Travel hits and misses: Nicky Sinden

HIT

Fishing with legendary broadbill swordfish fisherman Captain Nick Stanczyk in Florida with my husband Matt, as part of our honeymoon. Matt had never caught a marlin before — despite plenty of trying — so we pinned our hopes on a swordfish instead. We ended up catching one each! After tagging and releasing two healthy swordfish, it was so hot that I jumped off the boat on the fishing spot, which is in about 600m of water. Within seconds an oceanic white tip shark was coming for me — I've never moved so fast in my life. Some might call that a miss, but catching two swordfish and avoiding being eaten by a shark was definitely a hit for me.

MISS

For the first part of our honeymoon, Matt and I visited Kona, Hawaii. We booked a charter with Grander Marlin Charters, which had been having a superb season catching blue marlin left, right and centre. It seemed like a sure thing and I had such a good feeling about it. I said my fishing prayer, and even my friends back home were visualising a double hook-up of blue marlin for Matt and I. But true to form, Matt's "Jonah curse" kicked in and we didn't get a bite all day. The next day the same charter boat went out and caught two marlin from four bites. So that was definitely a miss.

Nicky Sinden hosts ADOS Addicted To Fishing, Prime, Saturdays at 5pm.