Welcome to Paradise !!!

  This evening,after a thunderous shower of heavy rain,we decided to go for a short evening fishing trip.We went to a Bidayuh village not far out of Kuching.
   Bidayuh,or Land Dayak according to the British,is the forth largest ethnic group in Sarawak.They inhabit high lands of the west Borneo, around the border of Malaysia and Indonesia.
 This village is famous for its waterfall,its a picnic area.So,all this while,we were not really interested to do fishing here.Plus,there are some cases of people drowned at the waterfall while swimming here!Sounds like not a good place for fishing...
  But we didn't know that just about half kilometer down the water fall,this small river meets a bigger river,the Semadang river,the upper part of the Sarawak river.We get this information from a friendly villager near the waterfall.
  This Semadang river is a big clear water river with fierce rapids,perfect home for Adong (single stripe Hampala Barb),Semah and Empurau(Masheers) and other upper river species like Runtu(upper river snakehead) and Juak(3 stripes Hampala Barb).
  Rainy season makes its harder to catch them since the water level is higher and abundant of food for them like jungle fruits flowing down the river.But we still manage to get some strikes.Couple of strikes received from Adong but none landed.Only Runtu landed,as co-operative as all its other Snakeheads cousins.
  Next time,we plan to rent a boat or kayak to go down or up the river.I have a very good feeling about this river.I'm very optimistic to get big strikes and hell of time fighting this Lamborghini of the upper river.. :)

The beautiful but mysterious waterfall.

A smaller waterfall.

This is the highway for the villagers.

Its also the source of their drinking water..

And also for bathing and cleaning.

Try to get a closer look at their daughters :)

The sign behind is not kidding,many lives has been taken by this fall !

Grow bigger,fight harder...

Today,only Runtu want to be on the camera.

Thank you very much,it was a nice game.See you next time.

From Layar to Krian...

It's been a while that we don't go fishing to this river,due to busy life style that this modern world required.And two days ago we just decided to 'escape' for a retreat for a while. 

Another journey to the nature

We get to the town of Betong around half past six in the morning and had our old time favourite breakfast,the Mi Rangkai or the Kolok Mee as the Sarawakian known it at general. After buying some food,including 2 kilos of pork meat for barbeque by the river,we headed to Nanga Spak where the boat men and his assistant waiting for us. 

The river water was slightly murky but it is just perfect for lure fishing,since it blurs the visual of the fish.If the water was too crystal clear after a long spell of no rain,the fish can recognize the lure easily and wont take a strike on the lure. By half past seven we were already drifting down the river and not long after few casts,a big strike was received.It was a big Runtu,the upper river snakehead.But after reeling it for few meters,it lost the hook and claimed its freedom,at least for this time around. 

Welcome to Paradise...

Another strike few minutes down the area,this time was stronger...most probably it was an Empurau,the Malaysian Masheer..it doesn't have a vertical stripe on its body like its cousin Adong(Hampala Barb) or the three stripes Juak, or the smaller cousin Semah.The size was at least 3kg,and it fought so strong until the 2 hooks(total 6 hooks) went straight....we just get a glimpse of it in the water before its disappeared before our eyes. 

It was not too long for a quiet time before another strike,and came on board a decent size Runtu.It has a beautiful pattern on its scales,similar to a python,probably that is how they get their name. After this strike,we get few more strikes,some from the Supit,the Archer fish,which is one of the less favorite species since they are not really good fighters.But none landed until we reach a lower part of the river...this was where we saw a show of the nature,the hunting by Adong...we can see a school of small fish jumping out of the water not far from the river bank.This is the best sign of the existence of Adong in the area...it is hunting,and this the state when it is very aggressive and attack anything that move in the water. All three of us were casting at the same area...but no strike until the third cast,and it was until the spoon lure was reel almost reaching the boat.The strike was strong,but the reel was fully locked and not giving any chance for the fish to run far or swim into the drifted woods in the water which if happens,will increase the chance for the fish to escape.So,welcome on board to the beautiful clear water upper river species,Adong,one of the most favorite sport fishing targets for upper river. 

Dream place for a retreat..

After this strike,we landed few more Runtu all the way down the river before we took a lunch break on the pebble bank of the river under the shade of a hundreds years old ancient tree. We start an open fire and made a simple barbeque set out of drift woods and big rocks.Slow fire and the heat from the burning woods gave a special aroma to the jungle and the hungry fishermen.As always,dining in the middle of the jungle by a beautiful river is always special,simple barbeque pork,fresh catch fish and your sauce is just sea salt...no spoon,fork or steak knife,but your bare hand,no porcelain plate,but big wild giant leaf as your plate.Save the the washing or pollution from disposable plates and cutlery. 

Just like python,you feel sleepy after a big meal,but we keep on casting...we drifted down for few more kilometers down the river before we start the boat engine for the first time of the day and headed up the river,more upper from the point we started,Nanga Spak. We get few strikes but none landed.So by sun set,we call it the day. 

We spend the night at the town,at a brand new 2 stars hotel,the biggest and the finest in the town. We went out for dinner and past an 'entertainment' place,but it was not really appealing,so we went back to the hotel and call it the night after watching The Mask of Zorro. 

Crystal clear water flowing down from the mountain.

The original plan was to head back straight to Kuching the next morning...but its feel not enough fishing(its never enough),so made a spontaneous move by heading further,to another hometown,Saratok.We entered the Ulu Krian road,and stop at a bridge,over a crystal clear water river. 

No boat waiting for us this time..after asking for direction from some kids that playing at the river ,we walk town the river and start casting,with some new lures that we bought that morning at a shop at the Betong town. 

Can you hear the trees speaking the words of wisdom?

