Phuket Fishing Park Dec 2013.

Phuket Fishing Park Dec 2013

 

The tackle table is set out. It's pretty simple stuff required for Phuket Lake. Pliers are required for removing the hooks from the catfish and fruit eating pirhanas in particular as the latter's teeth are extremely numerous and sharp. The coils of line are 30lb and 60lb breaking strain depending on which fish are feeding and are used for the 2 foot trace to size 10 to size 13 hooks (these hook sizes are not like our freshwater sizes. A Thai size 13 is like a size 4 UK size). The pirhanas bite through everything so thick traces are required! We use floats when there is no wind to suspend bait cages or just use the cages as a swim feeder/weight if the wind is blowing and we need to fish the bottom. Bread, nuts and sweet corn are in the background of the photo. These were our hook baits but we also used bacon to great effect yesterday. Cameras are of course essential as is a phone so that wind up texts can be sent back to mates freezing back in UK when they (you!) should be here fishing with us.

On the right is the bait cage....although it can't be seen as it is loaded up with the provided groundbait mixture. On the left is the main bait...in this case just a piece of folded breadcrust with the size 10 hook threaded through it. The bait is then pressed into the groundbait ball which also acts as the 'weight'. A gentle lob sends it all on its way....but the real skill is casting a good distance without the baitball exploding mid-air. The Thai Guides are fantastic at it....we are slowly improving.



Grauvell Tackle sponsor Offshore Rebel. They have kindly provided several quality rods and reels for this winter's fishing in suny Thailand. Yesterday we tried out the Grauvell Colossus Cat Fighter 330 and paired it with the Grauvell Capri GT70 fixed spool reel. Grauvell also provided a Targa ZZ 3500 which was used on a Shimano Cruzar 21002. In addition we used two more Shimano Cruzars paired with a Penn 750 and an Okuma Corrida baitrunner. All four reels were loaded with 25lb Trilene olive line which was 5lb under the breaking srain recommended by the Phuket Park owner!!

 On the left is Richard Heaseman watching Mark Butland palying the day's first fish....

 ...which turned out to be one of a dozen catfish to about 15kg we caught on a selection of bread and sweetcorn baits. It was noticeable that the 'raw corn' straight off the husk was a much better bait than the corn from the tin.

 Richard landed this fine Packu or fruit eating pirhana. These fish are definitely on steroids.they fight like crazy and never give up right to the net. Brilliant sport.

 We enjoyed  a very busy and productive day. Here's Mark with another pirhana.

 Some beautiful carp came to the net. All around the lake, anglers were bringing in some cracking Siamese Carp and Catfish with an occasional red-tail catfish including a fabulous red-tail catfish of 40kg. I couldn't get to photograph it in time before it was returned to the lake as all our rods were  bent into fish and needed attention...plus photo's.

 Here's Steve Thorne with the day's best Siamese carp from our little group although two much bigger carp were landed by two lady anglers fishing from nearby swims.

 This little fish is in fact a Giant Gourami. We were trying out bacon strips as an experimental bait and these fish loved it...we were catching too many and they were  hooking themselves too deeply no matter how fast we struck....so we stopped using the bacon! Too many fish!

 Another fine pirhana for Mark..............

...and a lovely carp. My Thai freshwater identification skills are pathetic but they will improve so I hope to provide better details in coming reports and tell you exactly what different carp we are catching.

Richard Heaseman has now returned to the cold and dark of UK (we've been here two weeks already!!!) but early this morning Gary and Mandy Chard have arrived. They are spending all day asleep...just as well because tomorrow  6 of us (Mark, Steve and Janey Thorne, Mark Butland et moi) are catching the ferry from Phuket to Krabi and the oustanding scenery of Ao Nang to fish in Stuart Gillham's amazing fishery for three days.

The Jai cannot attend Gillhams as we have benefitted from next door building an enormous wall between out two houses. It looks terrible but Jai is on the case...and the Military have been called in. I shall leave her to it but I expect to see drastic changes upon my return. The success of this Thai Project is largely down to the background and unseen work of The Jai. It's thanks to her things run smoothly for us holiday makers. There is no way I would have any influence over what goes on here!!

Anyhow, a report from Gillhams will soon be forthcoming!!! There's plenty of  information about Gillhams on the web...look it up...it really is an unbelievable place to visit and fish and we are very fortunate to be going.