Fishing Thailand



I have been fishing since I was knee-high to a grasshopper and like many people I was taught by my Dad and wherever I have been in the world fishing has always stayed with me through the years. At home I was always more interested in the peace and quiet of my local stretch of the river Arrow in Worcestershire than lakes and fisheries with hordes of people sat next to each other like garden gnomes. This might explain why I would uproot from everything I have ever known and move two continents away to Thailand.

I visited Thailand a few times before finally going to live there with my girlfriend in March 2006. On arrival I was presented with a whole different way of life, different climate, foods, culture, language and what to do with my spare time.You can quickly acclimatise to the weather, get used to the (very spicy ) foods and learn about the culture, The language barrier is a big one at first but once you get over a few hurdles it comes along nicely. What to do in your spare time is obviously up to you and there are infinite possibilities wherever you are in the world, it just happens that in Thailand there are a lot more ways than one to while away the days.

One of the favourite pastimes of most Thai people is sleeping, the other is probably fishing and wherever you go in the country you are never far from a river, stream, lake, pond, pool, or the sea.
I live midway down the west coast, with the Gulf of Thailand on one side and the mountains separating Thailand from Burma (myanmar) on the other.

The first few weeks here passed very quickly as I was the new object of interest in town and didn't have much time to myself, but as a month or so went by the novelty of the new foreigner wore off and I settled in, so I started looking for places to go fishing totally unaware of the differing styles, baits and species I would encounter and the difference from what I was used to back home in the Midlands.

I had brought along with me some basic tackle such as hooks, floats, weights, swivels, spool of mono and my favourite reel. I bought a rod, some lures and other bits and bobs I thought I might need from the tackle shop in town.

At first it was hard to know what was private land or where it was ok to fish without being chased off by an angry local. I soon found out this was the first main difference between here and back home, in the fact that nowhere except fishing parks are really private and everybody fishes anywhere at any time of the year.

The next thing I realised was that most Thais when fishing are doing it for food rather than fun.Thais consider catch and release cruel and therefore against the Buddhist religion. This would be a great talking point for me and my new friends over the next few months.

I have come to understand about new fishing methods while combining them with my own style. I have also learnt that Thailand has some really amazing possibilities for any angler. The two largest fish species in the world (Mekong Giant Catfish - can grow to over 600lb and the Arapaima - imported from Brazil to fishing parks, has been caught here at a weight of 407lbs) can be found here as well as the Siamese Giant Carp which is the giggest in the carp family and can grow to over 300lbs.

For most of my time here I have been fishing almost everyday around the area where I live and have made one trip to Chiang Mai in the north of the country where I tried fishing at a Thai Fishing park for the Giant Mekong catfish. This is only the start of my story and I invite you, my fellow angling friends, to join me on a journey of fishing discovery in Thailand the land of smiles.

Good fishing to you all

Nathan Wardle

nathan@megafishingthailand.com