Post by Qwek on Sept 14, 2006 16:02:38 GMT 8
“Charlies!"
"You need crazy charlies, Qwek.” This is one of the many advices I got from the seasoned FF anglers, for my maiden voyage to Maldives. As some you know that it is the only fly that I had not used or tied, for some reason I just cannot get myself to completely tie one. Many time I had tied up to the V-rib and I felt that the process is not right and I am doing injustice to the pattern. Taking it off the vise I got on to tie other patterns, some of which do not appeared in flytying catalog anymore.
Even though I didn’t tied the Charlie, many friends called to offer their flies especially charlies to me, Pak Amin even showed me how to tie one. Beside the flies, I had many offers to use their rods, reels and other essential equipment. It like my first day of school.
To all my friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your assistance, advices and tackles, and of course the charlies.
With the one hundreds plus flies tied and sorted like a stamp collection, I got on to pack my stuff for the trip. It took me three days to sort out the things and clothing for the trip. I had to leave behind the LLbean stripping basket as it was too big to fit into my bag, instead I packed a DIY basket which Jimmy Wong helped to assemble. I finally got the bags down to a check-in for the cloths, wading boot and stripping basket. The hand-carry contained the reels and the cameras, the lots weighed over ten kilos.
With every thing pack and ready to go the day before, I called upon Jimboz to perform a task which I thing Moses will be proud of and what a surprise it will be for them at the airport. As expected, each one of them greeted me with a surprised look on their face. These are my surprised companions for the trip: Karim, Mohamad, Daniel, Mark, Zahari, Aznan and SH Tan (both from KL) and of course Pak Amin.
SQ452, guess it is the only two planes flying between Singapore and Maldives. Cleared immigration without a hitch just like what Moses has assured me. It took roughly four hours to reach Male, Maldives and it took nearly two hours to clear immigration and custom. Like a country pumpkin I thought there will be a van or bus to take us to the jetty or something. Didn’t know that the jetty was just by the airport and the waiting bus is a ferry to bring to the mother boat, Masibaru. With our bags and rod tubes transferred onboard, we were assigned to our bunks. After storing our gears and stuffs away, I took a look around the boat. Tired from the flight from Singapore, I bunked in early for the journey north for my first saltwater flyfishing expedition. Like a Virgin.
Sound of the engine running got me up to find breakfast waiting for us. Toasted breads with omelet, beans and spreads together with orange cordial were to be the first meals fro the next seven days. Find it strange not to have coffee and tea served together with breakfast but we get to try and learned how to make Yadav’s special brew later in the expedition. After breakfast, we cast off for a long journey up north to Captain Ibrahim’s home base where we spent many a night there.
Along the way we stopped near one of the many paradise islands for lunch before we proceed north again. We had started to unpack our gears and tackle, as we got our tackle assembled, Pak Amin rigged up the rod holder for our assembled tackled.
Next out came our wading boots and stripping basket. I took out my “stamp collection” and transferred the flies I hoped that will catch me my first bonefish, into the two fly boxes that I will carried in my chest pack for the whole trip. One by one, we took out our leaders and wait for Pak Amin to tied for us the tried and tested twisted butt leader. Not wanting to put my hand tied leader to the test, I also asked him to tie some for me. With all the tackle secured and chest packs loaded, we sat and watched Masibaru’s bow slowly eat up the distance to Captain Ibrahim’s home island.
Land Ahoy! At last for I had the constant humming going around like a broken record in my head; “Are we there yet?” We craned our necks to over the bow as we approached Kurendhoo, our base for trip. As the boat slowly approached the harbour entrance we can see the breaker that was battered by the last tsunami.
Within the breaker, we watched the captain shouting commands to his deck hands as they secured the moorings for the boat. Once secured, some of us took the opportunity to explore the island. Its get dark very early here in Maldives. After dinner, eager to wet our lines I took out our ultralight to have a go at the fishes and squids swimming around the boat. Soon the fishes got smarter and we retired to the deck for coffee and some jive talking. For some reason, it seem there a tenth person with us, hmmm strange. Some called it early and hit the sack while the rest sat and watched the stars disappeared in the dark clouds that were hanging over the horizon as we sailed into the harbour. We hope that it will passed over the next morning.
