A new year and plenty of action at Jurassic

Welcome

Welcome to the January newsletter and what a month it has been with developments in full swing across the resort as we move one step closer to providing guests with the ultimate angling experience. There are big plans in the pipeline and whilst we eagerly await your return, the longer the wait, the better Jurassic will be as we utilize this quieter period to its full potential. Several new faces have stepped foot through the doors and have fallen in love with the friendly atmosphere and exceptional customer service whether it be for a spot of lunch overlooking the lake or a weekend away in our deluxe accommodation. This, twinned with the world class angling on offer is what keeps our regulars coming back and some have even moved into the area making The Angler’s Rest their local pub.

It has been another interesting month on the lake with an array of different species appearing as the water temperature has started to climb. The misty mornings have led to some stunning sunrises. Arriving on site around 6am for a lap of the lake and looking out across the rice fields as the first rays of sunlight expose the egrets stalking crabs in between the stems; being out and about at this time makes you feel like you have got the whole world to yourself and it certainly gives you the feel-good factor for the day ahead.

Dennis breaks his PB

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.

Paul tackles the redtails

Paul had also set his sights on the arapaima when he arrived for a day trip. Whilst checking in, it was hard to ignore them hitting the few remaining frogs in the water hyacinths from the night before. Blind Man’s Bluff was available, so for him it was a no brainer. He ordered breakfast and collected his items from the clubhouse before the fishery team escorted him down to the swim. Keeping a close eye on our YouTube channel meant Paul was well informed and armed with an array of different baits to get the swim going. Chopped mackerel, chicken hearts and of course the all-important Tuna and Mackerel Oil formed a potent mix packing plenty of smell. The liners soon started, and pockets of oil spread on the surface indicating that there were already fish churning up the substrate beneath. The Amazon redtails arrived in numbers and the rod tip soon wrapped round. Paul set the hook and was not expecting to meet so much resistance. Plenty of side strain required nearly spun him on the spot. It was a typical big redtail fight heading down the edge at full throttle but 50 yards later and even we were wondering what it was.  but at long last he managed to turn it and started to gain some line. A flash of orange emerged and gillie Amm was met with a big friendly cat near the net. A great start to the day for Paul filling him full of confidence just in time for his full English breakfast.

A prehistoric species

Tim was well aware of this when he made the journey round from Pattaya for a 3 day stay. The first day was spent in Sam’s Sala using rice bran meal and coconut milk packed tight around the feeder which resulted in good run of Indian carp. Lazy Man’s on day 2 turned out to be a slower day as the arapaima were not playing ball but his efforts well rewarded in The Point during the third and final day. The action kicked off with a good run of Amazon redtails, double takes and braces up until mid-morning. The jewel in the crown came in the fine form of a Niger ripsaw which fell to a chopped down balanced boilie hook bait positioned at the base of the first shelf and it fought like a demon for its size.

Wine and Dine at Monsoon Valley

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is home to the award-winning Monsoon Valley label and a range of labels marketed as new latitude wines. Hugged by mountain ranges and endless expanse of greenery, the vineyard offers a delightful excursion, complete with wine-tasting and dining opportunities. Covering an expansive 560 acres of verdant countryside, Hua Hin Hills is tucked away in a remote part of Hua Hin, about 36km from the town Centre. It is best to spend at least half a day at the vineyard. You can combine the trip with a visit to Wat Huay Mongkol and Baan Silapin, both are en-route to Hua Hin Hills.

Hua Hin Wine Safari

Hua Hin Wine Safari is a privately guided all day tour limited to 6 persons per trip or no more than 3 per Jeep. This landscape is especially suitable for growing grapes and these are then used to produce Monsoon Valley’s quality wines which are also known as the “New Latitude Wines”. Your morning will be spent visiting the Hua Hin Hills Vineyard, savoring Monsoon Valley wine and tantalizing Thai dishes at the Sala Wine Bar & Bistro.
The journey continues by Jeep to Kui Buri National Park, taking in the beauty of nature along the way while your guide shares interesting stories with you during the one-and-a-half-hour journey. Upon arriving at Kui Buri National Park, you will learn about the importance of conserving natural resources and enjoy the natural habitat of the wildlife, including herds of elephants, gaur and banteng within the 969 square kilometers of the National Park. This journey culminates with a picnic in the forest, then before sunset, you will be safely taken from Kui Buri National Park back to the resort.

