According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), “Peat swamp forests are an important component of the world’s wetlands – the dynamic link between land and water, a transition zone where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients and the energy of the sun combine to produce a unique ecosystem of hydrology, soils and vegetation. Peat swamp forests provide a variety of benefits in the form of forestry and fisheries products, energy, flood mitigation, water supply and groundwater recharge.” 

So, when an sms came inviting me to explore the peat swamp forest of Batang Berjuntai – Tanjung Karang, I hesitated for a moment. Snakes, mosquitos and leeches? Not a place that I’d like to spend my Sunday at. But, the lure of exploring Nature at its best and landing the elusive Bujuk (channa lucius, a member of the snakehead family) was… simply overwhelming. 

Peat swamp and Bujuk? How could I let this opportunity passed me by?

We rendezvoused for breakfast at Ijok as planned. After a hearty breakfast (bak kut teh…), we headed west towards Tanjung Karang. We went off-road some 20 minutes later into an oil-palm plantation. Surprisingly, the laterite road in the plantation was well maintained. We soon came to an irrigation canal. The other side of the canal stood the ubiquitous peat swamp forest. From a distant, a peat swamp forest looks like any tropical rainforest for the untrained eyes.

Parking at the fringe of the peat swamp forest

We drove pass the canal before stopping at the fringe (of the forest). But, the river was nowhere in sight. I went over to Tee and asked where the river was. “Just a few meters away behind the bushes!”, Tee said. “Wow! How clever Nature hides and protects itself from the predatory Man.”, I thought.

Overhead, the sky looked gloomy. It had rained the past few days and I was certain it was going to rain again. The dark clouds did not deter us a tiny bit. We pushed ahead and started unloading. Instead of carrying our kayaks, we decided to drag them over the tall weeds to the water. The thought of snakes and leeches hidden in the weeds was enough to give me the uneasy feeling. As we walked, the ground got softer and wetter. I learned later that leeches could not survive the acidic water of peat swamp forest.

The hidden water...can't be seen even if are a few meters away.

Nature's tea...

As soon as we hit the water, I noticed right away the water was tea-like in colour. As we paddled further, I realised the peat swamp was shady and cool, unlike the ex-mining lakes or dams we were used to. In certain parts, the foliage was so thick it almost covered the sky.

There were many small rises but the bujuks were not biting. Tee reasoned that the rise in the water level (due to the rain in the past few days) has flooded the surrounding areas and the bujuks would have moved out to the flooded areas in search of food. After many more attempts, we decided to bring out our light tackle and target the small rises. Soon enough we started landing one after another these tiny beautiful fishes. I brought home a few for the aquarium.

Looks like patung...and nice enough for the aquarium.

As expected, it started to drizzle, but not for long. The thick foliage of the forest actually provided us some cover from the rain.    

Tee, our leader and guide, had told us if we were lucky we might spot wild boars, tapirs and even panthers. We spotted wild boar and tapir mud pools and footprints along the sides, but no wild boar, tapir or panther. I believed we made so much noise the animals would have noticed our arrival…including the bujuks and snakes.

The thick foliage provides cover from rain and sun.

A wild boar mud pool

Our paddling journey was occasonally interrupted by fallen branches. If the fallen branches were small, we would just chopped them with our parangs. But, if the branches were large, Tee, an experienced tracker, would clear the side so that we could walk “around” the fallen branches. Alternatively, we could go “over” the fallen branches…only if we had lesser load with us. 

Tee clearing the side so we could walk 'around' the fallen branches.

This is a journey few would take. But, the peat swamp forest is Nature at its best and the bujuk would have been a great ‘bonus’.

Our mixed group of 7 comprised of experienced trackers, anglers, kayakers, canoeists, hunters and 4×4 enthusiasts. Tee (our group leader), Ng, Lim, Jeremy, Steven, Johnny and myself with 3 4X4s, 4 kayaks and 1 canoe. 

Gerald K.

Then it struck me that I have a meeting with Howard and Yong that weekend. As it turned out, the timing could not have been better. Howard and Yong agreed they would drive to KL on Saturday, spend the night, pick up Yong’s kayak early next morning, and head straight to Talang Dam. It was a perfect plan afterall and it was to be Yong’s maiden trip on his Malibu Stealth 12. 

Yong, the proud owner of the Malibu Stealth 12

Checking out Tee's kayak rack

Shortly before 0800hrs, we arrived at the Senawang toll exit. Tee and his friends (Ng and Lim) arrived 20 minutes later. The journey to Talang Dam from here would take another 45 minutes. Our journey took us through narrow winding country roads…littered with cow dungs, passing through rustic kampungs (villages) and beautiful countryside. 

