Fishing In Thailand Newsletter December 2015

Hi and welcome to the December 2015 newsletter, our monthly roundup of news, catch reports and anything remotely connected to our little slice of paradise out here in Krabi…

Well, December has not been the greatest month for Billy, Jack’s very lovable, if not a little crazy dog. At the ripe old age of nine months he had managed to find out what his “little downstairs bits” were for, which, similar to most males, opened up a whole new world of fun for our somewhat excitable K9. Tearing around the lake making everybody laugh at his antics clearly wasn’t enough entertainment for him, so Helmet, trees, car tyres, Gollock, hedges, you name it, Billy wanted to make love to it. However, after hopping on a customer’s leg and leaving a small, wet, white and sticky deposit on their leg, it was deemed that perhaps a trip to the vets was in order to get his bollocks removed and hence slow him down a little bit! There have been times in my life where things have gone wrong (many, in fact), and I have walked around with “a face like a pushed-in sock”, feeling sorry for myself, but I have to say that I have probably never seen such a sad face as his when he came back without his balls and with a lampshade on his head. God, it was funny, and we didn’t see much of him for a day or two, I guess as he came to terms with a life without impregnating anything he ever came across, so to speak.

But they say you can’t keep a good dog down for long, and a week later, he was back on form entertaining the masses, and I think the funniest episode was just behind swim D3. Billy (along with lampshade on head) charged full speed up the hill towards the swimming pool, launched himself over the wall and landed in the pool, which would have been a good idea if he could swim, especially with a lampshade on his head! Sticks ran up there to save him as his lampshade filled with water and he slowly disappeared from view, only to be met with a vision of three pretty ladies, sunbathing topless by the pool! Apologising profusely, Sticks looked away and grabbed the now bedraggled mutt and led him to safety and a good rub down with a towel. He proudly announced to everyone that Billy is the best dog in the world, purely for that one event alone!

December was however a great month for Becky, as her boyfriend, Dale, has quit his job in England and moved out here permanently, so here’s wishing them all the best for the future. The Christmas celebrations were a success as ever… We started them off on Christmas Eve down at the crispy pork restaurant in Krabi Town, and it consisted of all the customers, guides and of course the Gillhams, from the big dog down to Jack, with only Noi and Tyler missing this one, as they were coming to the Christmas day meal. The meal was superb, and there was plenty of it! God knows how many courses came out, but come out they did, and I think it’s fair to say everyone was full by the end of the tasty meal, which essentially was Thai food.

On Christmas Day there is no fishing on the main lake, and this year, same as last year, we made our way down to the Ao Nang Villa Hotel on the beach for a traditional English Christmas dinner. We had managed to get our hands on parsnips, sprouts, etc, with a little help from some of our customers (thank you for that!). The setting was on the grass outside the hotel, with a truly beautiful view of the sea and limestone mountains. The tables were all laid out beautifully and we settled into the starters, main course etc. I love these Christmas dinners here, but they never taste like they do back home. The sprouts are a little crunchy, the roast parsnips and potatoes are nearly “roasted” and you always hear (and not in a nasty way I hasten to add), someone say “Oh, these parsnips are not quite right… such a shame” or something similar, but to me I would be a little disappointed if they did taste exactly the same as at home. I bet if a Thai national came to England and ordered Thai food, they would say it wasn’t quite right either, and that’s the fun of it for me. We’re in Thailand, and you’ll probably get a bit of a soggy parsnip as you watch the sun go down over a distant island and listen to the waves gently stroking the beach… That’s a win/win for me!

