Fly by Night

My first attempt in the proper tying of flies using the correct techniques, after spending an obscene amount of tuition fee. However my skills are still far off. Hopefully, it will improve with time. I am seriously lacking a proper pair of good scissors. Couldn't snip off the tiny strands of streamers at the joint. >:(

Work in progress


Accident! The vise "kelp" me. Don't play play. Fly tying is dangerous


My Fly tying bible (by Peter Gathercole). Look like the picture?


A charlie using pink mono scrape lines

Return to LSR

Of late, I hadn't been productive in LSR ever since the construction started. Thinking that the construction had affected the water, I didn't try very hard in PB fishing. The few times that I brought ZW for fresh water fishing, we didn't get anything.

But just last week when the sun was shining brightly, I discovered to my utmost surprise that there were indeed plently of baby PBs around. From the clear water, I could see them zooming into my lure. But since the lure was much bigger than them, there wasn't any hookup. Intrigued, I decided to come back this morning to try again.

Knowing that PBs are best gotten on flies, I decided to swap my lures for flies. Since they are small, the hookup chances might be better. Indeed in a 40 minutes session, I got quite a number of bites, and even gotten a small PB. Later, the fly got stuck onto a rock and I burst my line.



I returned home and decided to put my long acquired fly tying vise to use. It had been sitting in my cupboard for the longest time since I bought it last year. Following some instruction from the internet, I tied 2 poorly done charlie. One even was not knotted properly and the lines came loose. Nevertheless, I was eager to put them to the water to test test. Wife was displeased and give me just a window of half an hour or else.

It was raining earlier on, but when I reached LSR, the rain had stopped. But the seats were rather wet. I hastily setup my rod (and I even missed one guide). Water was not as clear as before in the morning. Out when my fly #1 and in 10 minutes, I had a hookup. However on the way up, I dropped it. Guy fishing next to me gave me a smile. I noted that he was doing bottom as well as doing some casting with a yellow fly once a while.







I tried again and in yet another 10 minutes, I had an electrifying hit. WHAM! Something that I hadn't experienced for a long time. The hookup was solid as the fish was big. Enjoying the fight, I eventually subdued it on my 6lb line/8lb leader and brought it up to the grass patch for some photo taking. All these within the allocated wife allowed time. The rest of the folks fishing were so stunned to see this guy coming, and leaving with a catch in 20 minutes flat, while they were still tossing out their lures. Above fishes all returned back to the water to fight another day.

My girl was so impressed and asked me to tie more flies to sell on the internet. haha.

Advent into fly tying

Thompson "A" Vise




I happened to come across someone selling off his fly tying vise. It looked interesting, and I was thinking of doing some fly tying myself. Although not into fly fishing, the use of flies in out waters can do wonders. Peacocks can be effectively gotten by charlies and clousers.

So I managed to get hold of the vise for a $50. This was an authentic D.H Thompson "A" vise. Though I was not an expert in this, I had heard the name many times. Therefore, the vise should be quite expensive originally. Searching on the Net, the vise would cost about $100US.

My fly tying materials


I drop into Coho the next day, asking for some fly tying materials thinking just to tie a clouser. I left the shop spending another $50 for a bobbin, fly tying materials, threads, beads (for eyes), crystal flash, size 2 mustad hooks and special glue for finishing the joints. Coho was nice to let me try tying one myself and taught me the ropes on the techniques, and I managed to tie my very first clouser.

A nice lady intro me to a fly tying set, which actually cost only $105 thereabout. I had already spent that much, and only got materials for tying clousers. :(. The set looked not bad at all and came with a nice guidebook on fly tying patterns.

Flies that I have now






Clousers






Charlies

Rakit Palau Layang - Reiza

TC car following behind


TC called the day before to revisit Rakit Palau Layang, after seeing my good catches for the last trip. Actually, there are still many "rakits" around that area, and I didn't mind trying them all out.

We meet again


The place we were heading


So much for confidence. TC came with this tiny icebox


Therefore today, after the last on the "verge of collasping" rakit, we went for the most presenatable and comfortable one. This one was called Reiza Rakit. This would be more expensive, costing RM20 per pax.

Yippee. So fun


Arriving there, it was indeed not bad. Almost had the feel of a full scale kelong. There were rooms that you could book at RM40. Toilet was presentable and ample fresh water for washing. There were lots of shady areas and shelter. So, it looked like the RM20 was well spent.

But unfortunately, the water condition was quite bad. Water was murky, and at times, quite dirty. We arrived there around 9+am with cool windy skies. But that soon became quite hot, and I did the stupid thing of not putting on sunblock. At the end of the day, TC and I were looking like lobsters from outer space.

String of glassfishes


First good catch


Cencaru


Undaunted, we setup our tamban jigs and went around trying out luck. TC managed to draw first blood by catching a tiny weeny glassfish. After that, it was quiet for about half hour despite jigging diligently. My luck took a turn, and I started landing glassfishes, overscoring TC result of 1. And indeed, I had a sudden good catch of a Cencaru, a fish that I had read about in Rod and Line. I hadn't gotten this before, so it was a welcome first.

Mama Tamban!


Tiniest Selar


Close up (fish was released)


Around 11am, I got my first Tamban and after that a few more although not plentiful like the last rakit. We used some them as bait. TC was targeting todaks, and the tambans came in handy.

I had also 2 very lucky catches of what we termed as Grandpa and Grandma Tambans. It was really huge. But strangely, no fight whatsoever. But still, it was another first for me. So the trip was turning out quite ok.

So heavy


Yeah, I got a fish


An angry Gelama


Around 2pm, there were no other fishes to be gotten. Some of the other fishing folks were fishing in the well under the shelter as it was too hot to be standing in the sun. A managed to get 4 scats within the short time she was fishing. Not bad at all.

My charlie which met the fate of flying off into the sea when my reel suddenly locked


Papa Tamban


Handsome fellow


I finally got it!


Not bad size


TC and I were at the back of the rakit aiming for todaks as we spied quite a few swimming around. There were some actions, with the todaks grabbing the bait offerings and taking off. But catching them was quite trickly as they would succeed most time to throw out the hook. I took the opportunity to try to lure with my x-rap, which was reputated to be good for Todaks. But not much luck, although I had one solid bite which got away. TC finally succeeded with a good size Todak and he was grinning from ear to ear. He authoratively told me that todaks don't eat plastics. hrrmph...

So ccccute


Pretty fellow


Finally some fellow from live prawns


ACK


This rakit is the tiny speck near to the man in red


In the late afternoon, the current was too strong, and not much fishes were around. Even the obliging todaks went somewhere else. But we managed to use apollo with prawn meat to catch some bottom residents of Gelama. We managed with quite a number just for the fun of it. I tried one last attempt with my jig and managed to get some anchovies. D said it was so cute and that I had to release it. After picture, back to the sea it went. I ended the day with an ACK on my bottom rig with live prawn. At least the RM10 worth of live prawns got something.

It was sort of a mix result day, with the morning bringing me some good catches. But clearly again, the water was quite bad. I wasn't sure if it was due to the location, but my guess is that the fishing here was largely depending on the water quality. There were some other rakits around and it might be worth some more tries.

Extension from the main platform


Feeding time!


Decent toilet


Berthing area


Tidbit shop


TV area


Rooms for rent


This rakit even got plants