Download my free article on "Bonefishing in the Maldives" published in the inaugural issue of Asia Pacific Fishing! If you are planning on fishing the Maldives for the elusive Bonefish, this article is a must read!
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Last week, a few friends of mine needed a quick fix and decided to take a short evening trip to Eduard’s pond in Sungei Buloh. The fishing this time was done with light spinning and baitcasting outfit instead of fly fishing. Here’s some pics of their catches… Enjoy!
24
Just a couple of weeks ago, I decided to get myself a waterproof camera for my water sports hobbies such as fishing, sailing and even swimming. I had narrowed it down to the Olympus Stylus 770SW or the 790SW when a windsurfing buddy of mine showed me his Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA65 which be bought recently. It is a handsome piece of machinery and since I had recently started blogging, I had become more interested in taking videos instead of just still pictures. Seeing some of the awesome windsurfing videos and pictures he took, I decided to give it a try. The Olympus probably takes alot better “still” pictures but its video capability is only limited to 15fps and will probably not look as smooth as the Sanyo’s 30fps capability. However, the Olympus does have one big edge. It’s waterproof to 10m and shockproof while the Sanyo is only waterproof to 1.5m. Well, I figured I’m probably will not take it to more than 1m underwater when fishing, so that’s still fine. The most important thing is that when it rains or when that big wave hits you, you can be sure the camera is OK!
The Sanyo CA65 has a 6Mp camera built-in and this is probably good enough for most fishing shots. It also as a built-in flash (unlike my Sony) and this will be a helpful addition underwater or in dimly lit conditions. The Xacti takes SD card, which helps make it that little bit more rugged (as compared to a hard disk video cam), especially with regards to shock and vibrations.
Having tried it in a couple of situations, I’ve been pretty happy with the results. I’ve yet to try it underwater though. In my previous post, the Peacock Bass pictures were taken with my Sanyo Xacti and so was the video of the Bird caught by the piece of Rope. You can see that the flash came in really useful in the Peacock Bass pictures as it was really getting dark. I’m not sure if the Xacti is going to be fast enough to capture shots of leaping barammundi or queenfish but I seriously doubt it. Most simple cameras have too long of a lag time to really capture good action shots even though the shutter speeds do go up to 1/2000 of a second. For those leaping fish shots, I will need my trusty Nikon D200!
What I find really useful with the Xacti VPC-CA65 is the small size. I could just slip it in my waist pouch and pull it out as and when I need it. In fact, since I got it, it’s been in my waist pouch a lot. You never know when you need it to capture a good shot or video. Another good point about the Xacti VPC-CA65 is the ability to take a still shot while it is recording a video. You won’t have to miss any good shots from now on! Oh and I love the pistol grip style of operation vs the standard video camera grip. The pistol grip is less taxing on the wrist, especially if you need to take shots from a lower angle.
Any drawbacks of the Xacti? Well, just a couple. Firstly, the 5x optical zoom is a little limited in range. In fact, I think the telephoto range is not bad. What’s lacking is the wideangle range. With my previous Sony, I could capture a much wider angle at the widest setting. It does have digital zoom but I always try to stay within the optical range to get the best quality videos.
Secondly, the zoom control is way too fast and only one speed is available. You move from wide to tele (and vice versa) too quickly. With my previous Sony (and I understand on most other video cams) you can control the zooming speed by the angle of the zoom control. Not with the Xacti, unfortunately. And the zoom control is quite small too for those with big thumbs.
Other good points about the Xacti? It’s got a really big loop at the handle and you can even hook it to a carabiner to make sure it does not drop into the sea or lake (even though it is waterproof, you don’t want to lose it in deep water… and yes, it does not float!). And it’s got a good little tripod socket too, useful if you are fishing alone and need to take that shot of the prize catch using the self timer.
Oh, talking about tripod socket, I got my Xacti with a Gorillapod! “Huh, what is a Gorillapod?”, you ask!
