Planning to introduce your kids to the joys of fishing? SEET CHER HUNG has some choice spots.
THERE are so many places to fish in the country, some more accessible than others, which may require the use of specialised 4WD vehicles.
But if you’re planning to introduce your kids to the joys of angling, where do you go?
One of the best places for a weekend of family fishing fun is the many pay-to-fish ponds throughout Malaysia.
While fishing in the wild is the ultimate back-to-nature experience, it’s not the most ideal place to teach your kids to fish.
Often, the journey to a remote fishing spot can be back-breaking, and in many cases, fraught with danger. It takes lots of planning, and, can burn a hole in the pocket too. And fishes are not guaranteed, either.
This week, we explore one of the more popular pay-to-fish ponds in Johor. For more fishing information, surf the writer’s blog at http://www.fishinghorizon.com.
Where to pay and fish
 |
| (from left)Edwin with a Grass Carp, Mid-size pacu caught by Jimmy. (Right) Landing a 1.5 kg patin using the landing nets provided by the farm. |
Nanyang Fishing Farm, located in Air Bemban in Kulai, is a 2½-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur and is based on the popular catch-and-release concept.
The owners of the fish farm have turned one of their larger ponds into a fishing pond for enthusiasts. Fishes caught are released to fight another day.
Each rod costs RM8 and you can fish from 10am to 7pm.
Taking time off for rest, lunch, and breaks in between, you should be able to get in at least six to seven hours of fishing.
You’ll probably land more than 10 fishes, so be sure to have the camera ready.
At the end of the day, if you decide that one of your catch is worth plonking on the dinner table, the owner will weigh your catch and charge you the market rate for the fish.
My visit to the Nanyang Fish Farm with five other anglers yielded more than 40 fishes in the short three-hour period. One of the anglers even used a basic pole rod and managed to land good fishes on it too.
What will you catch and release:
They encourage the use of barbless hooks which won’t harm the fish.
This is an excellent place to teach children about the need to preserve our delicate eco-system while enjoying the thrill of angling.
The pond is quite large (about half the size of a soccer field) and is very well stocked with a variety of freshwater fishes, ranging from several species of carp (including the popular grass carp and big head carp) to the more aggressive pacu and patin.
Pacu and patins are more aggressive eaters than carp, and as such, they tend to be easier to catch.
They also fight a lot harder than the members of the carp family, making them the better choice for anglers willing to battle them on light tackle.
There’re also other popular species of freshwater fishes such as the toman (Siamese Snakehead), haruan (local snakehead), local catfish and Marbled Goby (Soon Hock). There are also the usual resident tilapias and tarpons in the pond as well.
What to bring along:
It’s recommended that you bring your own tackle and bait.
Although basic fishing gear is available for rent, these are very basic and are not well maintained. They may not be able to withstand the stress of a big fish on the line.
The recommended tackle is a lightweight spinning rod and reel outfit with 2.7-46kg line.
One of the favourite end tackles used here is just a short one foot length of 9kg line with a single Size Two hook.
You can add extra weight for casting by just adding a lead split shot. Some anglers prefer to fish with a float.
Effective baits to use include a mixture of fragrant chicken feed and steamed tapioca and chicken liver/gizzard.
If you don’t want the hassle of messing around with these, plain old bread, worms or shrimp will do the job just as well.
Different anglers swear by their own secret concoction of baits.
During my trip, I found that plain white bread worked quite well too.
Patin and pacu are not very fussy eaters, although many carp species are known to be vegans.
Other equipment which you may want to bring along are your rod stand to rest your rod while waiting for that bite. And maybe some bite indicators to detect fish on the line.
During my trip to check out the place, fishes were caught almost every 20-30 minutes.
I’ve heard stories of rods being pulled into the water; and actually saw one rod “fly” off its rod stand and into the water when the bait was taken by a good-sized patin.
Fishing can make for some heart-stopping moments.
Fortunately, the angler was able to recover his rod by hooking it up with another angler’s rod. And he landed the offensive fish too!
Large landing nets are also available to land your fishes, so you can leave yours at home if you don’t want the hassle of carrying too many things.
No comments:
Post a Comment