MEGA FISHING THAILAND is proud to announce the fact that we have hooked up with the number one fishing guide in the country, Jean Francois Helias who has over 20 years experience fishing all over Thailand for many different species.
As he has agreed to Team up with The MEGA Fishing Thailand website to help it become the number one resource for anything to do with fishing in Thailand I think its pertinent that you fellow anglers find out a little bit more about him.

Jean Francois King of Snakeheads

Born in 1956 at Montlucon, France, Jean-Francois Helias is well known to the international sports fishing scene, being recognized as a premier angler due to his skill, his fishing record and his knowledge.

He inherited his passion for angling at age four from his father - Edmond Helias - who was himself an excellent fishing competitor during the 50's and 60's.His early experience in France later combined with an extensive research and practice in Asian waters of techniques and skills that make him, today, a fishing guide 'par excellence'.

Having lived in Thailand since 1986, Helias is the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) representative for Thailand and operates Fishing Adventures Thailand, a guided fishing tour agency serving the international community. He contributes material to worlwide publications, fish scientists, and museums.

Jean francois Helias Battles a 100KG Freshwater StingrayRay

Since the inception of Fishing Adventures Thailand Jean Francois has participated closely with the principles and practices of the IGFA.
His professional team is proud of having been responsible for all IGFA world records - with one exception - set here in Thailand. Up to today, they have racked up 99 IGFA world records (83 homologated + 16 currently pending homologation).
Several of them were set by clients guided at Bung Sam Lan Lake.

To become a world record holder is not an impossible challenge! The duty, as a team of dedicated professional guides, is to put clients on the fish. This is exactly what is done daily by the water.

Now if your "karma" (fate or destiny, for you) is to be on a particular lucky day, one of the numerous fishes you will hook up with us could be a potential world record.

If it were to happen, there are two sets of certified scales to weigh the record catch. The team will be glad to help you take care of the required weighing & measuring procedure.
As the IGFA Representative for Thailand, Jean Francois will personally prepare and submit on your behalf your world record application with the IGFA headquarters in Florida, USA.

A very happy Jean-Francois Helias displaying his personal best Siamese Giant Carp, weighing an impressive 49.00 kg

SIAMESE GIANT CARP: 52.00 kg (Mar. 12, 2004) / Terry Robert Mather, England
MEKONG GIANT CATFISH: 63.00 kg (Feb. 27, 2004) / Richard Ainsworth, England
CHAO PHRAYA CATFISH: 25.50 kg (May. 24, 2005) / Petteri Venho, Finland
SPOTTED FEATHERBACK: 6.00 kg (Mar. 16, 2004) / Bruce Dale, England
MAD BARB: 6.00 kg (Aug. 31, 2002) / Loke Kwang Wong, Malaysia
GIANT GORAMY: 5.60 kg (Oct. 10, 2004) / "Nat" (Fishing Adventures Thailand's guide).
MRIGAM: 3.70 kg (Jul. 31, 2004) / "Noi" (Fishing Adventures Thailand's guide)
MOUTHSUCKER CATFISH: 1.20 kg (Nov. 25, 2002) / Dirk A. Mueller, USA
SNAKEHEAD, CHEVRON: 1.10 kg (Oct.25, 2004) - 4 lb line class - / Bo Nelson, USA
STRIPED CATFISH: 17.00 kg (Apr. 29, 2005) / Dr. Leonard Kouba, USA

US angler Dale Rohstein (Chicago) & IGFA Thailand Rep. Jean-Francois Helias prior to release a 137 pounders Mekong Giant Catfish catch

Doug Olander - Editor-in-Chief of Sport Fishing, USA:

“In 1990, images of game fish that looked like they were designed for a Men in Black set began to show up in IGFA’s International Angler. These unfamiliar and often bizarre-looking species were originating in Thailand. I visited a website belonging to the individual responsible for submitting all of these new records, Jean-Francois Helias of Bangkok. In just a few years, anglers following his diligent guidance have racked up more than 70 world records. As an avid angler and a fisheries scientist, his website was, for me, a jaw-dropper.
Thailand has never developed a reputation as a fresh-water angling hot spot, but Helias’ efforts have almost single-handedly begun to make an impact in international angling circles.
Helias is marvelous as a source of information and entertainment – the man is charming, charismatic, ribald and a lot of fun. His team of native fishing guides are passionate about the sport and very efficient at taking care of their anglers.”

“As a French who had found Thailand his second home, Francois' zeal and enthusiasm to promote angling and sportfishing in Thailand are quite unparalleled in this part of the region.
His persistence to catapult the angling sport in Thailand to the international stage had born fruit. Through his effort, several records of various Southeast Asian sport fishes have been acknowledged by the International Game Fish Association. With this charismatic fellow around, the angling sport in this part of the region will never be the same.”

Asian Angler’s World Magazine:

“When Jean-Francois Helias contacted me a few years back, he opened up an entirely new world of fishing for fishing magazines in South-east Asia, notably for the Asian Anglers' World. Jean-Francois, an irrepressible character from France settled in Bangkok, is succeeding admirably in his adopted country due in no small part to his hard work, attention to detail, adventuresome spirit and best of all, a determination to bring the joy of fishing to his clients who come now not only from Southeast Asia but Europe as well.”

Thailand Angler’s Magazine:

“Jean-Francois Helias came to visit me years ago. He brought with him loads of photos showing good size fish that he had caught around Thailand during over a decade he had been living here. Jean-Francois had a goal in mind. He told me he was going to set up here the very first freshwater guided fishing tours agency, to promote worldwide the unique fishing potential of Thailand abroad that was unknown at that time, and to make fishing his career. He did just that.
I have talked to many legendary international anglers who came here fishing with him. They are unanimous: Jean-Francois’ Fishing Adventures guiding services are some of the best in the world. Having fished myself with him, I can testify that - as a foreigner - his deep knowledge of the fishing here has no equal.”

Jean-Francois Helias releasing his catch, a 64 kg Mekong Giant Catfish

So for now I will leave you with some words from the man himself Mr Jean-Francois Helias

" A friend asked me recently what was the total amount of Mekong Giant catfish and Striped catfish caught by our customers through the years. Not keeping any record of it, I could not give him an accurate figure. I could only estimate it being around 60.000 catches, considering that any angler whom we guide lands an average of 30 / 40 cats a day.
I guess it might be hard for you to believe me if I say that you will be catching 30 - 40 cats a day!
If like us you are fishing on a regular basis, then you know too well that any sport angler - even the most skilful one - is humbled once in a while by Mother Nature.
But whatever the conditions on your day fishing, I don't have a single doubt or worry. I know that you will catch more fish that you could ever dream of!"

Q. How could I be this confident?
A = K.E.S.T.

"Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Tricks!"

Jean-Francois Helias. IGFA. Thailand.Fishing Adventures Thailand.

TO BOOK A TOUR WITH JEAN FRANCOIS HELIAS OR MORE INFO ABOUT FISHING ADVENTURES THAILAND  FISHING TRIPS  CLICK HERE!,

TO GO TO THE BOOKING INFO REQUEST FORM CLICK HERE!

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, EMAIL info@megafishingthailand.com

Tight Lines! 

As always, TIGHT LINES!