Bungsamran Fishing Park worth a visit?

[gunnerterry]

If you live in Thailand and get Thai wages you pay 400. If you are on holiday in Thailand and you earn 4/5 times what Thais earn is 2000 baht so much of a hardship?? Whenever i have fished here i

've always caught 10-15 fish, the average size is around 28kg. These are huge fish and you'll get nothing like this in the UK where i am from. Enjoy it for what it is, good comfortable facilities with plenty of staff to bring you food and cold beer when you want it and a really good chance to catch a fish over 100lbs.

[jackinbkk]

I'd like to see the look on their faces when they come to my country and I charge them 5 times what I charge a native.

[Badrabbit]

It's absolutely worth a visit if as a tourist you do not mind paying in excess of 2000฿ for the day, as an ex pat it's a must visit with the price at 400฿ it's a very tiring day when you are catching many Mekong around the 10/20kg mark with the real possibility of a fish well over that, I had a couple of days there, half way through the second day I was completely shattered, one of the best fishing experiences on the planet!!

[robblok]

It's absolutely worth a visit if as a tourist you do not mind paying in excess of 2000฿ for the day, as an ex pat it's a must visit with the price at 400฿ it's a very tiring day when you are catching many Mekong around the 10/20kg mark with the real possibility of a fish well over that, I had a couple of days there, half way through the second day I was completely shattered, one of the best fishing experiences on the planet!!

Acually most mekong are 20-30 kg cant say I got the 10 kg mekongs.. and I weighed them.

[Mousehound]

Here are a few pics of Bungsamran. The small fish was pretty standard. I would say most are around the 20k + with some whoppers. My big fish was 47k and I saw one landed that weighed in at 79K.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805433-bungsamran-fishing-park-worth-a-visit/page-2

had a good day with my son. Not our normal fishing but still worth the Bht.

[UKJASE]

Here are a few pics of Bungsamran. The small fish was pretty standard. I would say most are around the 20k + with some whoppers. My big fish was 47k and I saw one landed that weighed in at 79K.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805433-bungsamran-fishing-park-worth-a-visit/page-2

had a good day with my son. Not our normal fishing but still worth the Bht.

put the pics up mousehound....... that link didnt work

[green job]

The truth is,If you are a real fisherman ( angler ) NO not worth the visit. That is as far as the fishing is concerned. The way the fish are treated is disgraceful, This kind of fishing would not be

tolerated in Europe And 100% not in Russia.

It has nothing to do with skill.

The tackle shop is outstanding,the best selection I have seen other than Farlows on Pall Mall.London.

[green job]

Find a lake, cram it full of Mekong catfish and Siamese carp. Build lots of huts, sell lots of beer and food, get a local Thai to help because your not strong enough to put bait on or reel it in on your sea rodand 60lb line etc, have loads of people running around jumping and shouting. Sounds like a fishing expedition out of a Salvador Dali painting a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, couldn't think of anywhere worse!.

The worst,and most unsporting fishery I have ever visited. It really puts our sport down. 60lb line etc and tossers that have no idea about angling.

[green job]

Find a lake, cram it full of Mekong catfish and Siamese carp. Build lots of huts, sell lots of beer and food, get a local Thai to help because your not strong enough to put bait on or reel it in on your sea rodand 60lb line etc, have loads of people running around jumping and shouting. Sounds like a fishing expedition out of a Salvador Dali painting a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, couldn't think of anywhere worse!.

Big fish and lots of beer, sounds great to me!

Its great fun been there many times.. I do the casting myself got my own rod and real. The lines usually are not more as 50lb (if used mono) But you need strong line as else the fish will break it on the pier.

As for the fish in a barrel.. sure if your there on a good day.. but there are days even the guides have trouble catching fish. I have taken friends there often and loaned them rods.

You do the casting yourself Well Well ( is that not the idea and skill you need to fish?? 50 lb line sea fishing kit!! You need a guide to show you a 3

acre lake with wooden walk ways

Look cocker do not embarass yourself. The place is a disgace and embarassment to the sport fishing community Cruel

[Badrabbit]

Find a lake, cram it full of Mekong catfish and Siamese carp. Build lots of huts, sell lots of beer and food, get a local Thai to help because your not strong enough to put bait on or reel it in on your sea rodand 60lb line etc, have loads of people running around jumping and shouting. Sounds like a fishing expedition out of a Salvador Dali painting a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, couldn't think of anywhere worse!.

