Arapaima action at Jurassic

Welcome

Another month has gone by and it has been hectic, to say the least hence you are probably reading this later than planned as improvements continue to be made and anglers reap the rewards on the lake. In February we installed a full sprinkler system, the vegetation surrounding the swims have been cut, CCTV has been installed to capture every moment of the action and all the salas have been renovated ready for the rainy season. We are determined to make Jurassic the greatest angling holiday experience in Thailand and the best is yet to come, so be sure to keep an eye out over the coming months to gain an insight into what to expect upon your arrival.

Travel update and rescheduled bookings

Thailand has recently announced that they are aiming to fully open the borders to tourism by October 2021 and this is what they propose From the 1^st of April 2021 the quarantine period of 14 days will be reduced to 10 days for unvaccinated tourists and reduced to 7 days for tourists who have vaccination certificates. It is reported that from April 1st, the fit to fly certificates are also no longer required. Between April 1st and September 30, quarantine facilities will remain operative under the new guidelines. By October, officials are aiming to open the borders to tourists without the requirement of quarantine ahead of the high season, but this will be subject to cases reported during the transition. (Source: Bangkok Post). We would strongly advise that customers who have already booked a trip to Jurassic but have unfortunately had to cancel, please contact us as soon as possible to reschedule your trip. Rescheduling existing bookings is our main priority but we require you to provide dates in order to do so. Therefore get in contact as soon as possible as dates are filling up fast for 2022.

A personal best just before dusk

Dennis was also up and about bright and breezy getting ready for the day ahead as he sat down on the veranda with a coffee and pondered his approach. The Bay was his swim of choice based on the long lengths of margins either side providing prime habitat for the predators. It was action from the off as the Amazon redtails moved in on the spots and the slow steady takes kept on coming. As midday approached, Dennis already had several fish on the board, but the next take was certainly one to remember. The alarm descended into meltdown. A spool spinning absolute screamer and he was quick to lift into it, but there were no signs of it slowing down. The fish was soon out in open water and Dennis held on as there was little, he could do. The rod tip bounced violently with each head shake which left the fishery team in no doubt as to what it was. By carefully observing the line angle, the gillies were able to instruct him when to bow the rod when the arapaima surfaced to take a breath. This is by far the most important point to take on board when playing this species. Despite being a dangerous species when handled, they are also very delicate. If the arapaima is rising up in the water, then the pressure being applied should be going down and the fishery team are always on hand for every arapaima encounter. Following a few breaths and clear instruction, Dennis was soon in the swing of things, but this was one angry arapaima, and the enduring encounter was taking its toll on him. The thought of a trophy photo can bring a smile to your face but after half an hour it can feel like a world away given the effort required at times. Sweat was dripping and the clutch was ticking but Dennis dug deep, and words of encouragement were welcome. Just after the 40-minute mark, the cage was raised, and Dennis dropped to his knees. Relief and joy all rolled into one at the end of a truly epic arapaima encounter being his largest to date.

Great to be back

It was a welcome surprise to see Chris walk through the gates at the end of the month after enduring two weeks of quarantine in Bangkok. He is an avid angling enthusiast who has fished all over Thailand and totaled more than 80 days at Jurassic. He loves nothing more than setting the traps and soaking up the sun sat by the rods in search of something special. His first arapaima was landed in Mountain View shortly after 7am where he worked the margins and made the most of the shaded areas to locate the predatory species. He has full confidence in the Tuna Extract Glug for all his fishing and takes the time to mash mackerel into fine pieces along with chopped chicken carcass, before soaking in said glug. A stench that is simply too hard to resist for arapaima patrolling the marginal vegetation.

Peter remains patient

A group booking had been organized weeks in advance with the draw to take place just shy of 7am with Peter being one of 11 anglers. Everyone gathered around the veranda with a coffee raring to go but there was still no sign of him. With just seconds to spare he appeared looking quite sorry for himself and drew a ball from the bag. Nearly an hour later and he was still sat on the veranda by the lake in an attempt to blow out the cobwebs from the night before. The second cappuccino finally masked the aftertaste of Leo from late and he set about organizing his tackle and selecting his bait from the tackle shop. He felt as though he may have missed the bus in terms of the early morning arapaima action but a quiet day of dosing in and out of sleep didn’t sound too bad either. A few hours went by without as much as a bleep and it was time to have a quiet word with himself and rise from the ashes before heading for dinner. A fresh bag of mackerel was delivered to the swim and he positioned two baits with precision, just clipping the water hyacinth bed upon entry. No sooner had he sat down, the bobbin shot up and smashed into the blank as the water erupted and the alarm screamed. One short strike set the hook and he had a chance to make amends for the morning he had missed. The midday sun was at its peak and the sweat was pouring off him, so he was more than happy to jump in for the photo and cool down before lunch.

Explore the local culture

Wat Huay Mongkol

The Wat Huay Mongkol temple complex is located 15 kilometres west of Hua Hin and is famous for its enormous statue named Luang Phor Thuad, one of Thailand famous monks. The statue stands 12m tall and 10m wide and is visible from miles around towering over the trees.
The site is popular with Thai people who travel from around the country to pay their respects in return for good luck, health, fortune and happiness. Other religious landmarks of the site include a Buddhist temple, a statue of King Taksin the Great on horseback and two large wood-carved elephants.
The complex is set in a park environment and offers peace and tranquillity surrounded by Thai culture. There is a lake interconnected by bridges where you can feed the local species of fish or sit and relax by the waterfalls in the shade. There are also various food stands and shops with site-related merchandise.If you are interested in visiting different landmarks in and around the area, we are more than happy to advise and accommodate your needs to arrange trips suitable for families and all ages.

