The Asian Angler - July 2013 Digital Issue - Malaysia - English

ABU GARCIAREVO MGXTREME

RYOBI SLAMThe Sci-Fi Reel

Salmo HornetCrankbaitsTest DrivingGT-Zero Greatness Sufix 832 AdvancedSuperlineSalmo Hornet Lures

Knowledge WiseUnderstanding Fishing Rods Part 2

Skill EnhancersFishing With Soft Plastics Part 1

Sportin’ The SailfishThe Asian Angler ReportsAngling & Outdoor Recreation Fair 2013

The Asian Angler Asia’s AnglingLifestyle Magazine

July 2013

1

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(DEBUT OF THE TOUGH REVO LINE-UP WITH COMPACT BODY)

MJ

Elite8BIGSHOOTER COMPACT

SJ

Weight : 236gGear Ratio : 8.0:1Max. Line Retrieve/turn: 83cmMax. Drag : 7kgBall Bearings : 7+1 HPCR BearingsLine Capacity : PE 1 : 200m (narrow spool)

Weight : 170gBrake System : IVCB-VIMax. Drag : 7kg Ball Bearings : 9+1 HPCR BearingsLine Capacity : 14lb -100m

Weight : 239gBrake System : MAGTRAX IIMax. Drag : 7kgBall Bearings : 7+1 HPCR BearingsLine Capacity : 20lb -100m

Weight : 197gMax. Line Retrieve/cm : 83cmMax. Drag : 5.5kg Ball Bearings : 7+1 HPCR BearingsLine Capacity : PE 0.8 : 200m (narrow spool)

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GEAR RATIO8.0:1

GEAR RATIO8.0:1

GEAR RATIO8.0:1 GEAR RATIO

8.0:1

Normal Spool Narrow Spool

When fighthing with the fish, the line that peels out of the reel willcause much friction with neighbouring lines on spool.By narrowing down the spool’s width, the angle from the line to thelevel wind will be more gradual. Thus, the line peels out smootherbecause there is less friction caused on the line spool.The narrow spool is not only ideal for casting game, but also forvertical jigging style. This will ensure the jig sinks smoother and faster.

ADVANTAGES OF NARROW SPOOL (Revo SJ/MJ) Level Wind Position

Steep Angle(more friction between the lines on the spools)

Gradual Angle(not steep)vs. existing spool(less friction between the lines)

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No. 36, Jalan Kartunis U1/47, Kawasan Perindustrian Temasya, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel : 603 - 5032 9288 (Hunting Line) Fax : 603 - 5032 9388 Email : [email protected]



MJ


SJ






GEAR RATIO8.0:1

GEAR RATIO8.0:1


8.0:1







No. 36, Jalan Kartunis U1/47, Kawasan Perindustrian Temasya, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel : 603 - 5032 9288 (Hunting Line) Fax : 603 - 5032 9388 Email : [email protected] 3



MJ


SJ






GEAR RATIO8.0:1

GEAR RATIO8.0:1


8.0:1







No. 36, Jalan Kartunis U1/47, Kawasan Perindustrian Temasya, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel : 603 - 5032 9288 (Hunting Line) Fax : 603 - 5032 9388 Email : [email protected]

The Choice Of Champions5

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New Way To Navigate The Asian Angler We’ve made it easier and fun for you.Click on pages you would like to go to here at the Contents Page. To return here after reading the article, click on the tab found at some of the pages.

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Sebile VideoPage 340Watch Sebile In Action

Knowledge Wise:Understanding Fishing Rods Part 2

Page 112

Anglers’ Havens: Avillion Port Dickson

Page 162

Test Drive: Rod Ford GT-Zero Blank

Page 20

Classifieds

Page 366

Test Drive: Sufix 832 Advanced Superline

Page 38

Get Your Free POCodePage 37

Value for money imported lures by Guvnor’s Gear

Page 19

Introducin’: New Abu Garcia Revo MGXtreme

Page 70

Introducin’: Ryobi Slam

6

Fishy Tales: Back To Biwako Part 2

Page 242

Rod Ford Custom VideoPage 68

Thomas Stroker VideoPage 52

Test Drive:Salmo Hornet Lure

Page 54

Skill Enhancers: Fishing With Soft Plastics Part 1

Page 132

Happenings: Anging And Outdoor Recreational Fair 2013Page 254

Fishin’-Tech Fly Tyer (Free)

Page 344

Sporting Fishes:The Indo Pacific Sailfish

Page 224

Viper VenomII Extreme

Page 364

Product Features

Page 356

ABU Garcia Logo Hunt:Congratulations to our 5 hunters who have won prizes from Abu Garcia. 37 Abu Garcia Revo Logos Found

Like Us On Facebookwww.facebook.com/theasianangler(Official Page)

15

My fellow anglers and friends,

This month’s issue came out a little late as we wanted to include an article on the Angling and Outdoor Recreation Fair 2013 that was held from the 28th to the 30th of June 2013 at the Shah Alam Convention Center.

It was a good fair as I got to meet up with a lot of angling buddies from around the country. The turn out was really good too judging by the feedback of some of the participating tackle distributors.

In this month’s Test Drive we tested the Rod Ford GT-Zero blank, Sufix 832 Advance Superline and Salmo Hornet lures. We also played with the Abu Gar-cia’s new Revo MGXtreme of which is really light and Ryobi’s Slam of which is a reel that emerged from a sci-fi movie in our Introducin’ section.

I didn’t get much time to fish due to the haze and most of my fishing buddies decided to stay indoors as well. So July should be a good month to do more fishing.

We at The Asian Angler also take this opportunity to wish our muslim friends “selamat berpuasa” as we head into the fasting month this July.

Thank you all for your feedback, encouragements, and ideas that we received via email and also thank you for your support. We will continue to improve The Asian Angler magazine as we soar towards the future.

Thank you and happy reading.

Cheers,PhilEditor In Chief

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19

Rod Ford GT-Zero BlanksBy Philemon Foo

The main part of a rod is the blank and there has been a lot of talk lately about a blank called the GT-Zero blank by Rod Ford. When a something gets that much attention it tickles my interest and I decided to check them out.

Test Drives

21

Pushing Boundaries

Being a rod designer myself and have designed countless of rods for a few big international brands, I do dabble quite a lot in rod blank technology. The GT-Zero blanks uses Nanotechnology and pushes its boundaries just a little further.

Nanotechnology strengthens many sur-faces. I have seen pieces of plastic drink-ing straws turned almost into steel just by applying a coat of nanotech coating during the time when nanotechnology was mak-ing inroads into the world of fishing tackle.

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GT-Zero blanks uses nanotechnology by in-fusing them into the resin that is used to bond graphite sheets together instead of coating the blank directly of which allows the blank to remains flexible and still sensitive. This also allows for a thinner wall without sacrificing strength.

25

Added Toughness

The GT-Zero blanks are also built using three 3 layers of high modulus graphite sheets of which makes the blank tougher. Although doing so adds some weight to the blank it still remains lightweight which is great. These three layers make the blank tougher and stronger and thus makes this blank a tough performer.

27

Lab Testing

Rod Ford Customs built a rod using the GT-Zero blank and I had the opportunity to test it. The GT-Zero blank that I tested is a 6-12lb medium light action 6’ one piece rod with camou-flage EVA handles.

The GT-Zero did pressure test with a total weight of 2.25kg on the bounce (1’) of which has an estimated force weight of about 5.66kg which translates to about 12.4lb of which meets its specified weight of 6-12lb. From what I have seen, this blank is able to handle more.

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Test Driving On The Edge

I tested this rod on two occasions. Once at a pond near a friend’s house where I cast out lures to see how well the rod cast and it cast really well. The GT-Zero blank has a powerful tip (for its weight class) and it cast out lures effortlessly.

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It also helps with the fish fight-ing, leveraging the battle over to the angler’s side as it did during my test at the Exotic Pond. I had a friend with me during the test and he too felt that controlling the fish felt easier on the GT-Zero blank.

During the test drive at the Exotic Pond there was a time when we had to drag one of the Amazon red tail catfish away from the waterwheel and the GT-Zero did it without hesi-tation. This proves the power of the rod.

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The Verdict

There are many rod blanks in the market and the GT-Zero stands out amongst the better blanks. It is also a good value for money blank that is strong, has power, and proven to be able to handle more than claimed.

