REVIEW OF 2009
The year was exceptional not only for the Rompin Sailfish, which I might add, continues to be an outstanding fishery, but also for number and size of the Narrowbarred mackerel and Queenfish landed.
Poppers and pencil lures have fared well and although it still remains hard to hook up the sails on fly, a good number were taken. Again, live bait remains the best option.
Our best day for Sails this year saw 26 caught and released in one day. This is only one less than our record five years ago, and we had to finish about two hours early due to inclement weather. A good number of the sails, especially in the first half of the season were well over the 50kg mark. There was also a fair number of large Cobia taken in 2009, and many smaller ones around the 10kg to 15kg mark. The Black marlin, however, eluded us this year. But a Tiger shark did take a few lumps out of one of our Sails – see photo gallery 12.
Freshwater fishing, although we did not do so much in 2009, provided what is probably the highlight of the year. Our guest, Ian Wray from the UK, hooked and landed a Giant snakehead (Chana micropeltes), Toman in the Malay language, of 13.2kg. This is 3.2kg bigger than the current IGFA world record. However, we could not lay claim to the record as the rod snapped on the last dive in deep water, right next to the boat. It took two of us to bring the fish in. Ian also had already decided to release the fish anyway, no matter what. The fish was taken on popping a dead catfish. And all this was done on the last cast of the last day. Ian also took Sails on a fly.
2009 saw guests from 14 countries fishing with us, with the Sailfish being the most popular. The new freshwater venue in southern Thailand has been producing so many monsters it’s incredible: Arapaima up to 200kg, Carp and Catfish to 70kg and freshwater Stingray to 100kg.