tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149813892024-03-07T16:19:07.919+08:00Fly Fishing with MelCome and follow me on my fly fishing escapades here in Garden City, Singapore and around the world. Whoever said that there's no good fishing here?! - PEACOCK BASS on light weight is the way to go here. And now, on dry flies!Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-5763115850798834322010-03-28T13:25:00.003+08:002010-03-28T13:33:27.529+08:00My Blog Has MovedAfter much consideration, I have decided to take a new step in my blogging. With immediate effect, my blog will move <a href="http://www.flyfishwithmel.com">HERE</a> and I will try to add to my repertoire of articles to include fly tying and fly fishing tips. So I hope to receive your continued support.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-26835890946931719212009-11-02T01:19:00.008+08:002009-11-02T02:15:43.712+08:00Gamefish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society (GARS) is Officially LaunchedAfter a very, very long break, I'm finally back into the fishing scene.<div><br /></div><div>The past few months have been very hectic ones with the setting up of <b><a href="http://fishrespectprotect.blogspot.com/">Gamefish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society(GARS)</a></b>. <span style="font-weight:bold;">GARS</span> aims to promote sustainable fishing and also the rehabilitation of our fishing environs.</div><div><br /></div><div>We've been running fishing clinics and have also just completed 3 days of exhibitions at Clean & Green Singapore 2009; officially announcing our existence to the public. </div><div><br /></div><div>While working to put our photos onto our blog, our president found, on the fishing kaki forum, someone using on our name as his advertisement citing his fishing pond as "<a href="http://www.fishingkaki.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=140387&highlight=haven">The Home for Game fish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society (GARS)</a>" in his signature.</div> Strangely enough, the person signed off as Bob; who happens to be my previous business partner. I'm really tired after a long day of canvassing so I thought I would just sleep it off and maybe confront him tomorrow.<div><br /></div><div>Then, my president informs me that he saw a couple of posts in the Malaysian Fishing Net Forum that were put up by imposters of me. The first one <a href="http://www.fishing.net.my/FORUM/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14907&whichpage=14"><i>delongsim</i></a> plagiarized posts from my blog while also using our society's logo.<br /><br />In another post, <a href="http://www.fishing.net.my/FORUM/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15524&whichpage=32"><i>delongsim</i></a> plagiarized my Maldives articles. Then, <i><b>melvinsim</b></i> posts to ask <i><b>delongsim</b></i> to "Please stop stealing articles from my blog !"<br /><br />So, have I become so famous that I have people impersonating me? Then why am I still struggling to get rich? </div><div><br /></div><div>Are my articles so well-written that I have been plagiarized? Then why have I not received offers from publishers or advertisers on my blog?</div><div><br /></div><div>Should I look upon this as a compliment? </div><div><br /></div><div>What a welcome for me.</div>Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-15802724385916069062008-03-29T12:12:00.013+08:002008-12-11T20:43:51.508+08:00The Return of the FlyAngler - VI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDO2S_nINuiPKrOCLBba9h_n5SUk2-Sy-7vtedIFiVG7ckzWRjJdhdNrORolIPEINQEFWVDhNV6tJLD4Fe9bpwtRS5e8-6Pou1yRyNI7wW5WGMTi7vrtw4vLHJpyQq0goVhLvP/s1600-h/Local+Pics-10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDO2S_nINuiPKrOCLBba9h_n5SUk2-Sy-7vtedIFiVG7ckzWRjJdhdNrORolIPEINQEFWVDhNV6tJLD4Fe9bpwtRS5e8-6Pou1yRyNI7wW5WGMTi7vrtw4vLHJpyQq0goVhLvP/s400/Local+Pics-10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184851489623112258" border="0" /></a><br />With only a scattering of outings in the past 3 months, I'm really looking forward to my upcoming Maldives trip in Apr. This lack of angling activity has consequently resulted in the dwindling of my postings. However, I hope that this new season will signal the beginning of a better year.<br /><br />As a prelude to my coming pilgrimage, Moses suggested that we hit a new haunt for a spot of saltwater flyfishing. David, a relative newcomer to flyfishing, needed more practice before we hit the beaches of <span style="font-style: italic;">Lhaviani Atoll </span>next month<span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br />The weather had been especially kind to us, the previous evening had ended with ominous dark clouds and a heavy dousing over in the west side of our tiny island but Moses later confirmed that the eastern beaches were spared the deluge.<br /><br />Since I was the designated driver for the outing, I got up at 5am, much against the wishes of my slumberous body. By the time I had picked up Albert and David, and was on the way to Moses, a sliver of light was already peeking over the horizon.<br /><br />The tide was just turning and while we set up our gear, we could see the exposed rock wall, barely a meter wide, that separated the small lagoon from the open waters. A group of lure anglers had taken up positions on the near side of the wall. With rods in hand, <span style="font-style: italic;">Surf Candy</span> at ready and stripping baskets, well, just hanging, we bid our fellow anglers "good morning" and politely made out way to the far end of the wall. They've had a few misses on poppers and were still enticing the odd chase.<br /><br />The crisp morning sea air woke every of my senses and I felt rejuvenated; I was in my element. We were on the lookout for the nervous waters that signaled the arrival of the bait schools but other than the wind-formed rips, everything was quiet. off to our left, our luring buddies let off a serious of howls and we turned to see a fabulous <span style="font-style: italic;">Queenfish</span> raising plumes of white mist in a series of jumps. Much encouraged by the good fortune of our brethren, we increased the frequency of our casts into the jade waters ahead of us.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6xdmqw4KVwii2_WYmo3h-R_TD1UIwOlz4WapfrCajYGTctKZhgnMGcjvHh-IU5uRw6NzUtynALamiAqDkhm4h-WtpAfI6WUhrgP8SefYsoi1tfnBPWBZ8v6DQBwFcW6nj9aH/s1600-h/Local+Pics-6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6xdmqw4KVwii2_WYmo3h-R_TD1UIwOlz4WapfrCajYGTctKZhgnMGcjvHh-IU5uRw6NzUtynALamiAqDkhm4h-WtpAfI6WUhrgP8SefYsoi1tfnBPWBZ8v6DQBwFcW6nj9aH/s320/Local+Pics-6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184846181043534322" border="0" /></a><br />Despite being new to flyfishing, David was handling his flyline very well. Though not a champion distant caster by any measure, he was able to work a decent coverage of the water before him. Scanning the horizon, Moses noticed a couple of gulls diving into the waters way out. Bait School! But they were way out of reach, nonetheless, it was good news. Turning to check on our friends to our left, I suddenly heard a screaming reel to my right. David's 6wt TFO was nearly bent over. Much to his credit, he worked his loose line like a seasoned angler and guided it till he was to the reel. Then letting the reel take over, David worked the unknown assailant with short pumps and sideways pressure. Constantly changing directions to try to disorientate the fish, he regained the line he'd lost till the fish was just 15m away.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscC_xYxYkxNfT7yJYmTRmTMlZmOwubDJ86VS3n7H6178-vaCUDl8KhyL7ZsNHzFE4Q8wAzH1O9kt65tGSvS3lD4m4Kkl4kki0wGSeewshYVuEyXyYxgjugbAW3cI5tKkMvlFk/s1600-h/Local+Pics-9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscC_xYxYkxNfT7yJYmTRmTMlZmOwubDJ86VS3n7H6178-vaCUDl8KhyL7ZsNHzFE4Q8wAzH1O9kt65tGSvS3lD4m4Kkl4kki0wGSeewshYVuEyXyYxgjugbAW3cI5tKkMvlFk/s320/Local+Pics-9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184847259080325634" border="0" /></a>However, the fish was still very green and took off on a few tail walks, trying its best to shake the surf candy loose. It was a Long Tom and a huge one too. With each jump, David pumped and bowed to keep tension on the fish. It did not taken much longer for the leader to come within an arm's reach. Though subdued, it was still challenge to land the fish. The hook was lodged in the eye of the Long Tom and to lift the fish up by the leader would've killed it. The tide had risen but the water was just beyond my reach and I had to wait for the next crest to lift the fish to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Bogagrip</span>'s grasp.<br /><br />With the bogagrip securely gripping the teeth-laden jaws, the fish was quickly raised.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3zLKAf1Wle8TqUCShAN_DiP0wESAi1eh6DXWF6fH1X9U-6hM0ghGhx9hSir-veM9Vt3S-qQyIDJMpIwgqRnIcKg1z102gLAy-i1z5FRHxKB6vDKCD-YdeXmQTAnpjXUPNYW0/s1600-h/Local+Pics-11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3zLKAf1Wle8TqUCShAN_DiP0wESAi1eh6DXWF6fH1X9U-6hM0ghGhx9hSir-veM9Vt3S-qQyIDJMpIwgqRnIcKg1z102gLAy-i1z5FRHxKB6vDKCD-YdeXmQTAnpjXUPNYW0/s400/Local+Pics-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184850974227036722" border="0" /></a><br />A quick photo with the David and we tried to remove the hook from the eye without doing more damage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx3YWMAA9na-tDh3ygLffnmmRMfi10a8M4J3COjahr3C6oVww-XrHOpTB1PXe5hL9031Cu3TSescAbhJgbmNdTWP4OnoLbW45y25SryYuUdRhC1Kq5PZek5kubWrsXTm0oSOM/s1600-h/Local+Pics-17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx3YWMAA9na-tDh3ygLffnmmRMfi10a8M4J3COjahr3C6oVww-XrHOpTB1PXe5hL9031Cu3TSescAbhJgbmNdTWP4OnoLbW45y25SryYuUdRhC1Kq5PZek5kubWrsXTm0oSOM/s400/Local+Pics-17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184850020744296994" border="0" /></a> Fortunately, the hook let go its grip without much resistance and the fish took off under its own power.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn99LgJ_woKRS29ytNTPQY9Lky03RlH0x_vwNHN-yc6VaFcxhlvaowwlOw6BlnNEKFoqZrbEogu0kXB1yiSfxMyCSRKeKncFB1qg9PnzIZLfdw4ILLw5U3NwQCjXMio4GPEBX/s1600-h/Local+Pics-16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn99LgJ_woKRS29ytNTPQY9Lky03RlH0x_vwNHN-yc6VaFcxhlvaowwlOw6BlnNEKFoqZrbEogu0kXB1yiSfxMyCSRKeKncFB1qg9PnzIZLfdw4ILLw5U3NwQCjXMio4GPEBX/s400/Local+Pics-16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184853070171077202" border="0" /></a>David went on to catch another Long Tom, albeit a much smaller one. Obviously, he was just as delighted.<br /><br />As for the rest of us, we had to be content with misses or the odd small 3" groupers that dominate the rock bottom and the shallow lagoon behind us. To end off a great session, David bought us all a nice breakfast before we went to the shop to recount our morning's adventure to those with a willing ear.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-68775634776794831662007-12-19T12:28:00.000+08:002007-12-19T14:41:33.491+08:00Fish Wars IV - A New Hope<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Warning!!! - This post does not contain any exciting fishing encounters. Just more of my ramblings.</span></span><br /><br />A Year in Perspective<br /><br />As 2007 draws to a close, it occurred to me that I have not updated my blog for close to 8 moons. And for the many who have watched these pages closely, I offer my sincerest apologies. My writings have never been about the big fish or the many fish but I write with feelings that I gather while fishing. And it is this feeling that I've been lacking.<br /><br />In terms of fishing, this year has been for me the closest to 'wandering in the desert for 40 years'. This has been the driest spell for me not having enjoyed fishing for close to 10 moons.<br /><br />With the increased surveillance around our favourite bass haunts, it has turned many off from attempting to even fish, unless one is suffering from a severe bout of '<span style="font-style: italic;">Cichla monoculus-titis</span>' and in need of a temporary cure. Why do we have to feel like criminals, hunted down and persecuted for pursuing a perfectly legitimate past time. Just because fly fishing is not a recognized Olympic sport, we get no endorsement from the local sport council. And now, with the Marina Barrage being constructed, even the Singapore River, a favourite haunt for saltwater anglers, has been declared off limits to all fishing as it will soon become our new water catchment.<br /><br />How does fishing affect our water source? Especially since many of us are fishing with artificials. Why are powerboats allowed to ply up and down in our reservoirs dragging wakeboarders while we are not allowed to haul our poppers and sliders in those same waters? <br /><br />Do we dirty the waters more than our fellow sportsmen? Powerboats inadvertently will leak lubricants and petrol into the water, wakeboarders cover themselves with sunblock and then soak in the water waiting to start or at the end of their run. The wakes of the boats and the boards do more to damage the embankments more than what a hundred or more anlgers do while walking around the reservoir? Do not misunderstand, I have nothing against others enjoying wakeboarding. I only question why the double standards. Has it got anything to do with the potential financial gains?<br /><br />If we are not being persecuted for dirtying the waters then why are we still not allowed to fish and why do the officers who apprehend us still use that as an excuse to discourage us from fishing? It was a good 8 months between my 'apprehension' and my receiving of my 'ticket' from the authorities. Why the long wait? Why can't I pay in advance for a license to allow me to fish peacefully and with dignity.<br /><br />It has been so long since I've got a chaffed thumb from lipping a peacock bass or smelled the pungent, yet comforting 'fragrance' of my green slimy friend.<br /><br />2007 has also seen my failed attempt to run a 'Catch and Release' fishery in neighbouring Malaysia. After 8 months of effort, I finally decided to pull out of the partnership. It had been a fantastic learning experience and I hope to be able to fulfill my dream of owning a fishing lodge in the coming years. If any guide or lodge owners are reading this, if you don't mind sharing your experience, please drop me a note.<br /><br />And to add to my blues, my application to Games giant, Electronic Arts, was rejected. Trained in animation, I was not adequately skilled to work as a Technical Artist. So now I must decide if I should head off to pursue my further studies.<br /><br />What prompted me to update this blog was a lunch appointment with a South African friend of mine who will be returning home for good. He has kindly invited me to fish for my first trout near his future home next Easter. It was not the prospect of fishing for trout that re-ignited my passion. It was Jeff's enthusiasm that rubbed off on me. If you are reading this Jeff, thanks for the invite and for re-igniting my fire.<br /><br />And for those of you who have supported this blog since its inception, I just want to wish each and everyone of you a very <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" >"Merry and Blessed Christmas, and Fish-filled New Year"</span>.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-2497459518166932742007-04-08T12:19:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:43:54.168+08:00Return from the North - Lake Kenyir (Prologue)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkAXr0GQ0xd4e1jvdWlPFc0trwXdsHkmjWkairpN2G0kqYBVME3Ym4AFceqQyB7aMt_OTRznFoDfsKGH4iDgbkm168WGWn_quOkPb3VQ3rVFhJT1EP7bMSHS63okkiEZ4BIEV/s1600-h/morning_reflections.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkAXr0GQ0xd4e1jvdWlPFc0trwXdsHkmjWkairpN2G0kqYBVME3Ym4AFceqQyB7aMt_OTRznFoDfsKGH4iDgbkm168WGWn_quOkPb3VQ3rVFhJT1EP7bMSHS63okkiEZ4BIEV/s400/morning_reflections.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057014131462772402" border="0" /></a><br />After a 2-year hiatus from fishing in the tranquil surroundings of Lake Kenyir in Terengannu, Malaysia, I was able to finally arrange a trip to revisit this favored freshwater fly fishing locale of mine.<br /><br />Covering an expanse of 260,00 hectares, which incidentally is larger than the size of Singapore, Lake Kenyir is the largest man-made lake in South-east Asia. A myriad of fishing environs are scattered throughout the lake. Small coves with lots of overhangs, small streams, waterfalls, rapids and many more provide us with many different challenges with which we can test our skills. Many indigenous species and a few introduced species provide us with hours of enjoyment.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Sf7g9QMq0db9eMEcd6bDFD66NmELrj3QOBgJvv1-pcKIr-r7eHbxyEEPOojJWK2soDSjOSXHjDEF1HTNqPHZtc4JgbrRwE7BqKhc0ozz3NZWuBH2_GbNuP2f2mNR-8VoDD9/s1600-h/hampala_barb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1Sf7g9QMq0db9eMEcd6bDFD66NmELrj3QOBgJvv1-pcKIr-r7eHbxyEEPOojJWK2soDSjOSXHjDEF1HTNqPHZtc4JgbrRwE7BqKhc0ozz3NZWuBH2_GbNuP2f2mNR-8VoDD9/s400/hampala_barb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057052537060333474" border="0" /></a>The Hampala Barb, or known locally as the Sebarau, is one of the highly sought after fish by us, fly anglers. With a migratory habit similar to the salmon, it uses its great strength to swim up the fast flowing rapids and even leap up waterfalls to head upstream to spawn. Its range covers most of the lake but prefers to live and hunt near waterfalls and tree stumps. Even a juvenile, barely bigger than a palm can give a good account of itself on light tackle. It is the natural nemesis of the Giant Snakehead, picking of the young by using its great speed to avoid the protective parents guarding the school.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNnJIjce2NztXwlzScT886pb-BlIVHrL-lvjpT528HmzjuamjHzhWBkSKuN_FQ6aIvohk1zH7e-vfLKEPAOvgfcCYy42YBcbJ0dUTcDO2bmkHaWcegbhixN6q9x8vsoj8oFmq/s1600-h/kelah_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNnJIjce2NztXwlzScT886pb-BlIVHrL-lvjpT528HmzjuamjHzhWBkSKuN_FQ6aIvohk1zH7e-vfLKEPAOvgfcCYy42YBcbJ0dUTcDO2bmkHaWcegbhixN6q9x8vsoj8oFmq/s400/kelah_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057047095336769394" border="0" /></a>If patience is your virtue, another prized target is the Malaysian Mahseer (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tor tambra), </span>or Kelah Merah in malay. One of the many Mahseer species around Asia, it is well-known as the King of the River. Favouring the clean clear waters of the upper reaches of rivers, an outing to fish this magnificent fish requires a long trek and sometimes, boat rides upstream. Camping out for a few days will usually increase the chances of hooking one. While teasing one to take a fly has been accomplished before, it is a very very difficult undertaking. The usual means of catching one involves chumming with a bag of oil palm fruit and then using stiff tackle, fish with a piece of the palm fruit. A stake out usually ensues with a close eye being kept on the rod, for it has been known to fly off the stand when the Kelah takes the bait. The powerful jaws can crush 5X strong hooks with relative ease and it's powerful runs can even break 40lbs tackle in a flash.<br /><br />Other fish species we go for include,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYt631EGW9JUUKBMoFdNtU6xSND736MSO-LJhXjGwAki8tKtBD1-4wVSXc3QFzr12nsrDMM6AjlCeaOkfdx0nvG5DurI9TmA7-zQ1HjhpLiBH0f584RebCn9YWLZoNJZfD7Ol_/s1600-h/snakeheadonpopper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYt631EGW9JUUKBMoFdNtU6xSND736MSO-LJhXjGwAki8tKtBD1-4wVSXc3QFzr12nsrDMM6AjlCeaOkfdx0nvG5DurI9TmA7-zQ1HjhpLiBH0f584RebCn9YWLZoNJZfD7Ol_/s320/snakeheadonpopper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057036061565785858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />the Giant Snakehead(<span style="font-style: italic;">Channa micropeltes</span>),<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgrTN9hpyvxj_W5FMzdsDZWij0UgDPoahmY1JIN4-jIVtuemdcjHMd-URGJGZJQNvlJePuIKE4HiPwcW47NezqkJqXw5HMB1ARHehf51QDGbaP_7ZkMBlZjlVM1RriE6DbSw4/s1600-h/toman_bunga_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgrTN9hpyvxj_W5FMzdsDZWij0UgDPoahmY1JIN4-jIVtuemdcjHMd-URGJGZJQNvlJePuIKE4HiPwcW47NezqkJqXw5HMB1ARHehf51QDGbaP_7ZkMBlZjlVM1RriE6DbSw4/s320/toman_bunga_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057039630683608850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Small Snakehead (<span style="font-style: italic;">Channa asiatica</span>),<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWAxsKH6VID6e07Kx7bmWhjgYdnZr1RGw7BIzbuF5OYqzPUxp9CXFf2z4o9qAGYFAmndA1X_k8bsWA5dbqn4JXz3CRlZth8vV-CoO-qGqtw4mhd6Dd0mUO7G7m7A7GLLgqQvT/s1600-h/Giant_gourami.