If you are looking towards cus-tom building a rod and you are looking around for a good blank to use, do consider the GT-Zero blank. It is a blank that can take the bashing of a monster fish. Of course every rod has its limits. The difference is how far the lim-its are from the specs.

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37Back To Content

Sufix 832 Advance SuperlineBy Philemon Foo

I seldom get to “test drive” fishing lines but recently I was asked if I have tested the Sufix 832 Advanced Superline. Well, I did not and thus I decided to do so. With some help from friends I managed to put the Sufix 832 Advanced to the test.

Test Drives

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What’s Claimed

Sufix 832 is claimed to be the strongest, most durable braid in the market that comes in a small diameter. It also uses R8 Precision Braiding of which means that it comes with a construction of 8 fibres of which are made up of 7 Dyneema fibres and 1 Gore Performance Fibre at 32 weaves per inch. Well, that is a mouthful.

One thing that caught my attention is actually the term Gore Perfor-mance Fibres. What is the use of having a strand of Gore Perfor-mance Fibre in the line?

Gore

Gore is actually a company that deals with a polymer called pol-ytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Bob Gore discovered expended PTFE (ePTFE) of which is a remarkably versatile polymer that has since been used in very demanding environments including clothing worn on expeditions to Mt. Everest and electronic cables that transmits signals from Mars.

41

By rapidly stretching PTFE under the right conditions created a very strong, microporous material of which exhibits an amazing array of properties such as:

Strength (high strength-to-weight ratio)Chemical inertnessBiocompatibilityHigh thermal resistanceHigh chemical resistance in harsh en-vironmentsLow flammabilityLow coefficient of frictionLow dielectric constant Low water adsorption Good weathering properties

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Gore + Fishing Line

Sounds interesting right? But what does it do for the other 7 strand of Dyneema fibres and the an-gler using them? It short, adding Gore fibres to fishing lines creates a stronger, smoother, and tougher fishing line. What I see here is a strong core (Gore fibre) being the support of 7 Dyneema fibres of which is one of the smoother line materi-als.

Test Driven To The “Gore”

So far everything sounds promising and nice. With all these in mind I had to put the Sufix 832 to the test. The first thing I did was to test its claimed Strength. In my hands lie a 150yds, 10lb Sufix 832 braided line with a diameter of 0.20mm (claimed to be equivalent to 4lb mono).

Well, I will not be putting the Sufix 832 against other brands as I have got nothing in my hands to compare it to. Thus it will be challenging the very claims that are made on its box.

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Straight Line Break Test

A straight line break test basically means testing the line without a knot. This is not the best test to do for any line because we always use at least one knot when we fish. However, I decided to do this test as there are a lot of line manufacturers that use this method of test to determine the break limits of their lines.

Using my drag checker to get the break poundage, I wrapped both my hands with a very thick piece of cloth and wrapped a few rounds of the line on them. I then yanked the line as hard as I can in opposite direc-tions breaking it in the process. The line broke at close to 12lb which means that it broke about 2lb above the claimed 10lb.

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Knotted Line Break Test

The next test is closer to real time fishing where we tie a knot on the line. As braided lines are known to cut itself, an appropri-ate knot to use will be a knot that is recom-mended to be used for braided lines. The knot I went with is the Palomar Knot.

Using a Palomar knot tied to a large snap at one end and wrapping my other hand with a thick cloth and lines I gave it a hard yank. This time it broke at close to 10.5lb of which is still above the claimed breaking limits of the line.

49

Fishing With The 832

We tested the Sufix 832 at the Exotic Pond and after 3 hours of fishing and landing numerous fishes I noticed that the line had little bits of fibre like fur but the line remained strong but casting felt smoother. This reminds me of one of my favourite superline.

Verdict

I like how the Sufix 832 line performed. It met the stated line break test claim and it is a good line to use. It cast pretty well and it remained strong despite breaking into tiny furs. One thing to note is to lubricate the line well when tying knots especially uni to uni.

51

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Test Drives

Salmo Hornet LuresBy Philemon Foo

It has been said many times that the reason lures come in so many shapes and colours is because they first need to capture you the angler before they have a chance at catching fishes. That is what people say but the fact is that certain fishes do remember colours and lures thus creating the need for more designs and colours.

55

I have been on trips where all proven lure designs and colours failed and the ones that caught fishes were lures we never even thought of using or colours that didn’t strike us as colours to use.

A case in point is my trip to Royal Belum last year (December 2012 issue). All my favourite lures and colours caught nothing. The ones that did were lures we did not think or using.

57

Salmo Hornet Lures

Recently I got a bunch of Salmo Hornet crankbaits and “test drove” them at a nearby pond. I just wanted to know how well they will swim since they are divers. I was also hoping to catch a fish or two whilst on this test drive.

I had with me six Salmo Hornet crank-baits. Three of them are 5cm / 7g and the other three are 6cm / 10g with a div-ing depth of 2 to 3 meters and 3.5 to 6 meters. They are all floating deep diving lures.

The Salmo Hornet crankbaits are reason-ably easy to cast but more importantly; how well will they swim. So I cast them out and retrieved them at varying speeds being slow, moderately fast, and like cra-zy fast. Each of these speeds will force the lure to perform differently underwater due to the varying pressure placed on

59

Slow Retrieve

Reeling the lure in slowly at a speed enough to feel slight vibrations didn’t spring much of a surprise except for one and that it started touching bot-tom at a relatively fast pace or at least I didn’t expect it to reach the bottom that soon.

Moderately Fast

These lures were hitting the bottom of the lake really fast. They are not just deep divers but fast divers as well. At this speed I am feeling strong vibra-tions in my hands and I can feel eve-ry bump that the Hornets hit. At this speed the Hornets manage to hold on to a tight swimming line without swoop-ing left or right.

61

Crazy Fast

Now I was casting out the lures and cranking them back as fast as I can as if afraid that they would be taken by a fish. No, there are no seba-raus in this pond and I doubt any fish in there would be bothered with a speeding lure but I wanted to see how it performed.

Well, the vibrations were strong and the lure was digging the bottom in s very short time. However, the reliabil-ity of the lures to swim in a straight line constantly had diminished. Most of the time, they swam tight and fol-lowed a straight line but there were times when they veered left (also right).

All lures have their limits and when we push them over their limits we have to expect them to go crazy on us and the Hornets did but they didn’t do it all the time.

63

Driving Fishes Crazy

We know that the lateral line is the place where the nerves of the fish come together. They can sense vi-brations with the lateral line. The Salmo Hornet will definitely drive them crazy with the amount of vibra-tion that it emits.

I have not actually done any serious fishing with the Salmo Hornet lures due to reasons pertaining to envi-ronmental issues and time but what I can see so far is that it is one of those lures that will be catching fish. We will catch some fish with them really soon.

65

What I Like

The Salmo Hornet lures (Crankbaits) are fast divers and are quick to reach the bottom. They also hold a very tight line and can be reeled reasonably fast without issues. They emit strong vi-brations underwater (depending on speed).

Well, it’s time to put them through a more serious test. Do stay tuned for the August issue.

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69Back To Content

Abu Garcia Revo MGXtremeBy Philemon Foo

The first time I laid hands on the Abu Garcia Revo MGX, I told myself that I had to have one and I did. It was one of the lightest bait casting reels around then and it was definitely the lightest bait casting reel that I ever had.

Now comes a reel that is better and lighter than the MGX and Abu Garcia calls it the MGXtreme. Looking at the reel and feeling it in my hands I must say that the good guys at Abu Garcia could not have given it a better name.

Introducin’

71

Missing Weight

To make a super efficient, super fast car go even faster what do the engineers do? They re-move weight and that is exactly what Ferrari has been doing. While making fishing reels lighter don’t really make them move faster, they sure as hell make them sexier and in demand.

Thus the Abu Garcia Revo MGXtreme weighs in at only 4.9oz (MGX 5.4oz). Again unlike Ferrari, this feat wasn’t achieved by removing unneeded luxuries such as the air-conditioning, floor mats, etc. In fact the MGXtreme has everything that its predecessor has. So where did the missing weight go to?

73

Breaking The Code

Checking out both reels I think I managed to break the code. The magic lies in the bearings. Both reels have 10 bearings (9+1 bearings). The MGX has 9 HPCR (High Performance Corrosion Resistant) stainless steel bearings + 1 roller bearing, while the MGXtreme has 7 HPCR stainless steel bearings, 2 ceramic light spool bear-ings, + 1 roller bearing. That I believe is the answer.

