Catfish in Thailand..........

[Greenheart]

Just got back from a couple of weeks Holiday in Thailand. In between sunbatheing on the beach, Thai massage's & loads of Spicy meals washed down with large quantities of Singha beer, I did manage to talk Mrs Greenheart into letting me do a couple of days fishing. I had a days sea fishing from a boat & a day on a local freshwater lake. The lake is a place called Topcats on the island of Koa Samui & is run by an English guy Shaun McNutt.

View of the lake & it's palm thatched bivvie's

It's about 5 acres in size & stocked with about 20 species of Catfish & Carp. A day ticket includes the cost of a local guide, who gives advice on where to fish, keeps the angler supplied with bait & rows out the local version of a baitboat to bait up your swim...

Remote controll bait boat Thai style

Rods were 4lb T/C fitted with Shimano 6500 Bait runners & 30lb line. This may sound heavy duty kit, but the lake contains fish in excess of 200lb. I fished a pair of rods. One baited with a hair rigged fish kebab & the other with a method mix & paste hookbait. The rods were then set up on a rod pod & Optronic bite alarms.

I cast the paste bait to the middle of the lake hoping for one of the resident monster Siamese Carp & the fish bait I fished close to a bankside clump of floating weed. The first bite came immediately to the fish bait & after a few brief moments of trying to stop the un-stoppable, the hook pulled free...
Next cast & i was soon into this little catfish of unknown species, that was armed with a vicious spine on it's back.

Five minutes later I had another screaming run & after an incredable fight, my Gillie slipped the net under this totally un-expected fish....

It's an Amazon species called an Arupyma, covered in beautiful scales with bright red highlights. These fish were followed by a succession of 5 Mekong Catfish weighing between 30 - 40lb

My last fish of the day was this stunning African Red Tailed Catfish with beautiful markings & unlike the other cats, totally un-slimey...

The fish were all well cared for. The Guides hold them in a landing net in the water for about 5 minutes to recover & any wounds were treated with a Clinic type anti-septic. The fish are also un-hooked & photographed without removing them from the water. One thing that did worry me about getting in the water besides the resident fish & leeches was this rather venomous little chap that one of the guides caught in the reeds.....

I did hook & lose one of the resident Indian Carp, but sadly the Giant Siamese Carp did not show. Not that I think i'd have had the energy to land one after the way these Cats fought in the tropical heat.......

[fullcreel]

Well thats a report that none of us can match. Will it make the catfish meet we have at Todber later this month seem like a stickleback hunt?
Welcome back,
I have some habs for you.

[fishypaul]

well done ian,some superb fish,
will make ruffe hunting on the canal seem a bit tame wont it ?

[paddy2k7_red4life]

it looks amazing mate and cracking pictures. the last fish you caught on the thread looks amazing mate

[Banana Steve]

now there no claiming that the catfish are ruffe. on a seious note Well done Ian looks like a fantastic place and wow what great pictures as well, and at least the memory card did not let you down this year.
Glad rita and you enjoyed yourselves.

[BaggieRich]

Can't you get some of them up the canal in Tiverton though mate????

Cracking fish Ian. Bet you had a brilliant time.

[Norfolkboy]

Quality fishing mate

[Fishing Forum Admin]

What a fantastic time you had mate !!!

[pingu]

top fishing ian
what bait for the snake then

and see you didnt look too happy with the spikey one



dave

[dagulskie]

Hi
I am new here in fishing forum. I love your pictures, It's looks very awesome.