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWAxsKH6VID6e07Kx7bmWhjgYdnZr1RGw7BIzbuF5OYqzPUxp9CXFf2z4o9qAGYFAmndA1X_k8bsWA5dbqn4JXz3CRlZth8vV-CoO-qGqtw4mhd6Dd0mUO7G7m7A7GLLgqQvT/s320/Giant_gourami.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057040914878830370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Giant Gourami,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5h8nTniTKzMePOfpQkPpZ1Vx1M4Ovcuu0xltb1rc1A8QHYTFiWo1z4BHJyR9uuZUYJk2cXoInPkyIipf6uTxwqGO10EPKa23taU0BnRi2WI_UqFP-1bGCc-El2HH9kRVKqPm/s1600-h/Tengas_with_nymph.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5h8nTniTKzMePOfpQkPpZ1Vx1M4Ovcuu0xltb1rc1A8QHYTFiWo1z4BHJyR9uuZUYJk2cXoInPkyIipf6uTxwqGO10EPKa23taU0BnRi2WI_UqFP-1bGCc-El2HH9kRVKqPm/s320/Tengas_with_nymph.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057041649318238002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Kelah Hijau (<span style="font-style: italic;">Neolissochilus hexagonolepis, </span>not related to the Tor species mentioned above<span style="font-style: italic;">),</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNtROpIjpK0QE0gnS2KmOuQpEPIuc5DkgWdhLQVbHez7V8uFtWxnclgh13ekfZuhmdpl_TUP-liF4kABPh8PXaJk6Qh2UTKDaqXRpXiWvti6Jx1yNHvkR1J5g4emMpRizD13L/s1600-h/clown_knifefish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNtROpIjpK0QE0gnS2KmOuQpEPIuc5DkgWdhLQVbHez7V8uFtWxnclgh13ekfZuhmdpl_TUP-liF4kABPh8PXaJk6Qh2UTKDaqXRpXiWvti6Jx1yNHvkR1J5g4emMpRizD13L/s320/clown_knifefish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057044810414167890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Clown Knife Fish (<span style="font-style: italic;">Chitala ornata</span>),<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS36EyC2wDFL0UIDLGqA6btWH7gpApKZ_esHw81-vk1i_UEADgchWH83T-wy8Si_D1vt6Rp1XBPYho4OdW3AhdYmWvO-n986T23HqSFIXmCm1SuOqC4owPEp05_8UxqOwMsGUA/s1600-h/tinfoilbarb_with_bead_fly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS36EyC2wDFL0UIDLGqA6btWH7gpApKZ_esHw81-vk1i_UEADgchWH83T-wy8Si_D1vt6Rp1XBPYho4OdW3AhdYmWvO-n986T23HqSFIXmCm1SuOqC4owPEp05_8UxqOwMsGUA/s320/tinfoilbarb_with_bead_fly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057043496154175298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tinfoil Barb (<span style="font-style: italic;">Barbonymus schwanenfeldii</span>),<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIDOQ5RcyXlGQB5o-Ex3TPrQZ-rmmhUdn5yrqEDgzwz4seHb5uwaCZdDwX3fUpRiiODoNKISuSphY6M9fUHzEcPhQUGdeYYtR7VJ3ssGjN6DrzD5jGaNMb7sBi9IaGJqAvi5y/s1600-h/Busoh_with_fly_UW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIDOQ5RcyXlGQB5o-Ex3TPrQZ-rmmhUdn5yrqEDgzwz4seHb5uwaCZdDwX3fUpRiiODoNKISuSphY6M9fUHzEcPhQUGdeYYtR7VJ3ssGjN6DrzD5jGaNMb7sBi9IaGJqAvi5y/s320/Busoh_with_fly_UW.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057045682292528994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ikan Busoh (<span style="font-style: italic;">Oxygaster anomalura</span>), just to name a few.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Taking a night coach, Hun, Liew and I endured the gruelling 9 hour overnight trip, traversing almost the whole of Peninsular Malaysia. With a couple of stop-overs for drinks to warm ourselves up from the incessant cold winds blowing from the souped-up air-conditioning (I'd recommend a good jacket or even blanket for anyone thinking of taking a trip up), we arrived, at around 6am, at the bus station in Kuala Terengganu. A short wait later, a familiar face appeared to welcome us. Our driver Rudi, helped us to load our gear into the 'well-used' van and drove us to, at my request, a shophouse in Chinatown that serves fantastic herbal Pork-Rib soup. Nothing like a hot bowl of soup and Chinese tea to wake the senses and loosen the well-jolted, frozen limbs.<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Photos/blog_photos/Latest%20Kenyir/Musang_Kenyir_Lodge.jpg" alt="" />After that, we loaded up a case of bottled water and off to the pickup point we went. From Kuala Terengannu, it is a 45 min ride up the mountain range to the edge of the lake where our host, Cheong, awaited our arrival by his 20ft fibreglass tender. Here on, it is only a 5 mins boat trip to his lodge, Musang Kenyir Lodge, located at the foothills of Mt. Tembat, in the northwest corner of the lake. I must add that this boat trip may take longer during the dry season as the water levels will drop thus blocking the most direct route to the lodge. Even then, it will only double the time to reach the lodge.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xMt7SLe_mXD-a7dli6oXQbu3s68LQyie1YsBoocwzwSstXLgE6cpZmP8pJQ6-ik7kaEzBaGYANPfNsOQkjigGqzKTNwwPvY5rGL0ct5POslvlpvaIZZvYutMXTP79efO7Bf6/s1600-h/old_chalet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xMt7SLe_mXD-a7dli6oXQbu3s68LQyie1YsBoocwzwSstXLgE6cpZmP8pJQ6-ik7kaEzBaGYANPfNsOQkjigGqzKTNwwPvY5rGL0ct5POslvlpvaIZZvYutMXTP79efO7Bf6/s320/old_chalet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057019225293985490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />This lodge is as rustic as it can get but comfortable enough for us who like to travel on a tight budget. it used to boast a couple of floating platforms housing the chalets, a dining hall and a multipurpose hall.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9KbHfrHUWIS15lt6mPnM_dLmgQENHcJm9Jq1ELBstfL_iF16vKnF5wcL3fWq-wyFt0zLYd2HSEvf7PWZYj-S3iJ9IVdMj2ipNmt1GxYm1HCZEtFfNRPFWop95KW-dRvy46g6/s1600-h/sunken_lodge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9KbHfrHUWIS15lt6mPnM_dLmgQENHcJm9Jq1ELBstfL_iF16vKnF5wcL3fWq-wyFt0zLYd2HSEvf7PWZYj-S3iJ9IVdMj2ipNmt1GxYm1HCZEtFfNRPFWop95KW-dRvy46g6/s400/sunken_lodge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057050853433153426" border="0" /></a>However, the fragile handiwork of Man was no match for the fury of Nature. The floating chalets were washed away by a flash flood during the monsoon three seasons ago and to reduce the maintenance cost, the other platform has also been decommissioned.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zNUp-JzbAdqLI44NA8OiUIOcu6i1RP_fci7L5_CVqwVF3zDoMUciwU3q6edl8w0pVzWmY04xLabJwMgtiEhuU-8Qr85X7plI0XfuNFZx-6-T3u6cB6HTy-E2BBX_KM0dS8C5/s1600-h/perched_view.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zNUp-JzbAdqLI44NA8OiUIOcu6i1RP_fci7L5_CVqwVF3zDoMUciwU3q6edl8w0pVzWmY04xLabJwMgtiEhuU-8Qr85X7plI0XfuNFZx-6-T3u6cB6HTy-E2BBX_KM0dS8C5/s320/perched_view.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057030877540259570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now all his chalets and facilities are located on terra firma. This small spit of high ground is straddled by two waters falls. But rest-assured, we are safe as all structures are placed well above the highest watermark. The wooden platforms are structurally safe, though I'd recommend watching your step as there may be a few loose planks here and there.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUnAPQsJZWga7DGz0ieAEaG6i3wZQMedr8RCJ0wn-qdgfyeRn5yvClTKCs_1UQrRge2dfHgCG8-cAQ3BlQMdtaJuRfzlrPa9HCH8hy9tNcWFGBwnwMrF67eQUzPLIhLZ4Mpji/s1600-h/lounge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUnAPQsJZWga7DGz0ieAEaG6i3wZQMedr8RCJ0wn-qdgfyeRn5yvClTKCs_1UQrRge2dfHgCG8-cAQ3BlQMdtaJuRfzlrPa9HCH8hy9tNcWFGBwnwMrF67eQUzPLIhLZ4Mpji/s320/lounge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057028777301251810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Activities for the non-anglers include karaoke, Cable TV (so you won't miss that all important soccer match), nature hikes and swimming at various waterfalls. For the fishing enthusiasts, bait fishing is allowed and there are floating platforms where you can spend the night in soaking a live bait.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />However, Hun, Liew and I were there to enjoy a relaxing 3 days of fly fishing. And the plan was to fish from kayaks around the lake and also around the rock pools at the base of the waterfalls.<br /><br /><br />to be continued...Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-62868168488722091342007-02-27T23:03:00.000+08:002007-02-27T23:10:39.598+08:00Heading NorthIt's been a really long holiday. Chinese New Year has always been a big thing in my family. The usual cleanup was enough to drain me. Perhaps I'm getting old. Or maybe it's just that I'm not getting enough workout time...with my rod.<br /><br />No big. Tomorrow night I'll be leaving for Lake Kenyir in Terengganu, Malaysia. It will be my first trip as an organiser of a fishing trip. Will be looking forward to some quiet time fishing the lake in a kayak and also taking photos. I'll be sure to write something to post up when I get back next Monday. So, do come back and check it out. Cheerios.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-91736776415402505802007-02-13T23:34:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:43:54.335+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Happy Valentine's Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdu_-Tskdn0Pgpa7spgsIRJt3EMwDXn7ZPWUKt318pjT4KOWNqDAGZsz3uVz0lD2fuOrWcgmbYLrSoGxWh1SFChiVDchvMh0KxWrwenre0KGL2xRplfZuEw5iWf5Vl5GX7zW_/s1600-h/realflies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdu_-Tskdn0Pgpa7spgsIRJt3EMwDXn7ZPWUKt318pjT4KOWNqDAGZsz3uVz0lD2fuOrWcgmbYLrSoGxWh1SFChiVDchvMh0KxWrwenre0KGL2xRplfZuEw5iWf5Vl5GX7zW_/s400/realflies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5031072888903063730" border="0" /></a><br />Love is in the air and it's thicker than a summer morning's hatch of Pale Morning Duns. And like our winged counterparts, its all about finding a mate in the cloud of millions.<br /><br />It's amazing how a tiny six-legged creature that has only a few hours of adult life, find that which many of us spend a lifetime searching for, cannot find.<br /><br />So what will I be doing on this day of Love? Well, I did think about heading down to the waters to see if I could find any of my finned friends snuggling up to each other. Then again, I wouldn't want anyone crashing my date if I were to be so fortunate.<br /><br />Valentine's Day is also a celebration of friendship, or so says He who did not have a date. And with friends, I will be spending my time. In fact a friend of mine has just returned from his working stint in Shanghai for the coming Chinese New Year Celebrations. Who knows? We may end up by the waters in the end.<br /><br />Que Sara Sara! Whether you'll be spending time with you special someone or like me, spending it in the joyful company of good friends, I wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-28000393647424117442007-02-12T22:28:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:43:54.967+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Bass-ic Instincts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbmm7WFh9Sp6Gsr41d5zyl8vHZWdq3_SCpjGdBnhxi9TY6YVTipe2BX_Nq10alqg8Z5nwLoHJ0Mq2iuJDx7k85qk-YKTv-lMF1wnLR9rADDxTDQNKR6nFIgLjiorECsRFaisF/s1600-h/Me_with_PB.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbmm7WFh9Sp6Gsr41d5zyl8vHZWdq3_SCpjGdBnhxi9TY6YVTipe2BX_Nq10alqg8Z5nwLoHJ0Mq2iuJDx7k85qk-YKTv-lMF1wnLR9rADDxTDQNKR6nFIgLjiorECsRFaisF/s400/Me_with_PB.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5030676248673278082" border="0" /></a><br />It has been almost 2 full months since I went looking for peacock bass. Jesmond, who will be on leave for the next 3 days, so kindly offered to pick me up for a spot of PB hunting.<br /><br />The day was HOT! At the zenith of its arcing path, the sun beat mercilessly down upon us. The small canal that we were to fish glistened like a hundreds of diamonds scattered across the rippling surface of the water. Of the fish, there was no sign.<br /><br />Out in the distance, a floating weed harvester was dredging hydrilla weeds and hauling it onto a floating barge. As the mechanical grazer munched lazily away, bits of dislodge weeds floated in towards us, pushed along by a stiff North-easterly. It was not going to be easy to cast my coho 4wt.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZV2M5hFZM5ANONAe-U8QoW8S6-OxrXM53jyGfjv97jOrpfr30uQZZaHXRKFuCMN040BQizSM4KeiVuaWsSA7GrerE5xUqUUhtTBOn7NAQaL-RSDCwvhCJkrxANvsdqlI7uXo/s1600-h/PB_bugger_CU.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZV2M5hFZM5ANONAe-U8QoW8S6-OxrXM53jyGfjv97jOrpfr30uQZZaHXRKFuCMN040BQizSM4KeiVuaWsSA7GrerE5xUqUUhtTBOn7NAQaL-RSDCwvhCJkrxANvsdqlI7uXo/s320/PB_bugger_CU.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5030676437651839122" border="0" /></a>Walking to the mouth of the canal, my hair was ruffled despite the copious amounts of hair gel I had used. In the lee of the boom that kept floating debris out of the canal, I could see a few dark green patches that had the words Peacock Bass written all over it. Tying on my #12 hairless Woolly Bugger, I tried to lay the line across the canal, along the boom. The stiff breeze and tall grass behind, My fly went nowhere. It clung on tightly to the 3m tall grass and had to be coaxed down with a stern hand.<br /><br />The North-easterly was blowing along the canal and thus wrecked havoc on my attempts to cast across the waterway. So angling my cast 45 degrees to the mind, I aimed the fly at the boom. As the rod unloaded, I could see my fly line shoot out but rapidly lose speed. The fly trailed the loop and as it tried to roll itself over, the wind pushed it back. Using the last of its built-up energy, the fly straightened out but was blown back over the boom to land nicely broadside, in the lee.<br /><br />While I waited for the lightly weighted fly to descend the foot or two, I could see ominous shadows lurking beneath. When I felt that I had the fly just above the weeds, I worked the fly back in stuttered strips. The shadows worked into a flurry and my rod arced as the fly line surged forward. The assailant felt the resistant but it was already too late. The hook struck home and all peacock bass could do was to surface and try to shake off the fly.<br />Despite its valiant effort, the beautiful Cichla was soon raised. A few quick shots and our greedy little friend returned home safely and hopefully a little wiser.<br /><br />Jesmond soon got in on the action too with his enticingly wobbly spoon lure. After warming up on a few small 3-inchers, Jesmond saw a hole open up beneath his dancing lure only to have the connection broken when the lure was spat back at him, stamped 'Return to Sender'. Ducking to avoid the lure, he could only gasp at the close encounter of the smart kind. 2 hours of fun on tiddlers, we took a break to fetch Jesmond's daughter from school and to grab a bite, we returned to an adjacent canal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3kiHi-2LcULU9Hdmf9eaeNaiIp2K3xw-ZlsSQuKz87sfBO4i4EYbp7Wdhw4ZKHNMPE4Rj3dhcND1iGPPUuymTDvR_-EAGPTTdt-5VR5a6zJkfXsbunOS5USRYEhOK0wtmtNh/s1600-h/me_casting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3kiHi-2LcULU9Hdmf9eaeNaiIp2K3xw-ZlsSQuKz87sfBO4i4EYbp7Wdhw4ZKHNMPE4Rj3dhcND1iGPPUuymTDvR_-EAGPTTdt-5VR5a6zJkfXsbunOS5USRYEhOK0wtmtNh/s320/me_casting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5030676699644844194" border="0" /></a>This time, the sky threatened to open up on us but was pushed back an ever stiffening breeze. had I not been wearing my real hair, my toupe would've been blown halfway around the world. I struggled to lay even 40ft of line straight. Even Jesmond was struggling to control the flight of his lure. It was his turn to draw first blood. Twice for that matter. The little critters nailed his lure practically at his feet. We battled the relentless wind and raised another half dozen peacock bass before we decided to call it quits. A gratifying outing for two friends out fishing with each other for the first time.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-25652677284944066172007-02-09T14:05:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:43:56.457+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - Apparel (3)To the uninitiated, a take from a saltwater predator usually leaves a lasting impression, literally. Many a times, I have been so mesmerized by the visual excitement of tracking my piscatorial foe to my fly that I forget to let go when my quarry decides to scoff down my offering and head straight out into the wild blue yonder. You can imagine the agony when plastic line rubs into tender water soaked flesh.<br /><br />Fortunately, humans have developed the ability to learn from their mistakes. Better yet, they designed solutions for these problems. Nowadays, you'll hardly see me fly fishing for any saltwater quarries without my <a href="http://www.waterworks-lamson.com/stripper_glove.html">Waterworks-Lamson Stripper Glove</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJfLxl2i7QtrsWqSI7XB-kUAVDtD3_cK9pdZG8lgp7ClscIRL7ZJXxXxyqK4Pf08ZnH3Oetcyr0FvzwCw0InvUh7GUSH_2LPAobBPN-SV0JnKoBioVMdle_ghyphenhyphenacbiETmVBde/s1600-h/waterworks_gloves.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJfLxl2i7QtrsWqSI7XB-kUAVDtD3_cK9pdZG8lgp7ClscIRL7ZJXxXxyqK4Pf08ZnH3Oetcyr0FvzwCw0InvUh7GUSH_2LPAobBPN-SV0JnKoBioVMdle_ghyphenhyphenacbiETmVBde/s320/waterworks_gloves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029947152204978194" border="0" /></a>These gloves have an extension over the index and middle finger to protect them from abrasion. They are sold individually but I bought a pair so I have full cover for both hands. Since I hold the fly rod in my right hand, the glove protects my index and middle fingers while I control the line in-between strips. The left glove protects my stripping hand but it is more for preventing me having different coloured hands at the end of my fishing trip.<br /><br /><br />These Boots are made for Walking<br /><br /><br />Since I'm on the topic of protection for limbs, I must say that the feet require the most protection. It is not the coarse grains that cause the inconvenience. On the contrary, it is the fine powdery stuff that causes the greatest damage. Add to that, all the jagged corals that lie hidden beneath the foaming waters at the surf, you may just find yourself with a pair of battered feet.<br /><br />On my virgin trip to the Maldives, it is an understatement to say that I was ill-equipped. I was only wearing a pair of Teva Sandals. It was a miracle that my feet were not cut to shreds by the razor-sharp corals. On my next trip, I bought a pair of <a href="http://www.simmsfishing.com/za/SIM?PAGE=PRODUCT_DETAILS&CAT=footwear&PROD.ID=14447">Simms Flats Sneakers</a> that were an exact fit. I wore a pair of cotton socks confident that the shoes would keep the sand out. It did but only the larger grains. Vents in the sides of the shoes allowed powdered sand swirling in the turbulent water to enter. Building up over time, it got in-between my socks and the shoes. While sand on it's own will, at most, cause you a little discomfort; when it gets between your shoe and your feet, it starts to cause abrasive damage whenever you are walking. By the end of the first day, my feet were sore and bruised. Every subsequent day, I was left in a predicament; to bear with pain and discomfort and put the shoes back on or enjoy the comfort of bare feet and stay aboard and forgo fishing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGSgNe61QhZJEljp1JXLI1jz9yNkfn1ryiVU0gXorijE0K6l5N77z_cCi7VVwnOHQEqGQSxW0trgoPRZlyoKY_rpfudd2Ez9ao-t65fMEzTXNORLmfGacPAUpFwOhs5QrSSUc/s1600-h/Orvis_boots.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGSgNe61QhZJEljp1JXLI1jz9yNkfn1ryiVU0gXorijE0K6l5N77z_cCi7VVwnOHQEqGQSxW0trgoPRZlyoKY_rpfudd2Ez9ao-t65fMEzTXNORLmfGacPAUpFwOhs5QrSSUc/s200/Orvis_boots.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029948655443531874" border="0" /></a>It took me a good long while of trial and error before I settled on a pair of Orvis Saltwater Wading Boots at the recommendation of a friend. In fact, about five of us were wearing the same design on my last trip in 2006. The boots come with a neoprene sock that has a flap that folds over to act as a sand guard. The neoprene sock acts as an effective barrier that prevents the sand from rubbing against your skin.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHKvMqIFdOJfx9anzw6nKhJAmKwSSSqW2nAcy3_MlfNqNmHGgUJb58bs3L-ktfnrn5h1OwziXhexryPQCDsddEQ3QgauPaI66G26qiEa03EfCEsgBZnCRvZ3ZwGiEvmmBB8x5/s1600-h/boot_damage_CU.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHKvMqIFdOJfx9anzw6nKhJAmKwSSSqW2nAcy3_MlfNqNmHGgUJb58bs3L-ktfnrn5h1OwziXhexryPQCDsddEQ3QgauPaI66G26qiEa03EfCEsgBZnCRvZ3ZwGiEvmmBB8x5/s200/boot_damage_CU.