Fly Fishing for Thai Mahseer

Thought I’d interrupt all the sailfish fishing posts with some freshwater action here – fly fishing for the golden and blue mahseer in Thailand.

Dare I say this is the trout fishing equivalent of Asia?

Let’s look at the similarities:

  • Pristine rivers with clear cool waters
  • Beautiful (mostly) undisturbed environment
  • Big strong fish that readily take dry flies
  • Easily spooked fish
  • Fish that require good accurate presentation
Absorbing the all natural beautiful ambience with a sprinkle of a commercial jet over the jungle canopy. Can you spot it?
Absorbing the all natural beautiful ambience with a sprinkle of a commercial jet over the jungle canopy. Can you spot it?

Let’s go back to the environment for a bit. Or should I say ‘atmosphere’?

The beauty of freshwater fishing is surely complemented by the environment. Out fishing in the seas we are often enveloped by water and pretty much nothing else most of the time.

In the streams and river, and the hills and mountains, it can be magical. You can just stop fishing and take it all in. The sound of the animals, the fresh air, the running cascading waters and as one of my friend like to say, all the negative ions, They’re supposedly good for our body.

Wonderful place to be at. Yusaku-San onto a mahseer.
Wonderful place to be at. Yusaku-San onto a mahseer.
Colours may vary somewhat between fish, a Thai golden mahseer.
Yusaku-San with a mahseer

And then when you add in good fishing…i think that’s what they call bliss.

What is not similar to trout fishing then?

Well, among the glaring differences when trout fishing are you probably don’t have to worry about charging herd of elephants, stealthy marauding tigers, or mean stinking wild boars rushing at you, among others!

Also, some say pound-for-pound the mahseer is much more stronger than a trout.

Mahseer fishing requires you to trudge upstream making as little commotion as possible, and as you make progress keep a lookout upfront for cruising fish or fish waiting to ambush prey, plus likely fish holding places such as deep pools, fast waters, structures and sheltered margins along the edges. A fishing guide who is familiar with the river will point you to where the larger fish tend to hold, possibly saving you precious time which is invaluable when you have a limited time to catch a trophy fish.

The basic idea here is the further upstream you walk, the bigger the fish gets. It is the temptation of catching every fish that you encounter along the way that gets in the way.

The thai mahseer is a powerful fish
The thai mahseer is a powerful adversary
A good fishing trip always begins with good food, and Thai food is among my favourite. Here we are having khao raat gaeng ??????????
A good fishing trip always begins with good food, and Thai food is among my favourite. Here we are having khao raat gaeng (ready cooked thai dishes) at a roadside shop
Van transport between airport and destination
Van transport between airport and destination
The emerald clear water of the lake is due to the abundant limestone rocks around.
Lots of big fish waiting for easy food at the public jetty
Mahseer of this size is quite common
Mahseer of this size is quite common
First cast amongst the canopies at sunrise
First cast amongst the canopies at sunrise
Taking a breather in the jungle stream
Rustic lodges for accommodation. Cool refreshing environment here.
Big beautiful scales are hallmarks of the mahseer
Big beautiful scales are hallmarks of the mahseer
It's quite incredible how many mahseer you can encounter and possibly catch in the rivers here.
It’s quite incredible how many mahseer you can encounter and possibly catch in the rivers here.

1 thought on “Fly Fishing for Thai Mahseer”

  1. Beautiful scenery and beautiful fish..beautiful experience..those big fish hanging right by the jetty is amazing..

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