The entertainment that night consisted of a traditional Thai dance, where a man dressed like a dragon seemed to chase a lady around, because after some thought and time he decided she was beautiful and I think wanted to marry her… or something like that. Then we had some singing from a local couple, and then we had a couple of fire shows, which were really good. But the real entertainment of the night was Jack, who had just about everybody in stitches as he chased the man dressed up as a dragon, then ended up on stage singing and playing spoons with the entertainers. He finally managed to get hold of guide Chris’s flip-flops and hide them from him, who by the end of the night had become a little bit inebriated. Not being a parent and being a fiercely independent person, I don’t always like the whole “let’s all go out” thing and consequently, I don’t particularly get excited about Christmas, but that’s two out here in Thailand for me now and both have been very enjoyable, where I think everybody (including me) felt part of something quite special.

We are on the brink of a new year, so that means the shows are just around the corner. Please don’t forget we will be at Zwolle on the 29th, 30th and 31st January. Then the Brentwood carp show on the 6th and 7th, where Essex boy Dean Macey will be on the stand to answer any of your questions and piss us all off with the amounts he eats and still remains in great shape. Then it’s Manchester on the 20th and 21st February, and finally the big one at Farnborough on the 19th and 20th March. Don’t forget we will be offering discounted holidays for payments (except card payments) taken at the shows, so why not come along, get a cheaper holiday and talk to the Gillhams team about your dream holiday.

Finally, advance warning that the next couple of newsletters will be shorter and to the point, featuring the normal catch reports and any significant captures during those months, but not in too much detail as normal, as many of us are coming back to man the shows, and as much as we all love Gillhams fishing resorts, time spent between shows is for catching up with family and friends.

 

Right that’s enough of my ramblings, so best we get on with the whos, the whys and the flipping ‘ecks from this month’s fishing.

The anglers who visited us for the exotic fishing Thailand has to offer had some superb fishing in Krabi this month with a total of 638 fish caught of 20 species, made up as follows: 36 arapaima to 440lb, four alligator gar to 75lb, 154 Amazon redtail catfish to 80lb, 86 Asian redtail catfish to 40lb, twelve black pacu to 30lb, one Chao Phraya catfish of 90lb, six spotted featherback to 12lb, nine Julian’s golden carp to 25lb, 69 Mekong catfish to 220lb, nine red bellied pacu to 18lb, 223 Siamese carp to 183lb, two tiger shovel nose catfish to 8lb, nine arawana to 10lb, four ripsaw catfish to 20lb, four giant freshwater stingray to 130lb, two striped head snakehead to 9lb, three spotted featherbacks to 8lb, two wallago attu to 15lb, one striped catfish of 30lbs, five Nile perch to 10lb

Chris Roberts came to see us here last year, and he hoped for a big Siamese carp, but luck didn’t go his way, and the biggest he caught was a pastie of 25lb… how’s your luck, eh? He did catch quite a few fish and of many different species, but the big Siamese he craved for eluded him. However not one to be put off with a minor hiccup like that, Chris returned in early December and was determined, and I think it’s fair to say, better prepared, for the task that lay before him. He went into Sala 2 and started baiting a small spot to the right and one out in front and slightly to the left. I bumped into Chris, and we had a chat. I walked away hoping it would come right for him.

The first day he fished was an annoying one, as the fish were clearly in front of him, fizzing and bubbling on the spot to the left. He was getting liner after liner on his left hand rod, but nothing developed into a bite, and when the start of his second day came along, exactly the same thing happened. After a short while, he decided to move his rods around and fish both of them to the left, thus maximising his chances. This subtle little change turned out to be the right one, as he quickly landed a 50lb Siamese, which he was pleased about, and then a 75lb, Siamese, which he was really pleased about! By the end of the day he had also landed two more Siamese of 60lb and 30lb, so it was indeed a good day for him, and things were looking good!

The following morning started with a 15lb Asian red tail, and the fish were still fizzing away out in front of him, but there was a problem, and that problem was his mate, Scott, who was supposed to be coming the day after to join him for a few days’ fishing. The problem was there was no record of his booking… To cut a long story short, Becky managed to sort the whole thing out, but Chris had lost a couple or three hours fishing – just what you don’t need when the fish are having it in front of you! However, the day was not lost, and a 45lb Siamese came along followed by a lump of 95lb, and he was really buzzing then. We spoke about how close he was getting to that magical 100lb carp, and we both agreed he should keep the bites coming, as surely one will have to come along!

