A Jungle Carp Fishing Reunion in Thailand - written by Eddie Mounce
My dear friend Tim and I grew up fishing together in Suffolk - England. For 16 years we have known each other and for most of that time we fished together religiously. This is however Tim's first trip to Thailand to see me and so I wanted to share some fishing moments with him - in the jungle.
Just like for everyone I take to the jungle fishing in Thailand, I have a swim on Khao Laem Dam pre-baited every day for a week prior to our arrival. Fishing in the vast dam for wild Indian carp (rohu) is much like fishing Lac Cassien or Lac Du Salagou in France for enormous common carp - only this is even more remote and even more rewarding. My private carp fishing raft supports a large armory of rods setup with a fishing deck, sheltered sleeping deck and a toilet. Washing and bathing is carried out in the beautifully clean and clear water of Khao Laem Dam surrounding the raft.
The first morning of fishing after a nights camping and tackling up was blessed with the sounds and sights of carp rolling over our baited area. One by one the 6 rods were cast into position, Tim & I were then very keen to put the kettle on, roll a cigarette and chat about the old days while awaiting a run. The fish had other ideas however! Within minutes the first rod hooped over resulting in an enormous first run which shook Tim vigorously as he carefully played the first carp of the session. At 16lb we were both delighted but with no time to re-bait the rod another was in full hoop - another fish already!
It would need an essay to detail all the action from every fish Tim and I encountered in the first day's fishing - it was manic - simply manic. The best fish of the day was a magical brace of 32lb Indian carp - we had the opportunity to take a picture of the brace together but in fear of the fish suffering we returned the first and then photographed the second 30lb'er. We went on to catch a total of three thirties and a heap of twenties that day.
Day two was slower with only a few fish caught and regretfully a big carp lost by way of hook-pull. Bonus fish included black carp (known as black shark but I refuse to refer to a carp as a shark!) and enormous tilapia of over 5lb.
I sincerely recommend any keen traveling carp angler to experience this trip with me - it is the most wonderful place for fishing in Thailand.
A note to Tim - try and fit all the fish in the photos!
Yours Truly
Eddie Mounce - Fish Thailand