Big fish and lots of beer, sounds great to me!

Its great fun been there many times.. I do the casting myself got my own rod and real. The lines usually are not more as 50lb (if used mono) But you need strong line as else the fish will break it on the pier.

As for the fish in a barrel.. sure if your there on a good day.. but there are days even the guides have trouble catching fish. I have taken friends there often and loaned them rods.

You do the casting yourself Well Well ( is that not the idea and skill you need to fish?? 50 lb line sea fishing kit!! You need a guide to show you a 3

acre lake with wooden walk ways

Look cocker do not embarass yourself. The place is a disgace and embarassment to the sport fishing community Cruel

Instead of complaining why don't you do something about the place, make the effort to back up your complaints, try and get the place shut down for cruelty!!

[green job]

What do you know about Fishing???? fxxk all? And why make such ridiculaus comments

[impulse]

Has anyone else noticed that queries about good, local, wild fishing spots usually don't get many favorable recommendations from regular folks that have actually lived here a while?

They get suggestions from guys that are coming next month (and read a really neat website) and wonder whether to bring their fly rod.

They may get vague locations from the guys who put together those real neat websites and who stand to make some cash by guiding them to the specific spots.

But they don't get much encouragement from long timers. Mostly, the long timers recommend their favorite fishing parks, with some caveats about the other venues they don't recommend. They don't seem so keen on wild fishing.

I can't help but wonder if the long timers may know something based on years of looking for wild fish, lots of miles driven (and paddled), lots of neat websites and maps, and lots of disappointment when they got there...

[green job]

Has anyone else noticed that queries about good, local, wild fishing spots usually don't get many favorable recommendations from regular folks that have actually lived here a while?

They get suggestions from guys that are coming next month (and read a really neat website) and wonder whether to bring their fly rod.

They may get vague locations from the guys who put together those real neat websites and who stand to make some cash by guiding them to the specific spots.

But they don't get much encouragement from long timers. Mostly, the long timers recommend their favorite fishing parks, with some caveats about the other venues they don't recommend. They don't seem so keen on wild fishing.

I can't help but wonder if the long timers may know something based on years of looking for wild fish, lots of miles driven (and paddled), lots of neat websites and maps, and lots of disappointment when they got there...

Hi nice to meet you, Sorry I get very angry with the Buggersamran Fishing .

It seems very difficult to find any Fly fishing here pilot 111 forget it,it woud drive you mad. I have tried in a few klongs and sure it works, The Thais are into

spinning so that is a good,as these kind of fish will take a Fly or lure.

If you hear of anything please post tight lines

[Badrabbit]

Has anyone else noticed that queries about good, local, wild fishing spots usually don't get many favorable recommendations from regular folks that have actually lived here a while?

They get suggestions from guys that are coming next month (and read a really neat website) and wonder whether to bring their fly rod.

They may get vague locations from the guys who put together those real neat websites and who stand to make some cash by guiding them to the specific spots.

But they don't get much encouragement from long timers. Mostly, the long timers recommend their favorite fishing parks, with some caveats about the other venues they don't recommend. They don't seem so keen on wild fishing.

I can't help but wonder if the long timers may know something based on years of looking for wild fish, lots of miles driven (and paddled), lots of neat websites and maps, and lots of disappointment when they got there...

Hi nice to meet you, Sorry I get very angry with the Buggersamran Fishing .

It seems very difficult to find any Fly fishing here pilot 111 forget it,it woud drive you mad. I have tried in a few klongs and sure it works, The Thais are into

spinning so that is a good,as these kind of fish will take a Fly or lure.

If you hear of anything please post tight lines

Why not try Cha am fishing park and resort. Not sure you would be happy with the fish care though!

[green job]

Has anyone else noticed that queries about good, local, wild fishing spots usually don't get many favorable recommendations from regular folks that have actually lived here a while?

