After such a productive day fishing in D’Rimba the first time, we had to do it again! We don’t usually get a lot of confidence from a pond to invite friends to try them out with us, Jugra as well as Saujana D’Rimba are two very impressive ponds that we feel are suitable for newbies to try out.
With Chicken Nuggets as a successful and easy bait option in comparison to a bait mixture, we took Dave and first time fisherman Anupam with us on this trip.
Anupam was kind enough to transport us in his brand new- 4 month old car. The journey to Saujana D’Rimba for us, without Bard as guide this time was convenient with the use of GPS, I doubt it would be as easy without one!
With a high of Jazz music blasting and easy conversation on our way there, Dave spotted a plank of nails left out on the road, by then, we were on the dirt road heading to the pond and was in awe of the view and surrounding that we almost missed sighting the nails. Unaware if we went over them or not and no signs of a punctured tyre, we continued on excitedly.
We arrived to a pond filled with fly-fishermen, the Indiana Jones feel was still evident. We took our places, guided first-time Anupam and before long, all lines were in.
This time, I came with a new reel, a Penn Fierce, being envious of my husband’s screaming one, but of course, his darling Penn Slammer 360 decides to break the silence around us with the first take from our group.
Dave and Anupam looks on calmly at the fight and wonders of the fish species at the end of the line. Upon Naweshad landing it, a 4.5KG Iridescent Shark, or Patin known locally, got the boys excited and inspired for more.
Anupam lost his spool during a cast, we all have had that first time moment with a loose spool, so sharing our rods was the next step. No one gets left behind, no matter how many reels are broken or how long it takes. We know what it’s like to leave unaccomplished and avoid it when we can, like an army in battle, we march on with a solution. Teamwork.
Next up, Dave’s reel yells out, his first freshwater fish… if he lands it that is. He is excited, yet reeling with an almost professionally cool momentum, I then asked him…
“How does it feel?”
“Ok lah”, he replied.
Boy did he not know what he was in for.
The Iridescent Shark or Patin, like most fish species will run at the sight of man upon surfacing. However, the Patin is one that has a lot of power to do so time and time again, sending your excitement and adrenaline increasing and decreasing rapidly before annoyance takes it’s place. It is tiring to keep reeling in a fish that runs when it’s right in front of you, when achievement is within reach! So close yet so far.
Dave experienced just that.
Therefore finally landing the all muscle fish also meant a triumph unlike any other. His first Iridescent Shark, well worth the fight. Yes, he landed it alright.
During Dave’s fight, I hooked onto a Pacu, evidently so by the snapped line, despite being prepared for a Patin. Unfortunately, that would also be my last take for the day, however events that unfolded after cushioned the disappointment I would’ve otherwise had to face.
Now that all of us has had a fight, it’s time for Anupam to reel-in the next take. Teamwork, remember?
Off goes Dave’s rod once more, upon setting the hook, he passes the reel to Anupam. Shy yet determined, Anupam reeled it in slowly. This time, the take and run was different.
Naweshad who was standing on higher ground saw colour and exclaimed rather calmly, “it’s a Pacu”.
As Anupam reels in unknowingly of this fish species, the rest of us got anxious and excited. Naweshad rushes down and nets the Pacu with all of us breaking the serenity of nature with our child-like awe and excitement.
If Indiana Jones was there, he would’ve run for cover at the shock from our excitement.
The power of team work, and finally, a Pacu to experience. How many of us can say that a Pacu is our first fish, one of a whopping weight as well! Anupam was indeed lucky, a 4.5kg Pacu, caught!
Contrary to what we were told, Anupam was reeling in the Pacu rather slow and steadily, being his first time, reeling in any faster proved to be a challenge, however it was that steady, slow technique that landed him the fish. Dave mentioned his fluorocarbon leader was 30 lbs, the diameter of the leader may have resisted the abrasion from the Pacu’s human-like bite, comparatively to our wire leaders which did not even trick any of the fishes to take our Ayamas (very famous Malaysian brand of fried food) Chicken Nuggets and not forgetting our beloved 10 lbs leader which has lost us more fishes by snapping in D’Rimba than anywhere else!
Using a Fluorocarbon leader with a thicker diameter and reeling in casually swift, could just be the answer to land the Pacu in this pond. A thicker diameter would mean higher poundage of line, thus less tension on the pull too. The beauty of learning as you fish, we shall try that out the next time.