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029948208766933074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The hard toecap gives you peace of mind as you walk amidst the serrated edges of the coral skeleton. In fact, my toecaps still bear the scars of my last trip.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It is quite unfortunate that Orvis has seemingly discontinued this particular model of Wading Boots so I am unable to provide a link to you. However, there are many other brands of wading boots available in the market. The <a href="http://www.simmsfishing.com/za/SIM?PAGE=PRODUCT_DETAILS&CAT=footwear&PROD.ID=14447">Simms Flats Sneakers</a> does provide you god protection but you may want to buy a size larger and wear a neoprene sock to prevent the abrasions. As for the neoprene socks, you can try using a pair of <a href="http://www.sealskinz.com/cgi-bin/psProdSrch.cgi">Seal Skinz Socks</a>.<br /><br />Orvis has since released another model, the <a href="http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=03JQ&dir_id=758&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;group_id=777&cat_id=5421&subcat_id=6047"><span class="Name">Premium Christmas Island Wading Boots</span></a>. I cannot comment on this as i have yet to try it on or even see it up close. So if anyone of you who's reading this and has tried it, drop me a note on how it performs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWhSzppjIy8n9CKGhWqZJdMAwjXTnFH0GX_dtjJtQWJMGTaqaH2ONtSXCTTJwtkoEpxwia2nDbzYolNzVynuh3CwC8f-Rob4_e7UQbby9rENfMBnOeuoLiiMqHBiZ1Bwa1eHo/s1600-h/boots_in_action.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWhSzppjIy8n9CKGhWqZJdMAwjXTnFH0GX_dtjJtQWJMGTaqaH2ONtSXCTTJwtkoEpxwia2nDbzYolNzVynuh3CwC8f-Rob4_e7UQbby9rENfMBnOeuoLiiMqHBiZ1Bwa1eHo/s320/boots_in_action.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029947358363408418" border="0" /></a>I must maintain that while we walk the flats and consequently the coral patches, we do so with caution even though it is usually coral skeletons that we tread upon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajEGNTeDn5C0co6mTXrJsADo0SOigjEWUNrUI5xjmrzPOsSyTI12hSSUS7Zap36d-0E0Yxs4JqDl3Z2LQr5v_3EwIMOTRrvueRI50GV8-SvSyUePlYlf5YS4Tf1avQZyBJXoX/s1600-h/coral1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajEGNTeDn5C0co6mTXrJsADo0SOigjEWUNrUI5xjmrzPOsSyTI12hSSUS7Zap36d-0E0Yxs4JqDl3Z2LQr5v_3EwIMOTRrvueRI50GV8-SvSyUePlYlf5YS4Tf1avQZyBJXoX/s200/coral1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029947663306086450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />During one of our forays, Gerard and I chanced upon a small patch of LIVE coral in thigh-deep waters. It was a fantastic sight.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijL37cWaIihJ3DbrRYPv0QeUc3jz4rarx13XzjJsEir_OgFxHQenNr_dVTq-BCQRdusqk13z9k3m6MK5oYmYECCO0y8NFH9FlXwQruVhl-Lpz74KMYiO4oPk1uxxKq40nvsPty/s1600-h/coral2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijL37cWaIihJ3DbrRYPv0QeUc3jz4rarx13XzjJsEir_OgFxHQenNr_dVTq-BCQRdusqk13z9k3m6MK5oYmYECCO0y8NFH9FlXwQruVhl-Lpz74KMYiO4oPk1uxxKq40nvsPty/s200/coral2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029947921004124226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I hope that such a revival will become a more common sight in the Maldives in the coming years.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-9605290832940394862007-02-08T23:18:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:43:56.934+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - Apparel (2)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IpuMmxmxSsVqXd3mC1_ZVI-9OFOHpwAO_8cWj-3PH-Z8REJfV9gg_dlNZweKke6hyphenhyphenP7pg2fvAmmRKvk6J1yhuN27M-jAynkfDwpQFy9C0YvGJAkp4NIC1Tspl19wangyJVdv/s1600-h/Beach_Pano.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IpuMmxmxSsVqXd3mC1_ZVI-9OFOHpwAO_8cWj-3PH-Z8REJfV9gg_dlNZweKke6hyphenhyphenP7pg2fvAmmRKvk6J1yhuN27M-jAynkfDwpQFy9C0YvGJAkp4NIC1Tspl19wangyJVdv/s400/Beach_Pano.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029208533794183154" border="0" /></a>One other important part of our anatomy that requires adequate protection in this harsh environment is the window to our soul, our eyes. The same UV radiation that is so damaging to our skin is also a bane to our eyes. Add to that, long hours of staring at bright, shimmering reflections off the water surface looking for that elusive bonefish can fatigue our eyes to the point of causing headaches.<br /><br />Therefore, one absolutely indispensable piece of gear, is a pair of QUALITY, polarized sunglasses. Notice that I emphasize 'QUALITY'. Any simple pair of dark glasses does more damage than not wearing sunglasses. This is because the darkness of the lens causes your pupils to dilate, thus letting in more UV light. It is then imperative to make sure that you choose sunglasses that are labeled as having protection against UVA and UVB radiation.<br /><br />Polarization is the cutting down of glare from the horizontal plane. This means that reflection off the water's surface is reduced dramatically, allowing you to peer through the water in search of your quarry. Without this property, you will find it almost impossible to spot the fish. The extremely bright environment of white sand and reflective waters will also tire your eyes a lot quicker as you squint to reduce the glare.<br /><br />As always, there are many makes of quality, polarized sunglasses. Personally, I use <a href="http://www.costadelmar.com/">Costa Del Mar</a> and <a href="http://www.mauijim.com/mjweb/public/index.jsp">Maui Jim</a>. I prefer wrap-arounds as they cover up most of the spaces on the sides and on the top where light can enter and still create glare. The quality of the polarization is also very good in the two pairs that I own. I haven't had much problems with de-lamination of the polarized coatings and since the models I use are all plastic, I don't really have to worry about rusting. I just give it a good rinse in freshwater at the end of every day and leave it to dry indoors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdFej2pV3Zf6Ijd1JshoC9qyLb7DRNQ7hyphenhyphenQLQWTMr3B1148WiDLlkzu82YDxDFwdO91BeFkx-zFVbho2RcMPX5cclA3XsuPdPnrhtmYhqf2_IqlqqG6fYcM9l0kevd57rjquz/s1600-h/cdm_fluid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdFej2pV3Zf6Ijd1JshoC9qyLb7DRNQ7hyphenhyphenQLQWTMr3B1148WiDLlkzu82YDxDFwdO91BeFkx-zFVbho2RcMPX5cclA3XsuPdPnrhtmYhqf2_IqlqqG6fYcM9l0kevd57rjquz/s320/cdm_fluid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029210951860770818" border="0" /></a>My <a href="http://www.costadelmar.com/">Costa Del Mar</a> Fluid sunglasses have interchangeable lenses allowing me to change from sunrise (yellow) lenses ,for low light conditions; to amber (orange), for high contrast against the light sand; to grey lenses for deep blue waters. Other coloured lenses can be bought to suit other conditions too. It originally comes with 3 sets of lenses but I bought an extra set of sunrise lenses for use during my early morning forays.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKodQQmlawrq6A34bYVwPmdM0wNjyY4Sm8-WY_m5Eh70fmS4aY9WNw9yrM17hsZJH-bx9wdMUHXaiZPt1F9FCUEfTSdR-XdrdlcM1fLRgdrqXdrckXe9ZhlC52dcTFtiYk1RL/s1600-h/mjsport.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKodQQmlawrq6A34bYVwPmdM0wNjyY4Sm8-WY_m5Eh70fmS4aY9WNw9yrM17hsZJH-bx9wdMUHXaiZPt1F9FCUEfTSdR-XdrdlcM1fLRgdrqXdrckXe9ZhlC52dcTFtiYk1RL/s320/mjsport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029202782832973794" border="0" /></a>My <a href="http://www.mauijim.com/mjweb/public/index.jsp">Maui Jim</a> MJ Sport is of a one-piece construction but fits my asian face shape very well. Its lightweight frame makes it my sunglass of choice for everyday use. It sports a rose lens (reddish-brown) makes it universal for use at anytime of the day.<br /><br />For daily maintenance, we carry a piece of lens cleaning cloth and solution in a waterproof bag whenever we go to shore. Since we apply loads of sunblock, you can be sure that there'll be oily smudges on the lens every now and then. A quick spray and wipe and you're ready to go hunting again. A simple ritual for us is to rinse the sunglasses in freshwater to get rid of any salt and when dry, clean the lenses with the solution once over before we replace them into their cases. In this way, we make sure that our sunglasses are where we can find them the next morning.<br /><br />to be continued..Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-31832776600297133862007-02-05T21:58:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:43:58.610+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - ApparelIf you think that fly fishing the flats is idyllic, it is except for one fact. Being in the tropics means one thing....IT'S HOT!<br /><br />A typical day starts with the sun stirring from its slumber at about 6.30am. As the great orange orb crawls from beneath its shimmering sheets, we too start to prepare for our fishing day. A fragrant hot cup of coffee and a fulfilling breakfast stimulates the body to get up to running speed. Then it is off to hit the beaches.<br /><br />At around 8am, the water is still a little chilly and you're thankful you had that hot cup of black, aromatic brew to warm your body up. It will take another hour or two for the water temperature to rise. But even now, you start to feel heat of the rays that shoot out from behind the low clouds. You know that soon, you will feel the fury of that rising sun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhau8gDIXKrArQD_ECrN1x2uoSbQFnd8Rj3qz9eGVn-9pM7K0t7SBA2eYRI3wD0YGI_dYDQ_Iu5LBbAzsbYOgG8WkBQSERI27lqABB9lPYKk3DhzEdPOQ7i3_C9-2rzDLZZtwwP/s1600-h/fashion_squad1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhau8gDIXKrArQD_ECrN1x2uoSbQFnd8Rj3qz9eGVn-9pM7K0t7SBA2eYRI3wD0YGI_dYDQ_Iu5LBbAzsbYOgG8WkBQSERI27lqABB9lPYKk3DhzEdPOQ7i3_C9-2rzDLZZtwwP/s320/fashion_squad1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028807599359884258" border="0" /></a>Of course, you can opt to take the cool option of sitting in the shade or head back to the mothership but we usually search relentlessly for fishable waters throughout the day. That's why it is imperative that we choose suitable protection gear.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8oyom5uz6DpFZ3rLzRQhIfczbceo5RrQqFjHtQ6aNCQw1EbBEmWiCaZS0Gd-wzfMDCPtBhdjXG5EafCWfEx_xRY4-ir0R4bEDAcJHM0Uhoaz6bQdcSnkPuAYYKjoXndZwjNf/s1600-h/Mo_full-gear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8oyom5uz6DpFZ3rLzRQhIfczbceo5RrQqFjHtQ6aNCQw1EbBEmWiCaZS0Gd-wzfMDCPtBhdjXG5EafCWfEx_xRY4-ir0R4bEDAcJHM0Uhoaz6bQdcSnkPuAYYKjoXndZwjNf/s320/Mo_full-gear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028810180635229234" border="0" /></a>The clothing of choice for us is a set of quick dry, long-sleeved Casting Shirt and pants. The reason for choosing quick dry Clothing is so that when we return from a day's fishing, we need only to rinse them in fresh water and hang out to dry. The wind will have your suit dry, ready for the next day's fishing. As such, we normally bring only 2 sets of fishing clothing to last for a nine day trip. The long sleeves will protect your arms from being burnt to Lobster Red. The long pants are necessary to protect you legs. Even though you're feeling cool in the water, the sunlight is actually being magnified by the water. You'll only realize it when you toss and turn in bed later in the night, feeling the burning sensation.<br /><br />I will also recommend that these clothes be made of UV-protective materials. In the open flats, direct sunlight and reflected sunlight constantly bathe you in UV radiation so besides he sunblock, you would want to be additional protection from those scorching rays.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgY4_tqGHyccBQn0vHipv0fA0QaM4-4xVm3suG2wU2R5Glwm-ya-7zODJ0INAFdc6TRfHkhgVRSVfBPtZe2lBYGLV3YOJV-cX5cZIGMlodWmzX7YoCBWiWG8g0OI0y3SAVPiPP/s1600-h/gerard_hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgY4_tqGHyccBQn0vHipv0fA0QaM4-4xVm3suG2wU2R5Glwm-ya-7zODJ0INAFdc6TRfHkhgVRSVfBPtZe2lBYGLV3YOJV-cX5cZIGMlodWmzX7YoCBWiWG8g0OI0y3SAVPiPP/s200/gerard_hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028807887122693106" border="0" /></a>Also, a nice wide-brimmed hat or a duck-billed cap would do nicely to keep your cranium nice and cool. Another advantage is that it keeps the glare from straining your eyesight from above.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUmzad2eOhOP81RexQ0hU-RogenrghmG8WuGI0uT3pMedCr4ySoCNePoGqiC2YtRn-X2B1Xa-4ADjyqZRlHVa554VaJH-gTQdvBUa5nG-WDSp8qnNqLFr4Wws9YZVCh7itDMi/s1600-h/Mike_hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUmzad2eOhOP81RexQ0hU-RogenrghmG8WuGI0uT3pMedCr4ySoCNePoGqiC2YtRn-X2B1Xa-4ADjyqZRlHVa554VaJH-gTQdvBUa5nG-WDSp8qnNqLFr4Wws9YZVCh7itDMi/s200/Mike_hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028809961591897122" border="0" /></a>Should you want to keep you neck from getting burnt, you can choose to buy a hat with flaps that are detachable. These flaps help to cover the ears and the back of your neck and prevent these sensitive parts from charring.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ6OjHw0eAn6XedgZAu2c7EI-PxiCubzXUTxSWTj7UQo6TK51-VZEKFBqXFflE2Bx21xJTk1zZy001UPgBQ2U09vw1kTPGcG3xESJzF9GDo_kGgh11LnxxU57H1rnGuM3C-bD/s1600-h/mah_bandana.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ6OjHw0eAn6XedgZAu2c7EI-PxiCubzXUTxSWTj7UQo6TK51-VZEKFBqXFflE2Bx21xJTk1zZy001UPgBQ2U09vw1kTPGcG3xESJzF9GDo_kGgh11LnxxU57H1rnGuM3C-bD/s200/mah_bandana.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028808685986610178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Bandanas can also be a useful piece of clothing to pack. It's small, light and versatile. Use it under a hat or cap to add additional coverage for your neck or just use it to tie over your head.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonlISaGI6oBotXCGN0OayEeKINERN7pS-SLUGkF0XKapZnzOjTnxgmLA7Mu_1a_LIdhaHEhW-OXbEGV9WB4s9CeP-VBDM8SwkHB4SbA5F1cwnw3fkelPK2-6-I3aflPYwkkGU/s1600-h/gerard_bandana.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonlISaGI6oBotXCGN0OayEeKINERN7pS-SLUGkF0XKapZnzOjTnxgmLA7Mu_1a_LIdhaHEhW-OXbEGV9WB4s9CeP-VBDM8SwkHB4SbA5F1cwnw3fkelPK2-6-I3aflPYwkkGU/s200/gerard_bandana.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028809712483793938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />When it gets hot, dip it into the cool water and drape it around your neck to bring soothing relief from the sweltering heat.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />to be continued...Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-58426039000395870282007-01-29T22:20:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:44:01.314+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - Flies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAhjaxTrEiR-kDkU9Q8TyhO4RIgzeFz7XQgNVshlw_w3q2pviOlFPN4bblPQbSb0j5izPwDq0ibvMVnV1kEdFLvd6-mb1nSWeuLXLreUH93jJgLb33D1PqzsuhjsBB6Cqev4L/s1600-h/SPTan_flybox.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAhjaxTrEiR-kDkU9Q8TyhO4RIgzeFz7XQgNVshlw_w3q2pviOlFPN4bblPQbSb0j5izPwDq0ibvMVnV1kEdFLvd6-mb1nSWeuLXLreUH93jJgLb33D1PqzsuhjsBB6Cqev4L/s400/SPTan_flybox.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025488486707947010" border="0" /></a>Now that we've covered our weapons, we need ammunition. Just what kind of flies do you need for a trip to the Maldives?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4nGFTrf-A7tJ-ORNMnlBgHSCAEdCZ9EkoKQ43g7KI3oTz-HOXo4FR1i3R3jAdIRfI8S2eZ1uBIdWbcRkt5Pe9BVCtaiMvwDG3zg42L3mgg12C1l4rk0-WCrEP3Y-JmYk751l/s1600-h/SCH+38.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4nGFTrf-A7tJ-ORNMnlBgHSCAEdCZ9EkoKQ43g7KI3oTz-HOXo4FR1i3R3jAdIRfI8S2eZ1uBIdWbcRkt5Pe9BVCtaiMvwDG3zg42L3mgg12C1l4rk0-WCrEP3Y-JmYk751l/s200/SCH+38.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025491892617012818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />If you brought just 3 types of flies, you'd still be able to enjoy a successful trip. Crazy Charlies in the sizes of #2 - #8 will catch you just about any reef species including groupers, snappers, wrasse, flute fish, etc...and of course, the grand prize, Bonefish.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAOhpD64pxvOKWWjU4eNu080sto3x9rKUbdwbgmf8puLuGTRDbSadE_cjCnB8Yih2ONlj8pRbMTyxkUkHur4c8t15uHlli8vdUncazJgK4WIbyNMG6FKMzKfWxQ_aBtaLmOh2/s1600-h/my_clouser_snapper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAOhpD64pxvOKWWjU4eNu080sto3x9rKUbdwbgmf8puLuGTRDbSadE_cjCnB8Yih2ONlj8pRbMTyxkUkHur4c8t15uHlli8vdUncazJgK4WIbyNMG6FKMzKfWxQ_aBtaLmOh2/s320/my_clouser_snapper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025490896184600130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ga-UAlXDz3gvF0ZqgHGeg4B2NFdiF8vY4R78Y_ppzOneVfadhsiwZTPLmqZQloua5y8VVzv4BCNlqRkzMAkW8FyjuIP3Ts-ptu3fpxjf7B6WuHgmfjPSW8YCIRhnCQcZpeRn/s1600-h/mah_white_clouser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ga-UAlXDz3gvF0ZqgHGeg4B2NFdiF8vY4R78Y_ppzOneVfadhsiwZTPLmqZQloua5y8VVzv4BCNlqRkzMAkW8FyjuIP3Ts-ptu3fpxjf7B6WuHgmfjPSW8YCIRhnCQcZpeRn/s200/mah_white_clouser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025489667823953458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />#2 - #2/0 Clouser Minnows, will get you the same specturm of fish as a Crazy Charlie. Yes! Even bonefish. But you should be able to illicit strikes from much larger giant and bluefin trevallies.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyISR8zjanJYjz09C_znhfbkbPC2YaZ9eygy8WeUEpeUPVA5ApqfErDC5sTQbF4vNuVf986PU9qZLBjCIMc8CLuC6GhyxiL4wOYnj1PDgcZrQdpZrlRXvhilTVM-Pr7zUURvJt/s1600-h/crab_fly_bonefish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyISR8zjanJYjz09C_znhfbkbPC2YaZ9eygy8WeUEpeUPVA5ApqfErDC5sTQbF4vNuVf986PU9qZLBjCIMc8CLuC6GhyxiL4wOYnj1PDgcZrQdpZrlRXvhilTVM-Pr7zUURvJt/s200/crab_fly_bonefish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025489294161798690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Crustaceans form a major part of the diet of the many creatures of the flats. So a crab fly from #2 - #1/0 will draw the attention of many a hungry piscatorial adversary. And if the stars are shining on you, perhaps even a chance to hook up the highly regarded Permit.<br /><br /><br /><br />These are but just 3 patterns that a proven on the flats of the Maldives. Our group has used a whole gamut of fly patterns except the very first fly to have ever caught a bonefish, a Royal Wulff. Some of our industrious members have even designed some original patterns.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlz9ta6_OP0pHbGP6wAi81rbSz-ruRy4DhpfGRYpeChne_cBICHupiY6klvk0QiIwSlJcitKYWq8Sg2Ai2JIxjXV-MJ-NeCQMMTZF240uwljWIEA49g9eX2JAQBYl8DUoswgeq/s1600-h/carrot_bonefish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlz9ta6_OP0pHbGP6wAi81rbSz-ruRy4DhpfGRYpeChne_cBICHupiY6klvk0QiIwSlJcitKYWq8Sg2Ai2JIxjXV-MJ-NeCQMMTZF240uwljWIEA49g9eX2JAQBYl8DUoswgeq/s200/carrot_bonefish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025486029986653666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Carrot, a fly that is basically a Crazy Charlie with an epoxy body. Thus named for it's orange body and green wing. Used in exactly the same way as a Crazy Charlie.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMSyFPDwTGluyiGNrFbWpz72PiAHD8Gi-TlU2ARwNYxwPkfLs4T5w_jXVSjKZNQY7oN32WkzWn8ryYTlst9G5TxfeqebBELUqngR3IfNLNU7THUCWWLg4Ik8ka_ibCuSN23iw/s1600-h/Sea_Bugger_squid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMSyFPDwTGluyiGNrFbWpz72PiAHD8Gi-TlU2ARwNYxwPkfLs4T5w_jXVSjKZNQY7oN32WkzWn8ryYTlst9G5TxfeqebBELUqngR3IfNLNU7THUCWWLg4Ik8ka_ibCuSN23iw/s200/Sea_Bugger_squid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025487997081675250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I tied a Sea-bugger and even caught a squid with it. It is a derivative of a woolly bugger. I tie it with a red conehead and red and white chenille and hackles. I got the idea from the successful red-head trolling lures.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-9Cd5VpOdlnfdE7Zf_Y0OFjaXze0hugm_6ZP3CIPbW1RD3QOfnaooSyJvwpkRdPdmKsCp28VAyXUWTGn2FM1hS_IC5PRnfBi7sgtHrJamn_LC6-xLOlbhVylgrePdl_CVdIR/s1600-h/bonefish_special.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-9Cd5VpOdlnfdE7Zf_Y0OFjaXze0hugm_6ZP3CIPbW1RD3QOfnaooSyJvwpkRdPdmKsCp28VAyXUWTGn2FM1hS_IC5PRnfBi7sgtHrJamn_LC6-xLOlbhVylgrePdl_CVdIR/s400/bonefish_special.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025483878208038338" border="0" /></a>Some of the other flies that have been used include: the Bonefish Special, Surf Candy, Deceiver, Whistler, Pink Thing and the list goes on.<br /><br />The next question is..."How many flies do I need?"