They get suggestions from guys that are coming next month (and read a really neat website) and wonder whether to bring their fly rod.

They may get vague locations from the guys who put together those real neat websites and who stand to make some cash by guiding them to the specific spots.

But they don't get much encouragement from long timers. Mostly, the long timers recommend their favorite fishing parks, with some caveats about the other venues they don't recommend. They don't seem so keen on wild fishing.

I can't help but wonder if the long timers may know something based on years of looking for wild fish, lots of miles driven (and paddled), lots of neat websites and maps, and lots of disappointment when they got there...

Hi nice to meet you, Sorry I get very angry with the Buggersamran Fishing .

It seems very difficult to find any Fly fishing here pilot 111 forget it,it woud drive you mad. I have tried in a few klongs and sure it works, The Thais are into

spinning so that is a good,as these kind of fish will take a Fly or lure.

If you hear of anything please post tight lines

Why not try Cha am fishing park and resort. Not sure you would be happy with the fish care though!

Hi Thanks for your advice, not really my kind of thing. Sorry but I disagree with this kind of fishing,as I was bought up to respect the animal/fish, that we are hunting or trying to catch.These fisheries in Thailand are just money making machines nothing else. And I deplore the kind of person that can get fun out

of causing so much stress and pain to a fish that has no chance,and is caught time an time again. I come from England but the strongest legislation is in

Germany,as you must pass a test to see if you understand the fair and natrual rules ( Die Fischerie Prufung ) without this you cannot fish period.

[Badrabbit]

Has anyone else noticed that queries about good, local, wild fishing spots usually don't get many favorable recommendations from regular folks that have actually lived here a while?

They get suggestions from guys that are coming next month (and read a really neat website) and wonder whether to bring their fly rod.

They may get vague locations from the guys who put together those real neat websites and who stand to make some cash by guiding them to the specific spots.

But they don't get much encouragement from long timers. Mostly, the long timers recommend their favorite fishing parks, with some caveats about the other venues they don't recommend. They don't seem so keen on wild fishing.

I can't help but wonder if the long timers may know something based on years of looking for wild fish, lots of miles driven (and paddled), lots of neat websites and maps, and lots of disappointment when they got there...

Hi nice to meet you, Sorry I get very angry with the Buggersamran Fishing .

It seems very difficult to find any Fly fishing here pilot 111 forget it,it woud drive you mad. I have tried in a few klongs and sure it works, The Thais are into

spinning so that is a good,as these kind of fish will take a Fly or lure.

If you hear of anything please post tight lines

Why not try Cha am fishing park and resort. Not sure you would be happy with the fish care though!

Hi Thanks for your advice, not really my kind of thing. Sorry but I disagree with this kind of fishing,as I was bought up to respect the animal/fish, that we are hunting or trying to catch.These fisheries in Thailand are just money making machines nothing else. And I deplore the kind of person that can get fun out

of causing so much stress and pain to a fish that has no chance,and is caught time an time again. I come from England but the strongest legislation is in

Germany,as you must pass a test to see if you understand the fair and natrual rules ( Die Fischerie Prufung ) without this you cannot fish period.

I have a serious question, regarding hooks, do you think fish feel pain? I am sure they feel immense pain but are unable to tell us, all fishing is barbaric but it's a big part of live! what do you say???

[impulse]

There are venues where the fish are treated better than they are at Bumsangran, and the fish on offer are bigger and more varied than Pilot 111. Bring money and be prepared for hours of driving from Bangkok...

A couple of places to start:

http://bangkokhooker-fishing.com/

http://www.john-tom.com/FishingInThailand/FishingInThailand.html

http://www.john-tom.com/FishingInThailand/FlyFishingThailand.html

For my money (and time), Pilot 111 is a great balance of cost (500 baht) and time (45 minutes from Asoke where I live). And because I have more money today than time (it's not always like that, but I'm in Thailand for the expat paycheck), I usually spring the extra 2,000 baht to fish the Pilot 111 private side (2,500 total) which pretty much guarantees me 100-200 pounds of barramundi in the 10-20 lb class in a morning. And until you have caught 200 lb of barramundi on a 4 or 6 weight fly rod in a morning, you don't know what you're missing.

