her dad when he caught the fish, but she posed for a picture for the Lahaina News with the big catch. After the jump, the incriminating family photo that shows what Papa Tisdale caught off KuiKui Point. ]]>
With all the shark attacks we've already heard about this year, it's only natural that some of us will start asking, "But how can I catch a shark?"
It's easier than you might think. You don't even have to head to Florida or Mexico. Deep sea shark fishing is available in on the Eastern tip of Long Island.]]>
Dedicated fishermen would surely say that nothing tastes better than food that you've caught yourself. Obviously the Japanese know that and that's why the Zauo: The Fishing Boat Café chain exists.
Like so many things in Japan, Zauo is unique, a little zany and something we just can't wait to do. These are large restaurants with a boat in the middle of a lot of water, and you can either order your food straight away (boring!) or order a fishing rod and catch your own.
Obviously there's a huge seafood bias to the Zauo menu, and it all sounds delicious. If you're on a budget, then definitely opt to catch your own. For example, the lobster usually costs ¥3,600 ($35), but you only have to pay ¥2,600 ($25) if you pull it out of the water yourself. Oh, and if you fail to catch anything, it doesn't really matter. They won't let you leave hungry.
Related Stories:
· Catching Our Own Dinner [The Loulogue]
· Zauo The Fishing Boat Café [Official Site]
· Japan Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ampontour]]]>
We told you Oman would go mainstream, but we didn't know it would go right-wing. As part of a 10-day tour in the Middle East, Vice President Dick Cheney took some time in the gulf state to rant about Iran and the nuclear threat--and then borrowed the sultan's 60-foot yacht to go fishing.
A fishing trip with the VP sounds a bit safer than, say, going on a hunt--just mind all those hooks. Cheney's wife and daughter, who accompanied him on the outing, came back without suffering any impalements. Sultan Qaboos bin Said, however, apparently thought better of it and didn't go.
Too bad Cheney didn't have time to do any shark fishing before heading back to the States!
Related Stories:
· VP talks about nukes in Oman [WaPo]
· Oman coverage [Jaunted]
· Mancations coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Mathias M]]]>
So you were smart enough not to spend all your money on jewelry this Valentine's Day. And after all that romance, you've got an itch to angle in some of South America's most secluded spots on the ultimate mancation? Andrés Ergas is your man.
The Chilean millionaire's company, Nomads of the Seas, will helicopter you to prime fly-fishing spots throughout Patagonia, treat you to gourmet picnics and keep your glass full as you unwind on a 150-foot boat.
Ergas' ship is the Atmosphere, which in addition to holding a crew of 32 that caters to just 28 passengers, also accommodates a Bell 407 helicopter and several custom Zodiac jet boats. To the dedicated angler the real hook is the chance to cast a line in virtually untouched spots--Nomads doesn't even issue maps to its guests and supposedly keeps the locations of fishing excursions tightly under wraps.
If fishing isn't your thing, wildlife packages are also available. You can try your hand at nature photography or scout out rare and endemic birds. Whichever options you choose, be prepared to pay pretty-penny for your week-long journey: packages start at about $12,000. Good thing you didn't get her those diamonds!
Related Stories:
· Adventure a la Carte [SMH]
· Nomads of the Seas [Official Site]
· Mancations coverage [Jaunted]]]>
As the weather grows colder, we start loosening our definition of "fun" outdoor activities. Today's pick: ice fishing in New York.
But be warned: As doomsday predictions of balmy Northern winters become a reality, lakes aren't freezing hard enough. Unless bone-chilling temperatures set in soon, the thick layer of ice needed to sustain ice fishing shacks and burly men may not form.
Things are so bad that organizers have already canceled the annual Crappie Derby in February, New York's largest ice fishing competition that usually happens on Whitney Point Lake, near Binghamton. (Funny, we'd call any event requiring us to sit on a frozen lake all day crappy, too.)
So far, it looks like the most reliable place to plan an ice fishing trip will be the northern heights of the Adirondack Mountains in what is really the upstate of Upstate New York. Lake Pleasant is shallow and at elevation, meaning it forms ice easily. And it's stockpiled with brown and rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, walleyes, pickerel, lake whitefish and yellow perch. Sushi on ice, anyone?
Related Stories:
· Ice Fishing Becomes Endangered [NY Times]
· Upstate NY Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Mancations coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: 416style]]]>