GLITTERING DIAMONDS a.k.a. GROUPER BONANZA.

Glittering  Diamonds a.k.a. Grouper Bonanza was published in the September 1999 issue of Rod and Line fishing magazine.

Jackson and his 17.5 kg grouper on the cover of Rod and Line magazine.

     "Good morning Ng, want to go deep sea fishing ah?" asked my friend Ah Chuen. "When and whose boat?" I inquired. "22nd May, Tai Pei Pak's (Uncle Big Nose) boat," he answered. "How can? We are going on the same day and on the same boat!" I exclaimed.

      After he had confirmed with Pangkor that he indeed was the hirer, I immediately phoned my captain, Old Man Ho about the latest development. The mix-up occurred because the owner forgot to record our booking made three months ago. Alls well that ends well. Ah Chuen could only mustered five members and combined with our four die-hards the trip was on. For administration sake, we divided ourselves into Team A (us) and Team B (them).

      On Saturday, 22nd May, we were at the Lumut International Yatch Club Jetty. Introductions were made and we settled down to wait. When the boat, Victoria, finally turned up one hour late, at 11 a.m. we were already restless. The two teams helped each other to load gears onto the boat and off we went.

     I awoke to the beeps of the GPS and immediately took up my position at the center-right  of the boat. On shouts of OK from the taikong, my kembong strip was lowered. Our position was the 2nd shipping lane north of Pulau Jarak, just one hour away from the ill-fated Sun Vista. (Another secret spot coming up). Almost immediately my rod tip started dancing up and down. Actually, it was due to some insignificant rascals stealing baits. Hearing the @#$% around me, I guessed it was the same with the other guys too.

     Among the din and curses I barely heard Old Man Ho saying something to me from the back of the boat. As I couldn't decipher what his gibbering was all about, I carried on fishing. Again, this timed louder, I heard him shouting for the gaff. rushing to the back, I tried to remove Ho's gaff from where it was tied. With the urgent calling and the excited shouts of the others my fingers seemed confused.

Old Man Ho straining to
 lift his 12 kilo grouper.

     Seeing my fumbling the taikong grabbed the gaff and told me to stand aside. Ho was struggling with his electric reel as it was whining loudly without gaining any line. The battle lasted almost fifteen minutes before a grouper of 12 kilos was boated.

The taikong trying to free Ho's fingers
 from the gill rakes of the giant grouper.

     Everyone was excited and in high spirit. While photographing, I suggested to Ho that he could get a better grip by hooking the gill plate with his fingers.  (I never expected him to push his whole hand inside). After taking my shots, I quietly tiptoed away, (before he murder me) while the taikong and Ah Chuen helped Ho to extract his fingers from the gill-rakes. The poor fellow was howling with pain. I made myself very inconspicuous until everything settled down again. The fish stopped feeding and nothing happened for almost an hour.

    A school of leng chims (pig face bream) and tandas (finger mark) suddenly decided to have dinner and everyone was happily pulling up fish again. Amid the excitement, there were shouts from the stern again. Jackson was so excited that he was almost croaking. Line kept shooting out from his reel while he was oohing and aahing away. Maybe his drag was too lightly set for the fish almost emptied his spool before stopping. The grouper floated up after almost half an hour's seesaw battle. Foong was trying to gaff the fish when I shouted teasingly, from the roof where I was photographing, that his head was causing lens flare again. (see R & L, May issue. If ever you find me floating in the sea then Foong should be the main suspect). Jackson was jumping with joy as his grouper of 17.5 kilos was 99% sure (His own words) of winning the jackpot. (Team B had a bet of RM20.00 each).

Foong gaffing Jackson's fish. This time
 there was no lens flare from his head.

     Suddenly the bites stopped again and we settled down to some delicious porridge. (Ah Chuen called it pei tan hiong chook or fragrant million year egg porridge. (Asked him to explain as it was X-rated).

