Was feeling a little tired after attending a late night class last night so decided to do a spot of fishing to relax. Decided that Bedok Reservoir would be a good bet as there were no major dragon boat events disturbing the water today. Got there at about 5.30pm and decided to give Mel’s Pee Bee Special fly a try.

If you have already forgotten, here is how the Mel’s Pee Bee Special looks like. I wrote a short article about it some time back. It certainly is an effective fly but recently, Melvin told me to try a faster retrieve. I decided to take his advise and give his baby a go!

Well, it was certainly even more effective on a faster strip! My first few cast resulted in this good size Peacock Bass that put up a great fight on my 3wt Redington and stillwater line.

You can see in this picture where the fly was lodge when he hit. I had to fight it quite gingerly as my last experience hitting a biggie ended with a straightened hook. This time, I made no mistake…. play it soft just like a trout!

After about 30mins of fishing, I moved spot and was rewarded with 2 more good hits at the new platform. Now, I’m beginning to think this is the most effective Peacock Bass fly ever developed for local waters. Don’t be fooled by the small size. Always remember that small hooks can catch big fish but big hooks cannot catch small fish!

Decided to call it a day at about 7pm but I’ll definitely be back for more!

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Stingrays are well known in saltwater. Almost everyone knows what they are. In fact, if any recent event made stingrays famous, it must be the death of Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter) who died when a stingray he was playing with stung him in the heart!

The only freshwater stingrays I have seen are those in aquariums, colorful ones with colorful spots that looks beautiful in a small tank at home. Just how big do freshwater stingray grows?

Well, judging from some pictures sent to me from Thailand, freshwater stingrays grow as big as their saltwater counterpart. In thailand, besides the famed Mekong Catfish, stingrays exists in sufficiently large numbers in the rivers to make catching them a viable sport!

Our fishing guide in Thailand organizes regular fishing trips to these rivers to catch these freshwater giants. Here, you see one of his clients leaning into a big one with heavy tackle. Just like their saltwater brothers, they put up a backbreaking fight, not unlike lifting a boulder from the sea bed. The only major difference is that the river is not that deep and this allows the stingrays to run further and lifting them is not such a back breaking task.

Nevertheless, they are a physical challenge, not for the fainthearted, but if you are fit enough, definitely worth an experience at least once in your fishing life!

Here is a double capture of table size giants. The Thais are beginning to recognize these as sportfishes and are starting to release them rather than keep them for the dining table.

However, I understand that they do make good eating as well, as they are practically boneless (soft cartilage instead) and makes an awesome meal when barbecued with Thai herbs and spices.

However, I’d rather they be left alone and I hope the riverside villagers and commercial fishermen recognize that they can provide more food on the table by attracting paying anglers and tourist all over the world for a once-in-a lifetime chance to land one of these gentle giants!

Catching these giants involved drifting dead baits on the bottom of the river. From then on, it is a waiting game and the wait can last anything from a few minutes to hours. However, typically a bite should come within an hour and when it does come, it would be unmistakably “stingray” like!

Come visit Thailand, for some of the most awesome freshwater fishing the world has to offer! As Thailand is still very much a developing country, angling is still not a highly popular sport and as such, many of the angling spots and species are still quite well protected.

Enjoy the pictures!

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Fishing in and around Bangkok is great. There’s great Barramundi fishing, exotic species fishing as well as going for some of the largest freshwater fishes you can get anywhere in the world. However, what really makes fishing in Bangkok such a joy is the food!

Bangkok has some of the best food in the world, and Thai food is definitely some of the best, if you particularly like Asian food. The Pineapple Rice is yummy and the Tom Yam Soup will bring beads of sweat all over you and make you drip like you just came out of the shower!

If you like your food on the spicy side, Thailand is food paradise for you. Thai food are generally spicy and a little sour, tickling your palate and stimulating your taste buds to the max! Your saliva glands are fully activated by the sourish taste, making the food taste even better! The best Thai food are not found in fancy restaurants but at smaller roadside restaurants which are really economical. A meal for 6 will cost no more than US$70… and you walked out “stuff” and barely able to walk.

Besides the good food, “the land of smiles”, as Thailand is aptly called, is well known for their top class customer service, an experience you cannot miss!

Service gets even better if you are served by a pleasant face. Here’s a video I took of the lady boss of a small, family restaurant we ate at almost nightly on our recent trip. Believe, me, the food actually taste a lot better with a pleasant face behind the service! I know, I was there! Enjoy the video!