Our convoy, 3 4WDs and 6 kayaks...stopped for breakfast and to pick up our day supplies.

Narrow winding country roads...watch out for the dungs!

We arrived at the launch site just before 1030hrs. The launch site is located at a small tributary river that flows into dam. We noticed right away the water level had gone down…exposing all its sides. Like always, we couldn’t wait to get underway. 

After paddling a short distance, it immediately dawned on me that Talang Dam was unlike any other bodies of water I have paddled in. It looked like a large winding river with many branches, jagged edges and islands. It has so many turns and corners, it is easy to lose your bearings if you do not constantly keep track of where you are. A tracking GPS would be very helpful…but none of us brought one. 

The launch site

Tee and his Hunter Green Stealth 12.

Lim trying out kayak fishing for the first time

Ng and the first catch of the day

Yong and his brand new Stealth 12

Me and my Boogeese X'plorer

Howard and his trophy catch

We paddled and fished for about 3 hours, constantly making a mental map of our track, before we spotted a good site for our rest stop. Here, we took shelter from the midday heat and have our lunch. Tee, a keen explorer, recced the place for a campsite for his next camping trip. Ng, a hardcore angler, did not join us for the break, continued fishing non-stop. 

Half an hour later, we were back in the water. It was already past 2pm and we decided not to paddle too far off and just fish around the ‘bay’ as we would have to make the return journey by 1500hrs. 

Tee (left), Yong (middle) and Lim taking shelter from the midday heat

A view from our rest stop.

The catch for the day...an 11-pounder Toman (Snakehead)

Heading back to the launch site

The night before the trip, I have googled for more information about Talang Dam. Other than it is the largest dam in Negeri Sembilan and that it supplies water to the general population of Seremban and Kuala Pilah, I found no other useful information. GoogleEarth, on the other hand revealed far more useful information. It showed many kampungs in the vicinity of the dam. Instantly I knew, like many other large bodies of water in Malaysia, the kampung folks would have depended on it for their daily lives and the dam would have been heavily fished. True enough as we discovered. 

As for me, the real trophy catch is the fresh air, tranquility and beauty the dam has to offer…fishing is a bonus.

Sporting a gleaming golden hue, stark black vertical stripes, and a conspicuous black mark framed in bright yellow on its tail like the peacock, the fish has won a regal name for itself in our local tongue. Its Malay name is ikan raja, while its Chinese name is wang ti yue (literally, “emperor fish”).

With this monster, Boon Cheng gets life membership to the Peacock Bass Hall of Fame.

It is a delectable fish. Its firm, white flesh compares well with saltwater favourites like the tenggiri (Spanish mackerel), bawal hitam (Black pomfret) and kurau (Threadfin salmon).

This is the sort of fish to fry. Or to make curry or asam pedas. Any attempt to steam it would result in an unhappy culinary adventure, for the fish is a speedy hunter that runs down its prey and it is, therefore, a muscular thing, low in juicy body fat. Being a carnivore, it is a difficult fish to farm.

Lake Kenneth

The hands-down, most popular place to catch the fish is in Perak. Specifically, in the ex-mining lakes of the state where the fish thrives. A well-known ex-mining lake to catch the Peacock Bass is in the general area of Air Kuning, not far from Tapah.

The lake has no official name of its own and is known informally to the sports fishing community as Lake Kenneth, in honour of one gentleman angler called Kenneth who helped spread the word about the lake.

Jubilantly hugging a 8.87kg giant snakehead.

Getting to the lake involves driving with 4WD vehicles across more than 20km of uneven, at times flooded, ex-mining terrain. Thus, the lake is far from human civilisation. Once badly scarred by tin mining activities, Lake Kenneth is now part of a naturalised, lush wetland system spanning over 200ha.

Viewed from Google Earth’s satellite images, Lake Kenneth exceeds 40ha in size. The rest of the wetland system comprises narrow canals, meandering channels, and weedy marshes. The system is also connected to the Kinta River, bringing with it a wide variety of fish species.

Over the years, sports anglers who make almost weekly pilgrimages to the lake have put fancy names to the fishing spots, such as Peacock Point, The Hideout, Toman Bay and Haruan Hole.

All in all, Lake Kenneth is a freshwater sports fishing haven, rich in Peacock Bass, Giant Snakehead (toman) and the Striated Snakehead (haruan).