Gardens and Irrigation

For years, we discussed the benefits of irrigating tropical gardens, and finally, this has come to fruition. There were trials and tribulations right back at the beginning shortly after digging Jurassic when it was a struggle to establish the vegetation, and sadly several trees suffered and were subsequently removed. Fast forward nearly 9 years and how the tables have turned as the gardeners have a full-time job keeping up with the place. Their efforts have literally shaped what you see when you step foot through the gates, so it was time to give them a helping hand and install an automatic underground Rainbird pop-up sprinkler system to relinquish the laborious watering. I must admit there were a few teething problems when we underestimated their power during testing. One unfortunate angler had left some clothes out to dry overnight with not a cloud in the sky, so the last thing he expected was waking up to the patter of rain down the window at 3 am! A few more hours spent adjusting them, and we were good to go. They cover all garden areas and only operate at night, meaning that the paths are dry by first light, ready for when you awaken.

Improved views from the swims

Whilst all swims offer an equal opportunity in terms of angling, certain swims provide better views of the lake. Naturally, the view given the position of some salas will be hard to match such as Mountain View and The Point which sit on knuckles of the lake and provide a panoramic view. We decided to shape the vegetation adjacent to every swim meaning that you can sit back in the Sala during warm weather and keep in contact with the lake whilst looking for signs of showing fish. This will be maintained by the gardening team monthly to improve your angling experience. For those of you that prefer to soak up the sun or sit by the rods, reclining chairs are available to hire from reception.

Never miss a moment of the action

We have all heard of ‘the one that got away and ‘you would never believe what just happened moments in the angling community. Well, following the installation of the high-speed internet has come a full HD CCTV network which not only supplements our existing security but also covers the action in every swim. The cameras are positioned to cover the front of the fishing areas only and record all the action from start to finish, meaning that you will never miss a moment. So far, we have captured some quality video of carp species tail-walking at dawn and tarpon hunting prey along the edges, not to mention weird and wonderful wildlife in the dark. On several occasions already, the cameras have been utilized to salvage photos and video for customers after camera equipment let them down at the all-important moment and your full trip can be downloaded to a USB drive for you before you leave allowing you to relive the unforgettable moments with your friends and family when you get home.

Sala restoration

The traditional Thai salas are in all the 11 swims and for those of you who graced us with your presence back at the beginning, you may even recall the bamboo salas from the start. The current wooden Salas have been in place for many years so it was about time that they received a renovation too. The old wooden roofs were stripped off and additional timbers and cross beams were added for further support. Orange tiles were selected to match other buildings on the resort and one by one, they were transformed. All the salas now offer complete protection from the sun and rain showers, increasing comfort and meaning that you can maximize your angling time during the rainy season.

A storm rolls by

What started as a sunny morning soon morphed into heavy showers in the afternoon. The distant rumble creeped closer, and an eerie silence suddenly descended across the lake. A brief rain shower ensued before the final drops fell and the birds went back about their business. The low-lying cloud started to clear, and the mountains emerged once more.

Testimonial

Craig joined us at Jurassic for 6 days here is what he had to say about his trip on Trip Advisor.

“Had a fantastic time. Landed 41 fish ranging from 25lb right up to 65lb. Indian carp, red tail catfish, and Siamese carp have all been ticked off my list. Although I didn’t catch a monster in the lake, I did witness Scarface landed at 185lb and 3 arapaima up to 150lb. The gillies are amazing. Their knowledge of the lake is impeccable and they are always on hand when needed. You can fish from 7am-6pm. You have to pick a ball out of a hat each night to decide which fishing peg you are on the following day.”

Monthly Wildlife Watch

Acheta domesticus, commonly called the house cricket, is a cricket most likely native to Southwestern Asia. They are typically brownish in color and reach 2cm in length. The house cricket is an edible insect. It is farmed in South-East Asia and parts of Europe and North America for human consumption. In Asia it is said to become more popular than many native cricket species due to what consumers claimed was their superior taste and texture. They can be commonly found for sale on the markets around Thailand and are certainly worth trying when you visit.

Hierodula patellifera is the Latin name for the giant Asian mantis that can reach up to 75mm in length and vary between green and brown in appearance. The difference in color is mainly due to the environment in which the animal is kept. They can develop a different color in a matter of days, but it is not yet understood which conditions will trigger a change in color. When they reach adulthood, they can easily eat adult crickets, adult locusts and big cockroaches and they will hunt for their food and are not easily intimidated by their prey which can reach up to half their size

Parapachymorpha zompro known as the Zompro’s stick insect has your typical stick insect body, long and slender with long legs. The skin has a bark-like texture which gets more and more pronounces as the insect becomes older and bigger. The color ranges from light brown to dark brown. The males of 7cm whilst the females can reach up to 9cm. Their diet consists of a variety of different leaves and they can be handled easily, making them a common pet to keep.

Until next month – tight lines!

Jurassic Mountain Resort & Fishing Park
43/6 Moo Baan Kokesehti Tambon Na Yang, Na Yang, Cha-am District 
Phetchaburi 76120
Thailand
For all enquiries/bookings contact:  enquiries@wordpress-1242400-4445492.cloudwaysapps.com
If you have not already liked us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JurassicMountainResortFishingPark