I recently had the opportunity to go squid fishing with UG Hall IV. For me, this was a strange and unexpectedly fun excursion. Being an exchange student in Hong Kong, I was offered so many unique opportunities to explore this vibrant city. I have gone fishing before, but never in the ocean and never at night. I was so excited to see what squid fishing had to offer.

The boat pulled right up to the university’s dock and about 35 of us piled on. As we trolled out into the bay near Sai Kung, we had a nice selection of food and drinks to pass the time. Once we had dropped anchor, we were provided with the fishing hooks and was taught how to properly fish squid.

After the briefing, I stood on the edge of the boat with a hook and stared at the water with a blank expression on my face while everyone else seemed to know exactly what they were doing. So I did what anyone else would do. I pretended like I knew exactly what I was doing and threw my line. Boom! On my second cast and bobbing it up and down I got my first squid! Some might call it beginner's luck, but I knew I was on to something. In less than five minutes I caught two more squids. I have become a seasoned squid fisherman and you too can become a masterful squid fisherman.

Rule No.1 of Squid Fishing
- Smile more! Squid are attracted to happy people.
Rule No.2
- Talk to those around you. The squid will feel more welcomed and approach you.
Rule No.3
- Make sure you have a full stomach. They can sense it if you are a hungry predator.

Ok so if that doesn't work then nothing will. But for real, from my experience squid fishing is about 90% luck and 10% being in the right place at the right time. I ended up catching five squids and that wasn't even the most, someone else caught eight!

In the end it isn't about numbers. It’s about fun! And being on a boat participating in an enjoyable activity and meeting new friends is what these excursions are all about.