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Vagabonds in Peninsular Malaysia

Vagabond

By Vagabond
in Coarse Fishing

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Vagabond Member

Vagabond

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Posted (edited)

Hi everyone

Just a brief word from Brisbane after our fortnight in Malaysia

There were two objectives for the Malaysian section of the trip - the first was to track down some South-east Asian rain-forest birds to fill in the gaps of those we had not encountered in previous visits to Assam, Thailand, and the Andaman Islands.

 

The first three days were spent in the mangrove swamps of the west coast of the peninsula, which meant three days of fighting off mosquitoes in between looking for Crested Serpent Eagle and the elusive Mangrove Blue Flycatcher - a bird that eats mosquitoes , so is a friend of mine :)

 

Followed that by four days at Frazers Hill - Mountain rain forest, and how! Some of the most precipitous ravines and gullies we have seen (and we've seen quite a few), all covered with dense jungle, and hunted over by leeches. Despite wearing leech socks, we both got bitten a few times - the beggars lurk in the bushes and drop on your head, work their way under your collar, and the first you know about it is when someone notices a spreading bloodstain on the back of your shirt. It is no accident that this location was chosen by the RAF for training service personnel in jungle survival - we have been in lots of rain forests around the world, but this was pretty extreme. Nevertheless, we saw a lot of rain-forest birds, and by staying in the forest until after dark, picked up some night-jars also.

 

The rest of the time we spent on the huge Taman Negara reserve in the centre and east of the peninsula. This is tiger and wild Asian elephant country - we saw neither, but did get close enough to a Malaysian tapir to see it had got leeches between its toes. Plenty of birds here, including a couple of species of pitta - a ground bird that is another good friend of mine - it eats leeches :)

 

A total of 169 bird species, of which 48 were new to us - so that part of the trip was fine.

 

The second objective, to catch a few Asian freshwater fish, was a bit more difficult, as fishing is forbidden in the National parks where we spent most of the time.

However, I did manage a couple of hours in an irrigation canal in the paddy-fields inland from the mangrove swamps, and got some "Climbing Perch" or Puyu and some Duri Catfish (Trachysurid family)

 

Between the two major reserves we crossed a likely looking river, and an hour spent there yielded Lampan, a cyprinid of the Barb genus.

 

We also managed a full day at the end of the trip and went up the Sungai (that's Malaysian for River) Tembeling, then miles up one of its tributaries, the Sungai Keniam, until well away from the reserve and any sign of civilisation. The boat, and the turbulent river, were uncomfortably similar to the scenario in Madagascar, where we ended up having to swim ! Not this time though, and we had a lot of different fish, including Golden Mahseer (both of us) and a selection of other cyprinids, Sebarau, Terbui, and a species of Rasbora. Also Baung catfish, and Lalli - a large loach of the Botia family.

 

Exact identification of these will have to await our return to the UK in 2012, when I can download the pics and compare them with my reference books and Fishbase. As far as I can see I seem to have added about seven or eight fish species to my World list.

 

Overall, a successful trip, 48 new birds, 7 new fish, 4 new reptiles, and 19 new mammals. Add to that a fantastic cuisine (Malay, Chinese, Indian, and some inventive combinations of two or more of those styles) and daily sundowners of Tiger beer, plus some of the most breathtaking jungle vistas one could find anywhere in the world

 

Now for a month in Australia !

Edited by Vagabond

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Dales Member

Dales

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Posted

Sounds like an interesting trip, like Rich those leeches give me the heebie jeebies. If it's not them fallling on you it's those giant millipedes :rolleyes:

Stephen

 

Species Caught 2014

Zander, Pike, Bream, Roach, Tench, Perch, Rudd, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Eel, Grayling, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout

Species Caught 2013

Pike, Zander, Bream, Roach, Eel, Tench, Rudd, Perch, Common Carp, Koi Carp, Brown Goldfish, Grayling, Brown Trout, Chub, Roosterfish, Dorado, Black Grouper, Barracuda, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Jack Crevalle, Tarpon, Red Snapper

