“I actually caught an 95lb giant Mekong catfish from Bungsamran in a 1 day fishing session with the Fish Thailand Team! I have caught fish from various parts of the globe but without a shadow of a doubt the Mekong catfish is the single most powerful freshwater fish I have ever had the pleasure of hooking into. The bite was just as fast as the dozens of striped catfish & Mekong catfish I had caught previously that day, but after striking the hook home I knew instantly that this fish was something special!

Its first run tore about 80 yards of 30lb line off the reel without any sign of slowing; it was as if all the tension I was applying had no effect whatsoever on this creature. The Fish Thailand guides knew immediately what I had hooked into & quickly strapped the fighting belt around my waist & advised me to lower the angle of side strain I was inflicting.

Just as my legs and arms were about to surrender & panic was setting in as I was watching the line empty from the spool; the fish switched from running to just using its dead weight allowing me to retrieve some of the line the fish had mercilessly stolen from me. As the fish changed direction from left to right and tore off again this time in the direction of the bridge the Fish Thailand Team guided me through the techniques of dissuading the fish from reaching the array of snags and troubles that the bridge threatened.

Over 30 minutes later and in a state of adrenaline rich pain I wound down and raised the rod one final time and the most joyful angling moment of my life presented itself as the guide swooped the net over the fish’s head, trapping it to safety. I have re-lived that fight, that pain, that anxiety & that enjoyment in my head every day since, I am truly fascinated & in ore of the giant Mekong catfish and I will be back!”