Adrenaline-fuelled fishing experience

Three fishing fanatics embark on the ultimate extreme fishing trip across the globe in this exciting and entertaining new series. Ex-Royal Marine Jay, marine biologist Blowfish and gadget-obsessed airline pilot Charlie to some of the most remote places on Earth.

Blowfish, a marine biologist, wildlife expert, scuba diver, a renowned author and star presenter of BBC Earth and ITV's ‘Fishing Impossible’, who knows almost everything there is to know about the world's fish species. He has always had a soft corner for animals, especially fish.

Since the age of 16, Blowfish has been involved in the field of science, which led him to develop a keener interest in fishing and thus gave him way more experience than anyone of his age. Great White Sharks terrified him and this fear drove him to start researching thoroughly on every aspect of wildlife. By the age of 12, Blowfish knew more about sharks than anybody else at that point.

“I give all the credit to one of the toughest people I know who instilled a great sense of determination in me to always work towards my goal. My father has supported me through every single adventure be it wildlife or fishing. He is my hero,” remarks Blowfish. Seldom, his work keeps him on the field for 12 – 14 hours, despite the atrocious environmental conditions.

Days are very long but that doesn’t stop Blowfish and his co-stars from staying happy and looking good on camera. They have put their heart into this show and do everything that it requires them to, without thinking twice or making any kind of excuse. For them, their TV show gives them the most happiness and brings a smile on their face when it does exceedingly well.

“I love tea. It keeps me alive. The first thing I do after I wake up in the morning is make myself a fresh hot cup of tea that keeps me going the entire day. Post that, I start researching on various things around the world be it constellations, fishing or ideas for writing my next novel.”

Blowfish’s dreams know no bounds. He does not take success to heart, instead, he thinks about the other novel things he can do and come up with. It is difficult for him to sit in one place and just concentrate on his work at hand. His mind keeps filling up with creative thoughts that he wants to put on paper. Full of ideas, Blowfish just needs time and a concrete structure to pen it down.

He has already started thinking about the next TV show he wants to be a part of and the spare time that he has he uses it in trying to incorporate the knowledge of fishing in all kinds of people.

Considering the fact that Blowfish has so much on his plate and yet wants to do so much more, on being asked what he would do if he had only $1, he said that he would immediately convert it into pounds. This answer clearly points out to the kind of thought process he has. Value for money, trying to make every small idea seem big and work on it and the go-getter attitude is what is embedded in Blowfish. This is what makes him the fearless, confident and ambitious person that he is.

‘Fishing Impossible’, which is among the top five shows by BBC, is as unique as it gets. Where other shows take months to capture one fish and then shoot the scene, the cast and crew of ‘Fishing Impossible’ do this in less than a week’s time! Not only do they catch fish but they also go to remote areas and explore the wildlife and have fun while getting their work done.

Blowfish believes that his most thrilling experience was The Manta Rays of Komodo. When he surfaced he could barely speak and was nearly in tears. He prefers marine water over anything else mainly because he is a marine biologist, but also because whatever you catch is a surprise to the eyes. Unpredictable is what he thinks would be apt for such kind of fishing.

“A big easy fish isn’t worth as much as a small hard fish. I reckon the ultimate catch is bagging that fish in the last moments of the last day. Grabbing one at the 11th hour is our speciality,” says Blowfish.

He concludes that if a fish grows big and lives long it’s a bad fish to eat (Tuna, Shark, Cod). If it stays small and lives fast, it’s a damn good choice (Anchovy, Pilchards, and Mackerel). But that is the BROADSTROKE answer! It’s very difficult to be so precise on. Quite a few fish species are in trouble now and it isn’t not looking good for any of them.

What’s the most extreme fishing expedition you’ve been on? “Nepal was pretty intense. As was Mozambique! Anything in Africa or Asia is always hard because it is so remote and the conditions are damn tough,” Blowfish signs off.

By: Ishita Lamba