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My last two past has been about fishing the Bungsamran pond in Thailand. You may be wondering why I am spending so much time on it. Well, for starters, it’s a really cool and awesome place with so much potential to catch something really big. And for that potential, they are charging only B5,000 per rod per day’s fishing, that’s roughly equivalent to S$50 or US$35.

If you did not bring your rod because you were just visiting or on a business trip, they rent you a reasonably good quality rod and reel outfit for B500 or S$25 (US$17). And if you are not sure how to mix your own bait, a guide will cost you another B1,000 (S$50 or US$35). This are really attractive prices considering that you are almost sure to catch something. In fact, the pond gives you a guarantee… if you catch nothing, they give you your money back!

So what can you catch at Bungsamran?

Well, take a look at some of the pictures here. This one below is a signpost at the doorway to the resort. It even says there are Arapaima (another South American Giant Freshwater fish) in the pond, and I absolutely do not doubt it.

Here’s a picture displayed at the pond showing an Arapaima caught here.

Here is another picture of another Giant Mekong Catfish caught at this same location. If you are worried about not catching anything, worry not. As mentioned in my last post, in one hour, we counted 5 hooked giant cat fish and 2 landed… and we were only patroling a short stretch of the fishing ground. Hooking up a giant is not even an issue, landing one is!

What’s really great about this fishing resort is that if you are not in a hurry, you can even stay there overnight. They have nice wooden, air-conditioned chalets available at very reasonable prices… with a nice restaurant that serves great Thai and oriental food. There’s even a bar and billiard table, if you get thirsty (check out the picture below).

And if you are a fly fisherman, don’t fret. There is an equally good chance of landing something on fly. There are Pacus, Arrowana (Saratoga to the Aussies), Snakeheads and a range of other fish that will go for the fly. In fact, our Barramundi guide reported that he landed a Giant Catfish weighing 35kg (ok a smaller specimen) on a 9wt fly rod. He “chummed” the fishes to the surface using bread crumbs (available there) and when the fishes got into a fishing frenzy, he tossed in a bread fly… almost like catching the elusive milkfish!

Check out their website at http://www.bungsamran.com. I’d be very keen to plan a trip there to try my luck at one of those freshwater giants.

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During our last trip to Bangkok, we paid a visit to Bungsamram Fishing Resort and had the opportunity to witness anglers fishing for the famed and mighty Mekong Catfish. I’ve heard alot about them, read about them in fishing journals etc… but I never had the opportunity to see one landed until now! And what a sight it was!

Commercial fishing for the Mekong giant catfish is illegal in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, but the bans appear to be ineffective, with the fish continuing to be caught in all three countries.However, in recognition of the threat to the species, most Thai fishermen agreed to stop catching the endangered catfish in June 2006, to mark the 60th anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne of Thailand.

Attaining an unconfirmed length of 3 m, the Mekong giant catfish grows extremely quickly, reaching a mass of 150 to 200 kg in only six years.The largest catch recorded in Thailand since record-keeping began in 1981 was a female measuring 2.7 m (roughly 9 feet) in length and weighing 293 kg (646 lb). This specimen, caught in 2005, is widely recognized as the largest freshwater fish ever caught (although sturgeon can far exceed this size, they can be anadromous ie they are classified as both salt and fresh water). Thai Fisheries officials stripped the fish of its eggs as part of a breeding programme, intending then to release it, but the fish died in captivity and was sold as food to local villagers.

Grey to white in colour and lacking stripes, the Mekong giant catfish is distinguished by the near-total lack of barbels and the absence of teeth. Like all catfish, they are generally scavengers and will almost eat anything, although their main diet consists of vegetation, weeds and algae.

Fighting the Mekong Cat is no child’s play. The tackle used by the anglers were heavy stuff, equivalent to the popping gear for big GT’s in the Maldives. The picture above shows the bait ball used by the anglers to catch the Mekong Catfish. It’s as big as a tennis ball and probably 4 times heavier. Heavy gear is needed just to cast that bait ball. Yet, despite the heavy arsenal, we witnessed on two landed out of five that were hooked over a period of an hour or so.

Catching the Mekong Catfish is an experience every angler must have at least once in a lifetime. Even if you don’t catch one, at least see one being caught. It’s a wonderful experience and gives you bragging rights for a lifetime. Enjoy the video I took below.

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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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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.

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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.

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