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgaBo1-14_yy9K92eofAMQPsFOKM6dX9npMUoZet86fy_e7ZWfo-VmdN6oaow26uhDJrfDSgVEyNPSn68YFsqo-1e4ILf2i2PZM8hL-Mchc0YeufJx2m8clAUUzl3fyrD76gd/s1600-h/michael_flybox.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgaBo1-14_yy9K92eofAMQPsFOKM6dX9npMUoZet86fy_e7ZWfo-VmdN6oaow26uhDJrfDSgVEyNPSn68YFsqo-1e4ILf2i2PZM8hL-Mchc0YeufJx2m8clAUUzl3fyrD76gd/s400/michael_flybox.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5025488804535526930" border="0" /></a>As a norm, we will bring along about 100 - 200 flies for a 9 - 11 day trip. All of them are packed into a few boxes that we keep aboard the motherboat. Each day we pick out a winning combination and pack them into waterproof fly boxes. These are the ones that we will work with through the course of the day's fishing.<br /><br />So if you are adventurous, bring any fly pattern that you'd like to try and see what you can pull from the depths. But you can still always pack a few dozen of the proven flies to make sure you have stories to tell when you return.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-51075738868381440492007-01-27T00:20:00.002+08:002008-12-11T20:44:01.711+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - Leader and TippetIt is common practice for American anglers targeting bonefish to use the longest leader they can to avoid spooking the fish. The classic bonefish havens have been under so much fishing pressure that the fish have graduated with a PhD in Capture Evasion. So it isn't wrong to say that long leaders and light tippets are a must.<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In the Maldives, the bonefish may not be as plentiful but they </span><span style="font-size:100%;">do</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> not spook as easily. These fish are normally caught by the locals using worms and crabs. And during any fishing season, the Maldives see probably around 200 - 300 fly anglers. I must quantify that these are purely my own estimates based on the number of anglers leaving for trips from Singapore and Malaysia and from the information gathered from the Maldivian captains. It is more common for visiting anglers from Japan and Europe to go for popping and jigging or big game fishing. Even if my numbers are underestimated, I am very sure that the fishing pressure on the flats is significantly lower than that of the Caribbeans or Florida. Thus, a long leader is considered a good to have and not a necessity.</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Twisted Leader<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WqgdwoG8Ag75w1wXPKDwgRaHDQoOzi7QHZbjye-WYfj-JCmxEXahSJH8OHDWgroMoCIvb1vpK8qBmJ4h6RtV4DF7HJ0F7Fdr05gCy5emw3PkChTgdSDhNSYrAsEF1fJxoai7/s1600-h/fly_leader.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WqgdwoG8Ag75w1wXPKDwgRaHDQoOzi7QHZbjye-WYfj-JCmxEXahSJH8OHDWgroMoCIvb1vpK8qBmJ4h6RtV4DF7HJ0F7Fdr05gCy5emw3PkChTgdSDhNSYrAsEF1fJxoai7/s400/fly_leader.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024749760922969506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">My leader is usually between 9' - 12' long ; shorter, if I'm using a very heavy fly; even longer if there is not even a hint of a breeze. It is constructed out of 25 lbs monofilament line. I twist the line so that it technically doubles its breaking strength. This also makes the butt of my leader stiffer so that the transition from fly line to leader is gradual. It aids in turning the whole leader and therefore, the fly. Another added advantage of using such a leader is that it acts as a shock absorber. The twisting causes the line to bunch up, effectively becoming a spring, that when pulled, stretches even more than when it was a single strand.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">With a 50lbs butt leader that tapers to 25lbs, with no knot to weaken it in the middle, I tie on 4' – 5' of 15lbs - 20lbs fluorocarbon bite tippet. The fly is then tied on using a loop knot and I'm ready for business. If I keep changing flies, I'll use the tippet till I am left with about 2' before I change the whole leader with one fresh from a Zip-loc bag.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5uOFGjA5_BnwnskmQgx0u-uDRdVW4ZqXc2Bnxpd8SYzKITQV43wvPz4wq4jCXRBvve4Owr1YPxi2hJv7QnZn-GSf-6XQFJZBjpmPp_-wGFFcNZTSC3-ZTSabUW4fe-JJF2G0/s1600-h/leader_material.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5uOFGjA5_BnwnskmQgx0u-uDRdVW4ZqXc2Bnxpd8SYzKITQV43wvPz4wq4jCXRBvve4Owr1YPxi2hJv7QnZn-GSf-6XQFJZBjpmPp_-wGFFcNZTSC3-ZTSabUW4fe-JJF2G0/s400/leader_material.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024750289203946930" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I use fluorocarbon tippets as it is said to be near invisible to fish when in the water. It is also more abrasion-resistant making it suitable for use around the rocky outcrops. There is a downside to fluorocarbon tippets though. It is a lot stiffer than most monofilament leaders however, this is resolved by using a loop knot that retains the fly's action. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Even though I've followed convention and used a tapered leader, I must add that on our last trip, a mate of ours used 6' of 60 lbs leader and caught a 5lbs bonefish using a #2 Clouser Deep Minnow.</span></p>Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-38299258857301163552007-01-23T18:20:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:44:02.416+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - Fly LinesIf you thought that selecting the rod and reel was confusing enough, brace yourself for another headache.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYP6WCm6X3_7X_waKTEopc3TQ33wcRVHwGixo6hl252CPJk-h1X5rXSwFJg49amzu6ggV7Mb94sRGqZngA7gVn8FxhRCfkMosxwgQ-DcXoQ93IJsOqZcvpvS-oL1XEVm3fqOjb/s1600-h/bag_of_lines.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYP6WCm6X3_7X_waKTEopc3TQ33wcRVHwGixo6hl252CPJk-h1X5rXSwFJg49amzu6ggV7Mb94sRGqZngA7gVn8FxhRCfkMosxwgQ-DcXoQ93IJsOqZcvpvS-oL1XEVm3fqOjb/s400/bag_of_lines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023593340978521458" border="0" /></a>Fly lines now come in a myriad of colours from translucent to downright gaudy. They float, sink, sink slowly, sink very quickly, sink partially and now even have multiple personalities. Fortunately, for us saltwater types, we need only pick from a small selection of an otherwise almost infinite choice.<br /><br />Hot! Hot! Hot!<br /><br />The Maldives bask in the sweltering heat of the tropics. Though water temperatures generally remain in the 20s(degree Celsius), the ambient temperature and some parts of the shallow flats may reach the high 30s at noon. This kind of temperature will cause traditional trout or coldwater lines to become useless. These lines typically use a single-strand monofilament core that will soften in high temperatures rendering the line unable to cast properly or turn a heavy fly.<br /><br />So what you will need is a warm water or tropical line. These lines, unlike their coldwater cousins are built around a braided mono core that is capable of withstanding the incapacitating heat. Conversely, if you were to use this line in colder climates, it would stiffen to the point that the line may even crack.<br /><br />Sink or Swim<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJ7vZGen9iJKmLZD84koiRIFVLmf_lOQvT0UY39dsh5SwXBWQ27cdpCYezqdWv_UGcoN0Q38uHySSuUG9QLis2W4WXieJgPc_3y7BYpJaiLuza8JlzrYDc8yO7jiLL4Q4sook/s1600-h/fly_lines.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJ7vZGen9iJKmLZD84koiRIFVLmf_lOQvT0UY39dsh5SwXBWQ27cdpCYezqdWv_UGcoN0Q38uHySSuUG9QLis2W4WXieJgPc_3y7BYpJaiLuza8JlzrYDc8yO7jiLL4Q4sook/s400/fly_lines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023593693165839746" border="0" /></a>So now that we've decided to get a tropical fly line, do we get one that floats or sinks? On my trips, I would take along and then choose one of three; floating, intermediate and a sink-tip.<br /><br />I would normally choose a floating line if I'm fishing the surf or over very rocky drop-offs. This is to prevent the fly line from fouling in the rocks when I'm struggling with the waves, as the line remains on the surface. It also facilitates an easier pickup for a quick forward cast when a target of opportunity suddenly appears. A floating fly line with a heavy fly, for example, a deep clouser minnow, tied on will tend to lift the fly up when stripped. A 'strip-and-pause' retrieve will impart a more vertical jigging action to the fly. By changing the retrieve to a doublehanded straight retrieve, the fly will leap off the bottom and then swim straight, usually, nearer the surface. With this setup, I'm usually targeting the coral species like wrasses, groupers, emperors and GTs. My choice is either a Monic Tropical Floating Line (clear) or a Scientific Angler Bonefish Floating Line (Horizon)<br /><br />If I am to be fishing mostly sand flats with scattered coral patches, I'd go for the intermediate line. The intermediate line sinks but at a slow rate of 1.5 - 2.5 inches per second. When targeting bottom feeders like bonefish and permit, you would want the fly to reach the bottom fast and for the fly to work near the bottom when stripped. A Crab fly or Crazy Charlie used with an intermediate line will quickly descend to the bottom, ready to attract the attention of a passing bonefish. If a streamer like a Deceiver is used, the line will keep the fly in mid-water even when stripped rapidly. should you be interested in using such a line, I'd recommend the Scientific Anglers bonefish taper.<br /><br />As for the sink-tip, it's a combination of a floating line and an intermediate line. The main part of the line floats while the tip, translucent, sinks at a rate of about 1.8 - 2.0 ips. As I only have 6wt sink-tip, a Scientific Anglers Wet Tip Clear, I use it when I'm using my Winston XTR5 6wt. I normally use it near very deep drop-offs by the surf where I want my line to be floating but still want the fly to reach a deeper depth.<br /><br />My choice of line thus depends on where I would be fishing that day. This, of course, means that prior knowledge of the terrain would be very helpful. In the absence of such information, I would go with the sink-tip as it is the most versatile.<br /><br />Staying Connected<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhqfVUxB6Ox7nM_bLfGAs6c1cFiiTkH1YEIqW_o1j5hSu8SrIOEWgNFiIIuyc0hWh3bJWaZSEsIP_MFxK6pgJJMQcN7kgVF20bRAnuzbW2nnhkXfZ1o8UKnqTX-9-RVtSqB51/s1600-h/braided_loop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhqfVUxB6Ox7nM_bLfGAs6c1cFiiTkH1YEIqW_o1j5hSu8SrIOEWgNFiIIuyc0hWh3bJWaZSEsIP_MFxK6pgJJMQcN7kgVF20bRAnuzbW2nnhkXfZ1o8UKnqTX-9-RVtSqB51/s400/braided_loop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023594084007863698" border="0" /></a>I use a braided loop on all my fly lines. This makes it easier for me to change my leader. If you don't want to be meddling with spools of leader and tippet, I would recommend using a braided loop and loop-to-loop connections. I keep pre-tied tapered leaders in small ziploc bags and change the whole leader whenever my tippet gets too short from changing flies.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-77852081070980743742007-01-21T23:18:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:44:03.319+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - ReelsLarge Arbor or Small Arbor<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyNL5OPmEiHkg27xzWvXM8Z2ttDACr-FiLTPjl0fVmhLROI9b7cnlk6-DumUIwQx-cNotwzR1SgiL1_jaiFakOTu-Uwv-FKj-Jmc48UKg7b3QYOJdtcao2bhxDjmZbUu6Swoc/s1600-h/3_reels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyNL5OPmEiHkg27xzWvXM8Z2ttDACr-FiLTPjl0fVmhLROI9b7cnlk6-DumUIwQx-cNotwzR1SgiL1_jaiFakOTu-Uwv-FKj-Jmc48UKg7b3QYOJdtcao2bhxDjmZbUu6Swoc/s400/3_reels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022913687744140738" border="0" /></a>With so many manufacturers coming out with large arbor reel designs, you would start to wonder if it really makes a difference. I sure did.<br /><br />On my first fly fishing trip to the Maldives, I was using a Lamson 3 with my Sage RPL+. The combination was fine but when a few nice sized GTs and Bluefin trevallies took me into my backing, I had to reel really hard to gain line. After I got back from the trip and was planning another, I started to think that perhaps, I needed another reel to better handle the conditions and the fish.<br /><br />Reading up on the subject, I came across the Ross Canyon series. It was one of the first large arbor saltwater reels back then. I received the CA2 just prior to my return trip to the Maldives. Packed with 120yds (110m) of 20lbs Scientific Angler Standard Backing, I was ready to do battle with the denizens of the flats. This time, I found that even when I was taken way up into my backing, I had a much easier time retrieving line. With lesser turns of the reel, I was gaining more line than I had with the Lamson 3's standard arbor. Combining rod work with relentless constant pressure from the superb drag of the reel, numerous bluefins and GTs were to succumb to me.<br /><br />As good as the Ross Canyon was, it was heavy. It weighed in at 5.5oz(155g). This made it a little heavy to balance my 6 wt Winston XTR but used with my 8wt Sage RPLXi, it balanced out. This meant that I had to remove some of my backing to accommodate the thicker 8wt Bonefish taper.<br /><br />On the flats, sand tended to get into the grooves on the inside of the reel and the Canyon need to be stripped to wash the sand out. This was time consuming and thus became frustrating espescially when the fish were on the bite.<br /><br />Despite all these, the Ross still remains a good reel to use on the flats.<br /><br />The Ultimate Saltwater Reel<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5bcifkqlTmX4xNhWsYkfDiYYUqXdLe8-y-__DHwIUcJlbE0MIcHUVNcRD-o_9Uz2ihQKlamoYtmt1HQ4k-mhnNut-BGTTHOEhpMuKz5tNTSQA0MXsKJQ8KCz1sc-ygjoLtW_/s1600-h/abel_reels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5bcifkqlTmX4xNhWsYkfDiYYUqXdLe8-y-__DHwIUcJlbE0MIcHUVNcRD-o_9Uz2ihQKlamoYtmt1HQ4k-mhnNut-BGTTHOEhpMuKz5tNTSQA0MXsKJQ8KCz1sc-ygjoLtW_/s400/abel_reels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022900510784476578" border="0" /></a>In February 2005, 2 months after the Dec 26 Asian Tsunami, we planned another trip to revisit the Maldives. This was to be the trip that got me interested in another reel which I was to fall in love with and that has become my main weapon of choice on the flats.<br /><br />Gerard and I paired up for most of the trip. He was using his Able Super 6 reel, anodized a brilliant red, yellow and orange; or 'Fire' as we call it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8MQ1F4nIs__XgwYgBuAU01fAiTtV3-Pnk4v6Q4Y34GK9VMGx5ECyNpGrrP3oI5xFz7mBnmdip3hxzIEzTdwnQi2aqQX2O24mIuFxXueTq3Fgsnr_UQULneSC2roEeWMFVyM3/s1600-h/gerard_big_gt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8MQ1F4nIs__XgwYgBuAU01fAiTtV3-Pnk4v6Q4Y34GK9VMGx5ECyNpGrrP3oI5xFz7mBnmdip3hxzIEzTdwnQi2aqQX2O24mIuFxXueTq3Fgsnr_UQULneSC2roEeWMFVyM3/s400/gerard_big_gt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022900828612056498" border="0" /></a><br />Matching the the reel with his Winston XTR 5 7wt rod, he went on to subdue many a marauding GT and in the process, landed a whopping 29.5 pounder off the shallow flats. Not only was it's stopping power awesome, the simple design meant that the reel could be dropped on the sand and with dunk in the water, be ready for action again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuMSOIrPS3Uv_W26-oWjLAVBQ53qLa1gLkVhyphenhyphenlTb9ar7MWhkNRirfl3e-NfI_JRC9d7PJ-Bt0zys73o4dRLVDqsCvkKSqRGO5p4e7gwpD4Ra299HrQKzjVoL7YmJ7HVLlBkhs/s1600-h/abel_super7_stripped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuMSOIrPS3Uv_W26-oWjLAVBQ53qLa1gLkVhyphenhyphenlTb9ar7MWhkNRirfl3e-NfI_JRC9d7PJ-Bt0zys73o4dRLVDqsCvkKSqRGO5p4e7gwpD4Ra299HrQKzjVoL7YmJ7HVLlBkhs/s400/abel_super7_stripped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022914117240870354" border="0" /></a>With only a single nut holding the drag knob, the whole reel comes apart to reveal 5 main seperate parts. The only real concerns are the nut, the pawl and two springs. As such, it makes maintenance in the field mere child's play, not that it requires much though. Sand got in the reel? Dunk the reel in the water and give the fly line a firm tug and the spinning reel will expel the invading grains in a flash. At the end of the fishing day, a short soak in some fresh water and up it goes onto the rack. No extra maintenance until you get home.<br /><br />Despite a great blow to my pocket, I bought myself a Super 7 and used it to great satisfaction during my 2006 trip.<br /><br />The Super 7's drag is a simple cork drag but boy does it pack stopping power. The way to use the reel is, upon setting the hook, let the fish take up the line to the reel. Once the reel kicks in, slowly turn the drag knob click by click until the fish slows down. if the fish slows almost to the point of standstill, you can start to pump the fish in with your rod. However, as you retrieve line, remember to loosen the drag when the fish nears you. You can count it to try and bolt the moment it sees you. It will take a while for you to understand your Abel reel but once you know its latent powers, you will start to really appreciate it as not only a thing of beauty but quality engineering.<br /><br />Spoilt for Choice<br /><br />Now, in the market, there are so many large arbor reels available for you to choose. It all boils down to what is the best you can afford. Most importantly, make sure that the reel you choose balances with your rod, for to fish all day, comfort is paramount.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-67591126310012954682007-01-19T11:25:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:44:04.819+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: How to Equip for a Trip to Maldives - RodsFly-weight, Welter-weight or Heavy-weight?<br /><br />The greatest enemy a fly angler might face while fishing the flats is wind. A mere 30km/h 'breeze' is enough to drastically reduce the distance you can fish; and any faster, ruin your fishing holiday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4r8Zyyjz0-SAKT_ruGgOknCfsJRyKLGLY2QEQDEL3LzdmQfkNCP6HZdjaZVMDIpnvt9GXlTAQB9IrlvjvVhxVakT558VAGzrlQaHgml5fcTXf0sh4dxYdZqchCypfq0hv-Ri/s1600-h/surf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4r8Zyyjz0-SAKT_ruGgOknCfsJRyKLGLY2QEQDEL3LzdmQfkNCP6HZdjaZVMDIpnvt9GXlTAQB9IrlvjvVhxVakT558VAGzrlQaHgml5fcTXf0sh4dxYdZqchCypfq0hv-Ri/s400/surf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022161372682638722" border="0" /></a>In the Maldives, there will always be wind but between January and May, they are at their mildest. Even so, on the windward side of the island, where the pounding surf holds prowling GTs and Bluefins, you will need to contend with a constant, sometimes stiff breeze.<br /><br />Typically, saltwater flats fishing requires a faster action-rod that has enough power to punch the line through a stiff breeze. Rods in the range of 6 wt - 10 wt are the norm for us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3UPEztW5287AUGhbWVBsHzXrpk4bu16n9YYDht6r27haFjmXMs-uusV0iVCMUD7aB610Zu7OUg-F-mimkjCdRiXmjOpfkQZJQe3mHfLBTAmvAgHPZ272Q2AIOVgCtYJRxzlF/s1600-h/lagoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3UPEztW5287AUGhbWVBsHzXrpk4bu16n9YYDht6r27haFjmXMs-uusV0iVCMUD7aB610Zu7OUg-F-mimkjCdRiXmjOpfkQZJQe3mHfLBTAmvAgHPZ272Q2AIOVgCtYJRxzlF/s400/lagoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022162214496228754" border="0" /></a>A 6 wt rod is perfect for days of light breeze and for fishing in the lagoons (usually in the lee of the island). As the winds pick up or if you choose to fish on the windward side (the surf, as we call it), a 7 wt - 9 wt should help to give you a little more reach. The 10 wt, in our case, is used specifically to target big bruisers. Casting 4"- 6" synthetic Clouser minnows, huge GTs are the main target off the surf or in the deeper channels. A 10 wt rod comes in really handy to turn the fish from heading straight into the corals.<br /><br />My arsenal of rods include a 5-piece Winston XTR5 6wt (9') , a 3-piece Sage RPLXi 8wt (9') and a 3-piece Sage RPL+ 6wt (10'), of which, the Winston is my favourite. With travelling restrictions on flights being so strict nowadays, The Winston XTR5 rod breaks down to 5-pieces that measure just below 24" and it comes with an aluminium tube which makes it packable into most luggages. However, since my other rods are of 3-piece configuration, I chose to make my own rod case but you can also buy them off the shelf. Perhaps I will write a "how-to" for the rod case.