I've long ago given up on the "epic" fishing trip where I drive 12 hours to be on a fabled water at opening hour on opening day. More often than not, it's been a disappointment, and an expensive one at that. Nowadays, I look at a map of where I'm staying, figure out what waters are close by, and choose one.

And if I'm not going to be catching at least a few fish, I'll just call it a kayaking, hiking, or biking trip, forgo the frustration of casting to nothing all day long, and thoroughly enjoy the scenery that I would have missed had I been focusing on trying to catch fish that aren't there... (And in a land with ZERO game laws, that's a good description of a lot of the water here)

Edited May 1, 2015 by impulse

[green job]

Reply to Badrabbit.

Yes I am sure they feel pain,as they have a nerve system joining the lateral line of the fish.This is one of the reasons that most serious fishermen do not like,and frown

at such fisheries.To be caught time and time again is not sporting.

[green job]

There are venues where the fish are treated better than they are at Bumsangran, and the fish on offer are bigger and more varied than Pilot 111. Bring money and be prepared for hours of driving from Bangkok...

A couple of places to start:

http://bangkokhooker-fishing.com/

http://www.john-tom.com/FishingInThailand/FishingInThailand.html

http://www.john-tom.com/FishingInThailand/FlyFishingThailand.html

For my money (and time), Pilot 111 is a great balance of cost (500 baht) and time (45 minutes from Asoke where I live). And because I have more money today than time (it's not always like that, but I'm in Thailand for the expat paycheck), I usually spring the extra 2,000 baht to fish the Pilot 111 private side (2,500 total) which pretty much guarantees me 100-200 pounds of barramundi in the 10-20 lb class in a morning. And until you have caught 200 lb of barramundi on a 4 or 6 weight fly rod in a morning, you don't know what you're missing.

I've long ago given up on the "epic" fishing trip where I drive 12 hours to be on a fabled water at opening hour on opening day. More often than not, it's been a disappointment, and an expensive one at that. Nowadays, I look at a map of where I'm staying, figure out what waters are close by, and choose one.

And if I'm not going to be catching at least a few fish, I'll just call it a kayaking, hiking, or biking trip, forgo the frustration of casting to nothing all day long, and thoroughly enjoy the scenery that I would have missed had I been focusing on trying to catch fish that aren't there... (And in a land with ZERO game laws, that's a good description of a lot of the water here)

Yes I agree that a 12 hour trip to waters that one hears about,is not worth it. Did you not find pilot 111 a bit tame? Shame they turn on the fish by feeding them.

The other half ( private ) sounds fun.

Are you from the UK? Have you fished in Russia?

[impulse]

Yes I agree that a 12 hour trip to waters that one hears about,is not worth it. Did you not find pilot 111 a bit tame? Shame they turn on the fish by feeding them.

The other half ( private ) sounds fun.

Are you from the UK? Have you fished in Russia?

When they feed the fish at Pilot 111, do what I do. Get one on the line, hand your rod to a little kid (there's usually a few standing around), then pick up another rod and repeat. That puts a smile on my face every time.

Even on the slower side of Pilot 111 (the 500 baht side), I toss nymphs on a 3 weight to the pacu in the first pond on the left- and have a blast. They go from 2lb to about 8+lb and they're a hoot on a 3 weight fly rod. I've had several spool me, even in that tiny pond.

And if you watch some of the local guys carefully, they're pulling in barra after barra while I'm struggling to get even one on the line. I use the same lures, fish the same speed, in the same water, and they still outfish me 5 to 1 in that one venue. I could learn a lot from those guys...

I'm from the USA. I watch the UK fishing shows where they sit up all weekend in hopes of getting one carp to bite, or pay hundreds of dollars (according to a UK colleague) to wade a trout stream, and thank goodness we have bass and trout and catfish and pike and carp, and public waters all over the place on our side of the pond.

Edited May 2, 2015 by impulse

[green job]

Yes I agree that a 12 hour trip to waters that one hears about,is not worth it. Did you not find pilot 111 a bit tame? Shame they turn on the fish by feeding them.

