JIGGING FOR RIVER HARUAN

This article was published in the August 2002 issue of Rod And Line fishing magazine.

Ah Seng and I had planned to fish for kuangs in some swamps where pythons and king cobras reigned supreme. The first three planned trips were cancelled due to heavy rain, which made that place inaccessible. The fourth one … well the owner of the 4X4 let us stepped on the water melon skin (meaning given the slip).

The latest trip was planned with Ah Wai providing the small lorry to transport our motorbikes to the fringe of the swamp so that we could move around those areas not accessible to big vehicles. Baits were bought and provision stocked when disaster struck. Ah Seng (a mechanic) phoned up on the eve to inform us that his leg was hurt by a falling transmission shaft. He big-heartedly offered to take us to that place and wait in the lorry while we fish. How could we be so heartless to accept? Thus ended our fifth planned trip.

When the situation became desperate, anglers were adaptive. Ah Wai came up with the idea of jigging for haruans at the Lower Perak River area.

The two boats tied together moving as one.

At six in the morning saw our convoy of two car toppers on a car and a lorry heading towards the Kampung Gajah area. Breakfasts of roti canai were gulped down hurriedly before rushing off to our destination. Turning off from the trunk road, we came to the river bank at Kampung Pulau Besar near Teluk Intan, Perak. After loading our boats we suddenly realized our oars were left behind back home. Branches and umbrellas became very useful suddenly. They were improvised to row the boats out to the main river as this area was crisscrossed with nets and rawais. Cares were taken not to antagonize the local professionals, as the reason was obvious. The outboard on my boat started with only two pulls. Ah Wai’s outboard chose to go on strike at the wrong moment.

Richard and Ah Lek showing their catches.

Poor Ah Wai had to remove his shirt as he was sweating from the exertion of pulling on his reluctant outboard. The engine was suspected to have blown a gasket as it had overheated during the last trip (they forgot to check the outlet hole after hitting a sandbank). There was no choice but to tie the two boats together to move as one. With slightly swollen river from the overnight rain, progress was slow as we were using only one outboard.

Not to be outdone. Ah Wai show his haruan too.

Reaching the first patch of weeds growing out of the shallower of the Perak River, we rammed our boats into it. It could be because of the din that we created, as there was not a single bite.

We anglers were fast learners. Moving over to another patch of weeds, we could hear sounds of haruans gulping down some poor creatures. This time we didn’t spook the fish for we were using some bamboo poles found in the weeds to pole the boats around.

The weed is so thick that you cannot even see the boat.

Being the first to pull up a haruan, Ah Wai was having a smug on his face. Not to be outdone, Richard also got one, only a cheroot. Somehow the action died down and it was time to move on. Here at the next patch, Ah Lek got hit by a real big fella. The sound of its strike resonated over to our boat five meters away. Turning around we saw Ah Lek straining on his rod, bent dangerously near to breaking point. As always with this method of fishing, the big fellas almost always get way. This monster (estimated unanimously to be almost 2 kilos) wrapped itself around the weeds and pulled the hook out. Our poor Ah Lek was a figure of dejection. All this while Looi and I on my boat did not even raise a strike. They were beginning to call my boat gingko biloba boat (first started by James Wong). In Cantonese, ‘Pak kor chook’ or gingko biloba porridge means empty handed. Anglers are quite cruel on the whole, you know. They know all the methods of mental tortures.

Looi seen here jigging too.

By noon, the sun was unbearably hot thus forcing us to head for some shade for our food and siesta. We exchange boats when the weather was more forgiving (my boat had the good engine, remember?) This time Ah Wai pulled up a few good specimens followed by Richard and Ah Lek. Yes, yes, yes, Looi and I caught nothing again. Well, at least I had the consolation of people catching fish on my boat thus wiping off the name gingko biloba boat.

We nearly flattened a nest full of eggs nestled among the floating vegetation. After  taking some photographs of it we left it undisturbed.

Our method of fishing here was the same as in heavily weeded areas. The frog was flipped out and allowed to drop vertically into the weed.  Your hearing must be pretty sharp so as to listen to the tell-tale plop of your bait hitting the water. The rod tip was then flipped from ten to fifteen times before reeling in your frog and the process repeated elsewhere.

Do check the condition of your heart with your doctor first, as sometimes the strike could be heart stopping. I am sure you wouldn’t want to be the laughing stock in heaven, as the guy who was scared to death by a haruan. The method of tying the frog was the usual method, but I normally cut off both hind legs of the frog, failing which a lot of free lunches would be offered to the fish.

It was almost dark when we headed for home with yours truly and Looi still empty-handed. While polling through the weeds, we nearly flattened a nest full of eggs (could be some water fowls’ nest). After taking some photographs of it, we left it undisturbed.

Maybe it could be psychology, but the five river haruans that we had for dinner at Tanjung Tualang tasted better than their pond cousins. The flesh was firmer and tastier. Could be due to the fresh flowing water and the regular exercise.

The lower stretches of the Perak River still holds quite a variety of good size fishes. Of course, with a boat the area you cover will be a lot wider and the chances of being hit by a whopper greater. The important thing is to get to know the locals who know the area like the back of their hands. Of course respecting the local professionals, slowing down when passing them on the river, practicing catch and release will endear us to many of them. After all, to us sport anglers, the thrill is in the stalking, fighting and releasing of our quarries. Take only what is needed so that we don’t contribute to the depletion of the fish population any more than necessary.