Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2005 8:52:37 GMT 8
Reading the Waters for Peacock Bass
at Lower Peirce Reservoir
[/size][/color]
Entrance to Lower Peirce Reservoir[/color]
First of all, I would like to state that there is no scientific basis to what I will be writing. Over the years, I had very haphazardly kept a fishing log on my fishing adventures at Lower Peirce Reservoir. Some of my explanations might seem to be scientific, but they are not. Only speculations, but it did catch a lot more fish for me.
If you use my methods and catch more fish, please remember to practice Catch And Release. Remember not to fight the fish for too long. It will be worn out and will become an easy target for the Tomans waiting in ambush for them when you release them.
I hope that by sharing my observations, I can encourage those young fishermen who had experienced poor catch rates at Lower Pierce Reservoir to pick up a few pointers here and use them to increase their catches instead of using illegal means to achieve their targets.
There are three methods that I had used to increase my catch rate. Some might view it as unethical and some might say I am cheating. If you are of such opinion, then don’t use the methods that I have described.
In the western countries, it is called matching the hatch and reading the waters. What I am trying to do here is to teach you how to read the waters at Lower Peirce Reservoir for Peacock Bass.
A brilliantly coloured juvenile Peacock Bass[/color]
Hopefully, you can increase your catch rate without resorting to using illegal methods like nets, fish traps, or using chicken liver, frogs, live goldfish and other organic pollutants as baits. The hand of the law is long and sooner or later offenders will be caught and prosecuted.
In future, with responsible fishermen fishing at the reservoirs, we can request the authorities to open up a bit more area for us and our younger generation to enjoy. Hopefully the day will come when fly fishermen can be allocated a section of some reservoirs to cast their lines without endangering the other park users with their back casts.
Dirty Green Scum After The Rain[/color][/size]
Nutritious Green Scum after heavy rain.[/color]
If you keep and breed fishes like discus you will be familiar with this. If you had observed people breeding and bringing up grouper fries, barramundi fries or even prawns, you will be even more familiar.
I had observed over the years that after a very heavy rain, a kind of green scum or algae will grow all over Lower Pierce Reservoir after a day or two of sunshine. This algae is the food for rotifers, a kind of microscopic aquatic animal. Shrimps, fish fries and other minute creatures in return feed on rotifers. Rotifers in this case is at the very bottom of the food chain in our reservoirs, I think.
After two to three days, there will be a sudden burst of activities around the waters that was dirtied by the green scum and algae. The water would now have been reverted back to its clean and clear look. These activities will last for another two days or more depending on the number of bait shrimps or fish that was spawned. During this period, you can just throw anything into the water and get a Peacock Bass. There is so much food in the water and the Peacock Basses are at such a feeding frenzy that they will grab any fly cast. So the next time, when you go to Lower Pierce Reservoir and find the whole place covered with the dirty green algae, don’t be dismayed. It is your lucky break. Come back in another day or two when the Peacock Basses will be having their banquet. Beginners will not be disappointed
Bald Patches (Botak)[/color][/size]
Do you clean your own bedroom?
Well, many species of egg laying fish will take a lot of trouble cleaning their nests. This is especially so when they are preparing the nests to receive the eggs that the females are about to lay. Peacock Basses at Lower Peirce Reservoir are no different. They will take so much trouble cleaning their nest that it really stood out like a sore thumb. Giving away, to a pair of observant eyes, their intentions as well as their locations.
The next time you visit Lower Peirce Reservoir, don’t just start casting blindly. Pause for a moment. Stand at the water edge and give it a scan. Have a look at the surroundings. Look at the water. Look at the granite rocks lining the Fishing Ground. Try to remember what had changed. Look into the water. Try and see if you can find any Bald patches that look out of place and doesn’t fit into the contours of the surroundings of weeds and algae. Very often, you can find a patch of white sandy bottom glaring at you. Around this patch is the usual weeds and green moss. In most cases there will be a piece of wood, a tree-branch or a piece of rock at the center of this Botak patch.
Bingo !
You are starring at a Peacock Bass nest. In the waters at a radius of 20 to 30 feet around this Botak, cast your flies. If the Peacock Bass pair had not been caught and killed and the fries have not been completely consumed by other fishes around this area, you will get your catch for the day.
If there is no bite, move on to another spot or try to find another Botak patch. Remember to use a fly that is of a similar size to the fries and about the same colour. Other Peacock Basses will be swarming near this area to feed on the fries.
Tomans large and small will also be lurking nearby to ambush the feeding Peacock Basses. Once in a while, you get the shock of your live when a huge Toman whack your catch leaving you with half a Peacock Bass when your fly is retrieved.
