More pictures of the trip had just arrived and they all looked so hot, I have a hard time deciding what to put up! As such, I decided to put up everyone of them on a separate page here.

We started the second day with a good breakfast, then was off at 9am instead of the previous day’s 7am. This way, we could really fish till 4pm, the hottest and possibly the most productive part of the day. Well, the day sure did not disappoint! Even the morning was good. Mah Y.A. started the ball rolling with a few solid ones landed. The fish were onto black colored flies, maybe because the water was a bit murky. I wasn’t getting a lot of hits until I changed to a black fly and I had a solid hit on my first cast with the black fly. Amazing!

After a quick but delicious pack lunch, the action picked up quickly. This time, the fishes where responding to faster stripping of the fly… they were chasing… good sign! 

A few of us tried some popper hoping to see some acrobatic action but the fishes were not responding to fly poppers still. Nevertheless, the action has picked up to almost feverish pitch as it was almost a hit on every cast. We’re getting constant double hook-ups and even quite a couple of triple hook-ups!

By 3pm or so, the fishes were just about hitting anything thrown at them. My chartreuse clouser had almost all the fur ripped off and the fish were still hitting it. My tummy (and I am sure everyone else’s too) was now sore with pushing  the rod butt on it and my knuckles were red from the constant bashing from the reel handle when the barra took line. 4pm came too fast but we were glad just as well… we were just totally exhausted.

I’d definitely recommend this trip to anyone. We must have hit at least 20-25 barramundis each (yes, each!) per day, all in the 6kg-8kg range. 

Like I said in my earlier post, where else in the world can you stay in a first class, reasonably priced hotel one hour from the super hot fishing ground, with great shopping, possible the greatest selection of food in the world and an awesome thai massage at the end of the day to soothe all your sore muscles… all at a reasonable price! Only in Bangkok, Thailand!

Here are two more videos for your enjoyment. One of Patricia fighting a Barra and the other of Nelson showing the whole process from casting and stripping the fly, to the take and the final landing of the fish! Witness for your self how hot the fishing was during the trip and more importantly, plan a trip there yourself and experience it firsthand!

You can see more pictures of the trip here.

The Fly Fishing Loop is sponsored by flydepot.com [ Home Waters |Next |Random |List |Search ]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

It was a long wait, but finally, the trip came and went. It was an awesome trip. I mean, where else in the world can you stay at a good, clean hotel, go shopping for just about anything you want at very attractive prices, then go fishing just about an hour’s drive away, have some of the cheapest and best dinner in the world and end the day with a 2hr thai massage to sooth your tired muscles (from all day casting and fighting those monster Barramundi’s). No price for the correct answer; Bangkok, Thailand!

I had so many videos and pictures taken that I have decided to break this article up into two parts so that I can show most of the pictures.

The trip started on Thursday afternoon, just before the Easter holidays. We got to Bangkok at about and checked into the hotel at about 5pm. Then we took a stroll down to the local shopping mall where there is a nice Pro-Cam-Fis shop to stock up on some outdoor stuff. They were having a 50% sale… how timely and nice! By the time we were done, it was dinner time and we proceed to have one of the best local thai food dinner I’ve ever experienced… all at a very reasonable price indeed.

A took a little stroll and by the time we got back, it was time for bed as we were getting up early for the first day of fishing. The guide will be picking us up at 7am.

The next morning came really fast. We had a quick breakfast, packed up and by the time we were down in the lobby, the guide was waiting for us punctually! We booked a van for the day and immediately headed out to the fishing spot, about an hour’s drive away. First cast started at about 8.30am… and within minutes, we were into fish. The Barramundi’s averaged 6-8kg each, with the occasionally one reaching 9kg. All were fat, muscular and in really good shape!

My impression of Barramundi’s were that they were sluggish fighters. However, the fishes here were strong, even for an 8wt, which is what I was using. Some of my buddies were using 6wt but in my opinion, they are definitely a little “under gunned” for the strong Barramundi’s here. If not for the relatively small place, many would have easily got us into the backing!

The action got hotter as the sun came up. In fact, interestingly, the fish became alot more active at mid-day and after lunch. By the early afternoon, they were actively pursuing flies stripped at a frentic pace… as fast as single handed stripping can handle. Unforturnately, we had to leave at 2.30pm as they only allowed 6 hours of fishing to ensure that the fishes are not overly stressed! Double and triple hook-ups were the order of the day… in fact, more the norm than the exception! Definitely some of the best fishing action I have ever seen!

