A Nice Sized Redtail From Dreamlake in Chiang Mai

A nice sized redtail catfish Caught while fishing in Chiang Mai.

Fishing in Chiang Mai for Siamese Carp

There are only a few places in Thailand where you can target large carp; Chiang Mai's very own Dreamlake is one of the top spots. 

Sorry about the face...... Big Siamese Carp Caught in Chiang Mai.

My luck is definitely in this month and I must put it down to the new lease of life for fishing that has been injected into me from my new fishing buddy, Mac.. The man is fishing mad and has caught many big fish while fishing in Thailand.

Mac made me join him on an evenings fishing at Dreamlake in Chiang Mai. Which gave me another huge fish. This time I was fishing for the carp. Dreamlake holds a good head "Rohu" and "Small Scale mud carp" which are hard scrapping and growing fast, but the lake here in Chiang Mai also holds a good stock of Siamese Carp as well as Julians price carp which both can grow to huge sizes and fight like steam trains. This is what we were targeting.

We fished a Lum mix only a rod length from the banks. They definitely love a nice cloudy mix and this is what we gave the on a small method feeder. the rods sat untouched for several hours and the lake did not want to give up any fish. Mac was stalking a redtail catfish that had been taking his baits from down the margins and I was standing guard on the rods with the buzzers. I was sure Mac was going hook the first fish of the evening and my confidence in the other rods was dwindling fast. When I jumped instantly to the scream of one of the buzzers screaming but couldn't work out which rod was going in the darkness, after a moments hesitation,  I realized it was one of mine. The line was being stripped at an incredible rate. Strike!!!! The rod curls round ,  I know it is something big, but it could be one of the Mekong Catfish which fight like monsters, too. (The Mekong Cats are passing 35-40kg in the Dreamlake already) When Fighting a  big fish in the dark it definitely makes it more  exciting. The fish fights all the way stripping line as it wants. Finally we see the beauty, it breaks the surface. The mouth is big enough to fit a grapefruit  in.  I decided to enter the water to save lifting the fish out, this I feel is always better for the fish. It slides into one of Dreamlake's extra large landing nets, then is easy to unhook. Keeping it in the landing net we get ready for a picture , I lift the beast feeling the weight , being reminded of a sack of cement we snap a picture, as we get ready for the next shot the fish flaps and I can not hold it . It slides back into the darkness.

Huge Mouth for the Siamese Carp (Fishing in Chiang Mai)

Soaking wet and covered in fish slime I splash out and buy the Cokes to celebrate another great fish taken while fishing at Dreamlake in Chiang Mai.

Fish slips away before another picture could be taken.

This is why I love fishing in Thailand and Chiang Mai.

Loooook at the Teeeeeeeth on that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Fishing in Chiang Mai)

Finally the Alligator Gar stays still long enough for a picture.

After a slow start to the day the whether changed and so did the fishing.... I moved away from the swim I had been fishing all day to do a bit of stalking. I moved up to the top end of the lake only to see several alligator only feet from the bank. Casting a live bait around these only caused them to slowly slide away into the deep depths of Dreamlake. So, I stopped chasing the fish I could see. I just cast the bait into the middle of the lake, basically giving up. I had hardly settled the rod down when the float started to move around a bit too fast for the little live bait dangling from the hook. What's going on??? Then, that was it! The float shot under.  Without waiting I struck hard feeling a solid lump on the end. I new instantly that this was a big fish as the rod curled round and the the drag had no choice but to yield line. My father and fishing friend Mac came running up with the landing net and camera. The fish stayed deep, but was coming closer to the bank all the time then it broke the water. All three of us saw the fish at the same time and all new it was big. The fish dove several more times then Mac got the net ready and tried to slide it under the fish realizing we really need a bigger net. Mac being well experienced  with big fish managed to bend the fish in to the net expertly. Mac and myself lifted the fish from the water and laid it on the unhooking mat this is where the fish starting fighting again. It didn't stay on the mat for long It is almost impossible to hold a fish this big, we managed to wrap it in the unhooking mat and I basically sat on the giant beast.  My father would not come near the fish once he had seen the teeth. He decided it would be safer to use the zoom on his camera then come any closer.When you see the teeth on these amazing predators you know instantly that you do not put you hands anywhere near there teeth , unless you want to find out what Chiang Mai's local hospital is like. Today thou we were lucky Mac's skill as a pike fisherman came into play and he slipped the hook out without much fuss.

A few pictures and we slide the fish back into the lake water.

Another Great Day Fishing in Chiang Mai

The real fight began when this fish was on the bank.

Return To Dream Lake for some fishing in Chiang Mai

Chaz with a good fish caught on light tackle.

A return to Dreamlake saw Chaz and myself catching some good quality silver fish on light tackle. The larger fish eluded us with just a couple of runs and a small redtail shaking the hook.