75

Performance Enhanced

Ceramic bearings have been known to be smoother than normal stain-less steel bearings thus the madness of anglers upgrading their bearings to ceramics. While I never got the opportunity to actually fish with the MGXtreme I managed to give it a few cast on dry land and I believe that the ceramic bearings in the spool was the magic.

Every casts felt smoother and the distance achieved is better. Abu Gar-cia made a smart decision to use ce-ramic bearings at the spool of which really enhances the performance of The MGXtreme and not changing other bearings to ceramics of which would have push the cost up a lot.

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Hot Looker

Fast cars don’t just go fast. They look sexy and hot. They make a statement and they lead peo-ple to sin by provoking jealousy, instilling envy, and sometimes starting deadly competitions. That too the MGXtreme does. It looks hot and it turns heads. It will leave those who do not have one green with envy with a dash of jealousy, and when you mess with the Jones’s; you know what you need to do.

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Thought Provoking

So you have the Revo MGX. Should you also get the Revo MGXtreme? Well, the MGXtreme performs better, looks sexier, is lighter, and is new. So what do you do? Are you the type who will provoke your friends to jealousy, driving them green with envy, and mak-ing them wish they didn’t meet you to-day or are you the one who will be pro-voked by such a friend? That choice I shall leave to you.

83

Features:

10 bearing system7 stainless steel HPCR™ bearings + 1 roller bearing2 additional CeramiLite Spool Bearings provide im-proved casting performance

One piece X-Mag™ alloy frame

Carbon Matrix™ drag system provides smooth, consistent drag pressure across the entire drag range

C6 carbon sideplates provide significant weight re-duction without sacrificing strength and durability

IVCB-IV™ (Infinitely Variable Centrifugal Brake) gives very precise brake adjustments allowing an-glers to easily cast a wide variety of baits

Infini II™ spool design for extended castability and extreme loads

Compact bent carbon handle provides a more ergo-nomic design that is extremely lightweight

Round EVA knob provides improved grip for im-proved cranking power

Aircraft grade aluminum main gear provides weight reduction without sacrificing durability

Back To Content 85

Ryobi SlamBy Philemon Foo

Introducin’

87

In the world of reel technology, we have come a long way. There are now all sorts of materials being used and they come with sophis-ticated technology. It was not long ago when graphite was the main material used for many brands of reels.

While many reel brands are toy-ing around with more sophisticated materials, Ryobi continued to im-prove on “graphite technology.”

89

Strong Yet Light Graphite

Graphite bodied reels are known to twist especially nearer the reel foot. Many an angler have dreaded this disadvantage especially when there is a brute at the other end of the line. Ryobi managed to change that. The Ryobi Slam is a lot more rigid and it is lighter than most graphite reels.

91

Try twisting its reel foot and the Slam feels somewhat like a metal bodied reel minus the weight. It doesn’t twist nor does it flex. This is important as it gives added con-fidence while you are in a challeng-ing battle with a brute.

However, the rotor area of the reel is not as rigid as the reel foot but even then it is more rigid as com-pared to most other graphite reels and will not be an issue when fished within limits.

93

Sci-Fi Design

The Slam’s design is quite extraordinary. With nice air vents in the rotor area and an upside-down teardrop designed area for the Ryobi logo; the Slam looks somewhat sci-fi. This de-sign definitely reduces the weight of the reel whilst giving it a superb look.

The aluminium spool design reminds me of blades on a turbo prop engine. Not sure if they used them to propel spaceships but they look good. Ryobi added some sportiness by placing a layer of carbon fibre under them. The drag knob complements the design well too.

95

One other interesting find is the handle arm that looks like a piece from a chess set. I just cannot put my finger on which piece it came from. It looks like it could be a pawn and yet it also could be that of a castle. Pawn or castle it looks simply lovely.

99

The sci-fi design cues continue all the way to the bottom of the reel where the “one-way switch sits.” It is chrome in color with a sharp tri-angular piece cut out exposing the reel body beneath.

101

Slamin’ Performance

Being sci-fi or futuristic in design only pushes me that far. To drive me further it needs to perform well. As such I put it through its pace inside my secret lab. The Ryobi Slam is a smooth reel as with a lot of other modern and good reels these days. This can be felt with the turn of the handle.

It is also well balanced with a tiny bit of wobbliness which goes missing once it has lines reeled in and attached to a fishing rod. Drag pressure is almost silky smooth but wait.

The smoothness of the reel’s drag is usually disrupted by pressure; say that of a running fish.

I simulated this in my lab, increasing the pressure by increasing the drag force, and stripping line out. This is what I found.

103

The drag remained smooth to about 9lb (4.1kg) of drag and then it dete-riorates a little. Too little to be worried about as it is still considered smooth if comparing to many other reels.

The smoothness of the drag actually detiororates more at about 11.25lb (5.10 kg or somewhere there) and maxes out at 11.5lb (5.22kg).

105

This means that the Ryobi Slam actually does what it claims to do of which is to enforce a maximum drag pressure of 5kg and it did it with .22kg extra.

My Thoughts

Well, the Ryobi Slam has proven to be a good reel and it definitely is pleasing to my eyes. It performs well (if not I wouldn’t have written about it) and it is one tough reel for a graphite bodied reel. Unfortu-nately I haven’t had the chance to test it out on a significant fish but so far I like it.

107

What I can say is that if the Slam were to be by another more popular brand, with an increased price tag, but with everything else the same; it will be a record sales breaker just because of the brand. However, good things are happening in Ryobi and they are getting there.

So if you are in the market for a good reel and brands don’t really matter to you, this reel could very well be your gem.

109

Features:

Sizes: 1000 2000 3000 4000 Ratio 5.1:1 5.1:1 5.0:1 5.0:1Max Drag 2.5kg 2.5kg 5.0kg 5.0kgWeight 213g 215g 247g 249gBearings 6 6 6 6

Back To Content 111

Understanding Fishing Rods Part 2By Philemon Foo

Last issue we looked at the anatomy of a fishing rod. In this issue we will go deeper and look at the rod blank of which is the one thing that you will find in every type of rod be it telescopic, casting and spinning rods, or the pole.

Knowledge Wise

113

The Rod Blank

The main part of a fishing rod is the rod blank. The rod blank is the long cylindrical tube or tubes where all the other components are attached to. Rod blanks are made of things such as car-bon graphite sheets, fiberglass, bam-boo, and nano-Bio-fibers (from carrots).

The rod blank comes in various actions and strengths as well as lifting power. The blank can be broken down to basi-cally the tip section of which is the thin-nest part and the butt section of which is the thicker section of the rod.

Within the blank lies the backbone of the rod. Before other components are attached to the rod, the rod builder will first locate the back bone and with that, fix components around it.

115

There are fibreglass rod blanks and carbon graphite composite rod blanks. Fibreglass rod blanks were the norm many years ago until the birth of the carbon graphite com-posite blanks. However, fibreglass rod blanks do have a following to-day.

For now let us first look at the fi-breglass blanks keeping carbon graphite blanks for future issues.

Note: there are also bamboo rod blanks and other specialty rod blanks using various fibres but we will not dwell on them as they are not the norm.

Bamboo designed graphite pole blank.

117

Fibreglass BlanksFlexible To The Core

Fibreglass blanks are more flexible as compared to carbon graph-ite composite blanks. Remember a certain advertisement by Shakespeare where the rod was bent into a “U”? That is the flexi-bility of fibreglass rods. Needless to say that the thicker the section of the blank is the less flexible they become.

Being very flexible, fibreglass rods tend to lack power (tip section recoil also known as slower comeback rate) that helps or rather leverages the fight towards the angler allowing him or her, the benefit of playing the fish with lesser effort without sacrificing the amount of force placed on the fish.

One of the earlier ABU Garcia rods made of fibreglass. This one here is brand new and unused.

119

Another disadvantage of being very flexible is that the angler will need a lot more effort to set the hook. If you are onto a hard jawed fish, setting the hook with a fibreglass rod will be really tough.

On the other hand, being very flex-ible and soft does have some benefit to the angler and that is the ability of the rod to absorb sudden jerks of the fish during the fight giving the angler a more constant feel and control of force.

This is what the fibreglass blank looks like.

121

There is another good thing to having such flexibility. Being flexible and less rigid, fibreglass rods are a lot more diffi-cult to break. That is one of the reasons why fibreglass rods of old can still be found today. I do have some of these rods that are actually older than me.

