# Any good tackle stores in Hong Kong?



## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

I'm off to Hong Kong next month for a holiday with the family and was wondering if there are any good tackle stores there - or am I better off getting stuff locally / over the Internet??
Any tips / info welcome folks


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## bigbulki (Aug 17, 2008)

I could not find anything good and prices were not that good either.
I know a place to get great roast goose and bbq pork though.


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

I lived and worked in Hong Kong!

About the best I know of is Triton Fishing Equipment Co. with 6 stores across Hong Kong. 
Sha Tin, New Territories
Tseung Kwan O, New Territories
Wan Chai, hong Kong Island
To Kwa Wan, Kowloon
Jordan, Kowloon
Kwai Fong, New Territories

They sell quality gear at reasonable prices, although much of it is Japanese models unavailable in Aust. Each store will have at least one employee who is fluent in English, and you'll find prices in Hong Kong are slightly better than Japanese prices, although you will not find great bargains on fishing tackle.

Let me know where you are staying, and I'll supply address and ph of your nearest store.

Hong Kong is a fantastic place, although it's very much "in your face" so be prepared for the crowds and chaos. Do not stand back being polite, or you will be pushed aside and ignored, so barge in for service just like everyone else does. Prices in stores are fixed, but barter at stalls and markets 
(about 1/2 asking price is reasonable). Food, clothing and transport is cheap, but accomodation is expensive. It is safe for travellers and food, drinks are safe, so get out of your comfort zone and try all the strange foodstuffs at the little noodle stalls. Yoiu will be surprised how good some if it is if you disregard exactly what it is you are eating (fungus, clots of pigs blood, chicken hearts, insects, etc).

Unfortunately, without inside info and help from locals with boats or fish farms, fishing is very very ordinary, and waters are quite polluted, so don't expect too much. The fresh seafood on offer is excellent though, and all kept live so you cant get fresher!

If you need any help or advice, don't be afraid to ask! ;-)


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

Ranger said:


> Let me know where you are staying, and I'll supply address and ph of your nearest store.


Err the missus is still trying to organise accommodation Ranger  We have air travel organised but are still trying to find suitable accommodation. Got any tips on that front :? 
I don't think we will be too adventurous with the local "delicacies" (spelling) but :lol:


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Use your travel agent to organise accomodation packages, and don't worry about which hotel you get, as they are all excellent! Hong Kong is not a run down backwater asian hovel, it is modern and up to date with good 4 and 5 star hotels everywhere. Beware though, accomodation is not cheap.

Try for Tsim sha Tsui (Kowloon side) to put you in the thick of things. That is on the mainland side of Hong Kong Harbour, with a view of Hong Kong Island.
Causeway Bay across the Harbour on Hong Kong island itself is also another popular tourist area with a multitude of good hotels and harbour views.

You wont go wrong in either of these areas.

MTR (mass transit railway) will be the preferable method of transport, with a train every two minutes and stations everywhere.

Everything will be signed in english and chinese, so you wont have too many difficulties.

Get the address of your hotel written on a business card in Chinese characters for you, so that any taxi can get you home (taxi drivers do not speak english well).

As soon as you arrive, go to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and get yourself a free map of the place. You will need it, and they can give you plenty of ideas for things to see and do as a tourist. http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/


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## Dan23 (Jan 7, 2008)

I second what Ranger said, the prices generally are far cheaper than Australia plus there's a whole bunch of stuff there that we don't get in Australian shops.

There's not much in the way of high end reels other than Certates and Stellas the reel ranges are usually mid spec of specifically designed for eging or ISO fishing. Same with the rods, it is a great place to pick up an eging rod for cheap.

You can pick up some insanely cheap yo zuri cranks for around 3-4 bucks each and megabass lures are around $20.

Have a look for a shop called Seven Islands, you might struggle to find it as it is down a back street and in a dodgy looking building but they have some nice stuff in there.

Like I said though, about 70% of the stock in HK stores is for eging or ISO style.


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

Thanks for the info Dan, but "please explain" the eging and ISO terms :?


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Dan23 said:


> it is down a back street and in a dodgy looking building


Let me try to put this into some perspective for you!

Hong Kong is quite different to Australia, where we go for a professional looking shopfront and asthetics with flash names and modern fittings.

This type of thing means nothing to the more practical Chinese mind.

They feel that an expensive sign or window display, or even a clean and tidy entrance are unneccesary if you offer a quality product or professional service.

Keep this in mind when dealing with Chinese! What to us might look on the surface to be unprofessional or shonky, can actually hide quality and craftmanship.