Catching the Peacock Bass

Catching the Peacock Bass is not a simple matter of baiting a hook. The fish is drawn to schooling minnows. Here is where their brilliant colour becomes an offensive tool.

The Peacock Bass uses speed and its brilliance to thwart and dazzle a school of fish into chaos. Working as a team, a pack of Peacock Bass dart around a school of fish, bunching them together, preferably pushing them to the surface. When the prey becomes confused, the Peacock Bass picks them off one by one.

Juheni Omar, 28 and daughters Ratana (left) and Ariya out for a paddle on a Boogeese X'plorer.

They lunge at their prey with jaw-dropping dexterity.

The best way to catch them is to patrol the water in search of schools of baitfish darting around just below the surface for seemingly no apparent reason. Managing live bait while searching long stretches of water can be difficult, so the stock method for Peacock Bass fishing is to use lures.

The standard fishing lure is a thing of plastic, wood or metal that is shaped and coloured exactly like a fish and comes attached with hooks. When the lure is in motion, it will appear to swim like a fish — many in exaggerated wobbles like injured baitfish.

Since these hunters roam so widely, you need patience and a good eye to find them. Some means of moving on the water would help too. A boat and an engine would be conventional, but not optimal, because the drone of the engine can spook a hunting party of Peacock Bass.

A more effective method that is becoming popular in Malaysia is to use sit-on-top fishing kayaks. Sleek and light, the kayak is mobile and stealthy.

Traditional sit-in kayaks have openings in the middle for paddlers to snuggle into that leaves them visible only from the waist up. These are great for long distance paddling or white-water tussling.

Sit-on-tops are different.

Moulded from plastic, these allow fishers to sit on top of the water craft, granting them a greater degree of comfort and mobility. They allow anglers to roam about with relative ease compared to rowing a boat.

The following is a personal account of kayak fisher Arnold J. S. Loh, 37, who has been fishing Lake Kenneth almost weekly for two years:

The past week, the daily downpour had drummed down to a forgiving drizzle.

Lake Kenneth’s waters would have dropped a little. The Peacock Bass would have just left the grass-choked shallows and could be mulling about in the open. So the next morning, I found myself standing on the banks of Lake Kenneth.

Before I had time to unload my gear, a pack of Peacock Bass was busting baitfish in the water right beside my car! I hurriedly tied on a pencil lure, designed to flit across the water surface on a fast retrieve. They gave chase immediately. Two, sometimes three, V-shaped wakes tailed behind my lure as I skittered it back to me.

But they would not bite! Must change the lure. I picked a lure that would still play on top, but would sink the moment I stopped retrieving. They gave chase again. I slowed down the retrieve but kept the lure flitting on the surface. The predators closed in a little more. Then I stopped. The lure wobbled meekly as it sank. And suddenly everything became tight.

A Peacock Bass gulped in the lure and turned away in a flash. The hooks firmly set. I could not crank my reel. Must loosen the drag to let the fish pull some line out. A minute later, I guided the tired fish to the bank. Table-size, a little over 1kg. Victory!

The kayak finally in the water, I paddle to a stretch of shallows near Peacock Point. The water was shielded from the breeze here. It reflected the sky like a mirror. The slightest movement of fish near the surface would show. I stopped and scanned the water for several minutes. Finally, a disturbance.

A circular patch of water about a meter in diameter began to shimmer. Baitfish were being pushed to the surface. I closed in quietly and picked a top-water lure again. The swim here was littered with underwater vegetation that would snag a diving lure.

I cast into the centre of the shimmering water and made it streak back towards me. Nothing. They must be lurking a little too deep to bother. The shimmer died off. Then, the water rippled a little ahead at the edge of a solitary lotus leaf. It was just a small swirl. If not because the distance and direction of the rise made it so easy, I would not have bothered to send my lure there.

The fish was still swirling near the surface as my lure landed centimeters beside it. I twitched the lure only twice, and pandemonium seized my world.

That single lotus leaf disappeared beneath the water as a large Peacock Bass sucked in my lure with an oddly sickening sound. As it dove away, the tightened line caught the leaf’s stem, pulling everything under. The fish swerved to the right, tearing apart large clumps of underwater weeds that rose messily to the top.

I could only hold on.

The fish was pulling my kayak around. I regained some line when the fish stalled in its confusion. As I reeled it in, the fish realised that the silhouette of my kayak was a source of danger, and pandemonium struck again.