Not all fibreglass rods are soft and very flexible. There are stiffer fibreglass rods as well but when the stiffness goes up, so does the weight.

DAM fibreglass rods, one of Germany’s finest.

123

The Weight Factor

Fibreglass rods are also heavier than carbon graphite composite rods with makes it less suitable for certain types of fishing such as lure casting. The other disadvantage is that building longer rods will also mean adding more weight of which would make fishing with it a chore in-stead of a relaxing sport.

Being a heavy weighted rod may not be a problem for bottom fishing as the rod is left in a rod holder most of the time, unless you hap-pen to be one who holds on to the rod with the fishing line touching your finger, but for the lure caster; such weight will be a major disadvan-tage.

Metal ferrule, once a must for all fibreglass rod joints. As fibreglass easily expands, they were used to main-tain the diameter of the blanks to ensure that the rod blanks can be inserted.

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There are anglers who love using fi-breglass rods for casting and for good reason too. Despite being heavier than carbon graphite rods, fibreglass rods are softer thus making them great with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, spoons, etc. as it gives them a more natural presen-tation. Note that carbon graphite com-posite rods can be made to have such action too thus more anglers move to-wards them.

Almost clear or rather transparent tip of a fibre-glass rod.

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What A Bulk

Fibreglass rods are also bulkier (thicker) as compared to carbon graphite compos-ite rods of the same action and poundage. This makes fibreglass rods less attractive to modern day anglers. Well, fibreglass rods can be made good looking but it is simply us the anglers being used to thinner rods that make them less appealing.

A fibreglass rod blank.

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Easy On The Pocket

One of the most appealing things about fibreglass rods are that they are not expensive and is very affordable. The costs of making such blanks are lower as compared to that of the carbon graphite composite blanks.

Whatever the blank preference there is no right or wrong. It is just a preference.

Next issue we will step into the world of carbon graphite blanks, something I assume more read-ers use these days.

Modern day fibreglass rods.

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Fishing With Soft Plastics: Part 1By Philemon Foo

In the sport of fishing, we anglers use various types of baits to catch fish. Most use things like meat, dough, innards of certain animals, fish, prawns, squid, etc.

Then there are those that use artificial baits such as plastic lures, metal spoons, spinners, metal jigs, feath-ers, flies, rubber baits, etc. of which are considered a more advanced form of fishing.

Skill Enhancers

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Beginning with this issue we will explore soft plastics also known as soft baits. We will look at how to use them effectively. We will also look at why they are effective at catching fish.

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Bits of History

Contrary to popular believe, soft plastics are not a new thing. In fact they have been around since the 1950s. They were not as refine then as they are today. In days of old, soft plastic lures were in-deed quite stiff being made up of hard rubber. They did not have the “sexy” movements of today’s soft plastics.

It was only in the 1970s that soft plastic baits started to actually be-come soft and flexible with tail movements spearheaded by lure manufacturer Mister Twister who patented the curly tail concept.

Soft plastic baits have come a long way since utilizing secret for-mulas of scent, fish food, special plastic compounds, etc. There are also environmental and organic soft baits that will dissolve in water after a certain amount of time such as Berkley’s Gulp! soft plastic baits.

Pro anglers have been a great help with the developments of soft plastic lures adding in ribs, special movements of appendages, hybrids (mixture of hard and soft components on a lure), etc.

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Types of Soft Plastic Baits

Soft plastic baits are designed to mimic certain types of food that fishes eat. They include grubs, worms, bait fish, lizards, frogs, insects, crawfish, shrimps, etc. There are indeed a lot of varieties to choose from based on de-signs and colour combinations.

There are also scented soft baits like Gulp! by Berkley as well as soft bait of which scent can be added to. You, the angler, are spoilt for choice.

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Grubs

Soft plastic grubs are one of my favourites. I never go fishing without them. I used them for saltwater as well as freshwater fishing. I am not alone. A lot of anglers like them too. What makes them effective at catching fish?

Looking at the design of the grub, they have a rounded body of which could be either ribbed or smooth. They also have a tail (some have two) that is either curled or straight with a sexy action.

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Worms

Worms come in various types and sizes. There are the earthworm designs, crawler designs, sea worm, etc. What makes them at-tractive is their designed and tex-ture. Being elongated they can be manipulated to move in various ways thus creating various more natural looking action.

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Bait Fish

Bait fish comes is a lot of varieties such as minnows, pogy, eel, goby, shad, etc. They also come in numerous sizes and colour. Many of the soft plastic fishes comes with a paddle tail but there are also those that are “T” tailed or forked tailed as well as curly tails that gives that sexy curly action.

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Lizards

Lizards as the word applies look like lizards. They come in many colours and sizes. They normally come with sexy curly legs (four of them) and a sexy surly tail to attract fish. When in the water the lizards look like they are swimming or struggling and thus fish get attracted to them.

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Frogs

One of the first soft plastic baits that I used is the frog. The one I used then looked very much like a frog and it caught a lot of snake-heads. Soft plastic frogs these days come with curly legs and they work absolutely well too.

These soft plastic frogs come in sinking and floating varieties and can be played like live frogs. You can cast them on lily pads, hop them about, drop them is water, etc. I cannot count how many times I had my soft plastic frogs get hit by a snakehead when they drop from the lily pad into the water.

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Crawfish

Crawfish basically mimic the real ones that live in the rivers or lakes. They have pinchers and legs that move about as if to protect them as in the wild. Soft plastic crawfish uses its pinchers to attract fishes as these pinchers move about in the water.

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Shrimps

Shrimps are another type of popular fish-ing bait. Soft plastic shrimps are also well known to produce various species of fish such as mangrove jacks, groupers, and barramundis.

There are other designs such as crabs, mice, fry, salmon eggs, crickets, roaches, bugs, and many more that are proven to catch fish.

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Are Soft Plastics Effective?

Soft plastics are some of the most effec-tive artificial baits ever created. Other than mimicking the movement of live baits, they are soft of which feels a lot more like natural food as compared to hard plastic lures, metal spoons, and jigs. Fish tend to hold on longer to soft plastic baits as compared to hard bodied lures.

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Soft plastics are also effective as they can be rigged weedless and cast into areas where hard lures tend to get stuck in such as weeds, underwa-ter snags and structures, etc. This means that the scope of fishing is wider.

Soft plastics also dive faster than deep diving lures and they can reach depths that deep diving lures cannot. This point has been proven many a time as well when hunting for the giant snakeheads (to-man).

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A Whole New Game

Many anglers have tried fishing with soft plastic baits and failed to catch fish with them. The reason is because they are not familiar with managing soft plastic baits. Just like hard bodied lures, soft plastic baits have its own methods and techniques of play.

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You cannot “walk the dog ” with soft plastic baits and you cannot have a hard plastic lure sit on a piece or log and hope to catch a fish without move-ment.

In the next issue we will take a look at some techniques of using soft plas-tic baits. After all it is a totally different sport of fishing and thus makes for the need to learn new things.

Avillion Port DicksonBy Philemon Foo

As a hardworking economy building person and an avid angler, we tend to spend most of our time away from the family. We don’t do much together during the weekdays as put-ting food on the table is one of the priorities in life.

Anglers’ Havens

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Being such a person, I want to spend as much time with my family when I bring them for a holiday and definitely want to enjoy my sport of fishing as well. Thus the resort that I look for is a resort that allows us to have fun spending time together as a family with activities for children and parents, as well as al-lowing me to do some fun fishing.

View from the balcony at low tide.

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Weekend Escape

Port Dickson, being only an hour’s drive from the city of Kuala Lumpur is my ideal weekend escape. The drive is easy and before my daughter starts asking one of the world’s most famous travel ques-tion, “are we there yet?” we would be driving beside the beaches of Port Dickson.

In this escape we packed some sandcastle building gear, swim wear, sun glasses, electronic de-vices, my fishing gear, and our cameras, and we headed to Avil-lion Port Dickson; an award win-ning resort.

The spa. Children are not allowed within the vicinity.

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Sailing Stable

Avillion Port Dickson has rooms both out at sea and on land (garden). Being an angler I opted for a room out at sea of which is called a “water villa”. It is like sailing without the need for sea legs. There is need to wobble about deck like an intoxicated drunk while showing off various stances from the Kung Fu flick; The Drunken Master.

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The “water villa” we stayed in is beautifully designed with an elegant mix of a “kampong” bungalow and a luxury villa. With big airy space, a king size four-poster bed and a large day-bed; I was floating on cloud 8. I reached the 9th cloud when I saw the bathroom.

