Not So Dry Season

Not So Dry Season

Paul Arden | Tuesday, 8 March 2022

I have no idea what the Gourami Weather Gods are thinking this year. Ordinarily here in the Belum-Temenggor Jungle, it doesn’t rain a drop between the middle of January through to mid April. Usually it’s hot (like HOT – and can be close to 40C some days). The vegetation that grew like nuts during the Wet Season (October-January), starts to fall back and turn brown. There are annual forest fires too, particularly along the road between the lake and Gerik (the closest town which is a 40km drive). But not this year…

In fact the lake level has risen a couple of metres in the last three weeks! That’s a fair splash of rain. I haven’t been able to measure the water temperature recently because my transducer destroyed itself, but I’m quite sure it’s not the 32-34C that it should be. And this is currently having an effect on the fishing. The last few sets of babies I found had adults of course, but these didn’t surface to breathe. So I might have to change my approach this week and try some big streamers on sinking lines. Not nearly as much fun and not as effective either. My other option is to go looking for surface-feeding Gourami. This is the time of year they eat ants in the mid-morning and every 17 years they eat cicadas.

This weekend, Ashly and I will head to one of my favourite parts of the lake to see what’s happening there. I haven’t fished here for months! So I’m looking forward to that. Ashly has been studying hard at home for her MBA, so it will be nice to see her on the boat again.

I’ve been busy actually fitting out the back of the Battleship for guests, and not just thinking about it. That will be finished this week and then I’ll share some photos of my surprising carpentry skills. Later I’ll fit out the front of the boat with a bed/cupboard space and I want to make the Disco Room look a bit sexier with some fancy woodwork and bamboo. There is always something to do when you have a Battleship!

Today I’m posting a video on the 5 Essentials for Instructors. I was asked to do this recently and I think it will be useful video for my student instructors. Many seem to take the 5Es a bit too literally.

I’ve always sayid that the lake fishing kicks off mid-March and runs through to the end of December. Consequently it’s now time to get serous about my fishing again. In Six-Pound Sean’s immortal words…. It’s all about to happen!!

Our first production run of the new HT5 blanks have been rolled and will be with Lee for building shortly. So that’s very exciting. Then I think we will be flat out!!

Have a great week :)))

Cheers, Paul