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMExy4tjCJaeTdInkOgkoXUgMcqkkXpUTpBlonf-668lL5tPXOiW6yu1FJ8Pf7fMynwqPOqqyMZzAxyEetMPfr9Z0ldJG0o-QS10sguLxLdavCAe3z-kk2jPkEPhVUhnk3Kpk/s1600-h/winston_rod.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMExy4tjCJaeTdInkOgkoXUgMcqkkXpUTpBlonf-668lL5tPXOiW6yu1FJ8Pf7fMynwqPOqqyMZzAxyEetMPfr9Z0ldJG0o-QS10sguLxLdavCAe3z-kk2jPkEPhVUhnk3Kpk/s400/winston_rod.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022152078373410082" border="0" /></a>The Winston XTR5 (XTR is short for extreme) is listed as having a 'very fast' action. Despite it being very light, this rod is capable of handling a stiff wind and heavy flies. I usually use a line one weight above my rod's rating. Over-lining the rod, I am able to really load the rod and make it work for me. This, of course, is a personal preference.<br /><br />The 10' Sage RPL+ is a gem to cast. The extra length translates into, more distance for the rod tip to travel to build up line speed. This translate to less power on my stroke since the rod does most of the work for me. On this rod, I also utilize a line one weight heavier.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAo6Ts9SBDq9Imdgtil_IIMcBoAEEbqoGqqOO-SKq2CKBi4tmUfEri5pTT_NgHnHpgsReB4RLXrwhjVmx2Zfk_68iYd-I6_fqXR1MmQbaf3ZnVXws7dkKTLv-n6DM5MF7nfAs/s1600-h/Sage_rods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAo6Ts9SBDq9Imdgtil_IIMcBoAEEbqoGqqOO-SKq2CKBi4tmUfEri5pTT_NgHnHpgsReB4RLXrwhjVmx2Zfk_68iYd-I6_fqXR1MmQbaf3ZnVXws7dkKTLv-n6DM5MF7nfAs/s400/Sage_rods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022152336071447858" border="0" /></a>My Sage RPLXi is the only rod that I do not overline. Being an 8 wt rod, it is able to handle most wind conditions on the flats, except, maybe a howling gale. I match this rod with a Scientific Angler 8wt Bonefish Taper Intermediate line.<br /><br />Some of the other rods that the group have tried using include:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGmlQgJhUoBtqJLSP6b4J1m0zXHKCZE46YvJyl-BLNGF-RIH6Bgye8EDTKf5E3PaJul1pfflXsaUP5nSfHGhgsYnAgDAtM5zIMO2KraCPFbOtOy-NoYHHykG40femjSpQtMHX/s1600-h/Maldives+2006+058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGmlQgJhUoBtqJLSP6b4J1m0zXHKCZE46YvJyl-BLNGF-RIH6Bgye8EDTKf5E3PaJul1pfflXsaUP5nSfHGhgsYnAgDAtM5zIMO2KraCPFbOtOy-NoYHHykG40femjSpQtMHX/s320/Maldives+2006+058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022155686145938786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Winston XTR 6wt - 8wt<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlOpwMM_-qqiFkGUJxyWIsH60wE-qRuDjbLrMjC83jeZ1e7Wl1RKebn5D57ZEbBu9R4HtCexHeo1WxO9B5YM-UsyvOwbJucsCKSCvMgPk4g7S0Hxc6gOKUFhmuayqAyFWGXLR/s1600-h/IMG_3423.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlOpwMM_-qqiFkGUJxyWIsH60wE-qRuDjbLrMjC83jeZ1e7Wl1RKebn5D57ZEbBu9R4HtCexHeo1WxO9B5YM-UsyvOwbJucsCKSCvMgPk4g7S0Hxc6gOKUFhmuayqAyFWGXLR/s320/IMG_3423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022154148547646802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Winston Boron IIx 6wt - 10wt (Ultra light and slightly 'slower' than the XTR)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFtKClAeIrIYvSYwxOBRPdwq_lHEnq38Onjyb4R7qnPYNW_oqOs3MBQpv1i7vACTJbaquza9WHe71i4cmpypZkXk3G2gEFceT4Sn5I_Gg5IeyhJEVPP1mYmPlxiMJohy8mGmI/s1600-h/IMG_3338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFtKClAeIrIYvSYwxOBRPdwq_lHEnq38Onjyb4R7qnPYNW_oqOs3MBQpv1i7vACTJbaquza9WHe71i4cmpypZkXk3G2gEFceT4Sn5I_Gg5IeyhJEVPP1mYmPlxiMJohy8mGmI/s320/IMG_3338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022152924481967426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sage XP 5 wt<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3KttvkRg26WY-2lTWErbezvkr0EcwvPLg_nl74xAN7cenvhJ5oTuyl9mwzUKs0yKk5IgsHfyu9lYI86tbbRH6zCF5R4XZX8-ff5AIFCdfOf1XMj0CifzpytvkxFBNuSij5wK/s1600-h/Redington_rod.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3KttvkRg26WY-2lTWErbezvkr0EcwvPLg_nl74xAN7cenvhJ5oTuyl9mwzUKs0yKk5IgsHfyu9lYI86tbbRH6zCF5R4XZX8-ff5AIFCdfOf1XMj0CifzpytvkxFBNuSij5wK/s320/Redington_rod.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022160290350880114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Redington CPS 8wt<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In a nutshell, bring along a faster rod to handle the changing wind conditions but most importantly, bring the rods that will allow you to enjoy the targeted species without being overkill. If the biggies come and take your offering, pray hard and play hard. With a little luck, you just might land that fish, even on a small rod.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1788462378911526552007-01-17T20:49:00.000+08:002007-01-29T11:57:08.254+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: What You need to Know for a Successful Fly Fishing Trip to the Maldives?<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fly Fishing Season Begins<br /><br /></span>With the change of winds from the Southwest to the Northeast, the saltwater flyfishing season in the Maldives is about to begin in earnest. Traditionally, the months between January to May have been the best for wading the flats in search for bonefish, trevallies and a whole host of other tropical species.<br /><br />So if you have booked a trip to the Maldives and are not not sure what to expect, you've come to the right place.<br /><br />In these upcoming posts, I will try to provide, hopefully, an in-depth guide to Fly Fishing the Maldives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Guiding Services</span><br /><br />Quite unlike the posh and well-oiled guiding services in the Americas and the Caribbean, the Maldivians are not as well-equipped or as adept at guiding the flats but provide excellent guiding services for the fisherman interested in popping the reefs.<br /><br />What you do get is a decent Safari <span style="font-style: italic;">Dhoni</span> that serves as Motherboat for the duration of your trip. If you opt to pay a little more, it can even be an air-conditioned <span style="font-style: italic;">Dhoni</span>. The crew will see to your every need. 3 regular meals plus snacks of biscuits and coffee or tea in-between will ensure that you maintain your strength for the long treks along the white sands.<br /><br />Utilizing a fibreglass dinghy with a small outboard, the crew will ferry you and your mates to and from shore. However, once you are on land, you're on your own.<br /><br />So how do you know where to go to find the fish? For us, we have been going to the Maldives for the past decade. Combining knowledge gathered from reading periodicals and publications on flats fishing and sheer hard work, we've accumulated a wealth of knowledge. Thus we have become our own guides.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Location! Location! Location!</span><br /><br />Not all islands are created equal. Just as, not all atolls are created equal. Maldives is blessed with many small islands grouped into atolls. Male, the capital of Maldives, is located in North Male Atoll. The majority of resorts are situated on various islands in North Male Atoll, making it a short journey by fast ferry. Seaplanes provide a faster, albeit, a more expensive mode of transfer to the resorts. It is also the only mode of transport feasible to reach some of the other resorts situated much further away in other atolls.<br /><br />Our past experiences have been concentrated mainly on two atolls, Lhaviyani and Noonu. Buying a map of Maldives (refer to me previous posts) will show you which islands are suitable for fly fishing. A yellow island with a sizeable band of green will point to a large area of sand flats that should be accessible for most parts of the tide; except, perhaps the highest. Unfortunately, that's where the info trail ends. Of course, by talking to the captain and the crew of the charter, you should be able to gain some local knowledge of where and how to find the elusive Bonefish or locally known as <span style="font-style: italic;">Meemas</span>.<br /><br />However, I should add that fly fishing in the Maldives is not all that difficult. You should be able to find fish on the flats rather easily. I dare guarantee that any first timer to the Maldives who can throw forty to fifty feet of line in moderate winds, will be able to enjoy a good time with bluefin trevallies and darts. As for the bonefish, they're not called 'Ghosts of the Flats' for nothing.<br /><br />For more info, here are some contacts for guiding services:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mario Tagliante</span> (Maldives): <a href="mailto:mario@thetags-sportfishing.com">mario@thetags-sportfishing.com</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">William Han</span> (Singapore): <a href="mailto:willhan@singnet.com.sg">willhan@singnet.com.sg</a><br /><br /><br />Or just drop me an email if you can any questions.<br /><br /><br />Next: How to equip yourself for a trip in the MaldivesNutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-5234346891681926452007-01-16T21:37:00.000+08:002007-01-25T21:03:36.802+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: First Post for 2007, First Post in a yearIt's been a year since I last posted my series on my Maldives trip. Since then, I've been on another "pilgrimage". In the last year, new ties have been made while some old ones were severed. In a small country like Singapore where the fly fishing community is small and the number of fishing holes even lesser, it never amazes me how difficult it is to unite ourselves for a greater cause.<br /><br />I hope that 2007 will be a better year for us. There are rumours that another reservoir will be opened soon for fishing.<br /><br />"Isn't that good news?"<br /><br />Maybe not.<br /><br />" Why not", you may ask? <br /><br />Well, there are a few simple reason.<br /><br />For one, if the idea of opening up the reservoir for fishing with artificials is to restrict us to a 50m wooden fishing platform, as was the case at Bedok Reservoir, then it might be better off that it remains closed. Not only was the platform not conducive for lure or fly fishing due to the awkward height of the handrails that flank the platform, it was also built above land instead of over water. I can go on and on about the flaws of the design but I guess, I should keep that as a separate post on 'How to design Platforms for fishing with Artificials'.<br /><br />Besides the inadequacies of the facilities, there is a serious lack of proper rules and enforcement to maintain a productive fishery to keep the fishing interest going. What good does it do to have rules that ban the use of livebait when hordes of fishermen are still using 6" live catfish, live shrimp, live goldfish, chicken liver, etc at 'legal' fishing areas while lure and fly anglers are stopped by enforcement officers for fishing just 500m off the legal areas.<br /><br />Personally, I've tried calling the authorities to report the use of livebait. But instead of getting an immediate response, I was told that they would have to call the 'relevant' authority to send their officers. Leaving my contact number, I went for breakfast and after two hours. When I passed by the fishing jetty on my way home, there they were, the same bunch of fishermen happily dunking their live and wriggling offerings.<br /><br />In the US of A; in Europe; downunder in Australia; fishing is good because there are proper rules that dictate what can be taken and what has to be returned to maintain the fish stocks. Fishing licenses also provide finances to employ and train qualified rangers to enforce the rules. the money also contributes to re-stocking programs that ensures that there will always be a good supply of fish to keep anglers happy.<br /><br />Indiscriminate keeping of under-sized fish and also potential breeders by local recreational fishermen, add to that the audacious use of drag nets by Thai and other foreign workers have worked together to greatly diminish a once fantastic fishery.<br /><br />So it really remains to be seen, if the opening of yet another reservoir is going to be a boon or bane for our local sportfishermen.<br /><br />Well, it pains me to have to re-start my blogging with such a negative note but perhaps, in my coming updates, I can provide some insights into what a fly angler or sportfisherman is looking for in the earnest pursuit of our passion.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1142529175301280582006-01-29T01:02:00.000+08:002008-12-11T20:44:06.076+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Return to Paradise (Maldives) Day 5Day 5:<br /><br />We were going to be privilege guests at Mario’s ‘private bonefish yard’, affectionately called Little Bay or LB for short. Having spent the night out of Kurendhoo meant that we had to watch our water consumption or there’d not be enough water for us to use for bathing and cleaning.<br /><br />The morning session had us fishing a small island that Mario had told us about the day before. It was so small that it took us a bare 5 minutes to walk round the whole island. There were a few nice bays but only Lee and Andy managed to tease up a couple of bluefin trevallies. The rest of the gang had to settle for a nice morning stroll until we all agreed that we should head back for an early lunch.<br /><br />Mario then suggested that we head over to his ‘personal’ island for the afternoon session as he was certain there’d be some bonefish to be had there.<br /><br />Little Bay or LB as he affectionately calls it was only 20 minutes away from where we were so it was a leisurely cruise after lunch to get there. But when we got there, the heavens were about to open up on us.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0de1jh9iy-kBQuW0fwn7syWljVnMy_d97YN4TNjJ1-iccIuOCpgl2P1-B979kKmYd_IT8dwfROOlA-rNK0iSbsiXcx5Qaf2Xo8hvy6V7JxXt3FYo6_1xjNdpBDeTCh9eAPvV/s1600-h/IMG_0206.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0de1jh9iy-kBQuW0fwn7syWljVnMy_d97YN4TNjJ1-iccIuOCpgl2P1-B979kKmYd_IT8dwfROOlA-rNK0iSbsiXcx5Qaf2Xo8hvy6V7JxXt3FYo6_1xjNdpBDeTCh9eAPvV/s320/IMG_0206.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021017463977923762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />As the first of the two boat loads got underway, the view back was ominous. A dark curtain was looming over our boat and as we neared shore, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mashibaru</span> was covered in a hazy layer of rain. The winds started howling and the tiny outboard was struggling to get us ashore. It heaved over each crest and lunged forward into each trough.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXE-04rLnWzLJ4JhREtT23g11qRB-DSQKVk0D5NoRz5IOuv6V_NMx4LlPq5t2zaxq_lPdJ1SFuLaU9K5ZLn_YDTNOD42h-CCZ_vp6ipnsy_uizh5Hq0yBomqwZyqQJRDEFUoP/s1600-h/IMG_0204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXE-04rLnWzLJ4JhREtT23g11qRB-DSQKVk0D5NoRz5IOuv6V_NMx4LlPq5t2zaxq_lPdJ1SFuLaU9K5ZLn_YDTNOD42h-CCZ_vp6ipnsy_uizh5Hq0yBomqwZyqQJRDEFUoP/s320/IMG_0204.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021022205621818578" border="0" /></a>With five of us, overfed anglers, and Hussain, the little hull was close to floundering in the choppy surf. The meters counted down and not a minute too soon, we make landfall; just as the rain came down hard on us.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-cyM0MBXP_kHTBKkw5TZGm2_jy5ZCgp256vcXZPNlQuHX8xeqCA-xqzaUix8CCkb0SvkpUO5QqfjsNzd7IE-U3DW_6tkVAlaGJ3gCB56bwerauqOCGheLJZOJqAG6_19OWyw/s1600-h/IMG_0207.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-cyM0MBXP_kHTBKkw5TZGm2_jy5ZCgp256vcXZPNlQuHX8xeqCA-xqzaUix8CCkb0SvkpUO5QqfjsNzd7IE-U3DW_6tkVAlaGJ3gCB56bwerauqOCGheLJZOJqAG6_19OWyw/s320/IMG_0207.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021019272159155394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The scene of the little boat, free from its burden, seemingly skipping over the whitecaps would have been a funny one if it did not have to make another such trip with the second load. The waters may look shallow but it would take some time for you to reach the bottom.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When the 2 groups got together, we huddled on the leeward side of a small cove and lay our rods horizontal on the tree branches. As fate would have it, the water bodies on either side of the cove were doused in rain water but where we took shelter, there was hardly a drizzle and to add salt to the wound, several banded trevallies swam by us. No one was about to take chances waving our 9ft lightning conductors around.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4m7kPvrqlzU7_84Vx_IQg0_XsDv7kt65GzDiskMUzQoapVxnQSGVvVOkubOkpB4TAKwqRmPjdqV8OlUPaiWPmJ1ZlX5lqYBlmxF2G8NTf0vVVWGv2PRH7Y4iH4EXUMFMx6SZ/s1600-h/IMG_0208.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4m7kPvrqlzU7_84Vx_IQg0_XsDv7kt65GzDiskMUzQoapVxnQSGVvVOkubOkpB4TAKwqRmPjdqV8OlUPaiWPmJ1ZlX5lqYBlmxF2G8NTf0vVVWGv2PRH7Y4iH4EXUMFMx6SZ/s320/IMG_0208.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021026595078395106" border="0" /></a><br />Not long after, the rain stopped and the group fanned out across the cove while some headed straight for the surf. From afar, one could not be faulted for mistaking us for a Search and Rescue combing the bay for someone or something. Spaced 15 – 20m apart, we advanced as a wall, probing every inch of the water ahead of us but to no avail.<br /><br />Looking up, I saw a bent rod near the surf and no prizes for guessing who was onto a specimen of a GT. Gerard had seen a huge GT but the first cast was ignored. Plucking the fly out of the water, his second cast hit the brute on the shoulder and in a flash, turned and inhaled the fly. I was in the process of winding up and making my way across to him when suddenly, I saw the rod straighten, eased from the raging fish. It was not until we got back to the boat did I find out that the whole braided loop had slipped off the fly line.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgLwwxkuRPOJ_9viZhz7XqXzNsouf-b3LAryw7nFjDcs0MRMrOydqcUB1dOxgh9LIEwVjXFHojmGYmxxI15x3xFH8wQFyV38amRJ4zfRADbBdV7MV9uksuJvVjuJ5fwXFQ29z/s1600-h/100_0039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgLwwxkuRPOJ_9viZhz7XqXzNsouf-b3LAryw7nFjDcs0MRMrOydqcUB1dOxgh9LIEwVjXFHojmGYmxxI15x3xFH8wQFyV38amRJ4zfRADbBdV7MV9uksuJvVjuJ5fwXFQ29z/s320/100_0039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021029734699488498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The rest of the afternoon went by without much action except for Michael’s capture of a bonefish. He’d walked out to sandbar near where we’d disembarked.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzvwqNb0tQymu0KMj_6lyPYtjL61HaIOJegtbn9QMr4O0O672QXJQojeqDKsaGYw4T81DJqgmOkEMU-NulXq0s6_v55x6Y3uUwbXW0KB8LCk1dCR9STF272b1gHwsXg2lJ8WY/s1600-h/100_0041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzvwqNb0tQymu0KMj_6lyPYtjL61HaIOJegtbn9QMr4O0O672QXJQojeqDKsaGYw4T81DJqgmOkEMU-NulXq0s6_v55x6Y3uUwbXW0KB8LCk1dCR9STF272b1gHwsXg2lJ8WY/s400/100_0041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021031328132355330" border="0" /></a>He calls it the ‘Bahamas’. There, he had spotted the whole school feeding at the bottom. Casting his 'Carrot' fly, he teased a single fish into taking his fly and then worked his quarry back into his waiting arms.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lXynx_4UQBUIBpqL6p98qpg701HFeX6fDicuxBHUMGPP-cR3itoKjKgGKc_DaGkTuPw_Zs5DcsO67LuLpBHgMufEZmB0zI81fXGrxUB7QNs9Q_xbZU2qcROSMHyXXMkFf683/s1600-h/100_0043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lXynx_4UQBUIBpqL6p98qpg701HFeX6fDicuxBHUMGPP-cR3itoKjKgGKc_DaGkTuPw_Zs5DcsO67LuLpBHgMufEZmB0zI81fXGrxUB7QNs9Q_xbZU2qcROSMHyXXMkFf683/s320/100_0043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5021032157061043474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />That was to be the last action of the day as we headed back for dinner.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1137912920542535272006-01-22T14:01:00.000+08:002007-01-29T11:58:39.161+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Return to Paradise (Maldives) Day 4<b><u>Day 4:</u></b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/dhiffushi.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/dhiffushi.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Day four had us cutting across the atoll to <b><i>Dhiffushi</i></b>, also coined by us, ‘Watermelon Island’. It used to be a watermelon plantation but now it has been converted to a coconut plantation. Once again, Mario met us at the island to join us for another session of flats fishing.