Well, it’s an awesome invention of a tripod you can use just about anywhere. For fishing purposes, you absolutely have to get one. It’s made of plastic, which means it will never rust out (even in salt water) and it will hold your camera just about anywhere. It’s available in various sizes and the largest can even hold a solid SLR and zoom lense. It’s small and flexible enough to go into your pocket or fishing vest and it has a quick release tripod mount, particularly useful when you need to mount that camera fast so that you can take a quick picture and release the fish unharmed.
Check out the pictures! Oh and one more point. If you get a Xacti, I would suggest you get a spare battery and at least a 4Gb SD Card. It does not come with any SD Cards in the package so you’ll have to shell out that little extra to get one. In any case, SD Cards are very reasonably priced these days. I got mine with a 8Gb card.
I had intended to do a video review on the Xacti but someone had already done a really good review. If you are serious about getting one, you must check out this video! And quite seriously, I’d receommend you to get one of these if you are into fishing or any other kind of water sports. However, if you are more interested in still pictures more than video, then the Olympus would still be the better choice. In any case, don’t forget the Gorillapod! It’s a must have item for everyone!
Testing, Testing: Sanyo Xacti Waterproof E1 Review
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Finished work early today, so decided to go for a jog at Bedok Reservoir. With the North East Monsoon still blowing, I had a nice, easy and ”windy” jog. I wasn’t feeling the “pain” so I decided to hang around a little longer. Went to the car, pulled out my little telescopic rod and decided to have a few cast.
It was already 6.30pm and the sky was getting a little dark but I figured I still have about an hour to fish or so. Well, to my surprise, the fish was pretty active and I had a good fish on my third cast. I thought it was a Peacock Bass but it turned out to be a large black Tilapia, so I decided not to take a picture.
A few cast later, the line went taut again and the fight was stronger this time. A couple of meters of line went out on my lightly set drag. “Peacock Bass for sure!” I thought. True enough, a short while later, I could see the golden silhouette and distinctive spot on the tail of the Peacock Bass. Unfortunately, I was alone and there were no passer-by, so the best I could do was to take a picture of the Peacock Bass safely in my hand.
Hmmm surprise I thought. 7pm now, so I’m wondering if I could get one more for the road. Another 3 cast later, the line went taut again. Again, a strong take and another few meters of line went out. My heart began to pump as I reeled the fish in. Another golden silhouette, another spot, another Peacock Bass. This time with stripes. Another few shots were taken and the fish was released unharmed.
Hmm… 7.15pm and the sky was really starting to get dark. One more cast… then another, then another and a take. This time, the fish felt smaller. As it came nearer, I thought it was a Red Tilapia but on closer look… I could not recognise it. Looks like a cross between a Red Tilapia and an Oscar.
If any of you recognise it, please leave me a comment. I certainly would like to know what it is.
Well, so I had a great jog, a great one hour of fishing… what more can I ask for to start the weekend!
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A couple of weeks back, I posted a big 11kg Barramundi from Bangkok’s “secret” (with quote marks because I am sure it won’t be a secret for long) Barramundi spot. I hear that the Barramundi (Sea Bass) are getting bigger and more active now as the rainy season abated as well.
Yesterday I received some pictures of leaping Barramundi and an invitation to come fish the location in March. Well, until we make the trip in March, here are more teasers for you!
Well, if you are going, “Same fish!”… not really! Check out the color of the popper sticking out of the Barra’s gapping mouth! And yes, you heard it right… POPPERS! How more exciting and visual do you want Barramundi (Sea Bass) fishing to be?
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I just received a couple more email from my buddy, Sean Mah, fishing in NZ. I just had to share some of these because they were so well taken. For those of us who can only admire NZ from far, this is as good as it gets.
The photo on the right shows the awesome Charlton 8450C configurable reel usable from 3wt to 8wt on three different spools mounted on a RL Winston trout rod. Unfortunately, I think Charltons are no more in production after Jack Chartlon sold the company to 3M a few years back. Charltons are all fully sealed, so maintenance is simple. In fact, if you can find a good one on the used market, you should really keep one!
Below you will see some of the pristine condition of the fishing holes in New Zealand. New Zealand is a big country with more sheeps and cows than people. As such, many of the fishing spots are undiscovered and is probably one of the last few places on earth to offer awesome fishing conditions and with sufficient modern amenities to keep things comfortable after a long fishing day! Enjoy the pictures!
