Dear MEGA FISHING THAILAND,My friend Marty (Arostegui) told me once in an email that if I could break his 2 lb line class record (a 2.72 kg c.marulius catch) for the snakehead spp category he would not only congratulate me but would admit I am a very skilful angler. I did not forget his words. It took some time before I had the chance to take care of that record. But since 4.30 pm this afternoon, today, Nov. 27, 2007...it is done!
I tried fishing for a record with 2 lb only twice before today. My target was the 2 lb line class record for the Redtail catfish which is still vacant. On the two occasions I did try, the fish I had hooked up did not take long to say goodbye by breaking my line. I left the 2 lb aside as I had lots of other challenges available to me at that time, should I say easier ones, as the line strength for the other records I could go after was a tiny bit heavier: 4 lb, 6 lb and 8 lb.
I started to fish yesterday Nov. 26 while guiding a nice old Englishman living in Brussels. While he was fishing with my team mate Noi I decided to give a third shot at the 2 lb line class. Whatever predator fish would bite, if landed on 2 lb, could be a world record fish due to the fact several line class records are either still vacant or still breakable.
I had a single bite all day long yesterday, hooking up a good fish - apparently a redtail catfish - played it for over an hour....until the line broke on me, ending the fight for good.
Today, while fishing again free lining method with a small live tilapia bait, I had 3 bites only, losing the two first fish (certainly both redtail catfish again), again due to a broken line. I played these two fish the best I could for some time but they were apparently of a too big size for the strength of my 2 lb Ande mono line. Each time it was the knot tying the main line to the leader that failed me.
Luckily, the third fish I hooked up at the end of the afternoon - a Giant Snakehead this time - did not escape. I had spotted that fish on top water as it was surfacing to breathe oxygen, at a couple of meters from the bank, showing its nose out of the water. I got as close as I could to the spot where I had seen him, and waited for him to surface again so I could cast my live fish bait at him. It did surface again. I just had to do an accurate cast, throwing my bait right on top of its boil. It did not take very long for the snakehead to react. I saw a bunch of bubbles appearing on top water. I knew the fish had already grabbed my live fish bait. My reel bell was open. I just had to wait now for the right moment where I felt it was time to set the hook.
The fight that followed lasted about 45 minutes. I truly enjoyed the fight, more especially because I was playing that fish on one of the two very light All Star graphite rods (formerly made in Texas before that company got bought by Shakespeare) I bought brand new from my amigo Scott Swanson for only a couple of 100 USD. Lovely rod for such a light line. During the fight, the fish appeared a few times close to the surface, jumping even twice out of and above the water. So I saw it well enough to know its size could eventually break Marty's 2.72 kg record fish. But before thinking of that record I had to land the fish first. I did not have to rush things. I had plenty of time ahead of me to let the fish exhausting itself. I was perfectly calm, feeling no emotion at all. I had previously lost everything I had hooked up so I did not have to worry about losing one more fish. If it had to happen then it was fine with me. Kind of "que sera sera" attitude. When you dare fishing predators with 2 lb line you are fully aware that your angling skils can only help you doing half of the job.....the other needed half not being under your control but dictated by your karma, your fate, your destiny....
The only worry I had during the whole fight was simply at the end when my team mate Noi, landing net in hand, was ready to net the fish. An eventual wrong move from Noi could spoil absolutely everything. But all went perfectly well.
We weighed next the Giant Snakehead on my brand new digital scale. The fish was exactly 3.20 kg - 4.26 kg on the scale screen minus 1.06 kg for the weight of the landing net - therefore breaking Marty Arostegui's 2.72 kg current record for the 2 lb line class. It had a total length of 67 cm for a girth of 34 cm.
That new record is more especially pleasing to me because it is my 50th personal IGFA world record....so I like very much the fact that it is a snakehead catch earning me that 50th world record.
Below are the pics of the pending new IGFA All Tackle world record for the Swai (aka Striped Catfish) or Pangasius hypophtalmus set this afternoon November 30, 2007.
That fish was caught today by an Australian angler by the name of Dany Ross, whom we were guiding with his spouse for a day fishing at Bung Sam Lan Lake.
The Striped catfish that took our rice husk flour bait - which was in fact intended to target the Siamese giant carp - had a total length of 16 cm and a girth of 75 cm.
It weighed exactly 20.00 kilos sharp (21.70 kg on the screen of our digital scales - minus 1.70 kg for the weight of our landing net).
Dany Ross' 20.00 kilos catch is breaking the 17.70 kg current record held since March 2007 by our client William Earl Donnell.
Dear MEGA FISHING THAILAND,My friend Marty (Arostegui) told me once in an email that if I could break his 2 lb line class record (a 2.72 kg c.marulius catch) for the snakehead spp category he would not only congratulate me but would admit I am a very skilful angler. I did not forget his words. It took some time before I had the chance to take care of that record. But since 4.30 pm this afternoon, today, Nov. 27, 2007...it is done!