<br /><br />This day was going to be different from the rest as we had a lot of ground that we could cover. Arrangements were made for lunch to be served on the island. This would cut down our traveling time to and from the motherboat and give us more time on the flats.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_holding_gt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_holding_gt.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />As we got down to business, Gerard was again first off the start line with his second largest GT of the trip (pipping Michael’s fish at the scales). Walking along the shore, he spotted the critter plying the waters just by the shore. Casting a 4-inch, olive size 2/0 <b>Clouser</b>, the GT gave no quarter to the fly and took off for the wild blue yonder. Hardly breaking a sweat, the chunk of pure muscle stripped the fly line and then, the backing at a blistering pace.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_gt_20lbs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_gt_20lbs.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />But our champion of the flats was always up to the challenge with his 250m of PE4 backing. Letting the freight train tire itself out fighting not just the <a href="http://www.abelreels.com/pages/super.htm">Able Super 6’s</a> drag but also the increasing line drag in the water, Gerard put the brakes on the fish. Turning the tables around, he placed the fish on a one way ticket back.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_gt_leg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_gt_leg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />True to its form, the fish never gave up fighting but it was a foregone conclusion as to who was going to win the battle. With a last gasp run, the GT had used up its remaining rocket fuel and finally succumbed to the triumphant Gerard. The victor then lifted his defeated foe quite ignominiously for photos; with his leg.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/me_with_basket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/me_with_basket.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />By now, I was getting really fed up with the fly line clip as sand kept getting stuck causing the clip to loose its grip. Besides that, the surf was pulling line out of the clip as well. So after a fruitless morning, while Michael and I were resting under a tree seeking refuge from the relentless sun, I came across a blue oil drum. Opening the cap, there was hardly any smell of oil so I dragged it to the water’s edge and flipped out my Swiss army knife. Making cut after cut, I managed to fashion a pretty cool makeshift stripping basket with two slots for my belt.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next came the intensive scrubbing with sand to make sure that whatever leftover scum was cleaned. My Scientific Anglers 7-wt floating bonefish line was also pretty worn so I grabbed Wahab and had him send me back to our motherboat to get a replacement line. On board, I quickly whipped out my new <a href="http://www.monic.com/saltwater.cfm">Monic 7-wt Tropical Clear floating line</a> and swapped the two lines.<br /><br />I grabbed a couple of the ripe, yellow bananas hanging in the corner and back I went to shore. For those who have not been to the Maldives, it may be taboo to have bananas onboard in Australia, it certainly is not in the Maldives. Every trip begins with a huge bunch of green bananas hung up in a corner of the deck. As we travel, day by day, the bananas slowly ripen and thus we always had a steady supply of natural power food at least for the first few days.<br /><br />Back on the island, I started casting with my new line and what a difference it made. I had line shooting out with ease. The slickness of the Monic line is incredible. Anyway, I changed tactics and started to concentrate on the small coral patches in front of me and plucked out fish after fish. There were honeycomb groupers,<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/paddletail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/paddletail.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />paddletail snappers,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/Long_nose_emp_crab.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/Long_nose_emp_crab.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />long-nosed emperors,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/dart_in_hand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/dart_in_hand.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />swallowtail darts<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and small bluefin trevallies. Nothing of commendable size but it was lots of fun nonetheless.<br /><br />Lunch was served not long after. The crew had brought Tuna and Egg sandwiches, coffee, tea and milo. Wahab and Hussain even cut coconuts for us to drink. There was also the much needed odd can of coke or sprite, though it was never ice-cold. Noting that we had every one of the group and even Mario with us, we huddled together and got our apprentice photographer, Wahab, to take a few group shots. Then, after lunch, Mario left to keep his wife, Louise, company. She’d flown in a week earlier and would be leaving the same day as us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/boat_in_waiting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/boat_in_waiting.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Seeing my new stripping basket, Mah and Gan, got busy themselves and went oil drum hunting and get themselves a new basket each. We then trekked through the plantation to get to the other side of the island. Walking through the narrow well-worn path, we stumbled through the opening onto a small patch of beach that lined a very beautiful shallow lagoon with 'fish' written all over it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/banded_head_UW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/banded_head_UW.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Pairing up with Gerard, we waded to the middle of the lagoon, carefully following the whiter patch of water that charted out the shallow waters. I’m not sure if it was his polarized sunglasses or just his eyes but Gerard could always spot a fish way before I did and sometimes even when I couldn’t see at all. He saw the first Banded trevally beyond the glare and shot his clouser out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One strip, two strip and he had the fish firmly hooked up. He said he saw a school of them feeding around but I could see none of them. So I continued to cast blindly until his fish came in. The trevally was of reasonable size but faced with the power of the 7-wt Winston XTR, it was only a matter of a few minutes before the fish succumbed to its power.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_banded_UW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_banded_UW.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Out and under went the camera and a couple of clicks later, the fish swam happily away, albeit a little disoriented as it started to hide between our legs and around us before scooting off.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Around the middle of the lagoon, the water started getting deeper forcing us to turn left to comb towards the surf. Being in this position, meant that we could fish the outer depths of the lagoon and, at the same time, cover the inner, shallow areas.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/my_banded_UW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/my_banded_UW.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was my turn next. I saw the banded trevally very late but just as it was heading away from me, I cast to its left and slightly ahead. While waiting for the crab to sink, I twitched the line to gain the fish’s attention. Then, I started to strip the crab in with a moderate retrieve-pause-retrieve. I could see the fish turn and then pounce on the crab. Nothing beats seeing your quarry react to your offering.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />That’s the magic of fly fishing! That moment of spotting your adversary, to the cast, to the retrieve and the point when the fish reacts to your fly, is something that we, fly anglers, lust for. The hookup is of course preferred but not necessarily as breathtaking as the take.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/my_banded.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/my_banded.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The feisty little fellow took me for a long ride, preferring to swim about in circles rather than in towards me. By the time I had it in my hands, it was almost on the verge of asphyxiating. I tried my best to revive the fish but each time I let it go, the fish would sink to the bottom.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Gerard came over and lent me a hand in reviving the fish and after 5 long, anxious minutes, the banded trevally regained enough strength to swim away. We both heaved a sigh of relief.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/banded_clouser_in_mouth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/banded_clouser_in_mouth.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />No more than 20 meters from where I’d caught my trevally, Gerard sighted another banded trevally, but this time, a mere 6 feet away from him, swimming towards him. He asked me to cast to it while he dragged his clouser in front of the fish. Without stripping or casting, the fish gulped down his clouser and hooked itself. This had had to be the easiest catch of the whole trip! He quickly landed the fish and let it off on its way.<br /><br /><br /><br />Nearer the surf, we started to notice schools of turquoise parrot fish and rays swimming around but they were too spooky for us to approach or even cast our fly. So we sloshed our way to the surf in the hope of finding some nice GTs. This surf was very uneven with broken corals and loose rocks strewn around the seabed. I struggled with the pounding surf while Gerard cast away merrily. I will always remember an old friend telling me that I can only catch fish if my fly was in the water and not in the air. And so it was that Gerard, with his fly in the water, added another bluefin to his tally while I wrestled with my tangled line in the surf. Nothing big but strong nonetheless and it propelled itself past us and into the lagoon behind us before giving up.<br /><br />We had not realized that Mah and Gan had followed us to the surf and were themselves into bluefin. As we headed back to the landing point, we left the pair in the midst of another bluefin blitz.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1137867091880668002006-01-21T21:06:00.000+08:002007-01-25T21:10:23.860+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Return to Paradise (Maldives) Day 3<span style="font-size:130%;"><b><u>Day 3:</u></b></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/Mario.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/Mario.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We were supposed to meet up with Mario, our italian friend who runs a fishing charter service out of Kanu Huraa Resort. 10 minutes after we set sail, Mario called and told us to go to <i><b>Dhidhdhoo</b></i>, which happened to be just couple of islands away from us. He would meet us there and fish with us for a couple of hours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/dhidhdhoo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/dhidhdhoo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><b><i>Dhidhdhoo</i></b> is located northwest of <b><i>Kurendhoo</i></b>, just before <b><i>Maavaafushi</i></b>. Past trips to this island had yielded numerous bonefish and bluefin trevallies. However, we had never had to pay to go on the island to fish. This time though, we were told that we had to pay an 'entrance' fee of US$1. Ibrahim tried calling the owner of the island and after a few attempts, got the clearance for us to proceed.<br /><br />A unique local dish, <i><b>Mashuni</b></i>, was served at breakfast. A flavourful blend of freshly dried tuna flakes, fragrant grated coconut, chopped spicy hot chilli, chopped onions and a splash of lime juice; it is eaten wrapped in a flour shell, not unlike our local chapatti. The nutty flavour of the coconut complimented the oily tuna while the acidic lime juice prevented the oils from overwhelming the tastebuds. The spicy chilli and sweet onion added more bite and rounded up the flavours of this very simple, yet delectable dish.<br /><br />After breakfast, we began our usual ritual of gearing up while the crew launched the dinghy. “First five, get ready!” goes the call. Soon we’re back on the fine sands of Dhidhdhoo.<br /><br />Michael, William, Lee, Andy and I spread out towards the left side of the island, while the rest of the team found their own niches on the right. Not long after landfall, over the horizon, we saw a sport-fishing boat heading towards <b><i>Mashibaru</i></b>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/keyohla.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/keyohla.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />It was Mario’s <i><b>Keyolha</b></i>. Wahab took the dinghy back out and brought Amin back to receive our guest. An exchange of greetings later, the pair was back on the beaches, rod in hand.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/pristine_waters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/pristine_waters.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the pristine waters, with only a slight ripple, we were able to spot a few bonefish but when presented with our flies, they merely turned away. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted some movement and there was Michael with rod bent and definitely onto a good fish.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mike_bluefin_UW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/mike_bluefin_UW.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Making my way across the hundred odd meters to him, Michael was just beginning to bring the fish in. Taking out my camera, I put it underwater and awaited opportunities to take a few underwater shots.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mike_bluefin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/mike_bluefin.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />We were both guessing that it could be a bonefish from the way it was taking line but as it turned out, it was a fair-sized bluefin trevally. After the customary poses with our model, it was released safely back into the water. We relished the sight of it swimming strongly away, back into the depths.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mike_bluefin_CU.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/mike_bluefin_CU.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/pounding_surf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/pounding_surf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Having covered the flats, Michael, William and I turned towards the surf on the other side of the island. There was a flat area of rock that offered us good footing. The line clip that I had hanging at my waist was giving me a hard time in the surf, with water pounding me every few seconds. I had my line pulled out so often that I hardly had any time to cast my line.<br /><br /><br /><br />Michael, on the other hand had his line out beyond the breakers. Again, he was to be the one to latch on to a mother of a GT.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mike_rod_bend.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/mike_rod_bend.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />This time, he had his rod bending so hard that he was literally using only the butt section of the rod to apply pressure on the fish. Foot after foot of backing kept peeling off the whirring reel. All he could do was to hang on and slowly turned up his drag 2 clicks at a time. Then, with the last 2 clicks, the GT stopped pulling line off the reel.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sensing it was his turn to throw punches, Michael switched to high gear. Alternating with steady pressure from his rod and reeling in line, Michael made up for lost line in a short time. As it came closer to shore, the GT must have sensed danger and went on a long run across the rocky surf. Somehow managing to avoid getting cut off, Michael turned the GT’s head and proceeded to drag the brute in. Again, with camera ready,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gt_back_UW.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/gt_back_UW.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I started snapping picture after picture above and below the water. Removing the 15lbs Bogagrip from Michael’s backpack, I tried to grab the lip of the tired but still unyielding creature. The jaws of the <a href="http://www.eastabogatackle.com/index.html#pgto">Bogagrip</a> was barely wide enough to grip the lip of the GT.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mike_gt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/mike_gt.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Only by forcing one jaw of the <a href="http://www.eastabogatackle.com/index.html#pgto">Bogagrip</a> into the bottom of the fish’s jaw and then over the lip, was I able to finally to get a firm grip of the fish. Lifting it up proved difficult with one hand as the scale was way over the 15lbs it was rated for.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/Mike_gt_cu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/Mike_gt_cu.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A few quick snaps and we let the gangster return to its wayward, bullying way.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I had my share of fun too, though it was only short–lived. The rampaging bluefin trevally made 3 dashes across inches of water and finally cut me off one of the numerous sharp rocks strewn generously across the lagoon. A familiar growl in our stomachs reminded us of the time and we made our way gingerly over the rocks and then, the sand, to the beach to our waiting ride.<br /><br />Back on the boat we found out that Gerard and Mah had had a fantastic time over on the right side of the island. After walking the stretch of beach, Gerard spotted a whole school of darts, a tremendous school numbering in the hundreds. Both anglers let loose a cast at the school; Gerard with a crab pattern and Mah, a crazy Charlie. Letting the crab sink, Gerard employed a slow retrieve, dragging the fly on the bottom. Mah, on the other hand, used a fast retrieve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_bone_day2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_bone_day2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Gerard was first to connect. The fish made short work of the drag, taking Gerard into his backing in mere seconds.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_bone_day2_CU.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/gerard_bone_day2_CU.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mah felt the Charlie stop in its tracks and then he too was into his backing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mah_with_bone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/mah_with_bone.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>"This has got to be a huge dart!" Mah thought. If it was a dart, it would have to have been on steroids?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_mah_bones.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/gerard_mah_bones.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Both anglers skillfully played their quarry and landed their respective fish only to discover, they had a double hookup on bonefish! The bonefish had been feeding beneath the school of dart. Now who said that you had to strip slowly for bonefish to take a fly?<br /><br />Walking further, Gerard saw a whole area full of turtle grass. Turtle grass is synonymous with bonefish as they feed amongst the grass for crustaceans and shrimps. In the midst of changing his fly, Gerard caught glimpse of a sight that would make any grown angler cry. There, a mere few feet ahead, amidst the grass, the unmistakable shape of a bonefish feeding. However, instead of the urge to finish tying the fly and casting. He simply stopped whatever he was doing and lapped up the phenomenal sight before him.