The draw of chasing a new species never ceases to get the adrenalin in any hot-blooded anglers' veins. To put in the miles and traverse borders only comes with the territory. This was a funky new species that had got us all excited to get in on for quite a few years, and alas we had the chance to go chase some. Here's the journey...
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| This trip took us to the country in the heart of Kalimantan. It was a pretty insightful journey even before the fishing had begun... |
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| It took some travel on road and boat to get where we were headed... |
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| We experienced being locals for the day. These folks depended on the large river for much of their livelihood... |
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| The day would start early and was long. The long boat ride couldn't be over sooner... |
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| Along the way the lures were readied: Deep Feats, Realis Jerkbait 100SPs, prototype 110SPs and 100DRs... |
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| As the banks narrowed we entered a smaller branch of the main river and caught a glimpse of locals and their homes by the banks... |
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| Folks were going about their daily chores and we felt like the lucky ones on the water for the day... |
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| Starting as the early sun rose, the Evergreen x Luminox watch tells us there is still some way to go... |
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| We entered smaller branches away from the busy main river... |
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| Very soon the canopy closed in as we picked the tributary we aimed to fish in... |
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| The likely snags were everywhere. Where would we find the fish? |
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| Well the fish took some finding, and it was almost in the scorching midday sun that we hit the first specimen of the spectacularly marked Ocellated Snakehead. It is the fish that has caused us much sleepless nights... |
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| This first fish fell victim to a rapid search technique using one of the most effective new lures to date for this method, the DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DR... |
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| Some parts of the lush forest looked truly Jurassic. And it felt like a special privilege to be in the system... |
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| With the sun overhead and the fish deep in cover the only way to successfully get any attention would be to fish deep in the sticks... |
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| One of the best lures for the job would be the Jackall Break Blade chatterbait. Here the juvenile Giant Snakehead is skull dragged out courtesy of the strong Major Craft MS-X baitcast stick... |
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| Not too many casts later we score a fine Cobra Snakehead by casting under leafy cover... |
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| Like the one before it, this one fell for the Jackall Break Blade dressed with a Jackall Knuckle tail... |
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| The species list would continue to grow with the fourth Snakehead specie in a day - the delightful Forest Snakehead... |
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| The Jackall Break Blade fulfils the 'Grand Slam' of the Snakehead angling world... |
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| Once the code was broken the attacks came quick and hard. Here's the best Ocellated Snakehead for the day. They go hard even on stout gear like the Major Craft MS-X heavy baitcast rod... |
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| Bigger lure gets the bigger fish. The Imakatsu Moth Chatter laced with a Jackall Dragon Bug did the trick... |
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| As the day wore on and the sun cast some shadows the fish were willing topwater customers in the cover... |
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| This Ocellated Snakehead went for the Evergreen Big Bite Frog hard and got pinned... |
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| Meanwhile the tried-and-true method still continued to produce, and emphatically, with a brute of a Forest Snakehead... |
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| The Jackall Break Blade affirms its place in the Hall of Fame... |
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| Topwater is the most exciting way to catch these fish and lures don't come more successful than the IMA Skimmer... |
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| We shared the river with villagers who depended on it for sustenance... |
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| Another fine specimen on the IMA Skimmer again... |
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| And topwater was indeed the way to go as the fish claimed the surface hunting prey in the failing light... |
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| This fish to end the day pounced on the IMA Pugachev's Cobra hard and raced for the nearest snag... |
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| The day was long but like with every sunset it was one to savour... |
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