A quick revisit to the Urban Jungle – EAK

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

EAK (Empangan Air Kuning) is a popular spot for fly fishing in Malaysia, known for its pacu and toman fishing. It is the place where you can still catch the pacus with the conventional flies like Hopper, Nymph, Wooly buggers or even baitfish. So without wasting much time, we started with a quick nymph and hopper. Based on our past experience the first cast on the water would land us something but not today. The pond was perfectly still with no pacu rising action at all. However, the tomans were strangely abundant and active, with easily more than 5-6 pairs circling and cruising around. After no willing takers from the pacus in the middle of the pond, we decided to go to the side and try our luck. Just as we reached the bridge, we saw a pacu rise, we quickly casted and wait. With a few twitches, the Pacu took the fly and instantly dash into the structure. I tightened the drag and moved as far as I could from the structures, trying to prevent the fish from going in. After a few minutes of tug of war, I managed to land the first fish of the day. Then the whole pond quiet down again and it went back to the waiting game again. Not wanting to wait for too long, we decided to chum the Pacus with some bread. However the fish was not in feeding mood that day, only after around 20-30 minutes another rise from the middle of the pond, we jogged over there and casted our flies. Just as the fly sunk 1-2ft below the surface, I felt a great tug and that’s it, another hook up! Since I remembered there were no structures in the middle of the pond, I didn’t tighten the drag as much, and that became one of my fatal mistake. I underestimated the fish and it actually took off to the opposite bank towards the big sunken tree. By the time, I realised and tried to lock my drag, the fish had circled the tree trunk and broke off my fly. It showed how vicious these species can be. With no time to repent on my stupid mistake, I retied my fly and did the whole waiting game again, only this time my drag was locked. After another rise was within the sight, I casted and landed it. Then the same routine went on for awhile before we had to leave for work. Overall, it was a fruitful short trip though not as many as before. Fishing Report: March 2023 – 3 hours of fishing – 5 strikes and hookups – 3 landed

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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Fellowship of the Fly Rods – An informal get together at Fish Valley

Fly Fishing Trip, Freshwater Trip, , , ,

Fellowship of the Fly Rods An informal get together at Fish Valley Brandon Ho FFI CCI Standing behind the wooden fence, we scanned the water surface for signs of fish. The floating buns only attracted nibbles from small fish. The monsters we were looking for had not shown up. Tossing a few more buns into the water, we waited but this time, we didn’t have to wait long. A huge mouth open and swallowed the fist sized bun. Almost immediately, another bun disappeared. Wasting no time, we rushed to grab our rods. By the time we got back to the spot, the water had all but became calm. Clevin took up position, took a bun and threw in to a spot 30 feet away. We looked at him with a frown. “These pacu are too smart to come so near. Throw it further out” He took another bun, concentrated and then arched back to deliver the bun… and it landed next to the first bun! We stared at him and he looked at the two floating buns in disbelieve. Determined, he position a row of buns on the wooden fence and released a barrage of flying buns outward. They landed slightly further. Now, it was waiting time. Soon, the small nibbles gave way to larger splashes. More buns were tossed in, until the fish could be seen rolling over the bread. Time to cast! Armed with #6 rods, the fly needed to be delivered within a few cast, usually not more than 3 casts. Casting flies as large as #1 was not easy, especially on the #6 rod. The wind was not making things any easier. The fly was cast a few feet beyond the frenzy and allowed to sink slowly to where the fish are holding. The fluorocarbon leader is perfect as the line is denser than monofilament and sinks better. It is also almost invisible under water, great for spooky fish. As the line is slowly sinking, stay focus as the line could shoot out anytime. Darrell got the first hookup and the smallish Pacu was brought in without much effort. Then it was Nic with a slightly better fish. Everyone was hooking and fighting fish. Soon the late morning sun was getting too hot and we retreated to our usual table under the gazebo for an early lunch. Soon, our friends started arriving. Taking time to set up their gear, they then proceeded to carry out the routine of Pacu fishing. They have perfected the art of catching Pacu. One was given the task of tossing buns while the others stood on standby to cast. The buns had to made available continuously to ensure the fish stayed in the area. When someone caught a fish, one person was waiting by the bank with a landing net.  This well-polished team work like the professional pit stop crew. You will want to fish with these guys. More and more people turned up and these were the big names in the local fly fishing scene. It was fun to watch them fish. Each with their unique technique and secret flies but the secret was generously shared. Even flies were offered freely to be tried. Talk about sharing the passion for this sport. If people wanted to see how real gentlemen fish, all they need to do was to fish with them. They don’t call fly fishing a gentlemen sport for nothing! At the end of the day, Clevin emerged the winner with the most number of hook up. This was not attributed to luck. His 11” Switch rod made casting easy and with a single dynamic roll cast, he could send the heavy fly 70 to 80 feet away, even in the wind. The bigger fish that were smarter usually feed further out and the rod made it easy for him to target them. It was an incredible informal gathering. Fish were caught, secrets were shared and jokes were laughed at. What else would one ask for on a fishing trip? I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story. ~More Gallery Click Here~