To be continued...
Cheers
Qwek
"You need crazy charlies, Qwek.” This is one of the many advices I got from the seasoned FF anglers, for my maiden voyage to Maldives. As some you know that it is the only fly that I had not used or tied, for some reason I just cannot get myself to completely tie one. Many time I had tied up to the V-rib and I felt that the process is not right and I am doing injustice to the pattern. Taking it off the vise I got on to tie other patterns, some of which do not appeared in flytying catalog anymore.
Even though I didn’t tied the Charlie, many friends called to offer their flies especially charlies to me, Pak Amin even showed me how to tie one. Beside the flies, I had many offers to use their rods, reels and other essential equipment. It like my first day of school.
To all my friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your assistance, advices and tackles, and of course the charlies.
With the one hundreds plus flies tied and sorted like a stamp collection, I got on to pack my stuff for the trip. It took me three days to sort out the things and clothing for the trip. I had to leave behind the LLbean stripping basket as it was too big to fit into my bag, instead I packed a DIY basket which Jimmy Wong helped to assemble. I finally got the bags down to a check-in for the cloths, wading boot and stripping basket. The hand-carry contained the reels and the cameras, the lots weighed over ten kilos.
With every thing pack and ready to go the day before, I called upon Jimboz to perform a task which I thing Moses will be proud of and what a surprise it will be for them at the airport. As expected, each one of them greeted me with a surprised look on their face. These are my surprised companions for the trip: Karim, Mohamad, Daniel, Mark, Zahari, Aznan and SH Tan (both from KL) and of course Pak Amin.
SQ452, guess it is the only two planes flying between Singapore and Maldives. Cleared immigration without a hitch just like what Moses has assured me. It took roughly four hours to reach Male, Maldives and it took nearly two hours to clear immigration and custom. Like a country pumpkin I thought there will be a van or bus to take us to the jetty or something. Didn’t know that the jetty was just by the airport and the waiting bus is a ferry to bring to the mother boat, Masibaru. With our bags and rod tubes transferred onboard, we were assigned to our bunks. After storing our gears and stuffs away, I took a look around the boat. Tired from the flight from Singapore, I bunked in early for the journey north for my first saltwater flyfishing expedition. Like a Virgin.
Sound of the engine running got me up to find breakfast waiting for us. Toasted breads with omelet, beans and spreads together with orange cordial were to be the first meals fro the next seven days. Find it strange not to have coffee and tea served together with breakfast but we get to try and learned how to make Yadav’s special brew later in the expedition. After breakfast, we cast off for a long journey up north to Captain Ibrahim’s home base where we spent many a night there.
Along the way we stopped near one of the many paradise islands for lunch before we proceed north again. We had started to unpack our gears and tackle, as we got our tackle assembled, Pak Amin rigged up the rod holder for our assembled tackled.
Next out came our wading boots and stripping basket. I took out my “stamp collection” and transferred the flies I hoped that will catch me my first bonefish, into the two fly boxes that I will carried in my chest pack for the whole trip. One by one, we took out our leaders and wait for Pak Amin to tied for us the tried and tested twisted butt leader. Not wanting to put my hand tied leader to the test, I also asked him to tie some for me. With all the tackle secured and chest packs loaded, we sat and watched Masibaru’s bow slowly eat up the distance to Captain Ibrahim’s home island.
Land Ahoy! At last for I had the constant humming going around like a broken record in my head; “Are we there yet?” We craned our necks to over the bow as we approached Kurendhoo, our base for trip. As the boat slowly approached the harbour entrance we can see the breaker that was battered by the last tsunami.
Within the breaker, we watched the captain shouting commands to his deck hands as they secured the moorings for the boat. Once secured, some of us took the opportunity to explore the island. Its get dark very early here in Maldives. After dinner, eager to wet our lines I took out our ultralight to have a go at the fishes and squids swimming around the boat. Soon the fishes got smarter and we retired to the deck for coffee and some jive talking. For some reason, it seem there a tenth person with us, hmmm strange. Some called it early and hit the sack while the rest sat and watched the stars disappeared in the dark clouds that were hanging over the horizon as we sailed into the harbour. We hope that it will passed over the next morning.
To be continued...
Cheers
Qwek