The other half ( private ) sounds fun.

Are you from the UK? Have you fished in Russia?

When they feed the fish at Pilot 111, do what I do. Get one on the line, hand your rod to a little kid (there's usually a few standing around), then pick up another rod and repeat. That puts a smile on my face every time.

Even on the slow side of Pilot 111 (the 500 baht side), I toss nymphs on a 3 weight to the pacu in the first pond on the left- and have a blast. They go from 2lb to about 8+lb and they're a hoot on a 3 weight fly rod. I've had several spool me, even in that tiny pond.

I'm from the USA. I watch the UK fishing shows where they sit up all weekend in hopes of getting one carp to bite, or pay hundreds of dollars (according to a UK colleague) to wade a trout stream, and thank goodness we have bass and trout and catfish and pike and carp, and public waters all over the place on our side of the pond.

Yes some of the fishing can be expensive, ( chalk stream etc ) I mainly fish the Towy in wales. Fly at night for sea trout. (sewin ) best sport on earth

Wild fish from the sea.

I have also fished the Yokanga on the Kola penisula in Russia here is the link . The first week i took i caught 20 fish largest 28lb the last time i had a 39 pounder

The fishing ( salmon and fly only ) is the best i have done in my life. I would go again but need to win the UK lottery being now 70 http://www.flyfishyokanga.com/public/publicWrapper.php?t=1&p=yokangaLodgeY

[Badrabbit]

Yes I agree that a 12 hour trip to waters that one hears about,is not worth it. Did you not find pilot 111 a bit tame? Shame they turn on the fish by feeding them.

The other half ( private ) sounds fun.

Are you from the UK? Have you fished in Russia?

When they feed the fish at Pilot 111, do what I do. Get one on the line, hand your rod to a little kid (there's usually a few standing around), then pick up another rod and repeat. That puts a smile on my face every time.

Even on the slow side of Pilot 111 (the 500 baht side), I toss nymphs on a 3 weight to the pacu in the first pond on the left- and have a blast. They go from 2lb to about 8+lb and they're a hoot on a 3 weight fly rod. I've had several spool me, even in that tiny pond.

I'm from the USA. I watch the UK fishing shows where they sit up all weekend in hopes of getting one carp to bite, or pay hundreds of dollars (according to a UK colleague) to wade a trout stream, and thank goodness we have bass and trout and catfish and pike and carp, and public waters all over the place on our side of the pond.

Yes some of the fishing can be expensive, ( chalk stream etc ) I mainly fish the Towy in wales. Fly at night for sea trout. (sewin ) best sport on earth

Wild fish from the sea.

I have also fished the Yokanga on the Kola penisula in Russia here is the link . The first week i took i caught 20 fish largest 28lb the last time i had a 39 pounder

The fishing ( salmon and fly only ) is the best i have done in my life. I would go again but need to win the UK lottery being now 70 http://www.flyfishyokanga.com/public/publicWrapper.php?t=1&p=yokangaLodgeY

The Towy, we used to go there on holidays as a youngster!

[green job]

Yes I agree that a 12 hour trip to waters that one hears about,is not worth it. Did you not find pilot 111 a bit tame? Shame they turn on the fish by feeding them.

The other half ( private ) sounds fun.

Are you from the UK? Have you fished in Russia?

When they feed the fish at Pilot 111, do what I do. Get one on the line, hand your rod to a little kid (there's usually a few standing around), then pick up another rod and repeat. That puts a smile on my face every time.

Even on the slow side of Pilot 111 (the 500 baht side), I toss nymphs on a 3 weight to the pacu in the first pond on the left- and have a blast. They go from 2lb to about 8+lb and they're a hoot on a 3 weight fly rod. I've had several spool me, even in that tiny pond.

I'm from the USA. I watch the UK fishing shows where they sit up all weekend in hopes of getting one carp to bite, or pay hundreds of dollars (according to a UK colleague) to wade a trout stream, and thank goodness we have bass and trout and catfish and pike and carp, and public waters all over the place on our side of the pond.

