Changing The Outcome Of A Bad Trip
Bait Casting on a fly fishing trip
Brandon Ho FFI CCI
The quest for the dream fish can take a fly fisher to faraway places, braving the elements and sacrificing the comfort and safety of home. As a fly fisher and also a fly tyer, the success of a self-tied fly brings immeasurable satisfaction. FTN Asia Distribution has recently launched a new product: The Flipper Tail. This product, which resembles the tail of a minnow, is a suitable addition to any baitfish pattern to make the movement more attractive to the predatory fish.
The idea of the product was first explored by Dron Lee many years ago and I have successful caught fish with it, from the ever present Mayan Cichlid to the Sebarau in the reservoirs and rivers. The Mayan Cichlid, is a native of Tropical America, brought in by the ornamental fish trade but somehow managed to escape into the wild.
With a few Flipper Tail minnows in my fly box, I was eager to test this new material. I already knew it would work and I needed photo evidence as well as fine tuning the retrieve that will give the best action to this fly pattern. The first person that came to my mind was Than, an accomplished Bait Caster and now, a very competent fly caster in his own right. I texted him, requesting info about where I could do some live testing. “ I have a friend that knows where we can catch large Peacock Bass and he is willing to guide us.” These were the magic word and without further invitation, a trip was planned and flipper tails were tied.
On Saturday evening, 6 of us got into our van and drove south. Our destination: Tampin, Melaka. After checking into the homestay, a very comfortable 2 storey house, we headed to meet up with Than’s friend, Keong. Over dinner, he related the stories of big Peacock Bass. Here, the size of the fish was not measured in cm, it was measured in kg! I would have dismissed these stories as tall tales until he took out his phone and showed us photo evidences. These PB are easily 60, 70 and even 80 cm long.
Later, we were invited to the kitchen of the restaurant for a drink and further discussion. It started to feel like the mafia discussion that we see in the movies. The owner of the restaurant is an avid angler and he occasionally organizes fishing trip for his staff. He will even supply them with the fishing gear. For his passion in fishing, he started his very own fishing club, The World of Fishing. He proudly wears the club t-shirt to work.
After a few drinks, he took out his phone and showed us even more photos of monster PB. He was amused to see us getting excited over a fish they rarely target. They prefer to go for the Giant Snakehead, Hoven’s barb better known locally as Sultan Fish or Jelawat, and other table fish. These larger than average size are there but it won’t be easy to catch them. But we were ready. I was armed with a Vision Merioula wt8 with matching Merisoula reel. I could cast into the wind and reached the distance where the fish would normally play.
At 5.30 the next morning, we were waiting for Keong. Our plan was to grab a simple breakfast and then head to the fishing spot. Before sunrise, the van was parked by the side of the road and we gear up for the fishing adventure. It was a beautiful place. The morning mist was still covering the water surface and with the rising sun, it created a mysterious yet serene scenery. Splashes could be seen in the distance and in my mind, images of 60cm PB swimming in the tannin tainted water. We spread out along the bank, each of us looking for the perfect spot to cast. The upward slopping bank, the tall grass and occasional tress made fly casting a nightmare. We spent more time untangling the fly lines than actually stripping the line in the water.
The place is a hotspot for local anglers. As the sun began warming the cold morning air, more and more anglers turned up. They were sporting spinning and BC gear. They had no problem casting far out into the water. We were simply handicapped by the environment. One by one, albeit reluctantly, we took out our BC sets. Finally, we were able to match the locals in terms of distance but we lacked the local knowledge. By 10am, we were ready to move to another spot. As a consolation, Otto had a brief encounter with a teenage toman. It was prematurely released. We didn’t see anyone landing any fish.
After a quick drive, we arrived at another spot. Oil palm trees surrounded this body of water. Looking at the trees and tall grass, fly fishing was out of the question. Out came the BC and we casted in earnest. Changing lures, soft plastic and Flipper Tail minnow on weighted jig, we did everything we could to try to at least get some attention from the fish. Any fish. Size did not matter anymore. Keong, who was fishing on a top water popper, managed to land 3 decent sized PB but we had to contend with several strikes that did not connect. After losing a MegaBass lure, I decided to quit. This trip was getting expensive.
After lunch, Keong decided to take us to his friend’s pond in the outskirt. It would increase our chances of catching fish. He and his friends were using frogs while we opted for the Soft Plastic and artificial frog lure. There were 4 ponds and they had just been recently cleared. We casted from pond to pond and Than was the first to land a medium sized snakehead. Clevin managed to entice the snakeheads to attack his lures but ended up briefly hooking 3. All 3 were lost before they were landed, much to his aghast. This was his first time using the BC setup in a real fishing situation.
The afternoon was hot but we were not going to give up. Cast after cast were made and in the end, we had to be content with another 2 cigar sized snakeheads. Keong and his friends were getting worried. As host, they wanted us to catch fish and enjoy the trip. In the final hour of daylight, they decided to take us to one last spot. We drove off the tar road onto the unpaved road. Tress grew thick on both sides and later gave way to open spaces with ponds on both sides. There was no road in that sense but more of tyre tracks made by adventurers. Along the way, our host in the car in front, slowed down next to several ponds, then moved on. They were scouting for the best spot for us.
Finally, with barely 20 minutes of daylight left, we arrived at the spot. It was not big and parts of it was covered by lotus plants. I seriously doubted the presence of any PB, let alone a sizeable one. I chose a spot closest to the car and started casting a small tan soft plastic. My casting was not accurate as this is my very first BC trip. My aim was to avoid the dreaded bird nest.
After numerous casts near the weeds, I decided to take a chance and cast into the sparsely growing weeds. It snagged my line and with a forceful tug, it was free. Barely a few cranks later, the line was pulled strongly, waking me up from my stupor. I lifted and started to pump the fish. Line shot of from my Abu Revo reel. I didn’t want to give any line to this fish. The place was full of snags. Either the line would break or the fish managed to reach the snag. It was a short but intense fight. I pulled the fish in until its head rested on the muddy bank. Only as I lifted the fish up did my sense came back. They were cheering me on and I even had my actions recorded on video. Keong mentioned it was a 45 cm fish. True enough, when measured, it was exactly 45 cm. Not large by local standards but still a good fish. The fish lifted the spirits of the host, relieved was shown on their tired but happy faces. It was a great end to a trip that ended in disaster.
In all truthfulness, this is an amazing trip. The host were incredible people, going all out to make us feel at home. We had the best food and taken to their secret spots. Friends opened their private ponds to us. It is amazing how fishing brings us closer together. The slogan for FTC holds true and this is why we continue to fly fish, tie flies and cast to the fish while creating bonds of friendship that traverse cultures. “Connecting Fly Fishers Everywhere”