The next thing that came along was his old mate Scott, a friend for such a long time that they have experienced many things together, such as: they became friends on the high school bus, on the first day they went to high school, they shared their first beer together, went to their first rave together, and amazingly (and at different times, I hasten to add) both lost their virginity to the same girl. Wendy was her name, and she sounds like quite a girl! So Scott also jumped into Sala 2, and they shared the swim together. Scott was away quickly with a 30lb Asian red tail catfish, but shortly after Chris landed a Siamese carp, and a big one at that! Upon peering into the net everyone realised it was over a 100lbs… 110lb in fact… and Chris was absolutely made up. It was what he was looking for, his personal dream fish. Then disaster happened, because an hour or so later after Scott had reeled in a Siamese carp of 45lb, Chris rechucked his rod and put it onto the pod, but was a bit slow getting the baitrunner on. In the blink of Wendy’s eye, his rod disappeared into the lake, and his euphoria ended there, right then. Although we tried casting round the swim we couldn’t hook the rod, and with the fear of a tethered fish, Chris was clearly ‘man down’.

Although it was a harsh thing to happen, it’s worth mentioning, because it shows that even a very experienced angler like Chris can make a mistake, but with these fish any mistakes you make are punished straight away. Regularly fish will take the bait, even if used in conjunction with a PVA bag, the second it hits the lakebed, and sometimes even on the drop, so you have to keep hold of your rod and get the baitrunner on quickly. He managed to pick himself up a bit after and went on to land an 80lb’er, and Scott landed another 45lb’er, both Siamese, but the day had been marred for him with the rod incident.

The next day they both cracked on with the job in the hand, and Scott managed a 50lb Siamese carp, and Chris landed another Amazon red tail catfish. Their final days fishing together saw them set up in what we call the Grassy swim, which can be booked on a first come, first served basis, and for only one day. They were hoping for arapaima, but as is often the case the arapaimas weren’t playing the game in there, so it was it was the red tails that were the story of the day, with Scott landing two to 45lb and Chris pretty much doing the same, except he added an arawana to that as well. At this point Scott had to bid us farewell and return to his family in Bangkok, but Chris had one day more to go, and his final day was to be spent in Sala 9, where he ended with a very respectable 80lb Siamese carp, and then finished his trip off with a 135lb Mekong!

 

Owen Giles and his wife Becca from the Isle of Wight came on their first fishing trip to Thailand, and landed here at Gillhams with a game plan in place, which involved a few days’ fishing for Siamese, Mekong catfish, arapaima and Amazon red tails, then a break for a day or two, then a full-out assault for stingray at the end – I thought it was great. Owen knows ex-guide John Anderson, and they had spoken at length before the trip, which was where the game plan had been put together. So first day came along, and Owen is set up in Sala 1. He had a couple of rods 40 or so yards out, hoping for Mekongs or Siamese, and a rod in the margin, hoping for things of a more predatory nature. Things started a little slowly on the first day, and Owen had to wait until the afternoon before he got his first bite, but what a first bite it was – his first fish ever caught in Thailand was a 180lb-plus Siamese carp! As you can imagine the grin was a very large one indeed! I think it’s fair to say Owen was a bit blown away by that… I mean, who wouldn’t be?

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur to him, and it seemed like he didn’t really get his fishing head on until the following morning, when he quickly landed three Amazon red tails to 35lb, then came very close to catching a Mekong on the float rod with some superb and very accurate catapaulting skills shown by Becca,. Although briefly hooking one and seeing plenty of swirls around his float, the Mekongs got away with it, but then another Amazon red tail (a bit bigger this time at 40lb), a 50lb Siamese carp and a well-stalked 10lb arawana finished his day off superbly.

