| Those of you who read ‘Six Months in India’ may remember some of my trials and tribulations during the first half of my year away. And some of my fishing successes, moderate as they were. Lots of travelling here, plus a little fishing, I hope you enjoy…
Goodbye to India I boarded the 757 at Bangalore, bound for Bangkok, as one of only eighteen fare paying passengers. After the packed buses, trains and everything else in India, this was sheer bliss. I had three seats to lie down on after my very own cabin crew member re-filled my wine glass more times than I can remember. This is the life!
I’ll take away many fond memories of India. Not so much the fishing, which was logistically taxing, and of moderate quality, at best. It’s the diversity of the place that will stick in my mind. The diversity of the landscapes; from hot deserts to searing plains, to 20000 foot snow-covered peaks, to gorges with raging torrents running through them, to placid lower course rivers the width of which are measured in miles, not yards.
Most of all though; I’ll remember the people; their warmth, their kindness and their spirituality. One night in Bangkok Well five actually. The main travellers area, Khao San Road, where I stayed, is some way from the well known fishery in the city; Bungsaram Lan Lake. Too far actually, given all the distractions in the area. Id still have fished despite the countless bars, great street food and lots of other things I could mention.
But Caroline from Holland arrived on the scene. Best laid plans and all that… Pol Pot and his crazy regime The Kingdom of Cambodia is recovering very slowly from the atrocities carried out by the Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot. It seems inconceivable today that, less than 30 years ago, 25% of the population of this country were murdered under this regime.
Intellectuals, School Teachers, former Government Employees, Doctors, Lawyers and their families were all systematically killed. Those who wore glasses were considered intelligent, and also faced the executioners bullets and clubs.
The aim of this regime? To create a Communist utopia, dominated by peasant Farmers. Trading was banned, money became illegal and useless. In 1975 the year was re-set to zero in the Peoples Republic of Kampuchea, the new name given to this country. The scars are there for all to see today. Cambodia has the largest imbalance of Females to Males of any country in the world. Many live out there lives short of a limb or two, as a result of landmines, laid indiscriminately by the Khmer Rouge in 1979, in an effort to repel liberating Vietnamese forces.
As for fishing? Well there isn’t a lot to say. Cambodia, like many other Asian countries, suffers from overfishing in order to feed a growing population. Dynamiting of pools in rivers is common, and nets stretch as far as the eye can see, across waters of all descriptions. Wonderful Laos, but where are the fish? Following an unremarkable 3 weeks in Vietnam I crossed the border into Savanakhet Province, Laos.
Laos must surely be one of the least developed countries in the world. The Horse and Cart is still king here, at least in rural areas. Cars are rare, even in the cities. You can live like a king in Laos, for very little. It’s around a pound for a good meal; you can wash it down with the excellent ‘Beerlao’. At 40 pence for a large bottle you can afford to drink plenty. I did.
After a few days of drinking Beerlao and meeting fellow travelers in the sleepy capital, Vientiane, I jumped on a rickety bus and headed into the mountains to the north. A stunning village or backpacker ghetto? Vang Vieng is a village of huge contrasts. Outside the village centre is there is some of the most stunning scenery you could imagine. Sheer limestone karsts tower over traditional villages with houses of wood and thatch. Crystal-clear rivers speed their way down mountain slopes.
And the village itself? One road lined with bars catering for twenty-something backpackers. You can spend your days here lounging on cushions watching endless re-runs of ‘Friends’, while getting off your head on Beerlao, and other, more ‘special’ drinks. Everyone to their own, but it’s not for me!
So I kayaked down the Namsong River one day, and frightened myself half to death during my first attempt at rock climbing the next. Time to fish Imagine a Chalk Stream, full of glides, rapids, pools, wildlife, with sheer 1000 cliffs all around, that’s the Namsong River. As a keen fly angler, this was heaven! 3 days of fishing gave me just one small fish though, which took a Black and Peacock Spider. It looked like a Rudd, very pretty, but at only a few ounces; it was hardly a prize for the camera.
Laos suffers from over fishing, in common with many other countries in the region. Nets spears and the deadly dynamite reduce angling possibilities to, well, close to zero. Sometimes though, catching fish really isn’t that important. A long journey south I made my way to Malaysia, traveling the full length of Thailand in the process. Chaing Mai distracted me for a few days. Who wouldn’t be distracted? What, with 6.2% Chang Beer in every bar, and the tastiest girls I’ve ever seen (even without the beer). Best leave it at that.
