One in 10 people fish for fun across the planet: the pursuit of patience in an age of instant gratification with Hong Kong fishing’s ‘lucky charm’ Mike Sharp

There are about 220 million recreational anglers across the globe, and in Hong Kong, the man to know is Mike Sharp

The 58-year-old talks about the patient pursuit of pleasure, and his second fishing book, on how to fish Thailand on a budget without a guide

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Portrait of Mike Sharp, who just wrote another book on fishing. Photo: David Wong

Published: 4:24pm, 3 Oct 2019Updated: 11:00pm, 5 Oct 2019

In today’s age of constant social media updates, instant gratification and endless waves of digital information being thrown at us, asking someone to sit around all day with a rod in hand might sound like death wish for some.

For others, it is the reprieve from a world lacking patience and boxed into cubicles, trains, cars and tiny rooms with views of other tiny rooms.

“I live in a 700 square foot flat in Hong Kong, so I like the space,” said 58-year-old avid angler Mike Sharp. “I like being out in the countryside, outdoors doing a pursuit.”

Turns out Hong Kong is ripe with fishing spots outside the usual suspects. While most see fisherman down at the harbourfront angling for a meal or trying to snag a Japanese sea bass, which can hit upwards of 50 pounds when they venture into the area following zooplankton, small fish and shrimp who are captivated by Hong Kong’s lights, there is another crowd out in the hinterlands.

Mike Sharp with a Siamese Carp. Photo: Handout

Sharp, along with fishing buddy John Peters, is the author of Fishing in Hong Kong: A How-To Guide to Making the Most of the Territory's Shores, Reservoirs and Surrounding Waters, which came out in 2016 through Blacksmith Books. The pages chronicle all the areas you can catch carp, do some pier fishing or troll for specific species.