Esquire: Call that a fish?
Exercise your Ernest Hemingway spirit by going mano a mano with a blue marlin. Tag-and-release is now commonplace, so there's no need for bloodsport either. Baja California and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico offer picturesque alternatives to the Barrier Reef and the West Indies. Marlin magazine (www.marlinmag.com) recommends Cabo Magic Sportfishing as the best charter operator in the area (marlin season is July-December), with crews hired for skill over their ability to speak English.

Enquiries: Cabo Magic 1-888-475-5337
www.cabomagic.com
charter cost from $800 to $1800, all inclusive