Following a few forgettable days on the party island of Ko Panghan, I entered the north of Malaysia on the overnight train. Malaysia, any fish here I wonder? Penang, a small island off the North West coast of Malaysia, is a rich mix of cultures. Malays dominate in terms of numbers. But, as in the rest of Malaysia, and much of South East Asia in general, Chinese run many of the successful businesses. Indians account for around 20% of the population. And then there are British influences, from the many years that Malaysia was part of the empire.
Malaysia is a Muslim country, the first I’ve visited. No worries there though, as it’s a very liberal, tolerant country, provided that you follow a small number of basic rules. As in all countries throughout the world, the vast majority of people just want to have a nice life. I’m sure there are extremists in Malaysia, who have been brainwashed into dedicating their lives to destroy other’s, in the name of religion. I didn’t meet any. In any case, this tiny minority are as likely to be living in the U.K., or elsewhere in the world, as in Malaysia, wouldn’t you say? Anyway, back to Penang. I joined ‘Malaysia Fishing Net’ and established some local contacts. Unfortunately, I’d left it too late to arrange any fishing in the local area. Maybe I should plan ahead more? There again, much of life at home was about thinking and planning ahead. Sometimes it’s quite liberating to just go with the moment, go with your feelings at the time. Right, enough philosophical stuff for now, this is a fishing website, right? Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia I’d arranged to meet Jeffery via the Malaysia Fishing Net. Sealion Paypond was the first venue I fished. Sealion is in Jeffery’s home town of Port Klang, an hour or so from Kuala Lumpur. I used the excellent train service to reach Port Klang. The trains are clean, tidy, efficient, timely, properly air conditioned and inexpensive. Perhaps British Rail could take note? Or whatever they are called these days…
Now, anyone who knows me well will wonder why I’m spending time at a commercial fishery. This was the ‘full monte’ of commercial fisheries to boot. Large propellers to oxygenate the water, fish released every hour from cages in the middle of the pond. There are even ‘fishmongers’ present, skilled anglers who make a living out of catching fish from the ponds, and selling them on for profit to dealers who wait outside the fishery . Ticket prices are relatively high (£ 1.70 an hour), but you can take what you catch, with no limits. Anyway, it was fun fishing. The Snappers, Mangrove Jacks and Barramundi gave a good account of themselves on light tackle. The killing method was to cast towards the cages with a live Prawn, then inch it along the bottom. Takes were solid, but I missed a few. One take resulted in a dead Prawn with its head bitten clean off! Maybe I should have listened to local advice and hooked the Prawn in the head rather than the tail? After all, they have nice eyes, do Prawns.
I spent a couple of fun days at Sealion. Nothing serious, although I entered a match the second day. All heads turned my way when I hooked a large Barramundi half an hour before the end of the match. Unfortunately my 5lb line wasn’t up to the job, and I was snapped. The largest fish prize was a large hamper so on reflection, winning perhaps wouldn’t have been the best thing, for a traveller with just a rucksack on his back. I met Michael Lee at Sealion. He asked me if I would be interested in trying a local freshwater fishery. The fish are big; you can catch on bait, lures and fly. Ermm is the Pope a Catholic? does the sun rise in the morning? Tow Foo fishery Michael picked me from my hotel early the next morning. We stopped for a hearty breakfast en route; the local Chinese speciality; noodles, vegetables and Pig fat.
I started fishing in the predator pond. Its lures only here, and very tough fishing. The pond is heavily stocked with Snakehead, but they are very wary of lures. Apparently the trick is to show them something completely new, as they very rarely fall twice to the same lure. Two hours of casting every lure in my bag resulted in a complete blank. The 90 degree heat was getting to me, so I retired to the ‘clubhouse’ for a cold beer. I met Amin in the clubhouse; he gave me some more ideas… Pacu The Pacu (‘Pachu’) is a strain of Piranha, imported from the Amazon Basin in Brazil, which has become established in fisheries throughout Malaysia. An average fish weighs 12lb. I had visions of impaling a dead Monkey on my hook for bait. No, Amin said, floating crust is a killing bait.