Pacu Frenzy in the Valley – A Gathering of Fly Fishers

Fly Fishing Trip, Freshwater Trip, , , ,

Pacu Frenzy in the Valley A gathering of fly fishers Brandon Ho FFI CCI History teaches us how to avoid past mistakes and be prepared when opportunities arise. With that in mind, I spent long quiet nights in the fly room thinking of tying a fly that fits all the criteria for targeting the hard fighting pacu: big and visible, slow sinking, well-hidden hook and resembles the pieces of disintegrated bread. The classical way to tie the Bread fly is to use white zonkers. This method works well but the tying process can be very messy. Pieces of white rabbit fur will be flying everywhere and if you have small children in the house, it will be a disaster. When used for fishing, the fluffy white fur will very quickly take on the colour of the water. After a while, the white fur tend to clump together, making the fly looks smaller and losing the natural movement. How do I get all the criteria right while making sure the normal occurring problems of a Bread fly can be avoided? I started out with a hook with thin but strong wire. The hook I used was the Ahrex Light Stinger NS122. It has a wide gap with super shard point to easily penetrate the tough mouth of the Pacu. It’s small barb makes removing the fish a breeze, causing minimal harm to the fish. Furthermore, the black nickel finish doesn’t seem to spook the fish. I had used shiny metallic hook and the bite rate was very low compared to flies tied on black nickel finish hook. To dress the fly, I started by first tying a thin strip of white foam to slow down the sink rate. Then I used Semperfli’s Predator Fibre to give the fly some bulk. This will also prevent the softer material from clumping together. Then Deer Creek’s Mega Lazer Dub is used to add the element of fluffiness and also visibility. This step is repeated, tying up the shank of the hook with each repetition. The final step is to tie in a clump of Extra Fine UV dubbing, using the reverse tie method to cover the fly before whip finishing. A small drop of super glue is applied to the thread to ensure the fly doesn’t fall apart during the fight with the Pacu. I want a fly that can be used for multiple fish. Casting the fly about 50 feet into the pond, I gave a short strip to get the fly underwater and watched as it slowly sank. From that distance, I could see the fly quite clearly and after it had completely disappeared into the depths, I gave a long slow strip to get the fly up and allowed it to sink again. Then it happened, the line went tight and instinctively, I strip set, waiting for the line to shoot out, burning my fingers in the process, but the pulled was half-hearted, the short pull merely bounced the rod tip. It was a Lampan. First cast of the day on the new fly and I caught a fish. I cast again after releasing the fish, I could feel the nibbles and some short pulls. Several casts later, another Lampan, then another and another. With each fish, Janice would offered to take a photo of the fish and after the 3rd fish, I didn’t want any more photos. I lost count of the fish I caught after fish number 7. It was not fun anymore. Then Otto’s rod bent and he leaned back to counter the pull of the fish. He fought the fish gently as he had not caught a Pacu here yet. This may be his first. “I’m just using 6lb tippet!” he said while struggling to control the fish. He would have to use all his skills and patience to fight this fish. He allowed to fish to run whenever it wanted and only gently reeling in the line when it had stopped running. After more than 10 minutes, a tired Pacu was ready to be netted. Mission accomplished. First Pacu for Otto! Sweating under the hot late morning sun, he beamed as he lifted the fish for a well-deserved photo shoot and the fish was gently released to grow big and fight another day. Then, it was Nic’s turn. He had hooked up to a strong fighter. With a 20lb tippet, he had a better fighting chance against the brute. Clearly enjoying this fight, he watched as the fish pulled the line out, causing his Merisoula reel to give out a long high pitched whizz, like the an electric motor running. Smooth and efficient. Several long runs later, the fish was ready to throw in the towel. Gently guiding the tired fish into the landing net, Clevin scooped the fish up. The fish was released after a few photos and Nic started to pack up. He was the best man for his friend’s wedding and he was not going to leave before he had got his fish. That’s the power of determination and laser focused persistent. After a nice lunch at our usual table, we chatted and laughed while drinking tea. Fishing can wait. Slowly, Ben’s friends turned up. Wasting no time, they rigged up and started fishing. At first it was the usual tiddlers but as the afternoon wore on, the bend of their rods became more pronounce, signifying the monsters were out to play. Ben and I were still sitting at the table under the gazebo while everyone was at the sandy road dividing the two ponds. It was mayhem everywhere. Frantic casting, rod bending, reels screaming, loud laughing and the occasional groan of disappointment. Everyone was in it. Clevin walked towards us. “That’s the 5th fish I lost today!” He sat down, drank a cup of tea and he was off again. I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up my #6 XO and joined in the fray. Casting space was limited but everyone cast…

