They say that a bad day fishing beats a good day working. Presumably, these are the same guys who make fishing a second career -- or even an alternate religion. They could probably land a trophy mount out of a mud puddle. Regardless of skill, however, you owe it to yourself to take a fishing vacation. Forget antiquing in quaint villages or reining in your full-throttle brats while they terrorize a theme park; instead, take a manly vacation alone or with the guys. Here are some choice locations across the globe to get you going.

Number 10
Hayward, Wisconsin
It takes a hardy soul to endure ice fishing in northwestern Wisconsin, so dress warmly and tuck a flask in your parka. Not only does ice fishing in Hayward mean a great chance to catch crappie, panfish, perch, and walleye, but it also introduces you to a neat little subculture. When the conditions are right, virtual villages spring up on the frozen lakes, complete with neighborhoods of ice shanties and ATVs. If you prefer, you can visit the area’s lakes in warmer weather for some of the best muskie fishing in the world.

Number 9
Limon and Puntarenas, Costa Rica
The name means “rich coast” for a reason, but the good news is that you don’t have to be rich to go there. It’s true that the idea of deep-sea sportfishing brings to mind captains of industry on their own massive yachts, and plenty of them do just that. But average Joes and their average budgets are just as welcome. Another great thing about fishing in Costa Rica is that you have a wide range of choices. Off the eastern province of Limon on the Caribbean, you can land jack crevalle, mackerel, tarpon, and tripletail. Then, head to the western coast of Puntarenas, where you’ll wrestle with roosterfish, tuna and wahoo. Both coasts are also great for dorado, marlin and snook.

Number 8
Sutherland, Scotland
You may not equate decent fishing with Scotland, but it’s among the UK’s best. In fact, plenty of brown trout and sea trout -- plus some salmon for good measure -- can be landed in the area’s many lochs. In the rare event that you don’t have a successful catch or are visiting on a Sunday when fishing’s not allowed, you’ll still be able to absorb the fantastic scenery of the lightly populated Scottish Highlands. The views do almost as much for the soul as does the fishing, and that’s saying something.

Number 7
Phuket, Thailand
If you hear someone say, “You’ll never believe what I caught in Thailand,” your first thought will probably be something like, “Why the hell didn’t you wear a condom?” For a country that caters to many vices, Thailand is also a great place to get your fishing fix. Off Phuket, game fishing is still gaining momentum, so you can be reasonably certain that you’ll get lucky without much competition. Barracuda, giant trevally, mackerel, mangrove jack, queenfish, and sea bass await. On the Mekong, you can angle for a number of good fights with barbs and comically oversized carp and catfish.

Number 6
Amazon River, Brazil
As you know, when it’s winter in the United States, summer heat is upon Brazil. What you may not have realized is that peacock bass fishing on the Amazon River is also at its apex. Aside from seeking a break from winter’s discontent, why would you travel thousands of miles in pursuit of a 20-pound fish? If you have to ask, you obviously haven’t tangled with a peacock bass. Like its name -- it’s not really in the bass family -- its fight is also deceiving. It’s one of the biggest battles you’ll ever face; it even goes beyond the aggressiveness of many saltwater species.

Number 5
Sicily, Italy
Contrary to popular belief, one of the greatest Sicilian pastimes is not sleeping with the fishes, but fishing itself. Some contend that it’s become too great a pastime or that demand is exceeding supply because the fish population has dwindled. Nonetheless, you have to try spearfishing. No, this doesn’t mean standing waist-deep in the water and waiting for the barracuda, dorado and tuna to inquisitively wander over; you have to dive in and pursue them. Perhaps this form of fishing could allow for a compromise between sportsmen and activists: If you can successfully spearfish, you earned the damned thing.

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