I launched a full slice of bread, folded twice around a 2/0 Owner hook, towards the island, where Amin told me the Pacu like to hang out. Within 5 minutes all hell broke loose. There was no warning before the heavy splash, and within a split-second my rod was heading towards the water. I managed to grab it just in time, as yard after yard of 12lb Sensor disappeared off my reel. This fish was a brutal fighter, and cunning with it. I was lucky to still be in touch after it ploughed into the vegetation that surrounds the island. Then the line went slack, the fish was at my feet, seemingly attempting to burrow further into the undercut bank. Its final act (in terms of the fight, I returned the fish), was to jump clear of the water, just as Michael was about to net it for me. Sensational stuff, I’m not ashamed to admit I was shaking slightly afterwards. It went 14lb on the scales. You keep your fingers clear of their mouths when you unhook them. Unless you’re a masochist, that is. Three more Pacu broke my line within an hour of this fish. I hooked each one within feet of the island. I still don’t understand how 10 yards of line disappeared off my reel each time. Maybe the island is hollow? A change of species
The next fish came in much more easily. Until it saw the net that is, when a 30 yard run resulted, followed by several shorter ones. Eventually Michael squeezed a 15lb Patin into the net. This was the first Catfish I’d ever caught. It looked like a Mekong Catfish, but it could be a different strain, I’m not sure. I’m a fly man Now all this bait fishing is fine, but those who know me know my passion is to catch on the fly. Pacu, Amin told me, take Nymphs and ‘Bread Flies’ I arrived at the fishery early the next day, having arranged to do some fly fishing with Amin later that afternoon. I spent 3 hours working various Nymphs, Wet Flies and Lures, for just one take. A large Pacu nailed my silver bodied Corixa. I was only aware of the take when a heavy fish jumped clear of the water some 15 yards out, followed, a split-second later, by my rod being bent double. The fish smashed my 12lb leader, and left me short of breath. Afternoon- Bread Flies The Bread Fly is a simple affair. A long shanked hook keeps the leader clear of the murderous jaws of the quarry. You tie a strip of white fur to the shank of the hook, along with a chunk of white foam. The trick is to use just enough foam to achieve a slow-sinking presentation. So how do you fish this? Well, purists should look away now. You simply launch a good number of bread slices into the water. When the Pacu arrive, you cast beyond the bread and start an ultra-slow figure of eight retrieve. The theory is that the Pacu confidently take anything that resembles bread. In their eyes, anything white that’s falling through the water is there as a result of a previous slashing attack on a full slice lying on the surface. Blimey, I’m beginning to think like a fish, is there any hope for me?
Seriously though, it’s not easy fishing. Most of the Pacu are more than 20 yards out, about the limit of my casting range. Amin and Shahrill, his friend, were regularly putting out a full line, whereas I was struggling with a cross-wind, and the vegetation behind me. I had one tentative take that afternoon, plus a full-blooded assault that bent my 6 weight rod hopelessly, before the fish ran around the island, and spat the fly out. Shahrill had a 12lb Rohu, which brought back fond memories of India for me. He also had a 14lb Catfish. A Catfish on the fly, is there any limit to the fishing potential in Malaysia? Farewell Malaysia, very soon My final session at Tow Foo was a 2 day affair. The plan was to fish in the afternoon-evening, have a few beers, watch City on the box (yes, they have satellite television at the fishery!). Grab a few hours sleep, and then fish in the morning before catching a train to Kuala Lumpur, followed by a flight to Indonesia.
For once, it all worked out perfectly. Four hours fishing on the first day resulted in three takes. One was just a quick pluck; another smashed my upgraded 20lb leader. The last one stuck though. This 12lb Pacu is my biggest fish on the fly, by about nine pounds. I didn’t really need to catch anything else on this trip, after this fish. Later I was visited by a friendly (I think) four foot long Monitor Lizard.
City won as well. Well that’s about it for this trip, in terms of fishing. I’ve still to visit Indonesia and the Philippines, but fishing opportunities appear to be limited in these countries. Conclusions Fishing is rarely easy in Asia. I’ve already talked about the netting and dynamiting that denudes many waters of their stocks. The population growth in many of these countries suggests that this situation is likely to get worse. And then there is the matter of logistics. It’s rare that you can arrive in a town or city, ask around, and hop on a bus to a local water. The distances involved, the remoteness of many of the waters, language difficulties, constant searing heat, I could go on. It’s not all doom and gloom though. As these countries develop, more people have the time and money for leisure activities, including fishing. In Malaysia in particular, the growing middle classes are turning to fishing in their droves. Catch and release is becoming the norm. In time, anglers will have a powerful voice to lobby for further conservation measures. The future, in Malaysia at least, looks bright. And finally I’d like to say a big thank you to the anglers I met in Malaysia. I’ve only named a fraction of the people who helped me. Without exception, every angler I met was warm, friendly, and helpful. I’ve been picked up from my hotel, dropped off, had my beers, food and fishing permits bought for me. None of my successes would have been possible without you. My heart goes out to the anglers of Malaysia, I’ll be back!
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