09
Just a few days ago, I decided to take a bicycle ride along the east coast park connector to look out for new fishing spots. The new track along the east coast of Singapore is about 30km long each way with beautiful scenery along the way. Such an awesome ride it was!
What spoiled the day day for me was that on the way back home, as I was riding along the side of the big canal, I saw a few people peering down as if there’s something really interesting below. Well, it sure caught my interest and I decided to take a peek myself.
What I saw was disappointing! A bird had its feet caught on a piece of rope, probably discarded by some indiscriminate picnicker or angler. Probably exhausted from trying to dislodge the rope, it now lay on the beach by the side of the canal, parched by the hot sun and salty water, awaiting a slow but sure death. Unfortunately (for the bird), the side of the canal was too steep for anyone to attempt to get down to free it.
Just so happens, I had my camera with me and I took a quick clip of the bird, so as to discourage anglers not to discard their rubbish indiscriminately. You never know it can endanger innocent wildlife and even humans. Leave only footprints wherever you go… more so when the place is pristine. Here is the video I took…
07
Barramundi is the national sportfish of Australia. But can you catch big Barramundi elsewhere? Well it seems that there are certain areas in Asia that are well known for big Barramundi. In fact, in most part of Asia, the Barramundi is a delicacy, being served in many Chinese restaurant as “Sea Bass”.
There’s this place about an hour and a half drive from Bangkok, Thailand that’s become pretty well known for their big Barramundi. Like some parts of Australia, these are stocked fish, but nevertheless, they provide great sport for many anglers. We’ll be making an exploratory trip to this location in March 2008 and will report with some pictures and videos to show. Meanwhile, this two pictures were sent by a friend who reported a catch of 11kg, an awesome fish by any standard!
03
One of the greatest joy in fly fishing is tying a fly that works. Well, the flies that work need not necessarily look good or real to the human eyes. Most importantly, they must look like a real yummy treat to the fish; afterall, the fish are what you are trying to attract. Some of the most popular flies in the world, especially saltwater flies, does not resemble anything like a baitfish. However they work really well. The clouser, crazy charlies etc… are some examples. They don’t even look good to the human eyes.
Recently I came across some flies designed to catch the “human eye” more so than fish. They are so intricately designed and painted they almost look good enough to eat. Do they catch fish. Oh yes, they do, and they do a good job of it as well. But they are so beautiful, you would not want one of these flies to be roughed up by a toothy creature. Yes, they are that beautiful! Some of these even have jointed bodies (like lures) and some have lips to make them wobble when “retrieved” (stripped is the right word to use for fly fishing as you practically strip the line with your bare hands!)
Salmon flies are some of the most colorful around. Gurglers, poppers, wobblers can be very attractive. Dalberg divers and crab patterns are some of the most beautiful and difficult to tie. The recent trend in fly tying is to create flies that, to the untrained eye, resemble lures, yet meet the definition of a fly.
What then defines a fly? Here are some characteristics of what defines a fly as compared to a lure!
1. Must be tied with natural or synthetic fly tying materials
2. Must be “tie-able” (if there is such a word) at your home typing bench
3. Must be so light that it cannot be used with a conventional spinning or baitcasting rod without the use of additional weight
4. Must be castable with a standard fly rod of a weight it is designed for. I mean, we don’t expect a trout outfit (5 or 6wt) to cast a fly designed for a sailfish (12 to 14wt)!
OK, the purist in you may argue some of these points, especially trout anglers. But when it comes to fly fishing, we need to get really creative with the materials that we have. Today, we have more synthetic materials than we had in the past and the possibility to create anything is left to the imagination!
This short article serves to share with you some of these beautiful flies and to give you an idea what some creativity can do for fly fishing. Some may choose to argue that these are not “flies” or do not fall into the purist definition of a “fly” for fly fishing. Fly Fishing is a “simple” sport and when kept simple, it is most enjoyable. They joy of tying a good fly and especially of catching that lunker with a fly tied by your own hands is difficult to describe in words. For me, as long as it meets the few definitions above, it’s a fly, especially if it catches fish!
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