<br /><br />After lunch, we all held the hope of coming across that school of dart and perhaps, a chance at hooking one of those feeding bonefish. However, it was not to be. Not only were the dart not in sight, there was hardly any sign of the other species as well. By the end of the day, the only silver lining was provided by William with his first fish on fly, a small <b>Honeycomb Grouper (<i>Epinephelus merra</i>)</b>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/honeycomb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/honeycomb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1136915008383204922006-01-11T00:21:00.000+08:002007-01-29T11:59:12.345+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Return to Paradise (Maldives) Day 2<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><b><u>Day 2:</u></b></span><br /><br />Sleeping on the top deck, the roaring of the engine brought me back from dreamland. One by one we rolled our mattresses, pillows and blankets into one giant 'swiss-roll' and proceeded to descend back into our cabins to put away our stuff. Everyone was bright and chirpy, even Michael, who was still nursing his sore throat and cough. Coffee, tea and milo was served with sausages, omelettes and baked beans. There was also a choice of the local toasted bread or our very own Gardenia, which travelled with us over from Singapore.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/Mavaafushi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/Mavaafushi.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />While we tucked ourselves into a very hearty breakfast, Ibrahim plotted a course west-north-west to <b><i>Maavaafushi</i></b>. An hour later, we were all ready for our first full day of fishing. Five of us eagerly boarded the small boat and headed to shore. When we got to shore, Moses exclaimed: "Who took my rod?!" Everyone checked and found that we each had our own. Michael went to have a look at the rod Moses was holding and discovered that he had taken Michael's <a href="http://www.winstonrods.com/rods/rods_XTR.cfm">9wt Winston XTR</a>. This had us all bowling over in laughter. When we had composed ourselves, the first wave went in separate directions.<br /><br />Walking with Gerard, we spread out to cover more water and soon enough we were on to something. Combing the flats to the left of the island, Gerard spotted a school of mullets. From experience, there was a possibility of bonefish following behind mullet schools. Through polarized glasses, Gerard scanned intensely and made out some dark forms behind the school. "Bonefish following the mullets", Gerard yelled and let go a cast. I was still trying to locate the school which was hard to spot in the glistening water surface. Even with my glasses on, the glare was still preventing me from seeing the fish.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_with_bone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_with_bone.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />"Fish on!" cried Gerard, as the purring of his reel grew louder, drowning his voice. It was like music to our ears. The individual clicks of the <a href="http://www.abelreels.com/pages/super.htm">Abel Super 6</a> mixed into a single continuous melody.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_crab_in_bone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_crab_in_bone.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The bonefish had seen his crab and turned from the school and in a flash, sucked it into its down-turned mouth. Feeling the crunching of the crab, Gerard pulled the line tight and the silver torpedo launched itself towards the open waters, effectively setting the hook itself.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/bonefish_uw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/bonefish_uw.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The rod bucked but the 33lbs bite tippet held and the tug of war raged with each side gaining and losing line a few times. Winding my line up, I prepared to help Gerard with the photo session. Each time he put line back on the spool, in the blink on an eye, with line streaking through the water, his adversary had him into his backing again.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wearing the fish out, Gerard finally had the leader within reach. It was a nice 2½lbs <b>Bonefish (<i>Albula vulpes</i>)</b>. A few quick snaps above and underwater and the fish was released safely.<br /><br />Then, came a call of nature and I had to scramble to find secluded spot to dump my load. Returning to the beach, there ahead of my by the shoreline were 3 long shadows. Quickly, stripping the belly out of rod, I took a few slow steps forward as far as I could without spooking the fish. With 2 back cast, I let fly the size 2 crab to the side of the school. With a "plop", the crab landed 2 feet to the right. Too close, I thought. Thankfully, not only did the fish not get spooked, one of the three turned towards my crab. One short strip and the fish turned tail and ran. The line ran through the loop made by my thumb and index finger and slapped onto the blank.<br /><br />"Whrrrrrrrr..." the handle of the reel, lost in a blur. The first run took me into my backing. Seeing the line cut through the water throwing up a mini rooster tail like that of a F1 powerboat, I was sure it was a bonefish. My first bone! Or so I thought. A 20lbs bite tippet seemed overkill when fishing for peacock bass back home but here I was not sure if it was going to be enough to keep my fish on for long. Applying just enough pressure to turn the fish but not pop the tippet, I worked the fish towards me but it would be another two more runs before I’d get to see the fish up close. And close it was.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/goatfish_in_hand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/goatfish_in_hand.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />They looked so much alike and well, they fought so much alike that I’d thought I’d caught my bone. It turned out to be a <b>Double-barred Goatfish (<i>Parupeneus bifasciatus</i>)</b>. Out came the camera for the customary mug-shot but this fish was destined to be on our table. Sorry mate.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hanging around, I continued to scour the shallows for the tell-tale shadows of the bonefish on the bottom. The wind had died down leaving a mirror calm surface that was great for spotting fish but which also made them more easily spooked. Then Michael called out to me: "Mel, 10 o’clock." Turning round, there, lying not more than 60 feet away from me, the distinctive torpedo shape of a huge bonefish. Not wanting to spook the fish, I made a couple of false casts and dropped the fly to the side of the fish. It came up 10 feet short. The fish made no move to suggest it had been frightened. Another cast this time closer but ahead of the fish but still no response. Slowly, the fish cruised away. Was it not feeding or was it my crab fly?<br /><br />Unconvinced, I continued to fish with the crab. Ahead of me down the length of the beach, the rest of the team had taken up stations about 40 – 50 feet apart. Next came William’s hail:" Mel, bonefish coming towards you!" Looking to my right down the beach, I couldn’t see anything and then there it was, as if magically materializing from thin air, a long bluish shape. Somehow the slightly deeper water and the blue sky had given the mirror-like scales a bluish tint that made it easily seen at close distances.<br /><br />I made a quick cast when it was about 40 feet away and then waited for the crab to hit bottom. I gave it a quick, short strip to get the fish's attention and then slowly dragged the crab on the bottom. I saw it move over but it didn’t seem to have reached my fly when I felt the resistance. Just as I stripped to strike, the fish took off at the same instance. I was left with a broken piece of 20lbs tippet and one crab less.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/bluefin_in_hand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/bluefin_in_hand.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>After picking on a few small <b><i>Bluefin Trevallies</i></b>, it was time to head back to <b><i>Mashibaru</i></b> for lunch. With all accounted for, Gerard was the only one still out fishing. Hailing him on the radio got no response. So we waited for him onboard. Amidst our chattering, the little outboard coughed to life and left to pick-up our straggling Gerard. A few minutes later, we heard shouting from afar and got up to see Gerard waving frantically, a colossal GT hanging from his Boga Grip. We jumped up and headed to the stern to greet him. I grabbed my video cam and proceeded to the top deck to film his 'triumphant' return.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_kneel_gt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_kneel_gt.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />With the dinghy alongside, we saw a hand pass the Boga-grip to Ibrahim who struggled to pull its load aboard. Next we saw a silvery gray body, that didn’t seem to end, slowly slide aboard the boat. It was huge. When Gerard handed the rod to Ibrahim while he pulled himself up, I heard what should amount to be the quote of the trip. "You caught this fish on THIS rod", a look of utter disbelief on Ibrahim’s face. Smiles broke out on everyone’s face. The Boga-grip’s scale almost maxed out. 28 ½ lbs!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/big_gt_mouth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/big_gt_mouth.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Gerard had spotted the fish cruising lazily along the flats. Changing from a crab to a 4-inch camo and bucktail white clouser, the grey giant turned the instant the fly hit the water and charged into it. There was no need to strike as the ferocity of the take and the subsequent take-off had the clouser firmly embedded in the top of its mouth just in front of its fearsome crusher plates. With the grey hulk going off at top gear, all Gerard could do was to hang on. Having just upgraded his reel with 250m of PE4 backing, Gerard was only too glad to let the 'gangster of the reef' bulldoze its way around the relatively flat ground before him.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/big_gt_foot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/big_gt_foot.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Increasing the drag of his <a href="http://www.abelreels.com/pages/super.htm">Abel Super 6</a> two clicks at a time, he started to turn the fish once he felt the fish unable to take line off his spool. The <a href="http://www.winstonrods.com/rods/rods_BoronIIx.cfm">7-wt Winston Boron IIx</a> bent to its full flex, Gerard artfully used the butt power of the rod, coupled with the drag of his reel to muscle the monster back towards shore. Like a mismatch between a heavyweight champion against a flyweight boxer, the two opponents exchanged punches and dodged blows. The match lasted a full half hour before David overpowered Goliath.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/gerard_stand_gt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/gerard_stand_gt.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Being alone and having been tired out by the long-drawn battle, Gerard could only muster the energy to lip-grip and drag the fish to landing point. Getting Wahab to be the photographer, he posed with the fish for a few shots before attempting to revive the fish. However, the long battle plus the photo session took its toll on the GT. So they hauled it aboard the dinghy and returned to the motherboat. His hands were still shaking as he shared the story over lunch.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Seemingly re-charged by the GT episode, Michael seemed even more ready to hit the surf, despite his cough. Taking down his <a href="http://www.winstonrods.com/rods/rods_XTR.cfm">8wt Winston XTR</a> and <a href="http://www.abelreels.com/pages/super.htm">Abel Super 7</a>, Michael was one of the first in the dinghy. Once on the beach, He made his way towards the surf while the rest of us continued our hunt for bonefish and whatever came our way. However, it was not to be that afternoon as most of us either managed only small fish or none at all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/coral2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/coral2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We'd be staying out that night so Ibrahim found us a parking spot just inside the lagoon on the leeward side of the island. All of us were worn out from a whole day of walking. Michael’s cough was acting up again and so after dinner, it was cough syrup and off to bed. William and I tried our hand at bottom fishing. Jigging turned up nothing so I switched to bait like William who had already pulled up 2 small Barracudas and a small Long-nosed emperor. Not long after, I had a hard pull and proceeded to haul up a 3lbs Long-nosed emperor, a great fish to end the day with.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/coral1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/coral1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Sitting in a deck chair on the top deck, I relished the solitude while enjoying the beauty of a sky full of stars, with the occasional shooting star. Very soon, I was nodding off to sleep, so out came the 'swiss roll' and so ended day 2.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1136809448279220772006-01-09T19:48:00.000+08:002007-01-25T21:13:25.390+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Return to Paradise (Maldives) Day 1These next few postings will be a series of daily logs of my last fly fishing trip in the Maldives that I had the privilege of participating in last February. I hope that I'm able to adequately chronicle our adventure for your reading pleasure.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><br /><b>CAUTION: Long Post</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><u>Day 1:</u></b></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/maldive_group.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/maldive_group.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>To most of this Coho team, it would be a much anticipated return to our fishing paradise. However, for a few of us, this would be a first. William (Team Guide), Michael (Owner of Coho Fishing Tackle), Gerard, Amin, Lee and I, have made this 2102 mile (3382 km) journey quite a few times. However, for Andy, Mah, Gan and Moses, it was to be their virgin fishing safari to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives">Maldives</a>.<br /><br />With a recent trip report bearing less than positive news of strong winds and a mediocre result, the team nonetheless carried high hopes of trading blows with some of the 'Gangsters of the Surf', the <b>Giant Trevally (<i>Caranx ignobilis,</i></b>) and a chance to spot and, hopefully, land a few '<b>Ghosts of the Flats</b>', the <b>Bonefish (<i>Albula vulpes</i></b>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/mashibaru.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/mashibaru.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Armed to the teeth and toting rod tubes bearing a brand name like 'Bazooka', it was no wonder we were greeted with apprehensive stares from the airport personnel. With no real incidents, we arrived slightly before midnight to our awaiting host, Mohammed, who promptly led us to a <b><i>Dhoni</i></b>, or a boat taxi, that would send us to our Safari Dhoni, the <b><i>Mashibaru</i></b>.<br /><br />Once aboard, the team went about arranging their gears and their quarters before settling down for the night.<br /><br /><br /><br />The sun rises early in this part of the world; 5.30am to be precise. The crew, captained by Ibrahim, had the boat leaving the harbour even before the whole team had awoken. Roused from their slumber by the steady drone of the engine, one by one, the team members began preparing for what was to be a long 8 hour journey to our fishing ground, <b><i>Faadhippolhu Atoll</i></b>, formerly known as, <b><i>Lhaviyani Atoll</i></b>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/lhaviyani_map.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/lhaviyani_map.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />2 trolling rods, one paired with an Accurate; the other, a Penn International 30, trailed a Halco and a Rapala CD18 respectively. With the lures out, the team began to set up the fly arsenal that included rods from Sage and Winston to reels from Ross and Abel. Ranging from 6-weight to 10-weight rods, there were enough rods to arm our team three times over.<br /><br />Over the din of jovial bantering came Ibrahim's voice: "On!" In a split second, everyone was at battle-stations at the stern of the boat. Both the Penn and the Accurate had line peeling in a blur. Gerard was on the 'fighting chair' while Mah took the rod standing. It seemed like a double hook up. Gerard started pumping the fish in an attempt to gain line. The boat was slowed and both rods started to put line back on the spool. However, the two lines had intertwined together. With one rod kept in tension, the other rod was passed over and under to clear the twist. When both lines were separated, it soon became clear that the rod Mah was holding that had the hookup. Wanting to return the rod back to its rightful owner, Mah handed it to Amin who proceeded to wind back the already rapidly tiring fish.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/20kg_Cuda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/20kg_Cuda.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />A white dot began to grow as it got closer and soon the form of a huge <b>Great Barracuda (<i>Sphyraena barracuda</i></b>)materialized in the clear waters below us.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/20kg_cuda_head.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/20kg_cuda_head.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a monstrosity of a fish, tipping the scales at over 20kg.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Would this herald the beginning of a fantastic trip? No one dared to say but I believe that in everyone's heart, a little spark was starting to ignite a small fire that would burn harder and brighter as the days went by.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/Maduvaari.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/Maduvaari.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It was arranged that we would have a short session on the island of <b><i>Maduvvari</i></b>. As Ibrahim found us a good spot to weigh anchor, the team got to work gearing up with eager anticipation. It was a scene much akin to a squad preparing for a mission, with the battle-hardened squad leaders going about their tasks with a certain nonchalant proficiency. While the new recruits fumbled with unfamiliar gear and displaying expressions of hope, apprehension and excitement. Mind you that these are not inexperienced fly-fishermen. But with the immense array of equipment and gear, we were spoilt for choice as to what was needed and what was good to have. Vests, Camelbak water packs, Stripping baskets, Boga-grips, rods and reels. We had to balance mobility with functionality.<br /><br />The small, green dinghy was powered by a 4hp Yamaha outboard. The first wave brought 4 to the beach with the other 4 coming in the second wave. As Michael was down with fever, William had volunteered to stay onboard to accompany him. My Motorola Talkabout squawked and I heard Michael asking us to bring some fish back for dinner. Gerard, Mah and I, headed to the right of the island while the rest of the group either hung around the landing point or proceeded left.<br /><br /><b><i>Maduvvari</i></b> is a small island that you can fish round in about 45 mins. The leeward side of the island has vegetation right to the edge of the beach with pockets of flats with good back cast space.<br /><br />Treading lightly in the water with Mah about 20m ahead of me, I made blind casts into the brown coral patches with my new nameless fly, a recipe I had concocted on the boat while on the way here. With a very slow strip, I worked my fly back towards me, bouncing it over the corals beneath. With the leader hanging out and the fly still in the water, I turned to make my way after Mah. Just as the fly started to move, I felt the fly line tug at my fingers and my rod started to flex a little. I raised the rod and slowly pulled the line in and "Zzzzzziiiiiiiip! " I guided the remaining fly line back to the rod and then let the reel take over. Palming lightly, I tried to turn the fish and managed to disorient it enough to make it swim back towards me.