Yes some of the fishing can be expensive, ( chalk stream etc ) I mainly fish the Towy in wales. Fly at night for sea trout. (sewin ) best sport on earth

Wild fish from the sea.

I have also fished the Yokanga on the Kola penisula in Russia here is the link . The first week i took i caught 20 fish largest 28lb the last time i had a 39 pounder

The fishing ( salmon and fly only ) is the best i have done in my life. I would go again but need to win the UK lottery being now 70 http://www.flyfishyokanga.com/public/publicWrapper.php?t=1&p=yokangaLodgeY

The Towy, we used to go there on holidays as a youngster!

Its the best seatrout river in the uk. I fish at Llandielo what part did you go to?

[Badrabbit]

It was when I was very young im 59 now, not far from the then proposed dam!

[Badrabbit]

Over 50 yrs ago so my memory is a bit hazy!

[green job]

It was when I was very young im 59 now, not far from the then proposed dam!

Yes,and they built the dam. It ruined one of the bests Salmon rivers ever. We still get a run of Salmon but not like the old days.The sewin are running well

My grandfather and friends in the late 50s would go to the Golden grove beat with a bottle or two of teachers whisky and there fly rods,and return at lunch time

with a few Salmon,also in a very pissed and happy mood. They would sleep all afternoon and then fish until midnight for the seatrout.

Things have changed for the worse in this world.

Tight lines

[impulse]

I have also fished the Yokanga on the Kola penisula in Russia here is the link . The first week i took i caught 20 fish largest 28lb the last time i had a 39 pounder

The fishing ( salmon and fly only ) is the best i have done in my life. I would go again but need to win the UK lottery being now 70

Okay. The scenery isn't as good as the Kola Peninsula. And it's hotter than Hades in the sun at Pilot 111.

But barramundi fight as well as just about any fish, pound for pound. And I can catch 20-30 fish up to 20 lb in a 2 day weekend, spending less than $100 USD per day, taxi included. And I'm back at home in Bangkok by dinner each day.

For the money, and looking just at fish caught and fun had bringing them in, Pilot 111 is the most amazing fly fishing I've ever done. (They're also a lot of fun on light spinning gear.)

True, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Alaska were better overall wilderness experiences. But the fishing wasn't nearly as productive, and those places were once a year experiences. And they mail my paycheck to Bangkok nowadays. So here I fish. And it really doesn't suck...

I've also learned more about fighting fish on light tackle, and weaknesses in my setup, and how to hook a higher percentage of hits- than I would have learned in decades of fishing where 1 or 2 fish is a good day. So if I ever get back to Alaska, I'll have a better chance if the big one bites..

Edited May 2, 2015 by impulse

[tingtongfarang]

There are venues where the fish are treated better than they are at Bumsangran, and the fish on offer are bigger and more varied than Pilot 111. Bring money and be prepared for hours of driving from Bangkok...

A couple of places to start:

http://bangkokhooker-fishing.com/

http://www.john-tom.com/FishingInThailand/FishingInThailand.html

http://www.john-tom.com/FishingInThailand/FlyFishingThailand.html

For my money (and time), Pilot 111 is a great balance of cost (500 baht) and time (45 minutes from Asoke where I live). And because I have more money today than time (it's not always like that, but I'm in Thailand for the expat paycheck), I usually spring the extra 2,000 baht to fish the Pilot 111 private side (2,500 total) which pretty much guarantees me 100-200 pounds of barramundi in the 10-20 lb class in a morning. And until you have caught 200 lb of barramundi on a 4 or 6 weight fly rod in a morning, you don't know what you're missing.

I've long ago given up on the "epic" fishing trip where I drive 12 hours to be on a fabled water at opening hour on opening day. More often than not, it's been a disappointment, and an expensive one at that. Nowadays, I look at a map of where I'm staying, figure out what waters are close by, and choose one.

And if I'm not going to be catching at least a few fish, I'll just call it a kayaking, hiking, or biking trip, forgo the frustration of casting to nothing all day long, and thoroughly enjoy the scenery that I would have missed had I been focusing on trying to catch fish that aren't there... (And in a land with ZERO game laws, that's a good description of a lot of the water here)

Yes I agree that a 12 hour trip to waters that one hears about,is not worth it. Did you not find pilot 111 a bit tame? Shame they turn on the fish by feeding them.

