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.