Fly-Fishing at Saujana D’Rimba

A few months back, my husband and I decided to give Fly Fishing a try. The art of Fly Fishing relies a lot on the correct technique and feel that an individual has to master before a perfect cast could be obtained effortlessly. This requires a lot of practice, and for the impatient, Fly Fishing usually ends up stored away at the back of their minds, forgotten.

However, all the talk on Fly Fishing seems to focus on the fight one has with the fish. Unlike our spinning rod and reel combination, even with the most softest tip for a rod, nothing beats the adrenaline pumping through a fly fishing fight. This was something we were about to experience and find out on our own, with the help of our friend Bard from Fishmalaysia. (Check them out if you haven’t!)

We were going on a trip that combined two things we still were not certain of, Freshwater and Fly Fishing. However, in the hands of a very experienced friend, we gave it both the benefit of the doubt.

Arriving at Saujana D’Rimba in Semenyih, we were greeted by a beautiful view of endless greenery, though it is a paid pond, you can’t help but feel a certain Indiana Jones vibe about it, out in the unknown.

One thing was evident, like an Indiana Jones movie, we felt the intense heat from the sun, sweat trickling down our forehead, skin glowing. No sufficient shelter to keep us covered, just a few trees around and if you’re lucky, you get shade under one of them. I’m not complaining by the way, not having shelter and being exposed to the most natural elements around is a splendid feeling when fishing, those of you that do land based fishing naturally will understand.

The pond had just ended a competition, strawberry flavor and red colour-stained bread was floating on the surface as it boils with the presence of fishes nibbling.

Alongside our Fly Fishing gear, we had our trusty ol’ spinning gear too, in case we become the impatient. Unfortunately’ the guides on my Bara Rod decided it would be a good time to bail on me.

Bard started casting, determined to get a bite for us to experience, he landed the first one as a good technique example for my husband and I to see and understand. An Iridescent Shark, or Patin known locally, one of the many to come for the day. Surprisingly beautiful, clean, simple… Quite the contrary to our impression and past experience of freshwater fishing.

We soon hear my husband’s beloved Penn reel screaming, my husband with Chicken Nuggets as bait, one that he found lying around the pond, lands him his very first Iridescent Shark. He holds the 4KG beauty in his arms up high, proud and accomplished.

Now we get it. Why the locals keep talking of the Patin fight with excitement. With a weight of 4KG’s , that fish is considered small, believe it or not! Monumental in size for us amateurs in Freshwater Fishing though!

Once more, Bard gets a bite on the fly and passes the rod over to me. If Patin, the fish, gives a good fight for the regular man on a spinning outfit, someone as tiny as me fighting one on a fly rod felt like I was being dragged around by a full grown Anatolian Shepherd.

With the reel loosing control hurting my wrist, to stripping the line that blistered my finger, we finally got the fish up. My first on a fly, though skeptical to hold it at first, the beauty and shine of the Patin alongside support from Bard and my husband, I held the fish up high, and did so for the rest of the Patin I caught for the day.

Next up, it was Naweshad’s turn! I must say, my husband looks fly on the fly, his excited self trying to keep calm, swatting mosquitoes and fighting the Patin, that is a lot of style in a fight for an amateur fly fisherman. He lands his, a whopping 4.5KG’s of power and adrenaline. No one is complaining.

We lost a few fishes with lines snapping like rubber bands, one after another on the spinning outfit, only to find out they could’ve very well been the famous Pacu.

Pacu, a relative of the Piranha with humanoid teeth needing some dental care and a floss, has been in the list of fishes to land for my husband and I.

As one we decided that Bard’s last cast with a spinning outfit was to hunt and possibly land the Pacu, for the experience why not.

Hooked even before we know it! Excitement was on the rise, with Bard reeling it in as fast as he could as advised by the pond owner, on our last stretch, we see the Pacu!

Then snap goes the line once more.

Nothing but Dangdut music and disappointment echoed through the air. Oh well, maybe not today.

Overall, Saujana D’Rimba is by far the best freshwater pond we have experienced. Can it live up to the experience we have just had once more? Well, only one way to find out.

For more information on the pond, visit them on Facebook at Kolam Saujana d’Rimba.

In the meantime, enjoy the video of our very first fly fishing freshwater experience and look out for the next entry on Saujana D’Rimba, coming very soon.