Paul Arden | Monday, 5 October 2026
When I was a young boy, my grandfather said that we would drive across the Middle East on a motorbike with a sidecar. He would drive and I would arm the machine gun. I believed him. I thought I’d be pretty handy with a machine gun.
A few years later I remember being absolutely enthralled by Robinson Crusoe — I still am. Being shipwrecked and living on a desert island. How wonderful. Just imagine how extraordinary the flats fly fishing would be!
20 years travelling, and then ten years living in the jungle. It really is getting time that I start a new adventure by sailing the world. Two years. I do want to learn Malay so that I can get my permanent residency stamp in my passport. I don’t know if we will ever come back but having the option makes sense. And I’m enjoying the challenge. I’ve never been very good at languages but I think it’s good for my brain. I’m much more mathematical and practical, and learning other languages has always been very difficult for me. I don’t think that’s an excuse!!
If I put the same sort of effort into learning languages as I do with fly fishing, or training for triathlons, then I like to think I’d be fluent by now! So there — it was an excuse!!!
This week I want to swim one hour/day. And for the next six weeks. I’m getting a bit panicky. I know I can do the 3.8km no problems. But I’d like to be both faster and to get out the water feeling fresh. So I need to get on with it and stop procrastinating. And maybe the only way I can do this, is to do so the first thing after waking up — if I switch on Starlink then I always find there is urgent work to be done — so swim first! It sounds good.
Fishing here has been slow now for some weeks. Yesterday I had two shots, made what I thought were two perfect shots. And neither fish ate. I’ve never had that before. I must be educating these fish. In the past, when I first came here, every fish would eat the perfect shot. Over the last couple of years I’ve moved the needle to 90%. There is no question in my mind that this has been my doing. I’ve taught fish that “frogs appearing from heaven” are in fact attached to yetis in a boat.
Snakehead really are quite smart. Put a poor shot in and they spook. Sometimes they come looking for the boat. A few times now, we have spooked a set (I say “we” as in a guest and I, not the “royal we”) and one adult has taken their babies off in another direction, while the other adult has come to the other side of the boat and behaved as a decoy, splashing around. No shit.
They may not be making underwater cave art down there, but there is more to these fish than most realise.
Of course I turn this on its head, and say that this is an excellent reason to fly fish for them. Educating fish is good for their longevity. And I tip my hat to them when they don’t eat my “money shot”. They are truly incredible. Giant Snakehead should be protected. 100% C&R only, no netting, barbless hooks. Then we would have some of the very best fly fishing on the planet. Oh how we can dream!
Busy week coming up. In town today getting supplies and running a half marathon. Next week we might be in KL. I’m planning to be in Scotland, England, Spain and Hungary over Xmas and New Year. Booking our flights this week.
Andy is flat out. He has 8 rods to build including Graeme’s, Chris’, Mike’s, Florian’s, Guy’s and Bill’s. It’s an adventure in Texas too!
Have a great week.
Cheers, Paul