Tuesday, May 11, 2010

2010 Chinese New Year Kayak Fishing

After having RED detuned (we backed the fuel oFf to reduce the SMOKE) don't panic its still running 21PSI of BOOST and a new fuel filter it went better but the brutal impact is gone when you slam your foot down :( . Its still nice to drive :) and with its new 9/41 ratios DIFFS front and REAR and the FRONT is now LSD up from open DIFF it is plesant to drive on the highway again.

Chinese new year I took the kayak with me hoping to go fishing on the Saturday - however after arriving at 3.30am in IPOh some 195K north of sunny Kuala Lumpur in the morning I abandoned the plans and went out on the SUnday instead with instructions to be at DINNER for CNY at 7.00pm (with the future wifes family) and I had to collect a friend from another town and take him to dinner also.

THe track into the Disused MINING POND was full of small water buffalo herds all the signs for the mining pond are gone thanks to the bird poachers trying to keep birdwatchers away by removing all signs to it :( yes I have been there when they are in action.

I almost whack a KING COBRA (its longer than the width of the truck so its 2+meters) on the narrow track slam the brakes on and then reverse ha no sign of the COBRA surely I did not miss it. Is it underneath RED? I look carefully still wearing my glasses in case it spits in my eye arms out each side of me to make me look huge. No sign of the COBRA in the white sand tracks either. I carry on and inspect the truck again when I stop . eek. Steve Irwin I ain't.

12.00pm I finally get the Kayak in the water after the 35k onroad trip and then the 10k offroad trip in RED with road sneakers on it it felt funny.

I am the only human here although later a few local fisherman show up.

What I am after is one of these or bigger that Derrick caught a couple of weeks ago a MONSTER TOMAN which we believe is a record for the ROD/LINE (The REEL was a wreck after and has been discarded) . THis was was over 15kg - yeah it went of the scales he had. He caught it in frustration after watching some guys (he was guiding them) hook and loose 30 TOmans. So he picked up his rod tossed in a cheap lure and WAMMO hooked this monster. Im jealous and want one hooked but only from the KAYAK not from a boat.




On the way in I spy a pod of Toman fries my target and after the Kayak is in the water I cruise around hunting for them. Haha they find me while I am looking at water buffalo about 100 meters away from me in the water. THey pop up only meters away with the characteristic bubble of noise in the water as they all take a gulp of air and dive under again. THey appear to be about 6 months old. Big enough to chase and have fun with!

I let them cruise off and chase them with a lure and am reward with several misses and then a hit. No pic of it as it wriggles off as I go to undo the hook.

For your education TOMAN fries live with the mum she is more protective than a mother Lion and the babies live in her mouth then they swim around in RED ball rising up and down for gulps of air. The Mum swims lazy circles around the BALL of FRIED and the DAD if around about another 5-10 meters further out on outer PATROL looking for ambushing SEBARAU and TOMANS. They both protect the FRIES with the viscousness of a LION MUM attacking anything they feel a threat. FYI a 5KG TOMAN will if you are not ready pull you off a boat on the first take, destroy a treble hook or a REEL or snap a ROD if it is all not top notch kit. YEs they are a fish well worth HUNTING and are as cunning as a FOX. THey breathe 75% air from the water and the rest from gulps of air just like a whale or a human. Pop a lure into the middle of a group of FRIES and the reaction well - VISCIOUS is all I can say.



Several more missed strikes and no sign of a mother TOman.

I chase these guys for over 2 hours on and off taking pics and tossing lures at them of all different colours and styles. then the shock the MUM appears so I crack a pic. Still she will not take a lure :(



Anyway its not boring I get a pic of a EGRET and the EAGLE circling above is also interested in the TOman. A kingfisher also pops by to say hello. I pass the time snacking out on biuscuits and drinking heaps and getting my feet sunburnt :(

The EGRET


Then the Toman mum suddenly appeared top left and the fries in the foreground.


