Ask any angler where to find the best selection of fishing tackle shops in the world at the best prices and the answer is sure to be the same : Singapore. Yes, indeed, Singapore has probably the largest number of fishing tackle shops per square kilometers than any other country in the world. Plus the fact that Singapore is virtually tax free (except for the 7% GST which is redeemable for tourists) and our prices are definitely one of the lowest in the world. If not for the cost of running an operation, especially with the recent increase in rental, Singapore fishing tackle prices are definitely one of the lowest in the world.

There are at least 12 fishing tackle shops in the Beach Road area, at least 4 at Changi Point and a few scattered all over (Toa Payoh, Tampines, Marine Parade etc…). All in, I am sure there are easily 25 tackle shops throughout Singapore; so this would be an Angler’s shoppers paradise by any standards… or is it?

Well, may not necessarily be so! I’ve seen some pretty impressive tackle shops in Malaysia with prices as competitive but my recent trip to Thailand really opened my eyes, as far as tackle shops are concerned. At the Bungsamram Fishing Resort, are two large tackle shops with some of the largest selection of fishing tackle I have ever seen. Reels (including costly ones) and rods are displayed openly for potential buyers to try. Both shops also show a good selection of fishing clothings, bags and accessories, some of which cannot be found in Singapore (possibly made in Thailand). They even sell higher end brands like Columbia casting shirts.

Real Estate in Thailand cost alot less, so their shops can afford to be a lot bigger (as can be seen in the picture). Also, the larger size allows displays to be properly laid out, giving you space to flex that rod to check out the action etc… This is a luxury we do not have in Singapore, unfortunately!

Ok, for those of you who’ve been to Japan (or even the USA), this is nothing. Some fishing shops in Japan are 3 or 4 storeys high and you can easily spend a day shopping there. Some fishing and outdoor shops in the US sells canoes, kayaks, shoes, all weather outer wear and are more like a fishing and outdoor shops combined. However, I still think we get better prices here in SE Asia, although some exotic Japanese made reels can be cheaper in Japan.

Okuma has also opened a showroom in Siam Square directly across the road from the Siam Novotel Hotel. While this is not as big as the two in Bungsamram, it is also impressive. All models of rods and reels made by Okuma are on show here.

Here, you will find some pictures of the fishing tackle shops at Bungsamram. I certainly won’t think that Singapore has the widest selection in SE Asia after this experience. Enjoy and make sure you drop by them during your next trip to Bangkok. It is definitely worth the hour long or so taxi ride.

However, does that mean that your chances of finding a good bargain

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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!

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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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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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