Happy Birthday

So we came Saturday from river, did shopping and laundry, had dinner in chinese restaurant, dropped Satu to hotel and then Paul and I headed to lake. As it was really late when we arrived we had night over in Battleship. Quite short sleep and Sunday fishing, I saw some freeriser but didn't have decent chance for shot. After morning session I went to built up my camp to Martyn's inferno Island or as Satu calls it Crow Island. The island that we had first week before Antz hell. Somehow again quite late evening.

Monday 13.5. I wake up with full of confidence. I went to sleep as my late 40’ and woke up on early 60'. I have good feeling about fishing. I stop by Battleship before 9 am and fill petrol to my boat. Paul has lesson which is shortly interrupted by me. (whoever was on the line... thank you for understanding)

I head on the bays where we saw elephants with Satu two years ago and a lot of fish on last night. For some reason I have this "feeling". I start search riser or anything. When I left from Battleship Paul gave me present and cold beer, he said that have a beer when you caught 5kg snakehead, make it early as beer is still cold. I drink that already as it is my birthday, it is 4am in Finland so bars are just closing... so what the heck.

I past end of the bay and haven't seen nothing yet, driving slowly and check also areas which I have passed... I see freeriser, I stop engine and at the same time one is almost hitting boat. I get line out, grease it and start slowly approaching risers. There seems to be one couple and lonely one, all of them nice ones, + 3 kg. While stalking and waiting possibility for shot, I see something on left side of the boat.

First I thought it is snakehead swimming and changing the area, then I realize that it is Gourami..... and it rises to eat something, not only once but twice. So I change rod and go after it. Unluckily while I changing rods, there is light wind coming and I lost gourami from my sight. When being after gourami, I hear that there is new fish rising behind, in new spot. I decide to go after it.

I put some liquid silicone on the line, get line ready and stalking. Everything after that is slowmotion movie in my head.....

I see snakehead rising, nice and slowly, head comes up for have a breath, turns down... slowly like it shoud be. This one is not one of the motherfuckers, who goes straight down. My brains are not in controllers any more, my muscles are. I make shot without thinking, nice one straight in THE area, fish has dived, it was big fish.

I do plopplops... fish comes... I can see and feel that it will kill the fly. Line is getting too short, so I do last plopplop with tip of the rod. Fish comes furiosly, like young man on his first timer. Fly is gone, and fish is going down with it. My rod tip is down, I give pressure and try to stop fish from line... Line is just going thru from fingers.. I try to help with right hand, but it is not helping. So back to left... I feel how line is burning my left front finger, fuck, how I stop this. I give a last half meter line what there is left and hit brake on full. My finger is in pain.

Fish finally stops, and I get line in maybe 50 cm, then I realize that fucker went on stump. I get myself on top of that, I have no idea if I still have fish. I put rod as deep as possible and turned it around stump which I imagine... nothing. I saw boat passing 5 minutes earlier, maybe it was Paul... I am on bow of the boat and walkietalkie is in the back. I could try contacting Paul for help. I give a little bit slack and jump on the middle of the boat.

Here we go again... Fish is on the move, now I have control for the line, I feel that this big one. When it took the fly I estimated it for 5 kg, now I have feeling could 7 kg even +. Boat moves some from run... and then nothing.... fish is gone. I get line up, it has been broken. My first idea is that from knot between wire and leader, (Paul has other opinion, stump, weakened, cut off). Either way fish is gone now.

My hands shakes, I look if there is another fly to put in, I have wire and everything else except fly. I return to battleship, I hope Paul is there. I'm almost crying... I had one the best minutes in my life.. I lost a fight... I have feeling that I know what I'm doing... just if fish would play same rules. After 3 days I have physical memory from that fish... it is still burned on my finger.

Fishing has been tought, going slowly up, going down fast. It could be because high water temperature, when fish come under thermal level they hit hot water... they have to come for breathe but it is stressful. Imagine two saunas... one is 70 celsius and other 100 celsius... 70c/158F is okay and you can enjoy... 100 is like fuck, have I been long enough that I can go out... nothing relaxing having 100 celsius /212 F sauna... snakehead have to have same feeling.

So no birthday fish for me, amazing minutes and sweet bitter birthday. In the evening we had campfire with Paul, some good food, birthday cake and movie. That's the way to spend your 50 yrs birthday, even no fish.

There is another real life story about last fishing day... I will do that on another time... Now I have concrete to empty resort's bar as alcohol is included and spent some time with my beautiful wife.

Have a great weekend.

Mika the Legend from Malaysia currently