Angling cliches are everywhere.
You catch GTs in crystal clear reefs.
You bounce the bottom for Snapper.
You trek the rivers for Mahseer.
You spot finning Trout in freestone streams.
You hit the swollen dams for Snakehead.
Well I've just discovered that its not exactly true for the last two.Two weeks seperated very different experiences that couldn't be further apart, but somehow intertwined to become a contrast of cliches. Downunder on a trip to experience a specie not found in our climes - the Trout - I found myself furthest from any mountain stream possible. Instead we were to hit a dammed impoundment where Trout and Natives thrived side by side. The onset of winter meant Natives were out of the question, our targets were to be Trout and not much else.
Frosty mornings were the hardest even for the keenest fisherman, but we were on our way and would be at the boatramp by sunrise to get catch the early bite.
We weren't the first though, there are some really mad fishermen out there (like us) who would forgo a nice warm bed for the chills...
A the sun peaked through the ranges, it was very much welcomed warmth...
Daylight would eventually reveal a scene not unlike what we have back in the tropics. Sunken timber from what was once hills before the river was dammed and swollen...
The day was slow, but we soon had the first fish in the boat. This healthy Brown Trout didn't think twice about hitting this big diver, dispelling all myths that you need delicate presentations for these finicky fish...
It was tough fishing, possibly due to the cold. Not long before the morning was done, the winds picked up and we were blown all across the pond. Just before calling it quits to retreat to safer ground we were lucky enough to hit another Brown Trout. It gave a good account of itself on the aptly named Majorcraft Troutino rod and light line. The successful lure turned out to be the Jackall Bros Squirrel...
Back on dry land and with the remainder of the day on our hands we decided to go for Rainbow Trout in a stocked lake, away from the miserable weather. These fish were well conditioned and were willing, didn't take long to score one...
DUO Perakko - a sinking propbait which did the trick...
Had another shortly on the DUO Ebikko shrimp imitation. The small profile lures were working a treat...
Best fish of the day came just as the day was ending, with a long drive ahead of us back to civilisation...
Zipbaits Raphael did this one in...
The following week we were back in the tropics and this day found us trekking through the thick jungles of the interior of Borneo, hoping to find a new species to cast a lure at. When we found the mountain-fed stream it looked just like a typical freestone stream where you would find eager Trout rising for its next mayfly.
The irony.
Refreshing was just the word to describe the experience. Cool and swift, the gin clear waters were inviting indeed...
The water levels were low due to the lack of rain, but it didn't stop us trying. The dense canopy encapsulates you...
Right at home in these shallow streams were select lures from the Jackson, Zipbaits, DUO and Bassday stable, you may recognise them...
After a few tentative hits the first Three Striped Jungle Perch stayed connected to the Zipbaits Raphael. Small but a new species nonetheless and justified for a stream of this size...
This next fish was certainly unexpected. A Jungle Snakehead or Bujuk as known locally. These fish are typically found in swampland and with their shape and habits as a guide you wouldn't have guessed to find one in a shallow fast flowing stream like this...
The irony of catching Trout a week earlier in a large body of water and a Snakehead here in the shallow rapids just goes against all cliches! It was welcome catch indeed, and what a beautifully marked fish it was...
The Zipbaits Raphael was the lure of choice and it worked its charm on more Jungle Perches of the Three Striped variety...
The Troutino rod by Majorcraft was totally at home, casting in the tight confines with finesse. Watching these fish chase down the lures in gin-clear waters were a treat indeed...
They weren't big but size doesn't always matter!
To prove the earlier catch was no fluke, we hooked up another Jungle Snakehead on a DUO Spearhead Ryuki, in millimetres of water...
And yet another one!
The Ryuki was pretty irresistable I guess...
It was a great experience to fish two such different locales and find species that would not be out of place in the other's backyard!
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