It didn't take long before we get a strike from Runtu and landed..and a strike later from Adong,but didn't hooked up. Not far later,we reached a longhouse,one nice lady and her daughter that just finished their afternoon bath and washing at the river invited us to their longhouse...before her sister took us to the room of the Tuai Rumah,the Headman of the longhouse.His wife was kind enough to let us use their old boat.We wanted to rent it but she said it was not worth to rent,just use it for free.We joke with her that we will take the boat all the way back to Betong.She just laugh and said something like 'Good Luck'. 

There was no paddle on this boat,just two wooden stick,that not long enough for some deeper parts of the river. We guess that the fish in this river never see artificial lure in their life,even if they have,its maybe once in a blue moon.

We receive more strikes here compare to the day before at a different river.Just that the size of the fish here is smaller,maybe because the river is smaller,its a subsidiary river to the Krian river. Its not easy to fish on a small boat,its not stable and you have to control it yourself,no boatman and no assistant. 

We fished until its almost dark,we caught more fish here,four Runtu and three Adong,compare to three Runtu and two Adong the day before. We gave all the fish to the Tuai Rumah and some money that he reluctantly accepted. We walked back to our car that park by the bridge.After a long day standing and squatting on the boat, and pushing and pulling the boat at the shallow parts of the river gave me some muscle cramps after a few minutes walking up the hill on the way back to the car. 

After changing our wet cloths,we drove back to Kuching,we made a stop for dinner at rest area at Simpang Ulu Layar. The journey back always feel so long when you are tired and sleepy..but always with satisfaction and relief,even just for a small retreat from the routine daily life.

Decent catch of the trip...we caught five jungle perch all together and seven upper river snakehead.

Great reward..but you always want bigger..
One strike was escape,it made the 6 hooks of the Rapala lure straight...most probably it was a 3kg Masheer.

When its get too shallow,you have to pull or push.
The second day at a smaller river with a smaller boat without paddles....

Push it hard..back to the basic when there was no engine..

Teamwork is crucial here..

Those logs are the home for the fish..

It can be very shallow and narrow..

You still have to cast it accurately while balancing yourself on a unstable boat...

Cast it right next to the logs..not on them or over them.Too far before the logs means too far from the fish..too far beyond the logs or on the logs means trouble!

Its almost like walking on a wire...

You just have the privilege to smile like Mr. Matan!

If you can't stand it,you can always squat...

Sometime,its not only fish make home under the logs,it can be the big lizard too!

Its always good to have a friend that can watch your back for you..

The old and rotten tiny boat..

This boat did the job pretty well tho...

Until next time....
We will be back!

Fishing trip to Batang Ai

Been thinking about this trip for so many years,been reading and listening to stories about this place for many times...and yesterday,we made it after a call to someone we know there and he arranged the trip for us.
Departed at 4 am from Kuching,four of us made it to the reception jetty of Hilton Batang Ai around 7.30 am after a breakfast stop at Jelukong.
The boatman took us to the resort where his 'co-pilot' waiting for us.
About 2 hours journey,we reached our first stop at the almost crystal clear water rapid,where some of Sarawak Forestry workers collecting sand for some paving work at their office by the dam lake.
The water was a little bit cloudy after the rain the night before but the water level is still very low.
Casting for a couple of hundred times here before we heading upper river.Got few strikes but no hook on until a couple of stops later...when the boat almost docking at the river bank,a cast near a dead tree received a strike from a 'Sergeant'..the three stripes jungle perch,locally named Juak.The new ultra light Shimano rod bended to the max.And the best part,it was the oldest,the cheapest,and the worst spoon lure in the collection,the treble hook only have 2 hooks,one is broken from the previous trip and never been changed !
Couple of local boats passed us,they went upriver for net fishing...after that,it became quite,no more strike..probably because the fish are spooked(hehe)..in Iban we call it 'regu'.
After the lunch with baby fish cooked in the bamboo,we drifted down river again,and where the river water meets the lake water,here we received more strikes from Juak and their cousin,Adong,the single stripe Hampala Barb,some hooked on and some just chasing the lure.Spoon lure,spinner,shad rap and jointed rap worked equally the same.
About 5.30pm,we headed back to Hilton Batang Ai,and by sunset,we reached the reception jetty.
One of us get addicted and still don't get enough..did some casting here and get a strike but didn't hook on.
After the bath in the lake,we say goodbye to the boat man and drove back home...
We'll be back...

The Captain

Heading up the dam

The team

Optimistic

Calm...

Sun coming up..

The glory in front..

Approaching Hilton Batang Ai

Jetty at Hilton Batang Ai

Longhouse folks going down the dam

Rural clinic

SK Nanga Delok

Sarawak Forestry office

Entering the river...

Approaching the first casting point

The Forestry staff collecting sand for some paving work...

Underwater view of slight cloudy river

And the action begins...

The 3 stripes..

Jungle perch have no teeth,they swallow their preys and crunch them with their sharp parts inside their mouths.

Juak have three stripes,while their cousins,Adong,have only one.

The tips to success is...keep on trying

Borneo wildcat on the sponsor boat,Marlboro..

Keep casting

This is the source of Sarawak energy..

Wild kittens can become earings too...

'I am too hungry that I have to eat Matan's cat'

Pansoh Ikan...baby fish cooked in the bamboo

Our special custom made table for lunch..

Sunset on our way back  through the dam

Satisfaction guaranteed

Bliss for the blessed ones..

Happiness..

Half peace..

The sun goes down...

...feel the light betray me

back to the reception...

Adong (top) and Juak (bottom)

Till next time around...

Bujang...bujang...

This is all we took..the rest,we let them stay where they belong, for the food of the longhouse folks and for the other anglers to enjoy their thrills.