Keen to get amongst the fish, Owen was back in the swim and raring to go, and put all three rods on spots where he thought might seduce an arapaima. Pretty quickly he landed an Amazon red tail of 45lb, but then he decided to change his game plan and put a rod back out for the Siamese carp, as he could still see them sheeting and fizzing up in front of him, and he also felt like he had all his eggs in one basket so to speak. The swapping around of rods turned out to be a wise move, as he then landed a Siamese carp of 50lb and a striped catfish of 35lb, straight out into the lake, and then proceeded to land another Amazon red tail, bigger this time at 55lb, and then lost one, so all in all it was a good day again for him.

Buoyed up by his success, Owen was in the swim bright and early again the next day, and it pretty much followed the same pattern, as he was quickly into an Amazon red tail of around 45lb, and shortly after a 60lb Siamese carp picked his boilie up. Then just as things were settling down a bit, his right hand rod ripped off again, and as he was playing his fish Becca reeled in one of his other rods, which was duly taken by a Nile perch, which she then landed – ha ha! He really wanted to catch one of those as well, but er, no… sorry… that one goes down to your good lady, sir! Anyway he then landed a 20lb Amazon red tail. The day passed fairly quietly, and I know there was some sort of advice given by the big dog regarding catching an arapaima, and lo and behold his rod ripped off in the dark, and a good old tussle ensued, which eventually led to the downfall of a 420lb monster. Let’s say Owen was pretty happy about it, but he was still heard moaning about the Nile perch, it has to be said!

With a two-day break imminent, Owen kept the work rate up, and was back in the swim bright and early. His day seemed to follow the same pattern, as he went on to land a 70lb Siamese from the open water spot in the early afternoon, and then as the day drew to a close he popped out a 25lb Amazon red tail catfish. So his holiday was going really well; everything was going according to plan, but the next two days were all about him and Becca, and off they went. The first day was spent being spoilt in a local spa and then a trip to local seafood restaurant called Wan Sai, only to then spend a relaxing afternoon before they headed off to the local steak house called The Carnivore for a slap-up steak dinner. In order to do a bit of fitness work, the next day they went kayaking, and that set them up nicely for a final assault on the fishing, in the hope of a stingray, which led to a move into Sala 3.

I really respected Owen for making this decision. He’d got the big Siamese he wanted, he’d got his big arapaima, and the last real thing on his wish list was one of the stingrays. He was prepared to move out of a swim, which was clearly fishing well, in order to specifically target a different species – top angling! Regulars here will know the stingray are often seen eating the snails right from the front of the swims, from Sala 3 to Sala 10, and Owen’s chat with John Anderson had led to this decision, so I really hoped he would get one. As per normal they were in the swim bright and early, and the traps were set, but the day turned into a long, hot one, without so much as a nibble from anything, and with no sightings of any rays either.

The second day in Sala 3 started in pretty much the same fashion, and although Owen spotted one of the rays in the edge, just along the bank, it looked as if the second day was going to end the same way the first did… well… until he saw a small patch of bubbles rise to the surface about 40 yards out. He then quickly grabbed a rod, popped a PVA bag on it and launched it smack on the bubbles, only to then catch a Siamese carp which came in at 100lbs! The day passed without further excitement, and Owen decided to move back into Sala 1 the next day, as that swim had become vacant again, and having seen so many Mekongs in there previously he hoped to tick one off his bucket list. With the rods back out on the open water spots again, Owen was quickly into an 85lb Siamese carp, and although he had the Mekong float rod ready to go and was trying to get them going in the upper layer of the lake, the fish seemed to have other ideas, and he would have to leave it to his final day if he was to catch one.

