Sg Layang 2

After my last week's good catch of a 2kg Grunter, PT and TC naturally wanted to try out the place after reading my blog. So it was that we arranged to go over this Friday to get some more promising catches.

There was a slight mis-coordination that morning, and we were waiting for each other at different places. PT at FishingLine and TC and I at the Grandpa coffee Shop. But we eventually met and were on the way to Rakit Layang at around 8.30am.

I was very hopeful that I could do better than last week's visit. Hence, I also brough along my big ice box, just in case. So much for confidence. :) Reaching there, TC and PT were impressed with the location. As usual, the boy came over to pick us and we were soon on the boat to the floating farm.

Squirrel


Weather was windy with some hint of dark clouds. But luckily for us, the rain did not really come. But the water around was choppy and wind was strong. We found also later that due to the rain, the month of Nov and Dec were not good times for fishing here.

Our shelter


Hmm..where the siakaps and arapaima?


View of the "Kelong" from one end


The owners sleeping quarters


When we stepped onto the "Kelong", we found ourselves the only people there. Another group was to come a little later, but left earlier than us. Everyone was starting out with high hopes, and proceeded to rig up our many rods. We got a pail of live prawns and started casting out.

Rock a bye baby


Monopoly time!


All the Property gurus


PT First catch. A slimy eel


While waiting, we had a game of Monopoly that D had brought along. Due to the choppy waters, my bell was going "trring trring" from the rocking of the platform. But it was mainly false alarm. The water felt different from last week when I was here. Previously, there were even Todaks around. But today, not a single sighting of them. But pulling up the rig, the prawns would have died or gone missing. It seemed like lots of small fishes below.

After 2 hours into the fishing, our hopes started waning. Worst thing was, we ran out of live prawns. We asked for some more but it seemed that the whole "Kelong" had ran out of live prawns. The boy said he would get it from the other Kelong.

My first catch, a roughback puffer


Roughing it up


At last, something decent. A Pasir2


This, not bad too. Gelama


In the meantime, we were lucky that TC brought along some sotongs that he had swiped from Ah Fatt. Else without it, we would really not catch anything. Since no action from our heavy rod, we started using light tackle to get small fishes.

I landed a total of 3 puffers, 1 pasir2 and 1 Gelama. TC landed 1 Duri, 1 Gelama and some other small fishes. I couldn't quite remember what PT landed as he wasn't quite targetting small fishes.

Where my big fish??


Clams, lots of it here


Lunch came very late, and with it still no live prawns. I was feeling quite unhappy that they were taking so long to provide us with live prawns. Already, the tide window was closing. Without live prawns, our chances of big catches were quite slim on sotong bait and fish meat. But we were to learn that they had some problems with the prawns as their stock had died due to the rough waters. Well, too bad.

My Grouper!




But just as we were packing, I heard PT calling out to me. Turning around, we were all plesantly surprised to see him with a good size Grouper. :). He had innovatively used the Puffer meat as bait. After skinning it, it really looked like a piece of chicken meat. With his Grouper, at least not too bad for him today.

After that, we packed and left the place. Overall, I was quite disappointed with the catches. What happened to the 5kg fish I was expecting? And not having live prawns to fish with was quite a bummer. But from what we see, I think it was true that the monsoon months were not very condusive for fishing here. Perhaps we would try it after the Monsoon again. Till then, we probably have to give this place a miss for now.

Closing number


D's friends






The rope that claimed my lure last week