Burning flyline

I spent night more or less trying to figure out how to fish on last day. I'm worried that I left some great flies to hotel as I thought hooks are not strong enough. Now I know that it is not problem but tippet... well... things happens.

Last full fishing day... I have fast breakfast, good one as always from guides. I get myself ready fast and then Hadi and I start to go upstream. Satu stays at camp little bit longer and other guides prepare lunch. This time we will return to same camp for night. We will fish upstream and come back some how. 

Hadi takes me upstream and we spook some nice mahseer on the way. We are passing huge log next to the shore, when underneath some good size fish take off. That was something new.

I fish few spots now and then, but I don't get any contact with fish. I see some but those are allready swimming away. Soon we come absolutely nice spot. Fast water settles little bit and there is deep hole for fish before ot goes fast again. We see fish rising just underneath of cliff. I find spot for me to cast and... I forgot again to fish area nearby, I see few nice mahseer spooking in the area where river is getting fast again. I moan myself once again but I do have big fish in my sight.

I make few casts on the other side where I saw one riser but don't get reaction. I have one elk hair caddis left which has been really good one so far. I tie that one and go after big mahseer which rises just under cliff. Two casts... not exactly on the line where it should be. Fish rises again... Rey and Satu has arrived also. I made cast, this one is good one, no reaction... maybe it was too early after rise.

New cast, I move cast about 20 cm. This one is perfect and fish agrees with me. Bang, nice take and fish starts to run, I slow down fish from line but let it take everything I have extra. Line is burning again little bit my hand but I don't care. Fish gets to the reel... Brake doesn't work smoothly and.... tippet breaks. And there goes my last great fly. I'm so angry to myself..  not because I didn't get fish. I hate when fish is hooked and hook is on fish's mouth or somewhere, I'm angry as I don't know if fish is harmed or not.

Now I rejected totally the tippet material and go to use one which I trust. We go upstream and keep fishing. Now and then we see some fish and I made casts... no reaction, of course because I don't have right fly anymore.

We have lunch break and after that I start to fish just next to our stop. I have followed area during lunch and I have seen some rises now and then. I have difficulties decide what fly to use, I end up with cicada.

Spot is really deep, I'm standing on solid rock and water drops easily 3 or even 4 meters. Now water had been clearing up, on the other side is similar, so in middle there is deep channel.

Fish rises on the other side, just next to the rock/cliff. I pull line out to make cast, I don't have much space for backcast so I made roll cast first to fish closer area. Then when I have reach other side, spey... First cast and I have rise, next to the fly. I check that line is nicely on the rock next to me, I need little bit longer cast.

I make cast, nothing. Next one, I feel there is something wrong with line... I start to see why it feels so sticky... and I realize that it has few areas where it has been melted. What the fuck... I don't understand what had happen but fish rises again and I make a cast. Now this one is nice and I got rise and... TAKE... short fight and I land nice mahseer. I'm happy, I spotted the fish myself.

We start to fish upstream. Really nice spots and one with lot of mahseer under the trees, I do bow and arrow etc but those have no interests about fly, so we move on. Water gets really interesting and I would like to go upstream, we meet monitor dragon coming downstream so that area is ruined, same time looks like thunder is coming so we turn back to downstream and starts to go back to the camp.

Khairul has been with me and Satu as others disappeared somewhere in the jungle. On the way down we have small stop and bees decide to attack me, I have 5 sting from them... I don't know how my body will react... I'm not sure if I have immunity or if it will turn something else. When I was I child I had 28 stings in one time... I was fishing of course. Now some pain and burning feeling but that's it... No problem. 

Eventually we arrive to boat, we stop and wait other guides to arrive. Finally they come with bamboo raft which they have make for last day to go down from river.

We go back to the camp. I make some casting practise and wonder what happened to my flyline. Then I realise, I pulled line to rock which was so hot that it burned some parts of line, never thought that could happen... well if you think about it... air temperature 38 celsius, sun shining whole day to the brown rock... temperature on the rock was probably around 50 celsius... normal flyline easily burns on those temperatures when you lay it to the rock like that.

Last day we raft down river, we see some big jungle perch and good size mahseer. I think I have to return one more time. We see small deer killed by dholes just 20 meters from our first camping spot and hammocks. I'm not worried... this feels home.

Have great weekend and go fishing 

Mika from Finland 

Ps. I will do FP on coming weeks about what you need when going on that river. Next one will be anyway about lake and burning shorts.