The other half ( private ) sounds fun.

Are you from the UK? Have you fished in Russia?

The private side or other half at pilot is actually a fish farm, I have fished such bara farms and although it can be fun for a short while its difficult to consider it a sport, the fish will infact bite anything that hits the water...even the gopro cam on the line will get hit multiple times within seconds of hitting the water,

Bang pra dam is just a little further to drive than pilot if its wild fishing you are looking for, kaeng krajan can also be reached in around 2 hours if leaving early morning but i never tried the fly rod at either of those dams, mostly i would just use buzz baits hunting giant snakehead,

I find the klongs and any other random waters around are great fun for striped snakehead, many of them have zero boat traffic and are pretty much over grown,

I find i do more wild fishing than fishing parks.

[impulse]

The private side or other half at pilot is actually a fish farm, I have fished such bara farms and although it can be fun for a short while its difficult to consider it a sport, the fish will in fact bite anything that hits the water...even the gopro cam on the line will get hit multiple times within seconds of hitting the water,

It's a fish farm. Make no mistake.

The challenge isn't necessarily getting them to bite. It's getting a 20 lb fish to shore on a 4 weight fly rod or an ultra light spinning rod with 4lb line. It's hooking and landing more fish than the guys that came with me. It's me with my fly rod against the other guys with their spinning rods. Or limiting myself to topwater when I'm getting too many bites on the soft swimming lures. Or sticking with the fly rod when the other guys are catching a lot more than me. Or fishing the biggest of the ponds where the action isn't quite "anything that hits the water".

The last few times I've been, there's been enough fishing pressure that the fish aren't as stupid as many would think. It's still amazing, but certainly not a fish on every cast.

Edit: Contrast that with my first "world class" fishing trip to the Kenai River for king salmon. The guide told me what reel to bring, and what pound line to use (minimum 30 to get in the boat BTW). He brought us out in a boat to the location, told us what lure to use, and held the boat steady with our lures in just the right spot, dangling over the side of the boat. All we did was set the hook when the fish bit. And the 4 of us in the boat (all strangers, BTW) paid a total of $1,800 for the morning of fishing, because the limit was one fish per person- and the guide called the day when we each had our fish. I wanted to catch and release and keep fishing, but that's not the way it works for the guides there. That was my first and last guided trip in Alaska. Whenever I went back on business, I self guided. Makes Pilot 111 and Bumsangran look like quite the sporty and thrifty locations.

Edited May 2, 2015 by impulse

[tingtongfarang]

The private side or other half at pilot is actually a fish farm, I have fished such bara farms and although it can be fun for a short while its difficult to consider it a sport, the fish will in fact bite anything that hits the water...even the gopro cam on the line will get hit multiple times within seconds of hitting the water,

It's a fish farm. Make no mistake.

The challenge isn't necessarily getting them to bite. It's getting a 20 lb fish to shore on a 4 weight fly rod or an ultra light spinning rod with 4lb line. It's hooking and landing more fish than the guys that came with me. It's me with my fly rod against the other guys with their spinning rods. Or limiting myself to topwater when I'm getting too many bites on the soft swimming lures. Or sticking with the fly rod when the other guys are catching a lot more than me. Or fishing the biggest of the ponds where the action isn't quite "anything that hits the water".

The last few times I've been, there's been enough fishing pressure that the fish aren't as stupid as many would think. It's still amazing, but certainly not a fish on every cast.

Sure i understand fishing at fish farms and also have done it myself at times, i go to a private place the other side of the river but on the last visit we had a competition which involved trying to land bara on lures without hooks, its surprising how long these fish will hang on to the lure and even if they let go the next fish is on within seconds, stupid fish can be fun,

The point i was trying to make is that many anglers here seem to think that wild fishing means driving for hours, you would be surprised how many wild anglers you pass just on your travel to pilot.

Edited May 2, 2015 by tingtongfarang