A plan was hatched the evening before his final day on the main lake, which was to fish Sala 1 in the morning, and if no Mekong were forthcoming then, move across the lake to swim C3, which was to become vacant at 12pm the following day, and which had produced a few Mekongs in previous days. As in the rest of his trip, the plan came together, and as we stood in the restaurant at 4pm, Owen came bounding in with arms aloft and a big grin on his face, proudly announcing that he had landed a monster 160lb Mekong catfish, and he was really pleased about it – job done! All that remained now was a night out and a bit of fishing on the top lake. I know Becca really wanted an Amazon red tail, but she was more than pleased with a couple of nice Julian’s carp and some tilapia, and didn’t seem to mind that it was Owen that got the red tail!

 

Eddie Marsh and Cassie Griffiths hail from darkest Essex, I met them year before last when we fished the same syndicate in England. Cassie celebrated her 50th birthday last year and a trip out here was booked, exactly one year later on the back of her 50th birthday celebrations. Bearing gifts of crisps for Sticks from last month’s competition winner Adam Thacker, they arrived on the Thai Airways plane that lands in Krabi at 9.20pm and spent the first few hours unpacking and chilling, out and then Eddie went round to Sala 9 and made his start. Guide Nick was working the sala bank that day, put Eddie on the spots, and really the half-day was spent getting to know the swim and tackle in preparation for his first proper day’s angling.

The next morning however things didn’t quite go according to plan, as he lay in a little late, but he made up for it when he arrived and quickly got his spots baited and his rods on the spots. This led to an almost instant 80lb Siamese, and Eddie was buzzing! That was a big fish caught quickly in Eddie’s world, as the lake we fished last year was one that you would have to wait a day or two before you would get a bite. Cassie kept on his case to try harder and try to catch another one, and I had to laugh as Eddie is a bit laid back, but Cassie had heard how the likes of Kev Shore and Ian Farr fish – a new PVA bag recast every half hour etc etc, so consequently Eddie was feeling the pressure a bit I think! Although he upped his pace, he just lost another one that day.

With a day off from the fishing looming, Eddie was back in the swim bright and early on day three and sticking to the plan. He baited and fished the same spots, but was definitely on his game better and faster. A missed take was quickly followed by another powerful take, and after a good but controlled fight, guide Nick slipped the net under a superb 95lb Siamese carp, and Eddie was delighted. With Cassie keeping a watchful eye on him from the bungalow opposite, Eddie kept the bait going in and the work rate up, and at 3pm, he received a very fast, powerful take, which screamed down the lake to Sala 2 and he pretty much knew it was a Mekong catfish that was the culprit. A respectable 35 minutes later and the fish was milling about in front of them, in and out of the swim, in and out of the swim, and it looked like it was going to be one of those fights where the fish takes an age to get in the net, when Nick jumped in and grabbed the fish by the tail and popped it in the net. At 130lbs it was Eddie’s first monster fish, and it ended his first little bit of fishing nicely, as the next day was a non-fishing day for him.

The next day was a spot of souvenir shopping in Ao Nang before an early night was had prior to a day in the Grassy. A classic mistake people make when they fish the Grassy is to amble along at 7.30/8.00 and nonchalantly make a start – BIG MISTAKE! You need to get in there early, find your spots, get some bait in on the spots and be cast out and sitting in your chair at 7.01am! The arapaima can be very catchable at 7am, but once 8am comes, it’s an altogether different story. Luckily for Eddie he took our advice, and at 7.15am he was just jumping out of the lake, having photographed his first ever arapaima at 140lbs. We weren’t surprised to see such a quick capture, but if the truth be known, Eddie was, and Cassie? Well, she was still in bed! The day continued nicely for him, as the Amazon red tails came along and pulled his string, two at 35lb and one at 40lb, before a little arapaima of 50lbs finished his fishing off for the day nicely.

We went into town and had a nice steak that night, which was then followed by a few cocktails and a good night’s snoring! The next day was a day off, where the two of them went elephant trekking and generally relaxing. The next fishing was a short jaunt up to the top lake where Cassie had made it quite clear she wanted to catch a Julian’s carp, which she did – two of them, followed by a lovely little Asian red tail. Now for the record (because I was working) I did not go up and see how they were getting on and grab Eddie’s rod and land a 20lb Amazon red tail within four minutes of casting out, and then I did not do the same thing again and land an arawana within 3 minutes – these were just vicious rumours!