Soon its time (3.30pm) to head off and I paddle back to RED in the blazing heat (its over 34degrees according to my CASIO watch). I paddle to RED (its on the tip of the peninsula) and exit the kayak and walk to RED -ooops in front of RED is 40-50+ water buffalo. PICTURE TIME I get as close as I can hiding behind trees etc. Steve Austin eat ya heart out.

Behind RED was all these buffalo. Arrggggggggghh im trapped!




THis one was very close then it heard the camera go off.



THe hot and desolate mining pond.

This pic is a little small sorry but I made it up from about 15 pictures stitched together.



or



Then it was time to pickup my friend and head for DINNER. One very fast 50k trip into IPOH in RED even with the KAYAK on the roof the turbo whistling and just propelling RED along nicely lets just say no one passed us hahaha and yes chinese dinner was nice. RED is awesome on back country roads into 3/4th hit 80k and give it a squirt on the peddle and 100K comes up real quick snatch 5th and it just pulls harder :) what a feeling and it still returns 9.5k per liter.

Today im running 20lb line and a light rod for sport hahaha as there is no snags.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Pos Simpor and Kg Rekom Charity Trip Part 2

This village is SPOTLESS No rubbish nothing lying around I think mainly because off heriditary blindness they keep it very clean for people to walk around. Bamboo huts are well made. No electricity or running water.




The clinic is beside this hut.


Registration



No Nails all RATAN for the joins in the huts


REgistration and weigh in weight and height


The Pets live inside and are all healthy. Chickens, Dogs and cats:




Then it rained for the first time in a month


The chickens ran over everything


DAFFY's owner. Jes' friggin chicken is sitting on my lap what do I do.



Camera's everywhere as we take shelter.


Fark a chicken just crapped in my bag! No its two chickens.


I love the rain.


THe clinic moves the the chiefs hut





Dogs (check under the platform), People, Chickens and CATS all the the hut.


The chickens leave the hut after having their tests done hahaha


Cat did not want to walk on the wet ground even jungle cats hate water.


Ok these guys weigh 45-55kg give them 30-40kg of rice and off they walk so damn strong


Their water supply stopped working as soon as it rained the pipe full of silt from the logging :(


The goodies from Pfizer and us.


The dogs in the chief's hut


MIssion over time to head into danger and the 10k DOWN to Pos SImpo and our camp.







GReen at the highest road point (1,200meters) its all downhill from here and became rather exciting steep descents on fresh slick clay slopes and a chance to play rally driver on the slick roads needless to say GREEN was immaculate to drive in these conditions and a lot of fun. We drifted around corners slipped up and down slopes but at the same time tryuing to keep the trucks safe for the precious Pfizer passengers in the vehicles.


Pos SImpo is near the white patch way below some 500 meters below.


There was a logger HILUX blocking the track below so while we waited for them to get of the track we hammed it up.




Dawn the next day home day


The hill in the background is over 2,000 meters high


Dawn Clouds below at about 400 meters


And more clouds below us.


The mekanix radio call sign


The Pos Simpo chief "ABU" he hada stroke a year ago and appolgises he can no longer walk at the frantic pace he used to he is over 80.


GEtting the pussy out of my truck


The thing under the BA on his shirt is yes a live flying BUG. This kid also spoke perfect english to me first time a ASLI has done so I was shocked. He asked me to learn BAHASA whoich I have now enrolled ina course if he can lern english I can better my Bahasa. HE also took my phone number as the chief is very sick and he knows we have a close bond even if I do not speak Bahasa we have done a bit for their village over the years and only shown us kindness.


The trip down its a long way down to civilisation.


Then we stopped at Gua (Cave) Cha - we have found a new camp site for coming up here at nite perfect place open sheltered caves.




More logs the story for the weekend. Habitat ruined , fish killed, water supplies ruined animals killed and destroyed - gut renching.


Hope you enjoy a little view of the other side of 4x4 jungle driving.

Video is coming later tonite.