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## Dan23 (Jan 7, 2008)

Ranger said:


> Dan23 said:
> 
> 
> > it is down a back street and in a dodgy looking building
> ...


WTF are you talking about? I recommended the store to the guy because it offers some good products. I merely described the reasons why it would be hard to find.


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## Dan23 (Jan 7, 2008)

Cuda said:


> Thanks for the info Dan, but "please explain" the eging and ISO terms :?


Eging is a Japanese developed system of squid jigging. Specially designed rods with technique specific actions and guide configurations. 2500 sized reels with finesse drags and often double handles with big knobs.

ISO is Japanese rock fishing gear. Long rods which are often telescopic, generally they use floats with bait, lots of burley. Not a whole lot different to the way people catch luderick in Australia. There's all different types though that's just a common example. They also sometimes use specially designed reels with a lever system to control the drag.


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## Nativeman (Sep 6, 2005)

Dan23 said:


> WTF are you talking about? I recommended the store to the guy because it offers some good products. I merely described the reasons why it would be hard to find.


Bit of an over reaction there Dan, I think Ranger is supporting what you have said. He is virtually saying that shops over there won't be flash or have expensive shop fronts like we do in Australia or in the USA. More likely down a side alley like you said. ;-)

Cheers


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## Dan23 (Jan 7, 2008)

If I'm wrong I apoligise but to be honest I think he was on his high horse and trying to lecture me. This is based upon the following comments.

"Let me try to put this into some perspective for you!" - Note the exclamation mark.

"Keep this in mind when dealing with Chinese!" - Note the exclamation mark.


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Dan23 said:


> WTF are you talking about? I recommended the store to the guy because it offers some good products. I merely described the reasons why it would be hard to find.


I'll try to explain WTF I'm talking about Dan if you care to listen!

As you described, a shop in Hong Kong might be down a back alley! It might look run down! To us it might even look very shonky! We might be reluctant to even enter or shop there!

In fact, it may well be little more than a small street level doorway in a tall building, with a flight of dirty stairs leading up a floor or two! The sort of place where you would expect to get mugged or find drug dealers awaiting!

This does NOT mean that we are correct in our assumptions though! It's just that we think differently to the Chinese, and the asthetics which are important to us here in the western world, are completely unimportant to them over there in the east!

You can find the BEST craftsmen, the BEST products and the MOST experienced tradesmen, working out of little dirty back alley holes!

This place is totally different to Australia and Australian values, and the Chinese have a different set of priorities to what we are accustomed to here!

Geez, how about trying to settle and read what I've actually had to say! I did say that I've lived and worked there. I even married a Chinese!

In fact, forget I even tried to help! Coz I have to say, I'm starting to get pretty sick of being misinterpreted and jumped on. Since I arrived here I've read how kayak fishermen are laid back and friendly, with supposed comeraderie greater than all other groups of fishermen! That's not what I'm finding! :twisted:


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## Dan23 (Jan 7, 2008)

Where above did I say anything about making assumptions about stores based one the shop front? I recommended the store but said it was hard to find because it was in a dodgy building. I didn't in any way say that the shop itself was dodgy. I didn't say I was, or anyone should be reluctant to go in there.

"You can find the BEST craftsmen, the BEST products and the MOST experienced tradesmen, working out of little dirty back alley holes! "

Please quote where I say anything to the contrary.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to argue???

I don't care if you have lived in Hong Kong or married a Chinese person I never said anything against them and I am quite fond of the Chinese myself. I spent a month just in Hong Kong this year.

I can't be bothered posting in this thread anymore, I've given some information that'll do.


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Forget it, I'm done too!


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Gimme one more minute fellah!

Cuda, I'm off. I believe your accomodation should be somewhere close to the harbour, so the best I can do for you are:

Kowloon side:
To Kwa Wan Shop:
Shop D on G/F & 1/F
Fok On Court
100-108 Ma Tau Chung Rd
Kowloon
(852) 2714 6262

Jordan Shop:
G/F & 1/F
13-15 Pak Hoi St
Kowloon
(852) 2615 2628

Hong Kong Island side:
Wan Chai shop (this is where I shopped)
1/F & 2/F
Pinnacle Building
9 Ship St
Wan Chai
(852) 2866 8551

Good luck with your travels! If I can be any help to you, contact me directly on my work number (0412 393 522) as I will not be posting further here!