Foong landed this quite early
 and was very jovial and chirpy.

     We changed a few more places, all around the 2nd shipping lane areas without success. At around 6.00 p.m. Foong caught a grouper of 3 kilos. Low Pan (Big Boss) from the bow connected to and landed a grouper of 5 kilos and everyone was into fish again. I had only a leng chim and two tandas of insignificant size to show. Frustration must have been written all over my face for Foong seemed very jovial and chirpy. Humming and singing whenever he passed my place, I detected some hint of deliberate needling. He even generously offered me two hard boiled eggs, which I declined (luckily). Friend, huh! Resigning to my fate, I sipped coffee. to console myself.

Low Pan and his grouper.
 He won the jackpot
with an 18 kilo ray.

     My coffee must had buang sui for me, for my rod tip dipped twice before bending almost to the water. Line was slowly peeling out from my TLD25. All I could do was to hold on. The moment it stopped I pumped and cranked like crazy. Ten minutes passed before a grouper of 9 kilos was gaffed. Immediately, Low Pan was seen struggling with a monster at the bow. Switching off his electric reel, he pumped and cranked, but the submarine just kept going. Maybe he was getting impatient for he tightened his drag and immediately his line parted with a loud crack. Long  lives the submarine! ( Lesson 1: Adjust your drag properly  before fishing). The action stopped again and I took the opportunity to freshen up with a bath and a change of clean clothes.

This huge grouper almost
 fooled me when it nibbled
 my bait.

     The inactivity continued passed midnight. A few of us went to sleep as the rocking boat reminded us of our rocking cradle days. With coffee laden blood coursing through my veins I was still having very bright eyes. Around 3 a.m. my rod dipped all so slightly. Cranking my TLD 30 (I had changed reel), I thought I was into another leng chim, when all of sudden all hell broke loose. When I felt the fish giving way after 5 minutes of back breaking pumping I hollered for help and Low Pan gaffed it in for me.

     This 10 kilo grouper together with the earlier 9 kilo made a fantastic outing out of this trip. Jumping and shouting with joy, at athe same time waking up some of the sleeping beauties, I was really happy.

My two groupers-9 kilos and 10 kilos.

     Foong was very grumpy about fish biting only when he was sleeping. (He never heard of Murphy's Law). Suddenly I was very jovial and chirpy. (Lesson 2: Never be cocky when you were ahead as God was watching. How come I was so God fearing all of a sudden?) Almost immediately Low Pan locked on to another monster. For half an hour he was gaining and losing line. When a stingray was gaffed finally, the taikong said it was smaller than 17 kilo and we all agreed including Low Pan. (The jackpot, remember?) We must have finished off all the big fellows for only tandas and leng chims were hauled up regularly until the current stopped.

     Most of us took naps on our fishing chairs until 8.00 a.m. We had our breakfast and continued fishing. Other than the taikong pulling up a grouper of 4 kilos the rest of us got nothing. We decided to up anchor at 11 a.m. and head for home.

     During the photo session, Low Pan decided to weigh his ray and it pulled the scale to 18 kilos, surprising all of us. Jackson's jaw dropped when he saw the proof, for he lost his "99% sure to win" jackpot. (Lesson 3: Never judge a fish by its look).

Happy anglers, but no diamonds found.

     Old Man Ho and I decided to gut our groupers. (Actually I had been fishing with Ho since 1972 when I was transferred to Ipoh. Before that my fishing was confined to the fresh water around Chenderoh Dam, Perak and Kangsar River areas. He in fact is my sifu for saltwater bottom fishing). My heart nearly stopped when Ho suddenly grabbed my hand, as I was about to throw the groupers' guts away. He insisted that I cut the stomachs open so he could search for diamonds inside! Yes, diamonds, glittering diamonds! According to him, one of his friends, who worked on a kelong, had found gold rings and diamonds in grouper stomachs before. (Don't ask me how the jewelery got there.) I don't think I like to eat grouper again!