A bed fit for a king. Nice cozy room.

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I love bathrooms without roofs. They give me a sense of freedom. Don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those who would go nude in public but this large bathroom with a roof that leaves a huge space to a beautiful view of the sky and a large opening to the sea below presses all the right buttons.

Open-air shower area. What a way to refresh.

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The “water villas” are definitely for you if you enjoy relaxing to the sound of waves and the sea breeze. I do but for me, air-conditioning is a must and thus these villas are just right. They come with sea breeze, the waves below, and air-conditioning, truly a piece of heaven.

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Artistic Endeavour

Few very exclusive hotels and resorts have an art gallery. The one in Avillion is called Art Space. I do like art although I do not know much about it. What I appreciate is really the ability of the artist to give life to a piece of blank canvas.

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Kid’s Hangout

There are lots of things to do at Avillion and kids have their own place called the Kids Cabin. My daughter spent a lot of time here and the more time she spent there, the lighter my pockets felt. She did batik painting, sand art, painted a clay coin box, played video games, etc.

Helpful recreation staffs are on hand to help with activities.

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She practically had the entire place to herself during the late afternoon to evening. It was at night, after dinner that all the other kids came here.

Not many kids during the day. Well, its a beach resort. They are out having fun.

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Two Beaches

In the mornings at about 11am, we headed to the beach and spent about two hours there building sandcastles. Well, that is all my daughter wanted to do at the beach. The sea was rough and she couldn’t play in it anyway.

Tumasek Beach, a beach to relax at.

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There are two beaches at Avillion Port Dickson. One for relaxing and building sandcastles; the one we frequented called Tumasek Beach. The other beach is called Riau Beach where the water sports or sea sports activities are.

Waterbee; human powered water crafts.

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Swimming Pool

Avillion has three pools that are open 24 hours. The family pool (Village Pool), the kids pool, and an adult only pool (Cochin Pool). Sounds like my kind of pool but nothing much “adult” happens there. It’s just a deeper pool where quietness and tranquillity is respected.

Cochin Pool: adults only pool.

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Anyway, we spent a lot of time at the family pool and the kids pool where there is a waterslide. With a daughter in tow, enter-taining her and ensuring her safety is my priority.

Family pool. All pools are open 24 hours.

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Messing With Animals

One of the highlights for kids is the animal feeding time that starts at 10am every day. Right after breakfast we made our way to the pet farm. There are rab-bits, chickens, peacock (free roaming throughout the resort), and turtles. While my daughter went crazy feeding the animals I was busy shooting them with my camera.

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The peacocks tend to roam about the resort grounds. I saw them at the tennis courts, on the roof top of my villa, at the beach, etc. They are one of the most photographed birds in the resort. Anyone with a camera or a mo-bile device that has a camera function stood around them eagerly awaiting for it to spread its tail feathers.

This peacock was waiting for me outside my chalet.

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Other Activities

There are other activities that we did not go for and they are kayaking and paddle water crafts called water-bee(s) due to the rough seas brought about by the southwest mon-soon.

There is also a gym and air-conditioned games room that has two foosball tables and video games.

Waterbee, human powered jetskies and paddle boats.

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Spa

There is a spa at the Avillion Port Dickson that is built out at sea. It is the most relaxing area of the resort. Children are not allowed at the spa area. The spa has an outdoor deck that I will definitely build for my beach estate some day. I am allowed to dream and I am dreaming big.

The lovely deck at the spa. I so want one.

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Photographer’s Haven

Avillion Port Dickson is a haven for photographers especially if you love macro photography and natural photography. There are lots of flowers, plants, and animals for you to “shoot.” How-ever, photography in Avillion Port Dickson comes with restrictions.

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Avillion is a place that prefers to protect the privacy of its guests and thus puts some restrictions on photography about its grounds. It is okay to bring along your camera but keep your lenses fo-cused on plants, flowers, and animals, instead of random humans that are un-known to you and without permission.

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Fun For Anglers

Being an angler I brought along some soft baits and some squid for bait. I also borrowed a crab cage to teach my daughter a thing or two about crabbing, something she wanted to do whilst in Australia but we didn’t have one while the other crabbers did.

Lots of crabs and they are easily caught on rod & line. We also had a crab cage just for fun.

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During my stay at the Avillion Port Dickson there were two tide changes daily. The water started coming in at about 7am max-ing out at about 11am and then again at 7pm and maxing out at about 11pm.

I am onto a fish. Lots of fish too.

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I noticed that the best time to fish is with the tide coming in. We caught a lot more fishes during these times as compared to other times, even the highest tide.

Fishing practically slowed down (no rocks or structures that I could cast to from my balcony) during the high tide but the fishes were more signifi-cant.

Juvenile fish caught on squid bait.

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We caught a lot of crabs and fishes on rod and lines. I have never caught so many crabs on rod and line before. Most of the crabs actually get hooked in the mouth except for one that got hooked at its claw.

A good size sand crab (also known as flower crab) caught off the balcony. It got hooked in the mouth.

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After a while of fishing at the balcony I decided to stop when I gained too big an audience. I decided then to try fish-ing from the bathroom.

When I started drawing too much attention at the balcony, I have an alternative fishing spot; the bathroom.

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I have never fished from a bath-room (Kenyir boathouse toilet not counted) and this is surreal. I had my bait in the water while I soak in the tub, took a bath, and when the other guests staying at neigh-bouring “water villas” decided to watch me fish.

Lots of little fishes caught on apollo rig. Bathroom fishing ain’t bad.

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A Resort For All

My family and I had a superb holiday at Avillion Port Dickson of which had loads to offer and if fun. Honestly I could have spent my entire holiday just chilling out in the “wa-ter villa,” fishing from the balcony, the bath-room, and crabbing.

However, a holiday is for everyone and thus we all got to do what we like and more importantly we got to spend lots of time to-gether.

Hooked on to another good size crab at the bath-room. This one got hooked at one of its joints.

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Things To Bring

Should you decide to holiday at Avillion Port Dickson the following are things that you should bring.

Wet clothingSandcastle tools (if you like building sandcastles)Hat and sunglassesSuntan lotionInsect repellent (sand flies at the beach)Fishing equipment (rods and reels can be rented)

Another place to relax at, the Steam and Sauna Room.

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INDULGE INTRANQUILITY

An award winning beach resort with 240exquisite chalets and villas facing the Straitsof Malacca, Avillion Port Dickson offersunique experiential holidays of contemporaryluxuries fused with the nostalgic yester-yearMalay fishing village architecture concept.

Discover harmony in Avillion Port Dickson,a tranquil haven on stilts for ultimate getaways.

W avillionportdickson.comT 603 2730 9988 • E [email protected]

STAY IN AVILLIONPORT DICKSON
















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The Indo Pacific SailfishBy Philemon Foo

The Indo Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is one of the game fishes that visit our waters in droves. This fish turned the sleepy little town of Rompin into a game fishing town making it the sailfish capital of Malaysia.

Sporting Fishes

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Need For Speed

The sailfish is the Ferrari of sports fishes. They are one of the fast-est swimmers in our waters and making them an exciting opponent that is guaranteed to make reels scream when they run after tak-ing the bait. They are known to hit speeds above 60mph (more than 100kph). Not only are they exciting, they also look great with a bill and beau-tiful dorsal fin that looks like the sail of a boat that stretches almost the entire back, hence why they are called sailfish.

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Food Wise

Sailfishes feed on a variety of smaller fishes as well as squid. In Malaysian waters they feed on Big eye scad (selar), Indian mack-erel (kembong), Crimson jobfish (kerisi), etc. thus making them some of the more sort after baits for sailfish fishing.

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Attacking Prey

Sailfishes paralyze their targeted prey by hitting them with their bill before eating them. This is commonly seen when a group of sailfishes attack a school of bait-fish. They would charge toward the school of baitfish and slash at them with their bills. The lucky ones escape unharmed where as the less fortunate are left behind as food.

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Lean Mean Fighting Machine

The sailfish is indeed a lean mean fight-ing machine. They are seriously muscu-lar and powerful. They are also one of the most acrobatic fishes in our waters often leaping and “tail-walking” when in fight with an angler. Unfortunately they tend to fight until the point of death from over exhaustion.

As such it is highly recommended that they be landed as soon as possible and if taking photos, to make the photo ses-sion as short as possible (within 5 sec-onds). When releasing the sailfish it is best to revive it properly before releasing it to ensure its survival.

