"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it."
Norman Maclean

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Secrets of Mandai Pond Revealed

Secrets of Mandai Pond Revealed
Went hiking again at Mandai Forest. Uncle Chui came along to recce the ponds too. He missed a few fishes and blanked.

I went trekking further uphill towards a smaller pond. The smaller pond was teeming with red tilapias. Also saw some action on the surface which looked like Haruan juveniles. Full of weeds too.

I brought my Jas Gordon Cave Bamboo Rod and paired it with the Classic Teastick Reel with a Scientific Angler GPX #3 weight flyline. Used some of the flies I had tied or weaved recently. The tilapias were really hungry today. I caught so many of them that I lost count. At one point, I was trying not to catch the smaller ones by stripping the line away from them. Missed a few of the really bigger red tilapias.

There was a pair of Haruans gathering their 6 inch juveniles nearby. They were hiding near the weeded area and I was not able to reach them. Maybe next time.

Red Tilapia. A hybrid of the Common Tilapia (Oreochromis Mossambicus), Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) and Blue Tilapia or Israeli Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus).
(Ben told me this is a Red Devil, a relative of the parrot fish.)


Uncle Chui surveying the water for a suitable dry fly to use. I went hiking to explore the smaller ponds and to climb the hills.


Smaller pond next to the big pond. Teeming with red tilapias.


Croc warnings everywhere. Made me real scared not to venture to near the waters.


Wild fighting fish inhabit these weeds.


A much smaller pond





Green bamboo for bamboo rod building. Uncle Wong and Kuan would like this place.


Bamboo everywhere.


Bamboo




Hill top.


Crocodiles












My mono weaved shrimp fly.


Again the tilapia hit the shrimp fly with full force.














Jas Gordon Cave Bamboo Rod. A beautiful #3 weight paired with the Classic Teastick Reel.






A humming bird tried to attack its reflection on the mirror.

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