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Where The Fish Has Great Taste – The Pacu of Semenyih

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

Where The Fish Has Great Taste The Pacu of Semenyih Brandon Ho FFI CCI It all started with a short text to Ben Foo, the renowned fly casting instructor on a Thursday afternoon. “Any recommendations for a fishing spot this Sunday?” “Could try Fish Valley but need to bring bread for berley.” “Ok” “It must be flavoured bun or cakes. Normal bread doesn’t work.” “Wow!!! The fish got taste!” On Sunday, Clevin, Nic, Janice and I walked into the Fish Valley Restaurant. It is a covered restaurant overseeing a large pond where some anglers were fishing. The dining area is large and the tables are placed a comfortable distance from each other, a welcome change from some of the restaurants in the city. The main showcase is two large aquariums showcasing some of the local fish species. I spotted Ben and Otto sitting at the far end of the restaurant, closest to the pond. You can tell the anglers and the non-anglers apart very easily. Even when talking to each other, their eyes never left the pond. After the customary greetings and handshakes, we chose a table next to the pond under a gazebo and had lunch. It was a simple meal but it was the simplicity that made the meal memorable. The food tasted just as I remembered it: good to the last bite! I was here many years ago, even before I picked up fly fishing. Under the gazebo with the fan blowing at full speed, we were slow to get up and set up our gear. Clevin took the van key from me and parked it under a tree next to our table. That’s thoughtful. Still, it was hard to get up but we were here for a mission. To catch the pacu! It was slightly after 3pm when the first bun was tossed into the water. With eagle eyes, we watched for the slightest movement in the water. The first few minutes passed without a single nibble on the bun. It floated gently in the translucent green water. Then, a few small movement, followed by a frenzy of fish attacking the bun. We all got excited but Ben coolly said it was just the small lampans. We didn’t travel here for the tiddlers. We wanted the brute that could bend out wt6 to breaking point and make our reels scream in agony. We kept throwing buns after buns into the pond. Occasionally, there would be a huge splash and the whole bun disappeared into the abyss. By the time the huge fish appeared, we had almost depleted our supply of bread. Clevin was sent to procure more bread from the nearby shops and he came back smilling with 5 loaves of bread. Ben looked at him, the smile disappeared from his face. “ This is only enough for one hour, max.” To catch these monster here, distance, accuracy and timing were vital. Once the fish zoomed in on the bread, one would have to read the splash to determine if it was the lampans or the pacus. The huge wake from the pacus would signal the time to cast. With the berley 40 to 50 feet away, you only had time to false cast 2 to 3 times to get the fly out to within a few inches from the commotion. Any further, the fly would be totally ignored. To make matter worst, there was a electric cable behind us and the front was obstructed by a wooden barrier to prevent the overzealous anger from falling into the pond. With Ben diligently throwing bread into the pond to keep the fish interested, I was instructed to wait for the precise moment to cast. “Cast now!!! To the middle bread!!!” It was more than 40 feet away! I picked up my rod, mindful of the wire about 10 feet away, cast into the frenzy. “Strip the line and little!” Ben coached. “Let the fly sink and leave it,” With the frenzy around the approximate location of my sinking fly, I knew it would be a matter of time before something swam away with it. The line went tight and I lifted the rod with my right hand while my left hand gripped the line tight. I eased the line, allowing the fish to take the loose line before allowing the drag to do the work. The drag whizzed as the line poured out, reminding me of the run of a bonefish, albeit a shorter run. With the fish slowing down, I slowly pumped and reeled to recover some line. The line took off again and then… the line went slack. The fish had thrown the hook. Despite losing the fish, the others kept fishing in earnest, catching lampan like there was no tomorrow. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw Ben holding a bent rod. The others were rushing over to watch the commotion and Clevin took on the photographer’s job. After an intense but strong fight, the fish was netted and held for a photo session. After releasing the fish, he cast to another frenzy created by a pandan flavoured bun and connecting to a strong pulling fish. Like the gentleman that he was, he generously passed the rod to Janice. She fought the fish with confident and even after being bullied by the brute, she managed to land the fish. The commotion of the fight caused the pond to go quiet. We took a break under the tree with a cold drink. Otto and Nic were still casting under the hot sun. I wished I had their determination. Their hard work paid off, Nic hooked up to a monster that peeled the line out of his reel and well into his backing. It just wouldn’t stop. We enjoyed the show from the comfort of the shade. Just as sudden as the line took off, the line went slack. Another fish lost! I stood up confidently to avenge the humiliation Nic suffered. With…