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Fishing The Sailfish

They are found in our waters through-out the year but the season begins in the month of August all the way towards the December where their numbers increase. The best time to fish them is between the months of August to end October just before the sea gets to rough and dangerous to play in.

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They are caught out at sea thus a reliable boat with a very knowl-edgeable boatman is important. Knowing where they congregate is equally important as to the abil-ity to position the boat at the loca-tion. Parking the boat right could make or break the fishing trip.

The usual way of fishing them is live bait drifting where a live bait fish is allowed to swim out while the angler waits for a sailfish to hit it, take the bait, and run. Other methods of fishing the sailfish are popping, jigging, and trolling.

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Recommended Tackle

What I will be recommending below is a suit-able setup for those who are new to sailfish fishing and thus may not be suitable to the old salt.

Rods: Boat type, Medium Heavy action, 15-40lb to 20-50lb .wt, 6’ to 6’6” length.

Reels: Spinning – size 6000 to 7000Multipliers – Size 7000 to 8000

Lines:Main lines – Recommended to use braids, 40 to 50lb.Leaders – Fluorocarbon, 50lb.

Hooks:Circle hooks sizes 5 to 7 (bring along a pack-et of size 8 just in case)

Bring along some Apollo rigs (smallest you can find) for catching baitfish as well as a packet of balloons to keep your bait from swimming to the bottom.

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Note: Sailfishes are dangerous fishes and will cause harm if not handled well. There have been cases where anglers were stabbed by the bill, slapped by its tail, etc.

The bill has a lot of tiny little thorns that can in-jure you. Always wear a glove when handling them. Also refrain from holding them at the thin-ner section of the bill.

For more information on fishing for sailfish or if you would like to book a trip, do contact me (Phil) at [email protected].

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Fishing With The Guv’norBack to Biwako II – Tackle TalkBy The Guv’nor

After last month’s article, I had some enquiries on the tackle for largemouth bass fishing. Though I’m certainly no expert on the sub-ject, there are some points that I reckon is worth sharing with the gang back home. Some anglers (including myself) would adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach, using any rod and reel combination for any type of lure fishing, mainly due to budget constraints. So the same set would most probably be used for topwater lures, crankbaits and even soft plastics.

Although it’s no grave sin by any means and one would still catch and land those fish but consider this, a rod and reel combination or a series of combinations that are tailor made for a particular method that will give you that extra edge to fish and catch better.

Fishy Tales

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Initially, I was somewhat curi-ous and found it somewhat odd that the professional bass guides had so many tackle on board. What’s wrong with just a couple?

They’d have different sets for crankbaits, minnows, soft plas-tics, rubber jigs etc. And don’t you dare try to use the wrong combination for the wrong type of lures on their boats! Throughout the years I begin to understand more and more why this is so (ok,ok I’m a little slow to learn).

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For example, back in 2006 when I first tried my hand at large-mouth bass fishing, I was fitted with a Daiwa Kix spinning reel together with a Jackall Bros Poison rod, a combination that was a joy to use with medium sized jerkbait minnows (such as the TD Minnow), the preferred lure in Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes).

But in my first trip to Biwako, in the middle of winter in 2010, we were recommended to use deep crankbaits capable of diving to 4 metres (such as the Tiemco Fat Pepper Plus) to get down to the where the fish are hiding in the weeds. At that time I was using a Shimano Scorpion baitcasting reel, though it was my favourite reel for toman hunting with topwater lures and fine for shallow div-ing crankbaits, I found it was really hard and heavy to work those large, deep crankbaits. At a ratio of 6.3:1, I was rather surprised that I was struggling throughout the day with that reel.

In my recent outing to Biwako with Sham Piman, we roughly had the same conditions. The air and water was still cold and the bass was holding deep in weed cover, so it was another round of deep crankbaits, and this time we were armed with the Megabass Deep X-300 and Imakatsu IK 400. I discussed with Sham about my pre-vious problem and he suggested the Daiwa Crazy Cranker. At a slow ratio of 4.9:1, it had the power to work the crankbait down deep really well.

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So even after a few hours of non-stop fishing, I did not feel at all fatigue with my Daiwa Crazy Cranker set up with a Nories Road Runner Voice rod (designed for crankbaits of course!) I reckoned I could have cast all day with that set up.

My set for the rubber jig was a Abu Garcia Revo Elite Power Crank HS-L custom paired with a Nories Road Runner Outback Rod, the high 7.1:1 ratio of the reel was good to pick up slack line fast while the rod, made for rubber jigs, was light and well balanced to slowly and patiently work the rubber jig, the way it should be fished. Even the sensitivity and the respon-siveness of the set played a huge role to detect those shy bites.

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Another thing to note was that we were always suggested to use 14 or 16lbs fluorocarbon lines, never braid. I would almost always use braided line for my toman fishing but in Biwako fluorocar-bon is the mainline of choice.

I suppose one would utilise the fast sinking properties of the fluorocarbon lines to be able to fish deeper. You can refer to May’s issue of TheAsianAngler to know more about fluorocarbon lines.

As a summary, a proper set up does make a difference in the long run, sometimes it’s those small details that matter. Having the right tools for the job means better ergonomics, less fa-tigue and more time on the water. If you’re not too busy resting your tired hands you can concentrate more on catching fish!

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Come catch your first largemouth bass! Summer time till autumn are good fishing periods, the weeds will be taller and you can catch them with surface lures like the ever favourite Megabass Dogx, Lucky Craft Gun-nish or Ima Skimmer.

Should you be interested, Sham Piman can sort you out for a memo-rable trip in Biwa and he can be reached at [email protected].

Your lures and other tackle item can be sourced from FB: Sham Piman or FB: Guvnor’s Gear.

Till then, tight lines!

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By Philemon Foo

What would be the one fair that almost all anglers love to go to? My guess is that it would be an angling fair. The Angling and Outdoor Recreational Fair was recently held at the Shah Alam Convention Centre on the 28th - 30th June 2013. It drew a very good crowd of visitors, some even coming from as far away as Penang.

Happenings

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The Angling & Outdoor Recreation-al Fair is organised by Rod & Line (English), Rod & Line (Chinese) and Pancing fishing magazines. This event is for fishing tackle brands to showcase their prod-ucts and to let the anglers know of what’s new and what’s coming.

First speech given by the chief of Life Publishers.

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Let The Fair Begin

With the opening of the doors on day one the crowd rushed into the hall to their favourite booths to collect free gifts. As the gifts were limited, it was the battle of the fastest. After that the crowd kept growing in num-bers. Parking spaces at the venue were full and we had to exercise our way to the fair.

En Ridzuan Ghazali, President of PeMM.

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I was invited to the opening and launching of the Angling and Outdoor Recreational Fair that started at about 3.30pm by Rod and Line Maga-zine. It was a good launch with fishes swimming (flying) about the area and children performing (later).

The Angling and Outdoor Recreational Fair was launched with speeches from the top brass of Life Magazine followed by En. Ridzuan Ghazali, the President of Persatuan Memancing Malaysia (Malaysian Fishing Association) also on behalf of Tourism Malaysia.

Remote control floating fishes. Nice too look at.

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He thanked the organizers, the par-ticipants, and the visitors for being part of the fair of which is important to make fishing an important sport in Malaysia. It is the aim of the Persatuan Memancing Malaysia to push sport of fishing in to being a recognized sport by the relevant government agencies.

Later they were given a blowpipe. Their mission: kill the large balloon that sits on top of all the other bal-loons. Kill that balloon they did and magical sparkling stuffs fell all the way to the ground. That marked the launching of the Angling and Outdoor Recreational Fair 2013.

The killing of the big balloon.

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The chiefs that made this event happen and VIPs.

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Enjoying The Fair

The fair brought about visitors from all over the country and I had the opportunity to meet up with fel-low anglers from Penang, Johor, Pahang, etc. most of which I have known for many years. It looked and felt like a gathering of friends.

Children putting on a play from The Little Mermaid, if not mistaken.

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Lots To See

There are a lot of new, inno-vative and fun products on display by fishing tackle com-panies, outdoor companies, hotels and resorts, distribu-tors of food, etc. Some of the more interesting ones that caught my eye is a beauti-ful boat by on display by Ex-plorer Marine, remote control fishes that swim in the air, and the many fishing prod-ucts.

