Stalking the elusive arapaima in Krabi - well, not elusive, just choosy
Having failed to land the tropical freshwater fish called an arapaima on my visit last year to Stuart Gillham's fishing resort near Krabi, I vowed to return. And like Arnie Schwarzenegger's "Terminator" character, I was back!
Arriving around lunch, I was met at the airport by Gillham, an Englishman now living in Thailand. Gilham has built what is now an award-winning angling resort, and his clients come from the world over.
Completed in 2007, his resort boasts a 3.6hectare lake with underwater features spread across it so that no particular "swim" - as a fishing spot is called - is better than another, and this has made for fair angling.
Natural filtration systems and sluice systems from natural streams ensure that the level and quality of water can be maintained throughout the year.
There is also a half-hectare holding pond where fish are quarantined and acclimatised before being released into the lake. No expense has been spared either in the construction of the fishery or in the quality of the accommodation and landscaping.
Fourteen highquality, two-bedroom bungalows, all with full facilities and large verandas overlooking the lake, have been constructed for guests.
There is also a 15m freeform swimming pool.
The Gillhams provide quality fishing tackle, which is included in their price. But if you bring your own gear, the resort staff will vet them before you can use them. I brought my Shimano Stella 10,000 reel loaded with a 22.6 kg-braided line to test.
But first, I walked around, talking to the other anglers. There were two guys from Britain and a Malaysian lawyer, his wife and son. The English guys were there for three weeks' fishing. The Malaysian family would have only two days' fishing and was taking in some of the other local sites as part of their package.
Built on the edge of a stunning national park, the resort is only 3km from Thalen Bay, 5km from a beautiful sea-kayaking centre, and 19km from the lively seafront town of Aonang, which boasts restaurants, clubs and white sandy beaches.
The Thai Tourism Authority has designated the whole area a family tourism destination.
In the national park, there are many walking trails, hot springs and waterfalls with stunning emeraldhued pools. Elephant trekking, horse riding, whitewater rafting and, of course, golf courses are all close by.
I started fishing about midafternoon, and within 10 minutes had landed a 30kg redtailed catfish on the dead bait meant for arapaima. I thought my luck was on, and I would have my arapaima - but no.
I also had palm oil seeds on the second rod. The bait proved attractive to pacu, a tropical fish, and I landed two within the next 30 minutes. They were not big, though - only about 7 kg each.
Another two hours lapsed without a bite before I got a good 35kg carp. All the while, the English guy on the next swim was catching on a regular basis, much to my envy.
As darkness descended - fishing is only allowed till 8pm - I packed up, showered and went for dinner. The restaurant serves a scrumptious mix of Western food and authentic Thai cuisine cooked respectively by an English and Thai chef.
My second day started out well at 7am with a couple of catfish and a couple of carp, along with a really goodsized temoleh.
Then I hit my nemesis — the dreaded freshwater stingray! I knew it was that monster from the way it stopped after taking the hook and wouldn't budge at all.
Could it be the same brute that I snagged last year, which refused to surface no matter what? I was stuck with that ray for three hours before the line snapped. Thankfully, this time around, the hook slipped and the fish was gone.
By midafternoon, I was still waiting for my first arapaima when the buzzer on the rod holder began to beep. It was slow at first, and then it went wild. The fish, when it appeared, was a good-sized arapaima.
An arapaima garners instant attention from the staff, who would immediately inform Stuart or Sean by radio. Other anglers would then be told to quickly reel in their rods.
The fish ran, jumped, surfaced and snorted. The fight was on!
About an hour and a quarter later, the boys entered the water with a huge landing net. The fish came close - and ran again. Another 15 minutes saw it coming close to the net again. It popped its head out of the water, spat out the hook, gave a disdainful look and swam off cockily.
I was devastated. Stuart consoled me later, saying that 50 per cent of arapaima escape before they're landed.
"One guy came here for a day's fishing and caught nine arapaimas, whereas another fished for a week and got none. But statistics show that if you fish for three days, your chances of landing one is about 80 per cent," he said.
That same day saw two more English and two Malaysian anglers arriving. The Malaysians landed a decent arapaima on their second day. Alas, it was not to be for me - but I took that as a good sign. Giving it my best Arnie posture, I said: "I'll be back!"
Here's good news to the fly boys - Stuart now allows fly fishing. He said about half of the 30 species in the lake would take the fly. And don't forget: Many of the fish he has introduced into the lake are bigger than current International Game Fish Association world records.
Two world records have come from this lake so far, and the next one might be yours!