<br /><br />With less than 10m, the fish took one look at me and went ballistic, peeling line off my spool at a mind boggling speed. I was beginning to worry about my line getting cut off amidst the corals beneath so I applied as much pressure as I dared and once again turned the fish shore-wards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/ln_emp_uw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/ln_emp_uw.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Reeling in as fast as the fish was swimming in, I was soon to my leader again and I caught my first glimpse of my piscatorial adversary; a nice table-size <b>Yellowlip Emperor (<i>Lethrinus xanthochilus</i></b>).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/ln_emp_cu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/ln_emp_cu.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Barely 15mins after making landfall, and I already had the fish for dinner. The only problem was how to lug the fish around. I had only a small Camelbak backpack with hardly any space for anything else. So, I lipped the fish with my Boga-grip and hung it off my belt. I had to be extra alert, in case, an over-zealous shark tried to cash in on a free lunch and my bum, of course.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, Mah, while watching my tussle with the emperor got a hit and started his own little skirmish. However, it was to be a short affair as he suddenly felt the line go limp. The fish had thrown the hook.<br /><br />About 5pm, we radioed the boat to pick us up and we made way for <b><i>Kurendhoo</i></b>, where we would be spending the night. Ibrahim, the captain and, Hussain and Wahab, the deckhands are natives of <b><i>Kurendhoo</i></b> while Susantha, the cook, is a Sri Lankan. There we would have dinner and have our freshwater topped up for the next day's excursion.<br /><br />On board, we had the first of many updates; Gerard had hooked a humongous <b>Titan Triggerfish (<i>Balistoides viridescens</i></b>) on a crab pattern. Gan scored a honeycomb grouper (Epinephelus merra) and a <b>Banded Needlefish (<i>Strongylura leiura</i></b>) on a Crazy Charlie. William and Michael had been busy themselves, accounting for a few groupers and triggerfishes from bottom fishing.<br /><br />Exchanging fly rods for some light tackle trolling; William and Gan began trolling from the stern of the Mashibaru.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/bow_popping.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/bow_popping.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Over at the bow of the boat, Mah and Gerard had a go at popping. On the approach to the coral reef on the edge of <b><i>Kurendhoo</i></b> , Mah's popper was engulfed in a wild splash and line started to pull off the spool. Using only a light popping rod and a small popper, Mah had a real fight in his hand.<br /><br /><br /><br />Making his way gingerly to the stern while trying to maintain pressure on the fish, slowly but surely, he recovered line. Not giving in easily, the fish made a few more dashes back towards the coral heads. With slow and steady strokes, Mah finally coaxes a beautiful <b>Green Jobfish (<i>Aprion virescens</i></b>) back to the waiting gaff.<br /><br />When we got going again, the trolling duo turned up the heat with a double hookup. Gan wrestled a nice Black Grouper while William easily bullied a <b>Yellowledge Lyretail (<i>Variola louti</i>,</b>)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/outer_harbour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/outer_harbour.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Along the outer walls of <b><i>Kurendhoo</i></b> harbour, were reminders of the power of the recent tsunami. Although spared largely due to the almost vertical nature of its geography, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives">Maldives</a>, nonetheless, felt Nature's fury. The 2 concrete walls, that was the entrance to the harbour, were all but washed away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/broken_harbour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/broken_harbour.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The outer wall had caved-in in a few areas and there was a deep undercut where the wall met the rocks. It was told to us that funding will be given to help rebuild the harbour walls.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Guiding her gently through the harbour mouth, Ibrahim found <b><i>Mashibaru</i></b> her berth and brought her to a stop.<br /><br />At sunset, baitfish congregation in the harbour was at its greatest. A blanket of brown beneath the water surface, it would suddenly come to life in a magical dance as predators rounded them up from below. What sounded like sizzling oil was actually baitfish in the millions jumping out of the water, trying to escape from the jaws of death. From above, this struggle of life and death seemed like a magnificently choreographed musical fountain, swaying right one moment and then, left the next. And so, with the last light fading into the horizon, the enthralling performance ended as the school made their way out of the harbour. This amazing scene was to repeat itself over the next couple of nights we were anchored here.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1135395285409845332005-12-24T10:49:00.000+08:002005-12-24T11:34:45.496+08:00Merry Chirstmas and a Happy New Year!A very big thank you for all who have visited my blog. I take this opportunity to wish each of you a very Blessed and Merry Chirstmas. May the peace of Christmas reside in you and your families. And may you all enjoy a Happy New Year. May there be more joy and plenty more fish in the coming year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/angel_light_cu1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/angel_light_cu1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">English</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Merry Christmas and a happy new year!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danish</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Glædelig Jul og godt nytår!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dutch</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brazilian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Boas Festas!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finnish</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Hyvää Joulua or Hauskaa Joulua - 0nnellista uutta vuotta!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">French</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!</span> </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">German</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Italian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Polish</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Wesolych Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Portuguese</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo! </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Slovakian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Vesele Vianoce a stastny novy rok!</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maltese</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">IL-Milied It-tajjeb!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Slovene</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Vesele bozicne praznike in srecno novo leto!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sorbian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Wjesole hody a strowe Nowe leto!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spanish</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Swedish</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">God Jul och Gott Nytt År!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Swiss (French)</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Joyeux Noel!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippine</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Maligayang Pasko!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chinese</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">圣诞快乐与新年快乐!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Afrikaans</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Geseende Kerfees en 'n gelukkige!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bahasa/Malaysia</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bohemian/Czech</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a Stastny novy rok!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greek</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Kala Christougenna Ki'eftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Divehi</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Ufaaveri aa ahareh!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Indonesian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Selamat Hari Natal & Selamat Tahun Baru!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Japanese</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto!</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Korean</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Sung Tan Chuk Ha</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Russian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva i s Novim Godom!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Latin</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mongolian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Norweigan/Nynorsk</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Eg ynskjer hermed Dykk alle ein God Jul og Godt Nyttår!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Norweigan/Bokmål</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">God Jul og Godt Nyttår!</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Romanian</span>: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/dancing_tree14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/dancing_tree14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14981389.post-1133676631454548952005-12-04T13:23:00.000+08:002007-01-25T21:22:56.331+08:00Fly Fish with Mel: Cirque Du Soleil<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quidam - <span style="font-style: italic;">He who is annonymous</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/quidam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/quidam.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>He was annonymous. Well, to me, in the beginning; he was. He was the one who offered Michael four tickets to watch his performance. Of which, one was for Huiru, Michael's daughter, and one was so kindly offered to me by Michael; denying himself a chance to watch. The other two tickets were also selflessly offered to a couple.<br /><br />Even after a fanastic performance, He was still annonymous to me. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">QUIDAM</span></span> was indeed a splendid blend of sights and sounds. A true feast for the senses and also, the intellect.<br /><br />Annonymous, he remained. Until finally, he came by the shop when I happened to be there. From that moment a name replaced the annonymity. Tristan. The Guitarist; and fly angler.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/quidam_atuograph.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/quidam_atuograph.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />From that day, it was to become a ritual. Michael and I would practice casting in the open field by the tentages. And without fail, Tristan would be attracted to us or rather, to the opportunity to practice casting. He would come by and greet us, shared a joke or two and then proceeded to have a hand at casting. "Don't you need to prepare for the show?", we'd ask. "I'm done with my sound check", he'd reply. "I've still got some time left."<br /><br /><br />Day after day, with helpful tips from Michael, Tristan's casting developed into a beautiful display of curves scything through the air. He'd learnt to slow his strokes down to the point where the energy transfer from arm to rod to line become one continuous flow. No jerks, no voilent movements. Just a rythmic wave of the magical wand that brought the inanimate line to life in an ethereal dance.<br /><br />Soon, casting was just not enough for Tristan. And after hearing numerous stories of epic battles with monster Peacock Basses; and coming so frustratingly close to catching one, He was ready to for another try.<br /><br />It was still dark when I rode my carriage up to his apartment. A warm smile greeted me as I shook hands with this tall New Yorker, holding his mug of coffee and eager to do his spot of fishing. During the short drive to my homewaters, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">White House</span></span>, we chatted a bit about everything. He shared with me his life as a travelling performer and of his beautiful family; his wife, his daughter and his newborn son. While I told him about my hopes to become a fishing guide. Well, little did I know, that I was about to get my first taste of what it was like to be a guide.<br /><br />Evrything else was as it would be like any normal day that I'd fish at White House. Only today, I'd be fishing with a 'clown'. Rigging up my '0' wt, I watched Tristan piece his '5' wt together, with the antipication oozing from every pore in his body. I asked if he had any flies and he showed me the few Clousers and Crazy Charlies he'd bought from Coho. He'd sent most of his flies home after performing and fishing in New Zealand. Knowing that he'd been longing to catch a PB, I knew I had to offer him my best performer. Just the night before, while preparing for this outing, I'd realised that my stock of 'Scintillator' flies were used up. Too late to do any tying, I was almost in a state of panic. Then I remembered my 'Sample' box. The one box where I kept the best tied of all my flies and also, those that have so kindly been offered to me by friends. True enough, there in it's irridescent glory, sat one solitary scintillator. That was for Tristan.<br /><br />Standing a couple of feet from the water, Tristan pondered what to tie onto the business end of his line. I could see the coffee working hard to stimulate the brains to make the decision. So out came the Scintillator and it was Hobson's choice. Not really. That's because a friend of Tristan's had tied a '<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cirque Du Soleil</span></span>' fly. A small streamer tied in yellow and blue, the Circus's distinctive colour. But it was to be the guide's recommendation that got the chance to start the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/tristan_morn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/tristan_morn.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Nestled against the weed on the left of the grass patch was a nice little spot where I used to pull a couple of PBs every trip. So there it was the Tristan made his first cast. Explaining to him how to lay the line with a slight mend and how to work the fly, I let him enjoy working up his rythmn. The first dozen or so cast didn't even draw a follow.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/tristan_cast.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/tristan_cast.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Seeing this, I quickly led Tristan along the edge to the right. Acting as a spotter, I walked along the bank, a few feet back from the water's edge. In the ever brightening light, I had to put on my polarised lenses to see the fish more clearly and two rod-lengths down, a vague outline suddenly emerged as the slow waving tail of a Peacock Bass.<br /><br /><br />Half whispering, I called out to Tristan to drop his fly a few feet beyond where the fish was.<br /><br />The first cast went sailing past the fish but was too far out. The fish was hugging close to shore. But not to waste the cast, I got Tristan to work the fly back in erratic retrieves. This was the time to test the mood of the fish. If it was in a feeding or aggitated mood, it would leave cover and bludgeon the fly. But the fish showed no signs of interest. On the next cast, Tristan laid the line directly over the fish. Fortunately, the fish was not spooked.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/tristan_pb_swirl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/tristan_pb_swirl.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This time, as the Scintillator drew over the top of the fish, A huge swirl erupted from beneath, yet the it was a negative hook up. However, this sort of woke Tristan up from whatever state of consciousness he was in.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/tristan_fight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/320/tristan_fight.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />With renewed vigour, he ploughed the fly over the fish a half dozen more times before a huge bow wake homed in on the fly and Tristan was onto his first Singapore Peacock Bass.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/tristan_1stfish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/tristan_1stfish.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Beneath that slight grimace on his face, a radiance beamed from within. No amount of fish that I would have caught that morning could give me the same joy that I felt watching Tristan relish each headshake, each run, each turn of the spool. When the fish was landed 5 minutes later and safely cradled in his hands, I took that all important photo of the beaming clown and his equally colourful adversary.<br /><br />With the release of his fish, Tristan came over and said to me:"You have all the qualities to become a fantastic guide." Praise that was music to my ears but did I really deserve it?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/tristan_2ndfish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/tristan_2ndfish.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Along that bank, we walked, spotted and cast to a few more fish. They weren't very co-operative that morning but Tristan still managed to pull another PB from it's sanctuary.<br /><br />As I led him to the small outlet, I eplained to Tristan that it would be a different ballgame compared to the banks. The water was deeper in most areas but rocky bottom would ensure a one-way ticket for most flies. However, if you did not work your fly doen near the bottom, the fish may not be interested. And true enough, a couple of white <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wooly Buggers</span></span> were lost without a take from a fish. Then, Tristan tried a red and white <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clouser</span></span> and that too was lost.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/1600/cirquedusoleil_fly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/335/1373/400/cirquedusoleil_fly.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Remembering his friend's '<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cirque du Soleil</span></span>' fly, he tied it one and gave it a shot. No one was willing to rise to the occasion to hit the fly. Then with a loud '<span style="font-style: italic;">Clink</span>', the fly disappeared off the end of the line. The fly had hit a railing and the loop snapped. And the fly was never to be seen again.<br /><br />This final setback signalled the end of a rather interesting morning of fishing. Though the fish were not really co-operative, Tristan still managed to tussel with and land two great fish. If only there had been more but my friend, the clown, was already laughing within; with only a hint of a smile on his lips.<br /><br />Off to breakfast, a feast of '<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roti Prata</span></span>' and fish curry, and a strong cup of '<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kopi-C</span></span>' or coffee with evaporated milk. A perfect way to end a perfect session.<br /><br />Till next we fish together, my friend.Nutzfactoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11455076603714330070noreply@blogger.com3