Abu Garcia’s Fortress

Pure Fishing Malaysia show-cased some of their new Abu Garcia rods and reels, range of soft baits and lines from Berk-ley, lines from Spiderwire, and Stren but what interest me most are the new baitcasting reels by Abu Garcia.

Abu Garcia’s booth displaying new products such as the Revo MGX-treme & Rocket.

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The Abu Garcia Revo Rock-et and the Abu Garcia Revo MGXtreme of which is the light-est amongst the lot were on display. I wasn’t the only one interested as the reel section of the booth was crowded.

New Abu Garcia reels on display.

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Fuji Workout At Sea Tackle

Visiting the Sea Tackle booth I saw this guy working out his arms with a unique machine made up of weights, fishing line, fishing rod guides, and metal cylinders. While I have no interest in a guy’s biceps and forearms I wondered what he was doing.

Sea Tackle’s gym focusing on Fuji guides.

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I walked over to the crowd and sud-denly the line broke and one of the weights fell on the ground with a “clank.” It wasn’t my fault. Anyway, fishing lines are not made to be used as cables for an exercise machine.

Workout going on. Fuji Executive from Japan trying to hide the intensity.

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The whole thing turned out to be one of the executives at Fuji show-ing off the superiority of the new Fuji guides as compared to a com-petitor’s guide. He also explained how the dissipating of heat by Fuji guides are important to fishing.

More people participated in the work-out. Impressive guides.

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The Perfect Tackle

Megabass is one of the brands that attract me. What I like is their creative and crazy (in a good way) designs that are bold. They take a normal reel and make it great. Heck they even take a great reel and make it greater.

Megabass distributed by Perfect Tackle. Perfect Tackle’s chief, heading the team.

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Perfect Tackle showcased some of Megabass reels such as the Black Jungle and the lovely Zonda. They also showcased some beau-tiful Megabass rods, and their well known lures. My pockets are feel-ing lighter already.

Very nice looking Megabass reels.

These designs make a statement. Use a Megabass reel or rod and you become part of this state-ment.

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A World Of Sure Catch

Surecatch World had on display they range of lures from Zerek and SureBite , accessories by Surecatch, rods by ATC, products by Mustad, reels by Penn, etc.

A good variety of products on display at Surecatch World.

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What caught my attention is this area that sits within the safety of Perspex.

When someone spends RM50.00 at Catchbay, they are entitled to try out the Surecatch “powerlift.” What the participant will need to do to win a Sure-catch Alectis light jigging rod is to lift the weight and guess the correct weight.

Fun time for a chance to win a rod at Surecatch World.

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A New Kind Of Bait At Yuen Yang Tackle

Whilst at Surecatch World I met with a friend who recommended me to check out this new bait that is avail-able at Yuen Yang Tackle’s booth. This new bait is actually a new concept bait called Umpan Gam.

Yuen Yang’s chief introducing the Umpan Gam bait to a visitor.

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Umpan Gam basically allows your dough bait to stay on much longer be-fore disintegrating underwater. Another exciting feature of the Umpan Gam is that it can be moulded into different shapes.

Impressive bait that is well worth a try.

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For those who do not know this, Yuen Yang is actually the manufacturers of the famous dough bait called Bomb 286, one of the fa-vourites amongst the bottom angling com-munity.

A good variety of baits for the bottom angler can be found here.

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Hitting The Gs At Sang Lin Tackle

Sang Lin Tackle had Japanese mod-els walking around and that would explain the crowd crowding there. Another reason would be these very impressive rods by GCraft of Japan.

Showing Of those beautiful Quantum reels.

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The Executive Director of GCraft, Toshiya San gave me a demonstration of how tough and powerful his rods are and they indeed are. What is im-pressive is that they are light-weight and they are tough.

Guvnor going “gaga” over the GCraft rods.

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Toshiya San later did a demon-stration on stage and after the demonstration I overheard volun-teers who volunteered to help with the demonstration, say impressive the rods really are.

Me trying to break the GCraft rod. GCraft 1, me 0 (zero).

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Commercial Pond Baits At Siam Fish @ G-Master

One of the brand names taking the commercial freshwater pond anglers by storm is Siam Fish by X-jigger. Siam Fish baits and scents have been making waves with its baits from Thailand.

The new cult of commercial pond fishing.

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Eastern Fishing Tackle

Eastern Fishing Tackle put on an impressive booth too display-ing brands such as Awashima, Maguro, Starlit, Varivas, G-Tech, etc. They had on display a variety of lines, rods, lures, etc.

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Season Tackle

Season Tackle too drew a crowd with lucky draws and the Xzoga and Gawas rod range on display. Also on display and for sale are fishing lines and reels the they dis-tribute throughout Asia.

Lucky Draw bringing in the crowd.

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Monster In The House At One Monster Tackle

One Monster Tackle drew a lot of crowd too. They displayed sexy EXO reels by Quantum, tough reels by Fin-nor, lines by P-Line, as well as a whole range of rods.

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One Monster Tackle also had for sale and on display lures by Lucky Craft and Quantum.

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When it comes down to team clothing designs at this fair, One Monster Tackle wins hands down.

One Monster Tackle chief happy with the crowd.

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Fishabiliti Wear

Also at One Monster Tackle’s booth is a clothing brand that has been mak-ing waves in Malaysia called Fishabiliti. Fishabiliti makes clothes using materi-als that keep you cool under the sun and many others. They are on their way to becoming what Columbia is in Ameri-ca, to anglers here in Asia.

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TCE Tackles

One of the largest booths be-longs to TCE Tackles. Display-ing as well as selling a large range of products from reels, rods, baits, to accessories used for diving and other water sports; TCE Tackles booth was crowded with lookers and buy-ers.

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Loon Fatt Enterprise

Loon Fatt, a fishing tackle dealer and distributor setup shop within the fair taking the opportunity to sell some fishing tackles. Anglers to the fair were indeed looking for good bargains and they flocked to booths that gave them the bargains they want.

Lots of fishing items on sales here.

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Lucy Fishing

Another Japanese brand called Gan Craft was at the fair. They showcased their rods and lures as well as huge poppers. These rods are impressive too. They are light and strong, packed with power.

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World Tackle World Tackle had a booth at the entrance selling fishing products at low prices to an-glers. There are combo sets displayed as well as fishing products such as lines, and individual reels and rods.

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The Voice Of Rivers KAGUM

KAGUM or Kelah Action Group Of Malaysia was at the fair too. They are there to create awareness of the importance of our rivers. They also sold clothes and had a lucky draw. In their booth also sat one of Malaysia’s (and Sin-gapore’s) more famous fly angler fondly known as Uncle Amin. He was there to demonstrate fly tying methods.

When it comes to cleaning rivers, I don’t think anyone has done more than KAGUM.

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PeMM

PeMM or Persatuan Memancing Malaysia or Malaysian Angling Association shared a booth with Tourism Malaysia.

This also means that they are gaining better recognition by the government agencies and hope-fully will one day have a loud enough voice to break into the “stubborn ears” of the “authori-ties.”

PeMM signing up participants for the Royal Pahang Billfish Challenge 2013.

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A Boat Out Of Water At Ex-plorer Marine

Explorer Marines boat was definitely an attraction. They displayed a Fi-brafort Style 205 boat at their booth. As more and more anglers add boating into their fishing lifestyles, boat distributors are becoming more

Nice boat. I want one.

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Fishes On Air

Being an angler, fishes always at-tracts me. Seeing anemone clown fishes and sharks floating about brought out the inner child in me. These remote controlled fishes (and an Angry Bird character) caught my attention.

I walked over to their stand, picked up one of those fishes and had my picture taken. Later I decided to buy one for myself and gave them “forced” free advertising by having to walk this huge fish from the con-vention centre to my car which was parked about a kilometre away.

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Garmin GPS

Garmin had their GPS units and fish finders on display. Being one of the more famous GPS brands in Malaysia, they drew a crowd that would like to know more about these products and their use.

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Archery Range

There is an archery range built into the fair as well. A nice addition to have at an angling and outdoor fair. The company that set up this range also had on display some bows and arrows, real killing ma-chines.

Someone brought a bear to the fair.

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Contest

The organizers and sponsors also organised a “Winner Takes All” con-test where visitors to the fair are in-vited to guess the number of lures placed in a plastic box together with a few rubber balls.

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The many others

There are many other booths for visi-tors to visit and there is also free coffee (Coffee 888) which tasted really yum-my by Syarikat Thong Guan Trading.

