Fishing in China

My Beijing home is a concrete jungle, it resembles Stratford East on steroids. Within its confines there can be found small green oasis of public parks that do contain fishing waters. These are often artificial stock ponds where you turn up hire rod, bait then enjoy a cold beer with friends while landing carp averaging two kilos. Kids love learning to fish here because there's virtually no challenge to bagging up. Fishing in China is good fun.

Grass carp are the most favored catch, in nearly every Beijing restaurant, you can order one off the menu. It has less bones than other carp species, that makes it easier to consume especially when washed down with Chinese whiskey called Baijou. There is often a restaurant sited by the fishing pond, they are very happy to cook your catch on your behalf, carp have been eaten by Chinese over millennia.

Beijing's canals offer more natural fishing settings. In 2006 many channels were dredged: decimated fish food sources like algae and crustaceans are starting to thrive again, the fishing will improve steadily over time.

The canals around Sanlitun embassy district to the east of the second ring road were given a spruce up immediately before the 2008 Olympics, the water is oxygenated using pumps and many fishermen are attracted to its banks. Fishing the canal using a light pole and bait paste local anglers prefer to catch mostly small, golden fish called Crucian carp.

Further afield, the scenic, forested countryside surrounding the city of Changchun located in northeast China (famous for its very, very cold winters)  presents some good fishing opportunities during the summer months. 

Click here to view some of my photos from time spent fishing in China 

http://s491.photobucket.com/albums/rr273/pembroke007/

If you are attracted by the idea of a fantastic fishing holiday experience in China visit:

http://www.thechinatravelcompany.com/

If you need to find a cold beer and a pizza I can highly recommend The Tree Bar situated in Sanlitun embassy district, Beijing

http://nearbythetree.com/map/