Species Caught 2012
Zander, Pike, Perch, Chub, Ruff, Gudgeon, Dace, Minnow, Wels Catfish, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Roach, Bream, Eel, Rudd, Tench, Arapaima, Mekong Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Marbled Tiger Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Thai Redtail Catfish, Batrachian Walking Catfish, Siamese Carp, Rohu, Julliens Golden Prize Carp, Giant Gourami, Java Barb, Red Tailed Tin Foil Barb, Nile Tilapia, Black Pacu, Red Bellied Pacu, Alligator Gar
Species Caught 2011
Zander, Tench, Bream, Chub, Barbel, Roach, Rudd, Grayling, Brown Trout, Salmon Parr, Minnow, Pike, Eel, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Koi Carp, Crucian Carp, F1 Carp, Blue Orfe, Ide, Goldfish, Brown Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, Golden Tench, Golden Rudd, Perch, Gudgeon, Ruff, Bleak, Dace, Sergeant Major, French Grunt, Yellow Tail Snapper, Tom Tate Grunt, Clown Wrasse, Slippery Dick Wrasse, Doctor Fish, Graysby, Dusky Squirrel Fish, Longspine Squirrel Fish, Stripped Croaker, Leather Jack, Emerald Parrot Fish, Red Tail Parrot Fish, White Grunt, Bone Fish
Species Caught 2010
Zander, Pike, Perch, Eel, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Mirror Carp, Common Carp, Crucian Carp, Siamese Carp, Asian Redtail Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Rohu, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Pacu, Long Tom, Moon Wrasse, Sergeant Major, Green Damsel, Tomtate Grunt, Sea Chub, Yellowtail Surgeon, Black Damsel, Blue Dot Grouper, Checkered Sea Perch, Java Rabbitfish, One Spot Snapper, Snubnose Rudderfish
Species Caught 2009
Barramundi, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Wallago Leeri Catfish, Wallago Attu Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Mrigul, Siamese Carp, Java Barb, Tarpon, Wahoo, Barracuda, Skipjack Tuna, Bonito, Yellow Eye Rockfish, Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Black Fin Snapper, Dog Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Marble Grouper, Black Fin Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Mutton Snapper, Redhind Grouper, Saddle Grouper, Schoolmaster, Coral Trout, Bar Jack, Pike, Zander, Perch, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Common Carp, Golden Tench, Wels Catfish
Species Caught 2008
Dorado, Wahoo, Barracuda, Bonito, Black Fin Tuna, Long Tom, Sergeant Major, Red Snapper, Black Damsel, Queen Trigga Fish, Red Grouper, Redhind Grouper, Rainbow Wrasse, Grey Trigger Fish, Ehrenbergs Snapper, Malabar Grouper, Lunar Fusiler, Two Tone Wrasse, Starry Dragonet, Convict Surgeonfish, Moonbeam Dwarf Angelfish,Bridled Monocle Bream, Redlined Triggerfish, Cero Mackeral, Rainbow Runner
Species Caught 2007
Arapaima, Alligator Gar, Mekong Catfish, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Pacu, Siamese Carp, Barracuda, Black Fin Tuna, Queen Trigger Fish, Red Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Honeycomb Grouper, Red Grouper, Schoolmaster, Cubera Snapper, Black Grouper, Albacore, Ballyhoo, Coney, Yellowfin Goatfish, Lattice Spinecheek

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gozzer Member

gozzer

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Posted

Sounds like another successful trip Dave, (for you). Us wimps will leave those leeches to you and your good lady. :yucky:

 

Besides, we have our own species of leech back here, much bigger than over there. 'Hirudo politicalus' is a particularly common and voracious one. :rolleyes:

 

John.

Angling is more than just catching fish, if it wasn't it would just be called 'catching'......... John

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Tony U Member

Tony U

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Posted

Brilliant, I look forward to seeing any bird pictures that you managed to take.

Tony

 

After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

 

 

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chesters1 Member

chesters1

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Posted

poor you if you get bored just hand over the money and you can have a cuppa at my place and see something far rarer than foreign fish and i will turn the heating on and wee over your head if its the weather you are after

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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