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

Thanks for the tips / locations fellas. I will definitely suss them out while I am in HK


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## mad4fishing (Aug 9, 2009)

Hey all

I am going to HK in December and this thread has helped me tons. 
Ranger, do you know if you can hire tackle anywhere in Hong Kong?

I will be fishing mainly Cheung Sha beach (do you know it Ranger? Its on LanTau Island). Any advice?

Thx in advance
M4F


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

To the best of my knowledge there is nowhere in Hong Kong where you can hire fishing gear, although you CAN hire a windsurfer on Lantau.

I'm not overly familiar with Cheung Sha. All I know is that it's a popular beach at the southern end of Lantau. A little research soon turned this up though:


> Cheung Sha Beach is a gift of nature for its beautiful white sand stretching 3.2 kilometres. It is considered one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches in the territory.














> There are two beaches here, Upper and Lower. Both have lifeguards and showers. Upper is Hong Kong's longest: 3km of powdery sand. Lower Beach on the other hand has more facilities, including two pleasant beachside restaurants and a small village.





> While Hong Kong has a number of beaches, Cheung Sha Beach on the southern shore of Lantau Island is Hong Kong's best-kept secret.
> 
> At 3 km in length, Cheung Sha is Hong Kong's longest beach and it's surprisingly quiet.
> 
> ...


I find it hard to believe that ANYWHERE in HK can be "surprisingly quiet" though! :?

Water quality and pollution is a big issue in Hong Kong, and some beaches are closed to swimming due to this. Public beaches in Hong Kong are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and tested weekly for water quality, then being graded from 1 to 4, and this is dependant on the levels of E. coli bacetria found (an indicator organism of faecal contamination).

Use the Fast Flight ferry from Central to get there (bout 1/2 hour), but you'll have to bus it or taxi out to the beach.

While you are on Lantau, make sure you check out the Po Lin Bhuddist Monastery and try the food! Bhuddists are vegetarian, but they have a way of immitating meat using tofu, and they are that good at it that you wouldn't even realise the difference in looks, texture and taste. Also check out the Tai O fishing village.

December is cold in Hong Kong (winter) so be prepared.

These websites may be helpful to you:
http://www.hkoutdoors.com/lantau-island ... antau.html
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/mis ... sa.y=8#960
http://www.liveworkexplore.com/hong-kon ... -sha-beach
http://www.timeout.com.hk/around-town/f ... beach.html

As for fishing Hong Kong don't expect too much. The waters are polluted and overfished! Without sounding racist, it's why we can have problems with educating the asians in our fishing practices here. There are no size or bag limits over there, and they are used to taking 10cm fish (the norm for rec fishermen over there) and considering it a good catch.

Local knowledge is the key, just like anywhere else in the world, so ask for advice at the Tacklestore I recommended.

If you wish to fish freshwater reservoirs you will need a fishing license from the Water Supply Department, about $5 AUD per annum:
https://www.esd.wsd.gov.hk/esd/cne/fish ... B6E3CBF8CA

For saltwater fishing here is an excellent and informative site (I notice tacketour also recommend Triton Fishing Equipment Co as the place to shop):
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewHK.html

If I can help with anything to do with HK, you know how to contact me, and we do have some local contacts/friends in the area!


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## mad4fishing (Aug 9, 2009)

Thx for that info.

I have also uncovered that Cheung Sha beach is famous for its illegal nude bathists :? .

Anyway, if i can't hire gear, what is a good cheap rod and reel i can buy which i can leave at my uncles? (He lives on the waterfront).

I wasn't planning to eat anything i catch and i am also hesitant to swim in those waters.

My uncle has already bought a fishing licence as you can only get them in august.

Thx again
M4F


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

mad4fishing said:


> Anyway, if i can't hire gear, what is a good cheap rod and reel i can buy which i can leave at my uncles? (He lives on the waterfront).


I have no idea whatsoever, but I'm sure you'll find something suitable! Japanese tackle is the norm in HK, so you'll see many brands you already know (Daiwa, Shimano, Gamakatsu, etc)

As for the illegal nude bathists, if you've seen one illegal nude Chinese you've seen them all! Just beware of laws against illegal nude bathist watching! :lol: :lol: :lol:

As an alternative, many of the rec fishermen in Hong Kong own floating fish farms accessed by a tender (although a license scheme has now put a cap on fish-farm numbers). These fishfarms are like a floating raft with a little shed on it, surrounded by a net. The fishermen stock and grow their own fish within the net, but feeding their "pet" fish also attracts wild fish to the area which can then be caught fishing outside the farm net.


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