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EAK Revisited

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

Hidden paradise in the city Brandon Ho FFI CCI After a freak storm that created extensive damage to Taman Botani, Fly Fishing and Lure Casting Centre, was forced to close its door due to safety concerns. This is sad day for fly fishers as they have lost paradise that is so close to city. Though located less than an hour away from the city centre, this place offers great fly fishing opportunities for the hard fighting “Pacu”, better known as the fresh water GT with its blistering run and never say die attitude. There is no shame in losing this fish and landing one, especially on a #6 is a cause for celebration. Since its reopening on 16 August 2019, many fly fishers have revisited this Pacu infested pond. I have always wanted to revisit this place but it was only in January that I finally made the trip there with Nic, Clevin from FTC and Thian, a relatively new fly fisher who has not caught a Pacu on fly yet. This would be the day for him to receive the baptism of fire from the notorious Pacu. On the bright Sunday morning, we headed to Taman Botani and made our customary stop at one of the stalls opposite the Seksyen 6 wet market. Their “nasi dagang” is to die for and one plate of the steamed rice in coconut milk, generously smothered in thick tuna curry and accompanied with pickled cucumber, carrots and onions is enough to provide you with the sustenance for a full day of fishing. By the time we reached, it was already 9 am. The sun was already warming up the air and evaporating the morning mist. We were the first one there and the sight of rising fish was an invitation that was hard to resist. However, there was work to be done. We were there to shoot a product video on a new product. Hard as it was, we managed to photograph, video and even test the product without losing focus to the distracting ripples caused by the rising fish. Our first fly landed on the water and anticipation of a strong pull followed by a long blistering run filled our minds. With slow figure of eight strip, the fly was slowly retrieved and then cast out again. This happened again and again. Sweat was trickling down our faces. The morning sun had slowly but surely increased in intensity, draining us of our energy and also optimism of landing a fish. I had already begun carelessly casting to the shallows, hoping to hook one of the earth eater that could be seen to inquisitively follow our slow moving fly. Seeking reprieve from the burning sun, I seek shelter in the gazebo facing the pond. Nik, the owner of FFLCC was there. He told me that the fishing yesterday was very different. Fish after fish were landed, regardless of the type of flies used. The fly fishers were too tired after the fishing marathon and decided to call it quits. Now, that’s very rare. Have you heard of a fly fisher who would leave a fishing frenzy? Later in the afternoon, we began to see other anglers landing fish and not to be one to lose out, we geared up and headed to the two wooden platforms to begin our assault on the fish. The fish were feeding on the surface and we changed to a hopper pattern, the same one that proved to be successful for the graylings and lenoks in Mongolia. Leaving the fly to float on the surface and with the occasional twitch to catch the attention of any passing fish, we mentally prepared for the inevitable battle with the mighty Pacu. It finally happened, with a splash, the light ocher yellow fly disappeared under the translucent green water and the line pulled tight, threatening to yank the fly rod out of my hands. The line whizzed through the snake guides, bending the rod. I watched the line in amazement, bringing back the memory of my very first Pacu caught in this very same spot. Then the line went limp, the rod straightened and my heart sank. The fish was gone… together with my confidence. Dejectedly, I reeled my line in only to discover that the leader had been cut off clean. Fishing for these brutes requires more than fishing skills. Luck plays a big role too. With the hook either in the mouth or on the lip can mean the difference between a landed fish and a sulking angler. After putting on a similar fly, I casted to a nearby ripple and the next moment was a blur of whizzing lines, bent rod and confused running about the wooden platform. The fish fought hard and long, even when it is near, it continued to stubbornly resist by swimming on its side, using the bulk of its body to prevent itself from being guided it to be landed. Several fail attempts later, the fish was gently lifted out of the water. The fly sat nicely at the corner of the mouth, away from the menacing teeth, used for crushing the hard fruits that is the typical food of the Pacu. I was not the only one landing fish. All of use landed multiple fish and losing even more. Later in the afternoon saw the fish becoming more active, giving us double and triple hook up. Thian got several good size fish that almost humiliated him but finally gave him a good profile picture. He had caught his first Pacu on fly. All in, the 4 of us landed a total of 12 fishes, losing even more and we were not even fishing seriously. It was more of a fun trip focused on having a great time. The fish here really do fight hard and I began to understand why the previous group opted to leave early. By 5.00pm I was ready to leave too. Other anglers had packed and waiting to go…

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