In Pursuit of Borneo Black Bass (Part 2)

photos by YH & D1

Did I mention we almost got eaten alive by sandflies? Perhaps not everyone got 'eaten' but I certainly had a sickening ability to attract mozzies & sandflies (agas) that they attacked anywhere (and I mean ANYWHERE!) there were places they could squeeze in to grab a bite off my skin. Can you imagine they even managed to squeeze into the little crevices of my shoe and began their buffet spree on my feet! Not funny if you're standing and casting from a Coleman Scanoe.

Enough bickering like a grumpy old man... on with the story!

Looking up in the sky, I pointed out to KH a black estuary eagle soaring above. It kind of gave us hope that it would be a good day for us.

We headed downstream towards the rivermouth and worked our way casting back towards upstream. The water clarity here was much better with the rising tide pushing the saltwater into the river system. All around us were Nipah palms every crook and bend. Everywhere looked like a fishy spot - cast and cast we did but we managed only a handful of Mangrove Jacks

It was one of those routine casts, no different from any other after a quadruple dozen casts that I happened to place the Tail Dancer in front of the jaws of what we travelled all the way here for:

BERRACK BASSU!! (you gotta say it with a Japanese accent for effect)

It was a firm hookup from the take but the fish didn't bulldoze its way to the nearest snag. In fact, it took out only a little line without much urgency. Obviously it didn't even realize it was hooked until I gave it a few more yanks of the Rapalero 6-12lb. Only then it must have realized the morsel it had on its gob wasn't exactly food and began to show some resistance.

And show resistance it did - like a Toman, with short, powerful bursts of speed and stubbornly not coming next to the boat to be lip gripped.

It went to the right... (Rapalero Rod 6-12lb protesting)

Then to the left....

Deep down inside I was hoping that the 30lb Sufix Superior mono leader, hooks and clip would hold up after a series of dogged, sudden bursts. It was crazy! Simply refused to give in. Good thing there weren't any snags around the area and I wasn't too concerned about it getting snagged.

After a few more rod bending moments, it finally broke water and quietly came boatside to be Boga lipped. Once gripped, the jaws slammed down several times, as if to crush the foreign object that had entered its mouth. It is no wonder when it first got hooked it seemed oblivious to danger. Those jaws have crushed the hard shells of crustaceans and crabs with ease that a little piercing of trebles didn't feel at all foreign to the fish until it felt resistance. This was one mean fish!

Check out what it did to the Taildancer!

More to come...