This year’s participants list:

Land Rover Malaysia, Tourism Ma-laysia, Bank Rakyat, Amnekay Teknik Sdn. Bhd., TCE Tackles Sdn. Bhd., Yes Fishing, Supratechnic (M) Sdn. Bhd., One Monster Tackle and Mighty Ven-tures, Abu Garcia (Pure Fishing), Sea Tackle, Loon Fatt Enterprise...

Land Rovers on display. One of their sales-man told me that the green one of the right cost RM500,000. I think he ate too much nuts.

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Sunplay, Umpan Ulong Power Origi-nal, Yuen Yang Tackle Enterprise, Syarikat Thong Guan Trading Sdn. Bhd., Siam Fish @ G-Masters, Kick-ers, Eastern Fishing Tackle Malaysia Sdn Bhd., Kelah Action Group of Ma-laysia (KAGUM), Edaran Marine Centre Sdn. Bhd., Huskey Specialty Lubricants sdn. Bhd., Sang Ling Tackle, Surecatch World, The Season Tackle Sdn. Bhd., Universal Fitness and Leisure Sdn. Bhd. (UFL), Perfect Fishing (Megabass), Lucy Fishing Koubou,

GCraft models from Japan. Impressive....rods I meant.

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Gameswear Trading, A’ Famosa Resort, Radii, Shinobe (M) Sdn. Bhd., JS Cycle Supply Sdn. Bhd., Astro, LA Sports Coporation Sdn. Bhd., Corezone, Glenmarie Cove Development Sdn. Bhd., Hotel Seri Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Garmin.

Well, it was a good fair. Unfortunately a few big names were missing being Shimano, Dai-wa, and Rapala. Hopefully we get to see them in the future fair.

Syarikat Thong Guan Trading giving out free cof-fee (brand 888). Really good coffee.

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LOGO HUNTWINNERS

CONGRATULATIONSCongratulations: Winners Of The Abu Garcia Logo HuntThey have participated, they have hunted, and now they are winners. They hunted for 37 missing logos. Who are they?

Ismail Abdullah - found 37 logosMohd Shaiful Bin Haji Md Fuzi - found 36 logosNik Amir Syazwan Bin Nik Azmi - found 35 logosZulkifli Bin Jamaludin - found 35 logosMohtar Bin Sabdin - found 30 logos

All five winners wins a goodie bag of:

1) Premium Decals2) Berkley Fishing line3) Abu Garcia lure box4) Abu Garcia lures/Berkley softbait5) Abu Garcia cap6) Accessories

Contest Time

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Fly Tyer FreeBy Philemon Foo

Step by Step Fly Tying Patterns

We have not done articles for the fly fishing commu-nity thus far and this will be our first. The reason that we have not done so is because we are not familiar enough with fly fishing. Anyhow, we are working on getting more coverage for our fly fishing community.

Well, now you can tie your own flies anywhere you are. All you need to do is to download this application on your Iphone or Ipad and you have a fly tying guide book in your pocket.

Fishin’-Tech

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Fly Tyer

For fly anglers and anglers wanting to take up fly fish-ing, being able to tie your own flies is a large part of the fly fishing lifestyle. Most fly anglers I know tie their own flies and some of these flies are really works of art.

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Fly Tyer is an app that helps fly anglers learn how to tie flies. If you are into fly fish-ing you may find this application useful.

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Fly Tyer shows you how to tie a few basic fly patterns in various categories including dry flies, wet flies, nymph, streamers, etc. Many of these flies are applicable in our waters.

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Fly Tyer offers you a comprehensive step by step guide on tying flies begin-ning with the items you will need, fol-lowed by how to tie the flies.

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I am an amateur to fly fishing and I do find this application interesting. If you are like me then this will be a good application to down-load and refer to.

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PRODUCT FEATURE (July 2013)

STREN SUPER KNOTStronger knots for a better fishing experience

Whether you’re tying a double clinch or your own special knot, Stren Super Knot self-lubricating formula virtually eliminates breakage and knot failure.

Super Knot is the �rst self-lubricating mono ever invented and it is designed to tie stronger, easier knots that are built to take abuse and keep the pressure on big �sh. Most line breaks occur at the knot, Stren Super Knot is designed toreduce, if not totally eliminate knot breakage.

STREN MAGNATHINAmazingly thin, astonishingly strong

Natural lure action and low visibility are two features that position Stren Magnathin as a top choice for clear water or line-wary game�sh.Yet the de�ning feature of this remarkable line is its exceptional strength-to-diameter ratio.

Anglers can drop down a size or two without sacri�cing strength. When strength, thin diameter and casting accuracy count, knowledgable anglers count on Stren Magnathin.

™ ™

For Enquiries please call Pure Fishing : 03 5032 9288 For Enquiries please call Pure Fishing : 03 5032 9288

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Ofmer Propop Poppers

Ofmer Propop Poppers are easy to use, effctive and have been proven to catch fish. Featuring an enlarge cup that pops really well attracting predator fishes from nearby to investi-gate.

Do get try them out. For more information on the Ofmer Propop Poppers do drop us a line at:

Sea Tackle. Tel: 03-7875 9888

Ofmer Bad Dog Lures

Ofmer Bad Dog lures are great value for money lures. They “walk” well like other more expensive lure. Made of high qual-ity material, the Bad Dog lures are a must have in your tackle box

Do get try them out. For more information on the Ofmer Bad Dog lures do drop us a line at:

Sea Tackle. Tel: 03-7875 9888

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Hemingway Elite 6000Hemingway Elite 6000 is the next generation of high performance, high-value spinning reels designed for the serious fisherman. Featuring 6 ball bearings and designed with Hemingway’s strong Infinite Anti-Reverse and ultra-smooth drag, the Elite can handle species of all types with ease on a powerful gear ratio of 5.2:1. The lightweight graphite body makes the Elite one of the most comfortable spinning reels and is well suited for many types of saltwater fishing. Only 6000 Size available. Line Capacity (mm/m) 0.40/285. 0.45/245. 0.50/210.

For Enquiries please call MGFA : 07 8619 289

No.8/0 No.7/0 No.6/0 No.5/0 No.4/0 No.3/0

No.2/0 No.1/0 No.1

MORIGEN 809 BEAK HOOKSMorigen 809 Beak hooks are mean bait hooks, featuring a totally unique offset, super-sharp forged point for merciless instant hook-up. XX strong and corrosion resistant black chrome finish, Mori-gen’s strength and lethal sharpness outlive any other carbon hooks in the market. Come in sizes suited for both freshwater and saltwa-ter application. Crafted in Japan.

Sizes: #12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 7/0, 8/0.


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Salmo EXECUTOR

Executor is a classic, beautiful shape and unique action lure which is a must in every angler’s arsenal. Well proven on all types of saltwater and freshwater fisheries – from small streams to large lakes and reservoirs. The Salmo Executor has landed

On Left (SDR) On right (SR)


Colours Available:

Dace (D)

Gold Orange Shinner (GOS)

Green Tiger (GT)

Pearl Blue (PB)

Red Hot Perch (RHP)

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Viper VenomII Xtreme

Viper Venom II Xtreme is built tough with high impact resistant graph-ite for the demanding anglers in demanding situation. The Xtreme series boasts outstanding strength, sensitivity and strong hook setting power. With a strong backbone, the Xtreme takes on the freshwater arena and light coastal saltwater fishing with no mercy.

Model Available:

Spinning:VVXT562MHS Line Wt: 6-15lb Lure Wt: 4-16gmVVXT602MHS Line Wt: 8-17lb Lure Wt: 5-21gmVVXT662MHS Line Wt: 10-25lb Lure Wt: 8-30gmVVXT702MHS Line Wt: 12-30lb Lure Wt: 8-38gm

Casting:VVXT562MHB Line Wt: 8-17lb Lure Wt: 5-21gmVVXT602MHB Line Wt: 10-20lb lure Wt: 7-28gmVVXT632MHB Line Wt: 10-30lb Lure Wt: 8-38gm

Jigging:VVXT631MHSJ PE#1-3 Jig Wt: 40-150gm Best Drag: 4kgVVXT632MHSJ PE#1-3 Jig Wt: 40-150gm Best Drag: 4kgFor Enquiries please call MGFA : 07 8619 289

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The Asian Angler - July 2013 Digital Issue - Malaysia - English

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Transcript of The Asian Angler - July 2013 Digital Issue - Malaysia - English