(After that didn’t happen…) Cassie then caught an arawana and Eddie had another one fall off. It was Cassie’s birthday the following day, and it also saw Eddie back on the main lake, set up and raring to go in swim D3 at 06.45. Being keen proved to be a good move for him, as within ten minutes of casting out he landed a cracking 80lb Siamese, and he was back in business again. Later that morning his rod ripped off, and it was clear he was battling a Mekong. He played it hard, and within 20 minutes he had it in the net, but unfortunately with the hook in its tail. He was a bit gutted and said he didn’t want a picture with it, but after a bit of persuasion we got him in the lake, just to get a pic of the beast, and he said he would always tell people it was a foul-hooked fish, which didn’t really count in his eyes. The rest of the day was quiet, and with just a half a day’s fishing before they left us on the 24th, Eddie was back on it again first thing on the last morning and quickly popped a 45lb Siamese carp into the net, which turned out to be his last fish of a very enjoyable trip for the two of them.

 

Rod Jones from Florida made a return to spend Christmas out here for the second time. This meant of course leaving his beloved dogs behind, but with Billy fulfilling the role of “stand-in pooch” to many customers, we were sure Rod wouldn’t miss his two dogs that much! Rod started his trip off nicely with an Amazon red tail of 30lb, which was a nice leisurely opener for him. The next morning saw him quite quickly locked onto a Mekong catfish, and at a respectable 100lb, it gave him a good workout, but we know he was hoping for bigger, as he described it as a “small one”. The rest of that day seemed to go along slowly for him, and he was pretty sure that would be it, as at 7.30pm there had been no further action. By 8pm however, he had landed an Asian red tail catfish at 20lb and an Amazon red tail at 40lbs.

The quiet, big man from Florida was next seen fighting a 125lb Mekong the next day, and with a little help from Gollock he was soon seen grinning behind the beast for the trophy shot. With an early finish on Christmas Eve and no fishing on Christmas Day, everything was geared up around a move into the Grassy swim on Boxing Day. The day in the Grassy was a busy one, and the chaos started quickly with a 45lb Amazon red tail almost straight away, which was backed up with another two at 40lb, then an Asian red tail of 15lb, followed by four more Amazon red tails of 35lb, 30lb, 20lb and 25lb, and all of this by two o’clock in the afternoon. Then things went even more bonkers, as he then caught three ripsaw catfish in three consecutive casts weighing 20lb, 17lb and 15lb! As we all know, these are pretty elusive characters, and the amount of them that actually get caught on a regular basis, compared to how many are actually swimming around in the lake, is very small indeed, so to get three like that was very special indeed. With 11 fish under his belt, Rod was buzzing and didn’t care if he caught another one, but he did, and he ended what had been a truly memorable day with a further two Amazon red tail catfish of 42lb and 35lb.

Rod was back along the bungalow side the following morning, and he announced that he was going to target the Siamese carp that day. As the old saying goes, “When your luck’s in…” He then pulled out three weighing 45lb, 65lb and then 85lb, which he then followed up with a cracking Mekong catfish of 150lb. With his favourite team, Jacksonville Jaguars, playing in the early hours the following, morning Rod wasn’t even seen the next day until 1pm when he appeared for a spot of dinner before going up to the top lake where he caught some tilapia and a couple of Julian’s carp. A move of swims then followed, and Rodney went around the other side of the lake and gave Sala 10 a go. Under the watchful eye of guide John Deakin, Rodney’s form continued, and he landed a 75lb Siamese carp and a small Amazon red tail of 25lb. Then new years eve came and went and with only a hangover one day, a 55lb Amazon red tail the next and a blank day at the end. Rod was determined to catch an arapaima of 150lbs or more and he did that on his penultimate day exactly at the same as he hooked another one as panic set in and guide Lee battled one, on one rod, whilst Rod battled another one which he landed as the other one fell off in the end. Chaos! Rod was well chuffed though, as that ticked the last one on his wish list, so to speak. A couple of small Amazons finished off what had been a great trip for him and he can’t wait to get back!