Minutes later, the fish finally tired out and came up gleaming beneath the mid-morning sun. It was the largest Peacock Bass I had ever hooked! A male, judging by the over-developed hump on top of its head. Length: 62cm. Weight: 3.1kg. I broke my Peacock Bass record!

I decided to try a further spot called The Hideout. The 2km of paddling was invigorating after the cold drizzle. On arriving at this system of broad, meandering channels, I had to grin. All the fish were having a party. Rises everywhere. A peculiar sort of rise caught my eye in the distance near a curving stretch of weed-line. Could it be?

I drew in closer, dipping my paddle silently into the water, hugging the weed-line as closely as I could to camouflage the kayak’s silhouette. The fish, a large one, rose again in the same spot. Oh! Could it be!?

As close as I dared to go without raising an alarm, I cast hard to reach the spot. The lure only just made it. Phew. I still had on a top-water lure. This time I moved the lure in a technique called Walk-The-Dog. By cranking the reel slowly and twitching the rod at a correct tempo, the lure began to swish left and right in a clumsy and heavy fashion.

Slorrp.

I swear that was what I heard before my line went so tight that it played a whining note as it rubbed hard along the rod guides. The situation was out of my hands. The fish made a break for the middle of the channel in search of deeper water, and I was compelled to follow on my kayak! I actually became scared that I had finally caught one too many fish.

Slowly but surely, the fish got tired of towing me and showed itself. A black torpedo with a white underside draped in emerald blotches. Meet the venerable Giant Snakehead. Length, 1.1m. Weight, 8.87kg. It is, in every sense of the term, a specimen size. Now I’ve broken my Giant Snakehead record.

An old friend once said: “A bad day at fishing is always better than a good day at work.”

Well, a good day at fishing is surprisingly quiet, making us feel humble and thankful to nature. Those wishing to fish Lake Kenneth are advised to observe good fishing ethics to preserve the haven. Stick to bag limits and take no more than three fish per angler.

Release all fish under 1kg. Avoid littering. Allow common sense to prevail. Be cordial to other anglers on the lake.

Good or bad, Air Kuning is not easily accessible by road. Yes, you need a 4WD to access some of these lakes.  But, that’s not all. You need a boat too, if you want to explore the many hotspots around the lakes and the river system. Air Kuning is definitely an ideal place for kayak anglers.

Our first stop is a lake we named Tasik Tucunare (also known as Lake Kenneth, depending on who you talked too). Other than Sungai Kinta, all other water bodies in the area are nameless. Tucunare is a common name for Peacock Bass in Brazil, the country of their largest native region. Tasik Tucunare (or Lake Tucunare) is the largest lake in the Air Kuning wetlands.

The journey to Tasik Tucunare from Kuala Lumpur took about 3 hours. I found the journey itself exciting. The drive from Kuala Lumpur to Temoh (exit Tapah toll) on the North-South highway took about 2 hours. From Temoh to Lake Tucunare, it was off-road for one hour all the way. Going off-road with a convoy of 4WDs and driving through oil palm estates and ex-mining areas was an exhilarating experience itself.

Lake Tucunare proper is approximately 380acres in size, making it easily in the top 5 largest ex-mining water bodies in Perak. Our depth sounder showed uneven bottom and depths of no more than 30 feet.  To paddle around this entire lake while combing the water for fish took us 6 hours. The whole wetlands system that Tasik Tucunare is a part of is about 2,000 acres. We’ve explored less than 10% of this area.

Peacock Point. Viewed by satellite, the amazingly good fishing in Peacock Point is understandable. This is the largest area in the lake that is a lagoon that ends in a narrow point of less than 45 degrees. We believe seluangs and lampams who find their way into this “V” will be boxed in for a time, leading giant peacocks to swim right into casting distance to hunt them. The largest PB we caught here is passed the 3kg mark.

Kenny with his catch at Peacock Point

Muara Tucunare (or Tucunare Inlet).  Here, a feeder creek flows into the lake and if you know where the drop-off is, you will find both PBs and tomans patrol this inlet. There is a slight drop-off at the mouth of the feeder where the water has gouged out a hole in the lake. Even a minor drop-off of only a few inches offers many fish a place to hold and wait in ambush for food washed out of the feeder creek. If you use teeny, tiny hooks to catch the really large minnows here and use them as live bait, you have better chances of hooking up good size PBs and even tomans. 