Peacock Bass attacked by Toman[/color]
at Lower Peirce Reservoir
[/size][/color]
Entrance to Lower Peirce Reservoir[/color]
First of all, I would like to state that there is no scientific basis to what I will be writing. Over the years, I had very haphazardly kept a fishing log on my fishing adventures at Lower Peirce Reservoir. Some of my explanations might seem to be scientific, but they are not. Only speculations, but it did catch a lot more fish for me.
If you use my methods and catch more fish, please remember to practice Catch And Release. Remember not to fight the fish for too long. It will be worn out and will become an easy target for the Tomans waiting in ambush for them when you release them.
I hope that by sharing my observations, I can encourage those young fishermen who had experienced poor catch rates at Lower Pierce Reservoir to pick up a few pointers here and use them to increase their catches instead of using illegal means to achieve their targets.
There are three methods that I had used to increase my catch rate. Some might view it as unethical and some might say I am cheating. If you are of such opinion, then don’t use the methods that I have described.
In the western countries, it is called matching the hatch and reading the waters. What I am trying to do here is to teach you how to read the waters at Lower Peirce Reservoir for Peacock Bass.
A brilliantly coloured juvenile Peacock Bass[/color]
Hopefully, you can increase your catch rate without resorting to using illegal methods like nets, fish traps, or using chicken liver, frogs, live goldfish and other organic pollutants as baits. The hand of the law is long and sooner or later offenders will be caught and prosecuted.
In future, with responsible fishermen fishing at the reservoirs, we can request the authorities to open up a bit more area for us and our younger generation to enjoy. Hopefully the day will come when fly fishermen can be allocated a section of some reservoirs to cast their lines without endangering the other park users with their back casts.
Dirty Green Scum After The Rain[/color][/size]
Nutritious Green Scum after heavy rain.[/color]
If you keep and breed fishes like discus you will be familiar with this. If you had observed people breeding and bringing up grouper fries, barramundi fries or even prawns, you will be even more familiar.
I had observed over the years that after a very heavy rain, a kind of green scum or algae will grow all over Lower Pierce Reservoir after a day or two of sunshine. This algae is the food for rotifers, a kind of microscopic aquatic animal. Shrimps, fish fries and other minute creatures in return feed on rotifers. Rotifers in this case is at the very bottom of the food chain in our reservoirs, I think.
After two to three days, there will be a sudden burst of activities around the waters that was dirtied by the green scum and algae. The water would now have been reverted back to its clean and clear look. These activities will last for another two days or more depending on the number of bait shrimps or fish that was spawned. During this period, you can just throw anything into the water and get a Peacock Bass. There is so much food in the water and the Peacock Basses are at such a feeding frenzy that they will grab any fly cast. So the next time, when you go to Lower Pierce Reservoir and find the whole place covered with the dirty green algae, don’t be dismayed. It is your lucky break. Come back in another day or two when the Peacock Basses will be having their banquet. Beginners will not be disappointed
Bald Patches (Botak)[/color][/size]
Do you clean your own bedroom?
Well, many species of egg laying fish will take a lot of trouble cleaning their nests. This is especially so when they are preparing the nests to receive the eggs that the females are about to lay. Peacock Basses at Lower Peirce Reservoir are no different. They will take so much trouble cleaning their nest that it really stood out like a sore thumb. Giving away, to a pair of observant eyes, their intentions as well as their locations.
The next time you visit Lower Peirce Reservoir, don’t just start casting blindly. Pause for a moment. Stand at the water edge and give it a scan. Have a look at the surroundings. Look at the water. Look at the granite rocks lining the Fishing Ground. Try to remember what had changed. Look into the water. Try and see if you can find any Bald patches that look out of place and doesn’t fit into the contours of the surroundings of weeds and algae. Very often, you can find a patch of white sandy bottom glaring at you. Around this patch is the usual weeds and green moss. In most cases there will be a piece of wood, a tree-branch or a piece of rock at the center of this Botak patch.
Bingo !
You are starring at a Peacock Bass nest. In the waters at a radius of 20 to 30 feet around this Botak, cast your flies. If the Peacock Bass pair had not been caught and killed and the fries have not been completely consumed by other fishes around this area, you will get your catch for the day.
If there is no bite, move on to another spot or try to find another Botak patch. Remember to use a fly that is of a similar size to the fries and about the same colour. Other Peacock Basses will be swarming near this area to feed on the fries.
Tomans large and small will also be lurking nearby to ambush the feeding Peacock Basses. Once in a while, you get the shock of your live when a huge Toman whack your catch leaving you with half a Peacock Bass when your fly is retrieved.
Peacock Bass attacked by Toman[/color]
Fishing sucks? Try Flyfishing! ;D
Nice work on it