TEN MINUTES
The boss of Anglers’ World Holidays has his say…
Views of angling travel guru.
CORONA VIRUS CURTAILED overseas fishing trips for UK anglers and put a massive strain on those businesses delivering holidays to some of the world’s best saltwater fishing destinations. Martin Founds, who runs the popular Anglers’ World Holidays company, gives his verdict and offers advice to those looking to sample the best overseas fishing on offer.
Q How and when did you start specialising in angling holidays?
MF: A long time ago, 1978, and it feels like a lifetime ago. It was restricted to coarse fishing in Ireland then. The first serious sea fishing location was Norway. In recent years we have progressed to just featuring the Troms region in Northern Norway, which is the very best area that offers the most prolific big-fish action.
Q How different is it to organise a sea fishing holiday for a group of anglers, rather than a similar one fishing in freshwater?
MF: The components are the same in terms of securing good accommodation, ease of access and suitable transportation. The actual fishing part is similar, ensuring the location meets an angler’s needs. Knowing and understanding which locations offer the best fishing experience is critical. We always seek to ensure the quality of the fishing meets or exceeds a client’s expectations. Sea fishing has some important variables. Boat experience is essential for the self-use fishing option. Skippered fishing is limited to just a few of our centres and is obviously more expensive. Our long-haul bluewater fishing trips always include the most knowledgeable skippers.
Q How do you go about researching a new destination and, for example, establish the prime season at any of your destinations?
MF: The only way is to find honest local experts and test the product. We always test fish our destinations using angling experts, like yourself on the sea fishing operation. Some locations are more seasonal than others and that can also apply to species. We concentrate our bookings on the optimum times.
Q What advice would you offer anyone wanting to fish abroad for the first time?
MF: Travel with a few friends for cost effectiveness and also safety when it comes to taking a self-use boat out on the fjords of North Norway. It is illegal for single anglers to fish alone due to sensible safety reasons. We also form small groups on specialised itineraries to tested locations that are often escorted. That’s a great way to enjoy the best of a trip and pick up fishing tips first hand. We only work with top local guides/skippers.
I had a great friend, Bill Chisholm, and together we travelled the world fishing and enjoying life. Bill was one of the most successful all-round anglers I have known. A quiet, easy-going guy, who was an engineer, he lived for his fishing. Wherever we travelled he always seemed to catch the biggest fish. Some talk about it, he actually did it. I used to call him Lucky Bill. The real reason was quite simple, he used to listen to the local experts/guides, absorb the data and put it into practice. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago but I still adhere to that lesson.
Q Is it possible to successfully combine a family holiday with a fishing trip?
MF: Proceed with caution if the family are not into fishing. There has to be something of interest such as walks and scenic resorts. We do have couples travelling and the partners will enjoy the non-fishing options. There is far more scope and choice when everyone enjoys the fishing.
Q What advice would you give to clients concerned about the possibility of losing days at sea due to bad weather?
MF: Good weather can never be guaranteed anywhere in the world, but anglers can hedge their bets by being selective. We always provide honest information based on our own experiences and the facts as we know them. Always take the weather into account, which is why we suggest longer trips rather than short ones. Seven nights with six very full days of fishing in Norway is a sensible option. It’s hard to believe that in the north of Norway it never gets dark from late May to early August. Likewise in December it never gets light either.
Q Luggage allowances and fees for exceeding these are an issue when fishing overseas. What advice can you give to anyone travelling to, say, Norway, who is concerned about exceeding the standard 20kg one piece of luggage allowance?
MF: Everything is possible, as long as you realise weight equals cost. I rarely exceed my standard allowance and I don’t bother bringing frozen fish back. I practice catch and release or eat it at the resort. I have dispensed with my old two and three-piece rods and I now take travel rods that fit in my case in protective tubes. Big rod cases attract an excess charge and a length restriction of about six feet. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has a reasonable excess luggage amount.
Q What is the biggest advantage in booking a trip through an accredited travel company rather than trying to be independently?
MF: The price may be slightly cheaper but generally never more expensive. At Anglers’ World Holiday, we are ABTA bonded for financial protection and for quality of service. While abiding by the Covid health regulations, we still managed to serve our clients six days a week. When holidays were mandatorily cancelled, we gave cash refunds unless clients asked to re-book. We do not issue credit vouchers.
Q The travel industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. How long do you think it will be before we return to any form of normality for international travel?
MF: The way governments, particularly ours, are performing means it is anyone’s guess. They keep changing the goalposts due to policy failures. We all hope for things to return to as near normal as possible. Experts say this coronavirus is here for good, so we‘ll have to find ways to live with it.
Lockdowns suppress the virus but open up and it bounces back. Vaccines are promised as the silver bullet and we certainly hope so if they prove effective and safe. A virus always mutates over time and this one is no exception, yet the politicians and their advisers seem to feign surprise when this happens.
A number of treatments were discovered by some of the best minds in the medical world early last summer. For some reason some of these have been ignored by the Government and their advisors and very little has been mentioned in the mainstream media. Treatment is now! Vaccines have in the past been highly effective too in the long term. All options should be implemented here in the UK as they are in many countries around the globe.
Q Are there still areas/places of the world yet to be opened up for sport fishing in saltwater?
MF: There are still gems out there to discover. Once we get back to some form of normality we can consider investing in exploration. At the moment survival is the most important part of many industries, and the travel business is no exception.