Fishing in the kingdom

[Herbie]

Reading this, I really want to go fishing near Bangkok. Is this article bulls*it or is it possible to find a place like this?

Plseas advise!

Herbie the Hunter

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Monster catch! Apr 4 2003

By Vince Gledhill , The Evening Chronicle

 

Gamekeeper Terry Mather caused a huge ripple in fishing circles by landing three world record catches.

Mr Mather was on a fishing expedition in Thailand.

The first record-breaker landed by the 33-year-old bachelor, was a Chao Prhraya catfish. Weighing 25 kilos it was seven kilos heavier than the previous record and fought for half an hour before he managed to reel it in. He caught it with bread bait, intended to lure a Mekong catfish from the seven acre Bung Sam Lang Lake.

Mr Mather, of Belford, Northumberland, said: "I have been fishing since I was five. But the only record I had set was 20 years ago when I got the Big Water Angling Club record for a 3lb 4 ounce perch.

"In Thailand we stayed in cabins by the lakeside and fished from jetties. When I caught the first record breaker our fishing guide was screaming and shouting. It is rare to catch that species in that size."

The Bung Lake, a 30 minute drive from Bangkok, was created from a former swamp and is just seven metres deep, but its murky waters are teaming with fish.

Not long after landing the record breaker, he hooked and landed a Mekong catfish, known locally as Pla Buk, weighing 47 kilos, a shade under the world record.

But that afternoon he fought for 50 minutes before bringing in a Mekong catfish of 57.5 kilos - a new pending International Game Fishing Association world record.

The third record breaker was caught a few days later on another reservoir deep in jungle near the Burmese border.

Using a live Koi Carp as bait and after waiting all night, his patience was rewarded when a Spotted Feather Back took the bait. He brought it up from 40 feet and held his nerve as it leaped out of the water several times in a last bid for freedom. When landed it weighed six kilos and was another record breaker.

Mr Mather is now saving hard to go back to Thailand next year to tangle again with monster fish.

His record breaking trip, in February, was organised by Belford-based Bruce Dale, now acting as agent for Fishing Adventures Thailand.

After Mr Mather landed the monster Mekong catfish he was soon surrounded by fellow fishermen with cameras.

"The locals were all around us with their cameras and videos, they had never seen a catfish so big," he added.

His fishing pals also managed to land personal best specimens during the five week long fishing expedition.

Les Cavanagh, from Gosforth, in Newcastle, brought in a 40.5 kilo Mekong catfish and David Hall, BBC angling correspondent from Matfen, near Morpeth, caught a 46 kilo Mekong catfish.

Mr Mather, a gamekeeper for the past 17 years, has worked for the Ellingham Shoot for the last three years and is too busy during the season to fish.

"But I am saving hard to go back out next February," he added.

[haha]

I'm originally from oregon in the usa, and after reading your article, I suddenly realize I miss fishing a lot.  bluegills, and crappies.  that's what I used to fish for when I was a kid.  good memories.

[Thetyim]

I think this article is Bullshit.

Correct me if I am wrong but the Pladuk in the Mekhong river are much bigger than this.

There is another fish here called Plabook which is the largest fish in Thailand and get to be 400kg . Yes 400.

A Thai friend of mine 'hunts' them all over Thailand and sneers at anything under 100kg. However he uses a net which is not what you are interested in.

Fishing in Thailand is good because the fish grow so much faster than they do in UK but expect a good fish everyday of 5kg .

[Thetyim]

Sorry I didn't realise that there were so many types of catfish and there is a record for each one.

Have a look at this website http://www.carphunters.com/Artikler/mekongcat.htm

Says that this lake at Bangkapi has a catfish of 150kg

I'm still trying to find out what a plabook/plabuk fish is in english but I know they are huge.

[Thetyim]

OK   I now have four ways to spell this fish.

Plabuk, plabook, plapook, or plabuek --  you can take your pick. It is the largest scaleless freshwater fish in the world.

It is a catfish, which surpises me as I have eaten this fish and it does not taste like ordinary catfish (pladuk).

If you visit   http://www.bangkokpost.net/breakfast/a060701.html    you will read that it grows to 300kg .  It can be found in lakes all over Thailand and not just in the river Mekong as most articles suggest.

So in answer to your original question, yes the fishing here is very good but if you do get to hook a 300kg monster, may your God be with you.

[mijan24]

Being a keen fisherman, the fish stories have rewetted my appertite for throwing in a "line". Which was dented during my recent visit to LOS.

Our next door neighbour and friends  invited me to go "shock pla". Ha you say! your neighbour and friends meant 'toc pla'. No they reinforced "shock pla" and the resultant catch was enjoyed by all.

Tackle consisted of:

1 x small boat

1 x long pole w/small brass 20cm dia sieve attached

1 x coil of flex (quite long)

The number caught could be verified by the - flicker of the lights, call of fai dup cancelled by the woop from the small boat out on the chaopraya.