Muara Tucunare

Toman Bay. Frustrating place. We have lost some very good lures here. Our sonar showed a shelf in this location. The top is less than 8 ft. The bottom is more than 20ft. PBs are aplenty too. But on a windless day, anchor your kayak, light a cigarette, keep your rod cocked and ready, and vigilantly watch the mirror-like water. Tomans will rise calmly, showing only their pointy nose and not a ripple more. Some times, the rises are less than 10 ft from your kayak. Casting accuracy is so crucial here. Too close and you frighten the toman into the depths. Too far, and they ain’t bothered. The cast has to be just right and when done so, the strike is almost immediate and very ferocious.

Toman Bay. Caught a PB instead.

The Shallows. The water here is shallow and fighting toman in shallow water will be a challenge, but the number of tomans here are really shocking.

Buffalo Lake. We named it so cos the water smells like buffalo dung. A friend once caught a toman here that was so large that it was beyond control. Probably about 7kg. In the end, the fish crushed the treble hook and spit out the lure. You can also find PBs around 2.5kg here. The lake’s earthy, chalky, mineral smell and in some parts, it smells like buffalo dung, since buffalo dung is probably what contributes to the water’s tint, is probably the reason why you find the fish there. 

Mystery Fish Cove. There’s a lot of a strange kind of fish here. They school in packs of 30-50 strong and rise in unison, making a rolling motion that reveals the whole of their dorsal fins. Dunno what they are.  That’s why I call them mystery fish.

The River System

The trip is mildly challenging because you will have to paddle out of Lake Tucunare and cross the river system to reach this cove. The current is meandering and just nice to give you a good workout. Fishing pressure here is delightfully low cos the cove is impossible to reach on foot or wheels. Must have boats to reach it. And tomans and haruans abound here too but the water is shallow, so fighting a big toman here will be tough.

North of this system, there are two more small lakes where you can find more PBs and tomans, but prospect of getting the monsters are much higher in the Lake Tucunare system.

Lake Tucunare (also known as Lake Kenneth)

By the way, if you are there on Saturday, head into Kampar town pasar malam for the best luk luk ever. All the stuff is fresh, especially the cockles. The sauces are spectacular and if you love pedas, the chilli sauce will make your hair sweat!

Best Luk Luk ever

Last but not least, please practice ethical bag limits and release those less than 1kg size.

February 25, 2010 (by Eco-Sports Unlimited).  Named after the fearless seafarers and explorers of the Malay archipelago, the Bugis people of Southeast Asia. So feared, they were called the Bogeyman by the colonial West. The Boogeese X’plorer is fast and stable. Its unique round keel with slight rocker hull design provides exceptional tracking and maneuverability. With a 34″ wide body and flared bow, you can be assured of a stable and dry ride.

The Boogeese Has Arrived

Ideal for general recreation and fishing. Seats 2 adults and 1 child.  Available in white & blue and red & yellow mix. Price RM2400. Buy Now! or call 019-3122181 for a demo.

FEATURES: Self-Bailing, Molded Seats and Foot-brace, Scupper Hole Plugs, 2 Round Hatches, Bow and Stern Bungee Cords, Side Carry Handles, Bow and Stern Carry Handles, Drain Plug, Attachment Eyelets, Optional Seats and Flushmount Rodholders.

Lake with no name, Kota Bahru, Gopeng

I too couldn’t wait for another exciting fishing trip. We decided we should do it sooner than later. Two days later, exactly two weeks after our Tronoh trip, we were on our way to Kota Bahru, Perak. I arrived at Mah’s house at 10 past 5am and began our journey 20 minutes later. Like our Tronoh trip, it had started to rain soon after we left PJ.

We arrived at the lake 3 hours later and quickly surveyed the place for a launching site. We could see dark clouds hovering above us. We had brought along our ponchos and decided to push ahead rain or shine.

We decided to fish nearby just in case it started to pour. I had brought along my soon-to-be-launched Boogeese kayak (named after the fearless Bugis people of the Malay Archipelago aka the Bogeyman) for a real test. We quickly landed Mayans soon after. Not long after, the wind came and blew the dark clouds away. We then paddled out in search of bigger fish and the elusive PBs. The wind kept blowing and made flyfishing difficult.

In search of Peacock Bass...

A duck farm nearby

Me and my Boogeese

My catch...Mayan cichlids

Mah's catch...more Mayan cichlids

By 3.30pm we had landed only Mayans. I guess the PBs had taken the day off. There were big splashes too, but it looked like only the Mayans were interested to play. Half an hour later, we were on our way back to KL.

Another exciting kayak fishing experience nonetheless.