We vowed to start later the next day to ensure we maximise the hottest fishing time of the day, the period between 2-4pm! More coming up soon, so stay tuned! Here are two videos of double hook-up actions from the trip.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Woke up early this morning and decided to do a little fishing; so I grabbed my gear and headed down to Bedok Reservoir. I had not fished this spot for a while, so when I arrived at about 6.45am, the first thing I noticed was the high water level. This must be from the days of incessant rain over the last week. The air was cool. I walked over to the new wooden seating gallery and decided to start off with spinning gear. I tied on a little yellow rubbertail and started my first cast. I didn’t expect a hit as the sky was still quite dark but on my third cast, I did get a hit! I was quite sure it was a Peacock Bass as few other fishes in freshwater hit as hard and ferocious as the Peacock Bass, maybe other than the Sebarau! A couple of minutes later, the Peacock Bass was landed (see picture on right). Hmmm…. great start I thought! I gently release the fish and continued casting. As they sky brightened, I could see Peacock Bass chasing my little rubber tail on a few occassion but did not hookup. After about 10-15 cast, I decided to change location.

I moved over to the ledge and started casting again. Saw an Arrowana cruising and casted to it but ended up spooking it instead. I decided to try the shallow rocky edge of the bank and had a good hit. Another Peacock Bass landed and released (see picture on left).

Looks like a great day for Peacock Bass fishing. I decided to walk back to the car and grab my fly rod for change. It’s been some time since I caught a fish on my 3wt (let alone cast a fly)and would be a great warm-up for my coming Barramundi trip in Bangkok. I started walking back at a brisk pace, determined not to miss the action for too long.

Within 10mins, I was back, fly rod and reel in tow. I tied on a size 6 Crazy Charlie… “when in doubt as to what fly to tie on, start with a Crazy Charlie”, that’s my fishing motto! 4 or 5 casts later, I had another hit (see picture on right)… damn, the Peacock Bass are really hungry today! Hooking up a Peacock Bass on a 3wt is really fun. I’ve known some people use a 1wt or 2wt and that could be even more fun, but I prefer a 3wt to cast the occasional popper. Peacock Bass can be a real visual treat on Poppers too, for those who have not tried them! Also, while I enjoy the fight, I don’t want to prolong it unnecessarily as it may kill the fish, so a 3wt is a good balance! 

Unfortunately, I was fishing alone again, so I had to take my own pictures. I’m going to have to bring my “Gorillapod” the next time around so I can take pictures of myself with the self timer!

Here’s a picture showing the size 6 Crazy Charlie that did the job! Good old Crazy Charlie never fails, whether in salt or fresh water!

I’ve actually never experienced Peacock Bass action this hot before! Must be the rain! My intention was to maybe fish for an hour and head out for a quick breakfast before heading home. However, with action this hot, I told myself I had to do a last minute change of plan. Breakfast can wait! I can have good breakfast anyday but the fishes don’t bite everyday, so I had better continue fishing. What a good choice that was. For the next hour or so, I landed another 5 Peacock Bass, making a total of 8 Peacock Bass in 2 hours of fishing. Not bad at all! I finally decided to leave at about 9am as the sun was getting really hot, and my stomach was growling in protest! I need some food!

What’s interesting to me this morning, was that there was not another angler in sight! Are anglers giving up on Bedok Reservoir, or are they just plain lazy and sleeping in on a beautiful weekend? I’m not sure and I don’t really care. What’s really on my mind now is, “When’s the fishing going to be this hot again? Should I wait for another rainy spell… or should I come again tomorrow and see if the place is still firing?” Hmm… I think I’m going to come again tomorrow, better “Make Hay while the Sun Shines!” It’s about 11pm as I wrote this but if you happen to read it and want to join me, see you there!

Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A few friends had just made a trip up to the Bangkok Barramundi spot and reported good catches. We’ll be up there next weekend, but before I do that, I’ll share a few photos that my buddy Sean sent me on his last trip there just about a week ago.

So it seems that the Barra’s are definitely biting and in awesome shape as you can see from the picture below. The weather was a little cool and windy (see those ripples on the water) and could be a problem for the novice fly angler, so keeping one of those travel spinning or baitcasting rods I wrote about previously, handy will be great for those days when a fly rod may be a little to much to handle. Keep a lookout for my full trip report soon!