 

Eddie Grey and Dave Bartlet come with their wives Lynne and Sandy for the Christmas week pretty much every year. Although from different areas of England, they are both very similar characters, pretty laid back, friendly and well painted! Dave started his campaign in A1, and a day or so before, Eddie started his in Sala 2, where he kicked off with an Amazon red tail of 50lb and then an Asian red tail of 20lb. Dave kicked things off with an arawana, which is a little ironic because, last year he and I went up to the top lake to try and catch his first one, which we managed to do, and yet this time he not only caught one, but two from the main lake, and finished the day with an Amazon red tail. He spent a fair portion of it trying to get a Mekong on the float rod with guide Lee on hand, but although the fish were swirling around the float he didn’t manage to hook one.

Eddie had a couple of nice Siamese the next morning weighing in at a healthy 65lb and 70lb, and Dave was well pleased when he landed a PB Siamese carp of 85lb, but he kept trying hard for the Mekong, and in the afternoon nailed one at a whopping 160lb, which made him very happy indeed. Eddie was the next to score on Boxing Day with a nice 35lb Asian red tail, and the following day another nice lump of a Siamese came along at 75lb and then an Amazon red tail. Over the other side the fish were playing hard to get, but Dave still managed a small striped snakehead (which he basically stalked on a Mekong float rod), and an Amazon red tail of 45lb.

The next morning was a quick start for an hour on the main lake and then a trip up the top lake for a few of the lads, where I know they all caught a few and of different species, but a return to the main lake saw Eddie catch another nice Amazon red tail of 55lbs, and Dave popped out a 22lb Asian red tail. Dave didn’t want to say what he wished to catch on this trip, but I know he’s a carper, so that means he wanted a big Siamese, and I knew that meant 100lb-plus. During the next day he landed two 85lb’ers, which equalled his PB, then a 95lb’er, and it came as no surprise to me that we got a call around 7pm to come and look at a real biggie that he had just landed. In the torchlight it looked huge, and we were struggling to identify it, so a quick phone call to the big dog, and he came up and recognised it as the 150lb’er, which we had videoed before for another customer, but a fish that was fairly rarely caught. Dave almost smiled in the photo, and I ribbed him for this, but he looked at me and said he wasn’t very photogenic, so I shut up at that point! Eddie’s day hadn’t gone too badly either, as he had landed a cracking arapaima of 280lb, which was then followed by a quiet day, and Eddie was ready to move across the other side of the lake. Back over the other side Mr. Bartlett’s luck continued, and a further two Siamese came along weighing 50lb and 75lb, and then he caught a 170lb arapaima! Top angling! Dave finished off with a flurry of fish including a few Siamese around the 70lb mark, another arawana, a striped snakehead and an Amazon red tail of 45lb and then he and Sandy left us to return back to England. Eddie carried on for a couple of days and seemed to keep pulling the odd 80lb Siamese and the only thing that really changed was his swim position as he ended up fishing in C1. Eddie and Lynne then headed off to Koh Lanta to finish off their holiday.

 

Well, that’s it for this month from all of us at Thailand’s premier fishing resort . We’ll see you all again next month, with more news of rod-bending MONSTER fish action!

For those of you planning a return or first trip, please email Stuart gillhamsfishingresorts@gmail.com or phone +66 (0) 861644554, and please remember we are +6 hours GMT.

Best wishes and tight lines from us all at Gillhams, and we hope your next fish is the one of your dreams (which it probably will be if you come to Gillhams).