The Fishing continues with Dave landing another Iridescent Shark, however, the pond came alive upon Dave landing the last fish for the day.
With a take so powerful that it sent me tripping over my own steps from shock; the rod bending aggressively as Dave cracks up in laughter at my graceless reaction, reeling- in what evidently was a giant at the end of the line.
Before you get too excited, to us, a giant freshwater fish is anywhere between 6 to 10 KG’s. Therefore, D’Rimba is definitely a Jack and the Beanstalk experience for us amateurs. As it surfaces, we react, as we normally would, similar to a 12 year old in video game heaven, say it with me now…
WHOA!!!
A pond keeper comes by to take a look, unfortunately, he started giving directions and instructions which was rather annoying and distracting from our excitement. He was however, kind enough to haul the fish out of the pond when it evidently couldn’t fit in our net.
There he was, the giant in our freshwater world, a whopping 8kg’s of muscle and shine. Dave has officially caught his biggest fish to date, and a freshwater one at that too! He lifts it up, and this time, he smiles so wide it distracts us from the glare of his orange t-shirt. Well worth every wait and every minute, what a proud moment it was for all of us. Congratulations Dave!
On a Patin high, we left the pond in need of beverage and a hearty meal to celebrate. We stopped first at a shop on the end of the dirt road heading out, refueled our systems with healthy F&N and headed on towards KL City.
Just 10 minutes out and we notice something was amiss. We could hear an oddly heavy draggy sound coming from the car despite the excited conversation we were having. Naweshad asks Dave to take a peep out his window to check on the tyres. Voila… We were driving with a punctured front tyre on the left side.
Our hearts sank as Anupam pulls up on the side of the road.
It was well and thoroughly punctured beyond recognition. I may have exaggerated but I’m very surprised we were driving by pretty well with it (credits to a 4 month old car? Ouch, nonetheless).
A few boys came out of a roadside stall and asked if we needed assistance, we agreed considering the lack of options we had. Anupam parked his car by the stall, we unloaded our fishing gears from the boot and the boys got to work, they wasted no time in helping us change to the spare tyre.
During this time, we realized the boys that were assisting us were fellow fishermen too, in fact, they were getting their gears ready to head out for some night fishing nearby. We started sharing stories and somehow, the disappointing situation ended up feeling organic within us. What are the odds that we pulled up by a stall with boys who were not only willing to help us change the tyres without asking for anything in return, they were locals who fish in that area and were gladly sharing good locations and methods of fishing around the area with us too.
It makes us proud to be associated with individuals who share the same hobby that are friendly and helpful, given the circumstance we were in, there was a sense of responsibility towards what happened. It being a brand new car, Anupam’s first fishing experience and well… A triumph of catching a Pacu ended with a flat tyre from a a plank full of Paku(s) (Nails, in Malay).
If anything, this experience teaches us to be careful and vigilant, especially in areas where quiet dirt roads are part of the route. We were told that punctured tyres and wooden planks of nails lying on the road is a nasty trick that has unfolded numerous times in the area, the motive unknown. To detour them to the nearest tyre shop for business? Or worst, to have valuables taken from them in an area where finding help isn’t convenient.
Whichever it is, if you are on your way to fish around Semenyih, do keep a lookout and be vigilant of such trickery.
We have to, once again, count ourselves very lucky. Had it not been for the kind boys who assisted us, and Anupam’s super-car that was running on a flat, we would’ve found ourselves in a vulnerable and dangerous situation.
It turns out, the stall that we pulled up by belongs to the family of those boys. Therefore, if and when you are around the area, do support our fishing boys. Nothing beats a good meal and friendly fishermen. A big Thank You goes out to Arif and his family!
Anupam was rather calm and collected about the whole situation, his reaction, “it happens!”.
We handed a token of appreciation to the boys as they gave us some guidelines to carry on with in case of an emergency, and off we went back to KL City. We even managed dinner back in the city now that the tyres have been changed and changed well.
With so much triumphs in a fishing trip, I am amazed we are talking of fishing and not lingerie.
However, like lingerie, this trip has shown us the positives in having the right support. To those of you who have yet to experience Saujana D’Rimba, let the video below inspire you to do so.
Information and direction to the pond can be obtained from my first entry on Saujana D’Rimba, click here to be redirected to it!
In the meantime, enjoy! To our Muslim readers out there, Have a blessed month of Ramadhan!
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