Here’s a picture of the mighty Abel in one of the most beautiful custom color (Peacock Bass replica) that subdued quite a few of those high leaping, silver plated fighting machines during the trip!

While you sure don’t need one of these beautiful reels and matching rods to fight those barramundi in an inland body of water with minimal obstacles, it sure feels good to know you have a reel that will purr like a cat when called upon to perform (much like driving a Ferrari or a Humvee on Bangkok’s congested streets)!

The picture below shows another 10kg barra landed recently on fly gear. The Barra seems to be in near perfect condition, a sign of the very healthy environment at the location. This is the result of controlled fishing, highly oxygenated water supply and good food supply!

Enjoy the pictures and come back for more in a couple of weeks time!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

If you are predominantly a fly angler like me, you’d have realised that it is quite easy to find a good  quality travel fly rod. Fly Rod companies like Sage, Orvis, GLoomis, Winston, Thomas & Thomas, Scott, Temple Fork Outfitters and Redington all make excellent quality travel rods that breaks down from 4 to 8 pcs. Travel Fly Rods don’t just break down into smaller pieces; they have to perform like any traditional 2-3pc fly rod. For this reason, they have to be of excellent quality and usually cost a little more than their 2 or 3pc counterparts. It is not easy to make a rod with 4-6 ferrules that is as light and balanced as a 2 or 3pc rod.

If you use a Spinning or Baitcasting outfit, you’re not so lucky when it comes to travel rods. Most available travel rods are Spinning outfits and are usually of quite low quality. Sage, Orvis, Redington and Temple Fork outfitters do make reasonably good quality travel spinning and baitcasting (Redington only) outfit but only in the 3pc configuration. Over the years, I’ve been searching for good quality 4 and even 5 pcs spinning and baitcasting outfit in vain.

Interestingly, today I bought a copy of the Australian Fishing magazine and saw an advertisement for Innovator series of Nitro Rods. A picture of a 6 pc spinning outfit immediately caught my attention. I immediately looked up the website and did a little more research. Well, I had a pleasant surprise. They look like what I have been looking for all along…. a good quality spinning or baitcasting outfit in 5-6pcs which I can stuff in my hand carry luggage on the plane or in the car.

Innovator rods currently have 3 travel models in their Spinning and Baitcasting line as follows :

1. 007 Traveller 6′6″ 6pc at A$375.95 - This is a 6pc light spinning outfit that breaks down to just 41.5cms (16.5″) and can be easily slipped into a backpack or business briefcase and even under a car seat. It features precision butt over tip ferrule technology, which allows a smooth flawless taper providing a multi piece rod with a 1-piece action.  This rod is ideal for hikers, kayakers and poachers or those anglers who travel often and are finding the current airport difficulties of oversized luggage an unnecessary hassle to the start of a trip. There’s no longer an excuse to be without a rod, wherever you are! 
2. 007 Undertaker - Classic Barra 5′10″ 5pc at A$399.95 - This is a high-quality, high-performance multi-piece travel rod that packs down to just 46cms. It can be easily stowed in luggage and so avoid the hassles of baggage restrictions and security impositions that seem to plague two and one-piece rod owners. The Undertaker features the latest advances in aero-space carbon fibre technology, coupled with Ferrule Integration Technology (FIT) to produce a 4-6kg multi-piece baitcasting rod of exceptional strength, with a flawless one-piece action. The “Undertaker” was designed to handle a wide range of species such as Barramundi, GT’s and other tropical species
3. 007 Distance Spin - Magnum Butt Traveller 7′6″ 5pc at A$399.95 - This is a 5-piece big fish spinning rod in a package just 58.5cms in its carry-case. The “Magnum Butt” will slip unobtrusively into a duffel bag and escape all the baggage restrictions and security hassles that accompany two and one-piece rods. This 4-6kg rod was designed to give the angler peace-of-mind travel with the greatest latitude in handling a variety of fish species. It would be the ideal travel rod to carry for longer trips to more exotic destinations and for bigger fishes than the “Traveller” can handle! Interestingly, this rod also won the “Best of Show” in the Fishing Rods Category at the 2007 Australian Trade Show.

I like the design of these rods so much I’m going to get one of each for my own use. I will report a little more on the performance once I am able to use them a little more… hopefully on fishes that deserve their pedigree!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites