Better Late than Never – Late open season sail in Rompin

Fly Fishing Trip, Saltwater Trip, , ,

Late open season sail in Rompin Brandon Ho FFI CCI Two dark shadows followed the teasers, one on each side of the boat. Among the bubble trails, a bill suddenly appeared and slashed at the teasers. The other shadow swam closer to inspect the teaser while the teaser was being reeled closer to the boat. The dark silhouettes followed the teaser closer and now it was clear, with its large dorsal fin fully opened to display the dark blue colour with deep purple hue. The two sails attacked the teaser, each jostling to get a better position to attack the teasers. As the teaser was lifted out of the water, a large pink tube fly was cast into the place. One of the sail rushed towards the fly and engulfed it. This is the crucial moment. Would the sail spit it out or will it turn and swim away? After a moment of hesitation, the sail turned and swam away. This is the perfect time to strike!! Holding the line tight and the rod pointing towards the sail, the line was pulled backwards, ensuring the single Ahrex SA270 Bluewater # 5/0 penetrated the hard bony mouth of the fish. A magnificent sail jumped out of the water 20 plus feet away from the transom. A perfect hookup!! After the initial jump, the fish remained deep. It was not doing its normal acrobatic or blistering run. It just slowly pulled line out, as if oblivious to the fact that it was hooked. After a few moments of confusion, the reel screamed and the line evaporating from the Meriosoula wt12 reel. The sound of the whizzing reel filled the air and yet the sail showed no sign of slowing down. Then in the distance, the sail did its signature tail walk across the surface of the water some 150 feet away. The speed of the fish was incredible. The rod was pointing one direction while the fish jumped at a 90 degrees angle. Simply amazing!! The fish ended doing 3 blistering runs with numerous acrobatic displays before deciding to take a rest. This was the opportunity to regain the line. With 350 metres of 50lb backing and a maximum drag of 8kg, the Merisoula reel is the right reel for the job. There is no heroism in using a lighter set up to fight the fish to the verge of death. Finally after 28 minutes of intense fight, the sail was coaxed to the side of the boat and James reached out and got hold of the leader. Mission accomplished!! The sail was released boat side after several close up shots. The fish was released after a few minutes of holding the bill to keep the fish upright with the boat moving forward slowly. Once the fish regained its strength, it was a gently released. The greatest feeling is to see the sailfish swimming away gracefully after being released. I made the unforgiveable mistake of hauling my first ever sailfish onto the boat for a photo. My eagerness for a trophy shot clouded my better judgement and that guilt and shame has stayed with me for one whole year till I was given the chance to have another encounter with another sail. I vowed never to lift another billfish out of the water for my personal gain ever. As much as I want to take credit for the success capture and release of the sail, it was not the case. The whole team worked selflessly to help me fulfil my dream. To make this a reality, a team of 4 people has to work like a well-oiled machine to ensure the safe catch and release of the fish while fully documenting the process in film and photo. Credit goes to Capt Steven Chong, Teaserman, James and Clevin, photography and videography, Nic and Clevin. You guys are the best!! ~More Gallery Click Here~

Booby Minnow Wiggle (BMW) by Dron Lee

Fly Pattern, , , , , , ,

A game changer in minnow flies Brandon Ho FFI CCI When the fishing gets tough, the answer is a fly that will imitate the baitfish both in profile and also swimming action. Dron Lee has got the answer to this. We were out fishing in Air Kuning, Perak. It was the raining season and the water level has risen considerable, dropping the temperature and making the fish lethargic. Fishing was slow to say the least. I put my fly rod down and started casting my baitcaster. I wanted to get the lures deep and to cut through the water weeds that were growing in profusion in these waters. A normal fly, even a weighted one like the clouser would not be able to get deep enough or close enough to the weed to entice the fish. Out of every 5 casts, 3 would be snag. The popular saying was, “if the flies are not snagging , the fish are not biting”. But with the fly getting snagged on every other cast, enough was enough. I was busy casting to a toman fry ball when Dron hollered me over. I went as fast as my 55lb thruster would take me and he asked me to shot a video of the fly. I was amazed, the fly was swimming like a baitfish in distress. As a reward, Dron gave me two flies to try out and I powered away to a weed patch to try it out. On the second cast, there was a strong pull and the fish tried it best to swim onto the weeds. Using the strong backbone of the new Vision XO Graphene XO weight 6, the fish was quickly subdued but not after doing a few airborne somersaults. Not a big fish in these waters but still a beautiful fish. The fish was so confident of the fly that it fully engulfed it. Wow! This fly really works. I moved to another weed patch and started casting. There were commotions on the water surface and I promptly casted to it. I felt a tug but no hook up. I casted again and this time the pull was much stronger, line was slipping through my fingers. A fish jumped out of the water and it was unmistakable a giant snake head or toman. As the fish landed, my fly came flying back. The fish spat the hook out. I was not expecting a toman to take this small fly and I didn’t accord it the strip strike that I would have normally done. The fly is so good that even the apex predator in these water couldn’t resist. So, what is this new fly pattern from Dron? The fly is a baitfish profile with a shinny reflective belly. The UV fibres here really help to catch and reflect the light, especially useful in these dark waters. The back is of SR fibres which helps to give it a baitfish profile. The tail end is from a pair of hackle which imparts life and movement. A line of tinsel flash running along the body imitates the lateral lines. The additional of a foam tube at the head which also serves to be a place to position a pair of oversized eyes really make this a very enticing prey to the aquatic predators. The secret to this fly comes in the form a curved lip at the front of the eyes. This is where this fly is different from the rest. The lip makes the fly swim deep and also imparts side to side movements. Normal flies will just be limited to up and down movements but this fly moves left and right too, giving it a wider range of movements. Another insight to this fly design is the use of the foam tube. This allows the fly to be suspended at the depth whenever the fly is not stripped. The depth of the fly will depend on the type of line used. In my case, I was using a full sink line with 9 feet of tapered fluorocarbon leader. I was able to get the line deep and swim the fly slowly among the weeds. The lip serves to push the weed apart allowing the fly to swim through it without snagging. This versatile suspended booby minnow pattern can be fished with floating, sinktip or sinking line, depending on where your target fish is holding. The plastic lip creates the sexy wiggling action that most fish will find irresistible. With the right presentation, the Wiggle Booby Minnow can imitate a swimming or injured baitfish. There are so many ways to fish this remarkable fly. This fly made the difference between a depressing day on the water and catching fish in difficult situations. This is one fly that I will make sure to always be in my fly box. When all fails, this could be the trip saver. ~More Gallery Click Here~

A Sweet Start to 2021

Fly Fishing Trip, Freshwater Trip, Saltwater Trip, , , , , , , ,

Tarpon on Fly with PFFS Brandon Ho FFI CCI After driving for about two and a half hours, I pulled up at the parking lot at the Kuala Kangsar R&R. Sunrise is another 2.5 hours away. Sitting in my car, I noticed a car pulled up next to mine. 3 guys stepped out and from their outfit, they must be fly anglers. I looked closer and the initials PFFS was cleared stamped across the back of the shirt. PFFS is the acronym for Perak Fly Fishing Syndicate, one of the more active fly-fishing clubs that I know of. Every week will be a fishing weekend. Come rain or shine, you can bet your last dollar that the club members are out there on the water with a fly rod in hand. Shortly after, Janice’s car pulled up along our car and Clevin, Darell and Nic walked out. I was meeting the PFFS boys for the first time and today Asrul, Aizat and Khairul were our guides on our quest for the Indo-Pacific tarpon or locally known as the Ikan Bulan. From Kuala Kangsar, it is another one-hour drive to our fishing destination. Our first mission was to fill our growling stomach with the aromatic and spicy nasi lemak from the famed Mayfly Nasi Lemak stall. Unfortunately, the stall was closed and we had to seek for alternative. We stopped at a random stall selling nasi lemak and the local “kueh” or cakes. We bought a variety of nasi lemak with different accompaniments such as beef, chicken, prawn, salted fish… It seemed that we had hit the jackpot with this stall. At only RM1 per pack, it was a steal, considering the side that came with it. Just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, we parked our cars and got down excitedly to set up our gear. From here, we will proceed on foot. The rain from the previous day made the trek difficult. The mud stuck to the bottom of our slippers like a remora fish sucking at the back of the ray. The further we walked, the heavier our slippers became. In this part of the world, slippers were the preferred footwear. It allowed you to inspect for the occasional leech that was waiting to feast on you. The open toed slippers also allowed your feet to dry quickly after wading through the marshy swamps. Well, when in Rome, it is best to follow what the Romans do. The occasional stop and photo session made the trek fun. We chatted like old friends and insights to the feeding behaviour was shared freely by the PFFS boys, a gesture of generosity and trust hard to come by in the modern fishing environment. We were fishing the canals along the river. The brackish water was the perfect habitat for the tarpon. In the early morning, we could see the rises that accentuated the calm surface, indicating that the tarpons were there. At every break in the bushes along the canals, one of us would walk towards the bank and cast our white #6 baitfish into the rises, hoping for a strike. The tarpons have hard bony mouths and the only way to get a secure hook-up is to strip strike. The hooks have to be extremely sharp. I was blind casting into the rises hoping for a take but it was futile.  Every spot looked fishy and soon I was way behind the rest of the group. In one of the opening, the water was boiling. Without waiting for further invitation, I cast my white baitfish towards the opposite of the canal and waited for the fly to sink. Slowly I stripped the line in, pausing occasionally to let the fly sink. After the third strip, the line went tight and shot out of my hand. I certainly wasn’t expecting that and instinctively I stuck and started pulling line in. With a 16 lb tippet, I knew I could outgun the fish. In less than a minute, a gleaming slab of silver was pulled alongside the bank. My first ever Indo Pacific Tarpon! I rejoined the group and discovered that I was not the only one who struck the silver ingot. Both Asrul and Khairul managed to land one each in the deeper waters next to the palm trees. The water was calm and I was surprised it harboured large specimen there. Apparently, the fish were hiding deep in these waters. Roll cast the fly out and let it sink to the bottom before very slowly twitching and retrieving the line. Patience is key here. We walked further to try the other spots. We spread out and cast to all the likely spots. Rises could be seen everywhere but getting them to take the fly was next to impossible. In many spots, the fish seemed to be playing hide and seek with us. They were rising in front of our noses but as we cast, they just moved a little further, still rising continuously. With every subsequent cast, they just moved further until beyond out casting range. We were casting almost the entire fly line but to no avail. By mid-morning, the sun was getting too hot and we decided to take a break under some trees and enjoyed our pack Nasi Lemak. After the short break, we walked further until to come to an opening where we could get down to the bank to cast. I had walked stealthily to a bank to cast when Asrul mentioned that there was a large python in the area. Not wanting to end up as snack, Khairul and I backtracked to the path. From the higher position, we could see two trails in the grass leading to a thick bush by the canal. Judging from the width of the trial, it was almost two third of a foot wide. At another spot, there was a clearing that would allow a caster to cast. I was given the honour to cast first.…

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This is WAR!

Fly Fishing Trip, Saltwater Trip, , , ,

A battle between Fly, Spinning & Baitcasting and bond of an ever lasting friendship by Nic Chew FFI CCI It’s the time where a buddy of yours whom you have not met up for a long time called you up, in my mind I was thinking of him trying to pull off his MLM scheme to persuade me to join some shady business. I was all guarded up readied to reject him, however it was just to meet up for a fishing trip. The phone conversation that did not even last for 2 minutes had set 3 of us together again. When it comes to fishing, the saying early bird catches the worm stands true to us. To catch the prey, we have decided to reach to place as early as we could. At 5.30, I have departed from my house to fetch Ah Tan and Ah Lim and then head to our destination. An hour and half through the drive to our destination, Tan decided to call the boatman to see whether the tide has risen high enough for us to depart. Unfortunately we won’t be able to head down yet, so we decided to have our breakfast before heading over. During our meal, we found out that all of us were using different gear. It was at that moment, we decided that it was a competition between spinning, baitcasting and fly, and the person who caught the least have to buy dinner for all. Now THIS IS WAR! Fly VS Spinning VS Baitcasting! Here comes 7.30a.m. at the jetty, we quickly unload our gears from the car and loaded them up on the motor boat and off we go to hunt our trophies. Without wasting any time and not wanting to lose, Lim and I quickly set up our gears, not forgetting to tease Tan for not being able to get his gear ready while he was skillfully maneuvering the boat….at first. Then we ran into a tree after that. Never jinx it, all of us almost fell into the water. When we slowly drift down from a narrow passage to an open water, the scene was unfathomable, there were boilings, tailings and rises everywhere, you can clearly see those tarpons chasing the baitfish as the baitfish leaped up the surface desperately trying to live for another day. Without any hesitation, Lim and I began frantically casting into all the possible areas we could to try to get the first fish of the day. Then there was Tan, casually lighting and puffing his cigarette while setting up his baitcasting gear. Unlucky Day? Luck was really not on our side, 15 minutes into fishing, Lim got his first hook up but lost it when he was reeling in. Then later on Tan got his too with his mini lures and lost it again when the tarpon jumped and toss it away. It was not looking good for me as I have zero bites so far. After observing the size of their lure and soft plastic, I changed into a smaller size baitfish. I then proceed to cast into a gap between the mangrove trees and stripped it in fast, suddenly I felt a big tuck on my line and it was a tarpon! Anxiously and excitedly I carefully maintain the tension to ensure I don’t lose the fish as the previous 2 guys had lost theirs. After a 5 minutes of the fish trashing in the mid-air and me reeling in line, the first silver king was tamed and landed. It was a decent sized Tarpon at 45cm, not bad for the first fish of the day. It was now 1 vs 0 vs 0! Never Jinx it. As the time passed, the rises had decreased and the result was 3 vs 0 vs 0. I caught another 2 in between and 3 of us lost a couple too, the curse was back, so we thought. We agreed to give drift down for another hour and called it a day. It was all quiet until I recasted fly and allowed it to sink. As the fly was sinking, my line was pulled strongly along with the scream of my reel, it was a take in mid water, knowing that it could be a decent size fish, 2 of my friends repetitively joke about the ‘curse’ and also to cut the line to ease my burden. After a few minutes of tug of war, the fish was finally revealed to us, it was a barramundi! When it was pulled up to the surface, it started jumping madly trying to toss the fly away from its mouth and there was I praying that my 16lb leader can hold it. Finally when you thought that fish was all tired and ready to be taken up for a photo, suddenly when I reeled it beside the boat, this bugger started his second wave of thrashing and broke off the leader. It was then you could hear the echo of my sadness and cursing throughout the stretch of river. Nonetheless, it was a fun and strange day filled with laughter and disappointment but a good outing with your buddies beats all of the frustration. What’s more I was lucky enough to get a free dinner to end the day too. Final Verdict In the end, it was a lucky 3 VS 0 VS 0 with Fly getting first place, does the result stand true for you….?

Peacock Bass on Fliptail Clouser – On water test in Clearwater Sanctuary (CWS)

Fly Fishing Trip, Fly Pattern, Freshwater Trip, , , , , , , ,

Peacock Bass on Fliptail Clouser On water test in CWS Clevin Kham FFI CCI With the launch of the FTN Silicone and Latex Fish Tail, many variations of baitfish patterns emerged and we took the opportunity to tie a few to test it out on the Malaysian favourite sportfish, the Peacock Bass. Brought into the country in the 80s as an ornamental fish, this fish found its way into the many ponds in the country. With its predatory nature and hard fight, this fish is sought after by fly fishers. Various fly patterns are specifically designed to target this fish. The long weekend, in conjunction with the National Day holiday, was an opportunity to test out this fly. The target species, Peacock Bass. The location, Perak. The fly, Flip Tail Clouser. The equipment, #6 rod with floating line. Darrell and I drove down from Kuala Lumpur and met Asrul Affendi (Asrul), Khairulniza Arifin (Ija) and Aimar Aizat (Aizat) who were so gracious to be our guide on this trip. Arriving at the location just after 8 am, we choose a spot where there was a small stream feeding into a large pond. This is the ideal sport as the PB will be waiting in ambush for the baitfish. Occasionally, the baitfish would be scattered by some large predatory fish. This was a sure sign our target fish was there. I casted my #6 floating line connected to a 7 foot leader. A chartreuse Flip Tail Clouser tied on Ahrex NS150 Curved Shrimp #6 was connected to a 20lb tipper. Many would think that clouser is a sinking fly and thus be fished with a sinking line. I decided to do the opposite. Using a floating line will allow the fly to be stripped upwards and as the fly descended, it will create an aggerated movement of the flap tail. It will have more action than an ordinary clouser, making it more attractive to the fish. Well, this was all my hypothesis. Only the fish can prove this. I cast to a spot near the outflow of the stream and allowed the fly to sink before giving it short but crisp strips. Pausing, to keep the fly in the strike zone longer. As I resumed stripping after the pause, my line was stopped and instinctively, I stripped strike. The fish didn’t like it at all and proceeded to speed off in the opposite direction. It fought doggedly, zig zagging in the water. It was a tough but short fight.  Soon, a dark green fish with an unmistakable black eye fringed by a yellow circle near the tail was gently guided onto the bank. It was a good fish, almost 33cm in length. The fish was safely released after a quick customary photo shoot. The scene was repeated several times. About lunch time, we grab a quick lunch and checked in into CWS and started fishing in the fishing club house spot where the wind started to pick up. Darrell and I moved to another spot just right outside our room, successfully landed a 35 cm fish. The Flipper tail seemed to be working like a charm. It is simple to tie and easy to swim either on a sinking or a floating line. The action seems to drive fish crazy. Try it the next time you target the PB. The beauty of this fly is that can be used as a spin fly on UL spinning gear. ~More Gallery Click Here~

Eging in Pekan – Beginner’s luck on a Squidding Trip Blog / By flytiecast

Fishing Trip, Saltwater Trip, , ,

Eging in Pekan Beginner’s luck on a squidding trip Brandon Ho FFI CCI The first squid photo appeared on Facebook and then another and another. I’ve never been on a squidding trip before and when the opportunity came, I jumped onto the boat. Did some research and talked to Bong and Otto to get myself educated on this thing called Eging. I was amazed by the depth of the skills required for this game. First thing first, I needed to get my hands on some Egi jig. The first name that came up was Yamashita and they are not the cheapest. I bit the bullet and got myself some of these. After work on a Wednesday evening, I got into the Mitsubishi Prado with Bong on the wheel. After picking up Eric, we started our Eging Adventure. The three-plus-hour drive went by like a breeze with insightful discussion about everything under the sun. After settling down in the homestay, I went to bed, dreaming of the first squid that I would catch. The next morning, after a meal of chicken rice, yes, chicken rice at 7.30 in the morning, we took a leisurely 5-minute drive to the jetty. I saw our boat for the first time. In the morning light, it looked like the sportfishing boat where dreams come true. Equipped with two 150-horse-power 4-stroke engines, it was ready for everything. My hopes for a successful trip soared. Rods were set up as we cruised out of the estuary for the open sea. The muddy estuary gave way to the blue ocean. I was enjoying the trip yet at the back of my mind, worried if I could survive the trip without giving up my breakfast to the fishes. It had been a long time since I last set foot on a boat. The sky was clear but the South China Sea was decorated with white caps, indicating the wind was blowing up  one metre high waves. I managed to doze off only to wake up when the engine slowed down. We have reached our first spot. The boat was tied to one of the floats, a few jerry cans tied together. Coconut leaves were stringed on ropes and anchored to the seabed about 20 to 30 metres deep. This was the Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) made by the local fishermen. Sometimes, several strings were put close to together to form a larger Unjang, the local name for these FAD. I clipped an orange 3.0 Egi jig an lowered it to the bottom with the help of a #3 sinker. I tried to imitate the jigging motion, not really sure what I was doing. The countless videos I watched on Youtube didn’t make sense. Bong, seeing my clumsy moves, came over and showed me how to do it: cast it out a short distance, let it sink to the bottom and make a few short jigs while retrieving the line, lift the rod slowly, let it sink slowly and repeat the process. In this spot, the squids were close to the bottom. Behind me, Eric was hooked up to a squid and he expertly reeled in a good sized cephalopods. The first catch was in the boat. It was beautiful but not totally defenseless. Its first weapon was an injection of ink that spread in the water confusing its attacker and while it was being pulled up the boat, it could shoot out a surprising amount of the black sticky substance. I was horrified by the amount it could shoot and the distance was impressive. The Green Eye squid as locally known is also called the Bigfin Reef squid. They have large oval fin that extends throughout the mantle or the body, resembling cuttlefish. They can grow up to 13 inches in length. They are also recorded to have the fastest growing rate of any large marine invertebrate: it can reach a weight of 600g in only 4 short months. However, they have a short life span, dying usually one year after hatching. Males tend to be slightly larger than females. Their large eyes are covered by a transparent secondary corneas, allowing the greenish based to be visible, hence the name Green Eye squid. Laughter could be heard around the boat as everyone was trying to avoid the ink projections while others were trying to aim the hooked squid at their fellow anglers. It was mayhem and hilarious to watch. Still trying to get a hold of the proper way to jig, I suddenly felt a weight on my rod. Instinctively, I lifted the rod and the rod bent double. I just held one while the line was slipping out from the reel. Was it a fish? Not likely, as I was using an Egi jig. Once the line stopped moving, I slowly and carefully retrieved the line, pausing every time the mysterious creature pulled line out. Finally, I could see the mono line, indicating that I was about a metre away from whatever that took the jig. I peered cautiously over the side of the boat and saw my very first squid of the trip. I peered into a ball of outstretched tentacles, the body of the squid was changing colours, from light yellow to a darker hue of brown. If it could communicate, it was telling that it was not happy being caught. Wary of being shot in the face with the ink, I carefully lifted the squid up from the water and put it into a pail. The angry squid released a barrage of sticky ink, all in the confine space of the bucket. That was the first but not the last. At the fist spot, the five of us managed to land about 90 squids. Enough to fill a 20-litre bucket. Everyone was catching squid, the captain and deckie contributed to our catch. They seemed to out fish me and no matter what I did, couldn’t even come near to their efficiency. For every squid…

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Changing The Outcome Of A Bad Trip – Bait Casting on a Fly Fishing Trip

Fishing Trip, Fly Fishing Trip, Freshwater Trip, , , , , , ,

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…

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It’s raining poppers!! Testing the FTN Poppers

Fly Fishing Trip, Fly Pattern, Saltwater Trip, , , , , , ,

It’s raining poppers!! Testing the FTN foam popper Brandon Ho FFI CCI At 6.45am, we pulled up at a pay pond in Jugra. James and Than were already there gearing up for the assault on the Barramundi. It was a dark cold morning as the constant rain in the past weeks have lower the temperature significantly but it did not dampen our spirit. The night before, we were tying flies late into the night and with only a few hours of sleep, we were at the pond. The objective for the day was to test out new flies: Poppers, Booby Streamer, Articulated Rattling Streamer. According to Than, the early morning would be the best time to test out the surface flies. At 7am sharp, we walked towards the pond at the back and started to cast. On the very first cast, Than got a hit on his newly tied Booby Streamer. The moment the fly landed on the water, a big splash erupted and his line went tight. Unfortunately, the fish managed to free itself. Standing by the side of the pond, I cast out my Goldfish Popper about 40 feet out and started to pop it back. I was focusing more on how to create a larger trail bubble while maximizing the “popping” sound. Out of the blue, a wave came rushing up to the moving popper and a respectable silver gray torpedo smashed into the orange and fluorescent yellow popper. It pulled the 6 wt line out of my finger, bending the Vision XO rod. A few seconds later, I suffered the same fate as Than. The fish was gone. The commotion got everyone excited and the pond was pounded with poppers of all colours. Otto was the next person to get a hit and he did a great job landing the fish on a Green Yellow popper on Ahrex SA 220 Streamer #2. A few minutes later, it was Nic who got another barramundi from another pond, on a Yellow Red popper. James, who was fishing at the back pond managed to have a solid hook but, unfortunately his 12lb tippet broke. By then the sun was already peeking out from the eastern sky and then surface action tapered down. It was time for some streamer action. I tied a Dark Brown Articulated Rattling Streamer onto my tippet and cast out. I allowed the fly to sink to the bottom before slowly retrieving the line with erratic movement to enhance the action as well as to create the rattling sound. It worked like a charm and within the first 5 minutes, I got a tap. I continued the retrieve but it didn’t activate any bite response. I cast to another spot and this time, a savage bite and the fish took the fly and ran away with it. It gave a good account of itself and was landed after a brief fight. The fly worked. To prove that the fly really works, it must catch another fish. True enough, the very next cast got connected to another good fish. That’s the proof I was looking for. I needed photo evidence and Janice took a good photo of the fish. What a great end to a fun testing trip. ~More Gallery Click Here~

After the Clouds Cleared – Wetting the line after MCO

Fly Fishing Trip, Freshwater Trip, , , , , , ,

After the Clouds Cleared Wetting the line after MCO Brandon Ho FFI CCI 14 June 2020 was the date we decided it was time to give in to our secret desire after endless nights of fly tying. The venue has been selected and the final preparations made. Slightly before 7 am, we arrived the entrance of our fishing venue. The pond was to be open from 7am but there was no sign of anyone there. Ahead of us were several cars waiting to go in. All of them were observing the social distancing, standing 1 metre apart. As the rising sun chased away the darkness, a man on the motorbike rode up to the gate and nonchalantly opened the gate. We drove in and parked our car at our favourite spot. The first order of the day was to berley the huge pond to attract the fish within casting distance. This is not fair game but this is a pay pond after all. Real fishing trip is still not within our reach under the current circumstances. Our hopes were high, thinking of how hungry the fish would be after almost 3 months of zero fishing pressure. We were so wrong. The only fish that entertained us were the small lampans java or Java Barb, an introduced fish from Sumatra and Java for aquaculture. These fish thrived in ponds, preferring still water habitats rather than flowing water, eating vegetations and breeding like the proverbial rabbit. On an 8wt, it was an overkill. We were targeting the hard fighting pacu and the 8wt would give us a chance of landing these fish for a photo shoot. After landing incalculable lampans, I decided to switch to my Vision Onki 4 wt matched to a  Vision XLV3/4. Now, this made fishing for them fun and exciting. With the floating bread being hammered by these fish, all I needed to do was to cast into the frenzy and wait. If the bite didn’t come, chances were the bread fly would have sunk beyond their feeding zone. Our target species didn’t really come out until about 4 pm. The whole morning, only Nic and Clevin managed to land one each. The rest of us had to be satisfied with catching the Lampans in the 20 to 30cm range. Not too shabby considering that they only grow to about 40cm. At 4 pm, like clockwork, the pacu came out to play. Fist sized buns were being swallowed whole and each time they roll, they grey silvery body would catch the sun’s ray. What an amazing sight. These fish were smart and would only take the buns thrown 40 to 50 feet away. As the wind blew the buns closer to shore, they stopped feeding. They are like a pack of wolves waiting beyond the perimeter, ready to pounce on anything that stray too far out. The modus operandi was simple. Toss the buns as far as you can, usually about 40 feet and beyond. Not an easy task, more so with the wind blowing in your face. Then it is just to wait for the Pacu to arrive. Soon, the water around the floating bun began to churn. Something large was moving, pushing the water, causing the bread to wobble. Nothing happened for the next few seconds, then the water erupted, splashing the water and when the water calmed down, the bun was gone. Volleys of bun were launched and landed within feet of the action. The fly anglers were at ready, loose line at their feet, several feet of fly line were floating on the green olive water. In a split second, they would have to launch their heavy flies more than 40 feet out towards the commotion. Accuracy and timing counts. There was no room for error and certainly not for the faint hearted. The next fly angler would be standing less than less than 15 feet away. Any mistake in the casting would result in an ugly incident. Having a #1 hook in your face is never fun. Eyes focused on the water and at the first signs on a frenzy, flies whizzed through the air and within seconds, the white fluffy zonker landed softly on the water. A quick strip of the fly line caused the fly to gently sink. The commotion was still happening around the fly and suddenly the line tightened and shot out of the rod, burning fingers as it exited the rod tip. The reel screamed in agony but the drag did little to slow the fish down. Fly line evaporated from the reel and soon the backing was being stripped as well. Keeping the rod tip low, maximum pressure was applied to the fish and the run slowed before eventually stopping. The reel was cranked while maintaining a nice bend on the rod. The fish seemed to have thrown in the towel but as it got closer, the fish surged away, taking off the hard earned line. After several heart stopping surges, the fish was led meekly towards the net. Several failed attempts later, the fish was netted and after a quick photo shoot, the fish was released to bully other anglers. It was a frenzy to be remembered. Multiple hookups were the norm and we were the centre of attention. Curious passersby came up to have a closer look and some even took photos of the fish. While Clevin was fighting his larger than average Pacu on his double handed Onki rod, someone came up to him and said, “This look like fun. Can I try?”. He handed her the rod and guided her to fight the fish. After several minutes of strenuous work out, the fish was expertly landed and a celebratory photo was taken. The group was the alumni of UPM and their passion for the outdoors brought them here for a good meal after a morning of hiking and trekking. Each of them had a chance to fight the mighty pacu and experienced…

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FTC CSR Project – Bringing Joy To The World Through Fly Fishing

CSR Project, Fly Fishing Trip, Freshwater Trip, , ,

FTC is a company that deals not only with fly fishing and fly fishing equipment but also aims to build a better community through fly fishing activities. While not big in terms of capital and manpower but definitely not small in heart, FTC has always placed priority in community activities. “Bring a child fly fishing” is a great concept to introduce the younger generation to this wonderful sport and there is a saying, “When someone joins fly fishing, you will have a steward for conservation and preservation”. This is very true as fly fishing brings one out to nature where beauty at its best can be experienced firsthand. A recent project comes to mind. As volunteer in MAPPAC, Brandon is directly involved in the Pediatric Palliative Care. One of the cases referred to him was a child suffering from Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, whose wish was to experience a fishing adventure. After being briefed about the request, FTC wholehearted jumped in to offer support and Ben, an experienced fly casting instructor chipped in with his experience and expertise. It was not a simple task as the pandemic was in full swing with restrictions in many areas. We were battling with time and time was not in Amirul’s favour. Finally, we got the “all clear” and we quickly jumped into action. On 13 May 2020, our team met Amirul and his family at the hospital. After a final briefing from the doctors, we set off. He looked like any other kid, full of excitement and curious about the world around him. His eyes were full of life and his face lit up upon hearing stories of what to expect that day. Our forward team was already at the designated fishing pond and tents were set up to provide a cool resting place. Food and drink were made available. Once Amirul arrived, a rod was passed to him and soon he was battling his first fish of the day. With guidance from the team and encouragement from his family, a nice Patin was guided into the net and gently lifted up for a quick photo session. The smile on his face was unbelievable. His energy was incredible. One can easily have mistaken this child to be any normal child. As the sun rose, the fish became more active and Amirul continued to pull in fish after fish. We were concerned about the hot sun but Amirul wanted to continue. After a quick meal, he was out with a rod in his hands again. The doctors have told us that he would be weak and unable to move actively, but none of these ever happened. Asked if he was tired, he said no but he wanted something to eat. It was promptly prepared for him. After one final fish, it was time to pack up and head back to the hospital. One the way home, he fell asleep, tired but very happy. His brother told us that he had not been so happy for a very long time. Battling the disease had taken a very heavy toll on him. The next day, Brandon briefed the doctors and nurses about the event. None of them could believe that he was so energetic throughout the trip. It was also amazing that he had good appetite as it was normal for him to refuse food. On 3 June, Brandon received a call from the doctor, informing him of the sad news, Amirul has left us. The news sadden our whole team. It was just 20 days ago when we were fishing with him and now he has gone. A video and collection of photos was passed to his family. Life is indeed short and fragile. It has been a year since Amirul left us but he will forever be remembered for his courage, determination and positive outlook in life. May his memories be an inspiration and hope for everyone. FTC would like to covey our greatest appreciation for the support, advice and commitment for making this project a success. Thank you to : Brandon Ho Phyllis Yong Ben Janice Dr Lee For more information about this project, the article on the project was published in the July 2020 MAPPAC newsletter. https://drive.google.com/file/d/12F3YVMhHljMORgXzDc40-czSWIjxLYH2/view ~More Gallery Click Here~