Paving the way for your return

It has been another busy month at Jurassic in terms of building developments and improvements across the resort and this project was a pleasure to see take shape. The previous stamped concrete had served its purpose over the years and had seen the foot traffic of thousands of happy anglers, but it was time for a change. Following a series of discussions regarding different designs, we settled upon an orange tile encased within a non-slip Sand wash to be laid across the whole resort. Several weeks of hard work came together with a building team approaching 20 people on-site working both day and night at times and we were more than happy with the result. The building team will certainly be busy with what we have planned, so make sure you follow our social media presence to keep updated with ongoing improvements such as this mesmerizing time lapse video.

Fish Stockings

This month we started our stocking program with the aim to improve the species diversity at Jurassic and build upon our existing stocking profile. We are well known as a go-to venue for big fish where anglers flock with their sights set upon the giant Siamese carp whilst others eagerly anticipate landing the arapaima, as many of you may recall. The lake also boasts a diverse array of different Amazonian and Thai fish species and we are keen to build upon this to improve their catch rate for our customers. The first group introduced were tambaqui starting at 8kg, pacu from 9kg, and Niger ripsaw catfish from 9kg with more of these scheduled to arrive over the coming weeks. It has been a pleasure to see anglers land some of these fish already and the smiles on their faces as we continue to add to the sense of mystery with each bite as you just never know what you will catch.

Customer Service

Following the successful upgrade of the high-speed internet across the whole site we have made the most of this to implement the Jurassic Client Services ordering platform that allows you to contact the Jurassic Team directly and place your order. Upon check-in you are invited to scan the QR code to add the service to your contact list. Whether you are in your room, by the pool or during the angling action, our staff will confirm your order and deliver it to you within our opening hours. This ensures that if the gillies are busy netting fish, you can order directly, sit back relax and enjoy your holiday.

Gone with the wind

The Big Fan is one of 2 prominent corner swims situated at the end of the lake adjacent to Lover’s Retreat and its name originated from the large steel windmill to the rear of the swim. The windmill used to serve as a wind-powered water pump to top up the lake level but as Jurassic evolved the flow rate was insufficient and we have since installed a pump system to supersede it. Whilst the pump was decommissioned the windmill was an iconic feature but over the years it had become a nuisance due to the noise created from the turbine during windy weather. As a result, a crane was hired, and the windmill was recently removed. In the meantime, the root system of a fan palm tree was damaged after strong winds and it was slowly falling into the lake near Mountain View. To retain the swim name, this was uprooted, moved, and replanted in swim 7 so the name now refers to the plant, not the structure. Over the coming months, we expect to see this flourish as its roots take hold and its fans out to live up to its name.

Upgraded payment facilities

We are pleased to announce that card payment facilities have now been installed and set up at the front desk meaning that cash payment is no longer necessary. As well as the most popular Visa and Mastercard types, we also now accept other payment methods including JCB, UnionPay, K+, Prompt card, Thai Payment Network, and Thai QR Payment. In addition to this, a direct bank transfer is also offered meaning that you can relax with peace of mind that carrying cash upon arrival or taking a trip to the ATM is no longer required.

Testimonial

Lizzi and her partner joined us at Jurassic and here is what she had to say about the trip-on-Trip Advisor.

“Amazing!
We visited in January this year as my partner is a keen fisherman. The resort itself was fabulous, we stayed in a lodge overlooking the lake. The rooms were done very tastefully with leather sofa in the lounge, cable TV which opened into the bedroom with a well-stocked fridge, tea and coffee making facilities. A door led off to a shower room with a sink and toilet, some toiletries and towels were provided. The grounds were stunning and immaculately kept including the swims around the lake. A small lake with pet fish and the swimming pool was on the grounds with a jacuzzi and waterfall. The clubhouse/ restaurant served Thai along with English food and on Sunday’s a roast dinner with all the trimmings is served with apple crumble and custard. I would recommend it to my friends and would come again. We would go again maybe stay next time for a few days we were picked up and dropped back to the hotel all included in the price.”

Monthly Wildlife Watch

The collared kingfisher also known as mangrove kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily of tree kingfishers and is native to Southern Asia. It is mainly found in coastal areas, open grassland, and farmland. Their diet consists of small crabs and shrimp when possible but also insects including grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, spiders, worms, frogs, and small fish. They can remain motionless for long periods whilst waiting to spot prey and they dispatch it by pounding it against their perch before eating.

The common kingfisher is also referred to as the Eurasian kingfisher due to its wide distribution. The species is sparrow-sized and easily identified by the blue coloration on the chest and orange underparts and a long bill. Its diet in Thailand mainly consists of fish and shrimp that can be spotted near the surface and visual adaptations improve its ability to spot prey sub surface. The common kingfisher can be spotted on a perch located above the water before diving steeply down to depths of 25cm below the surface depending upon visibility. Once the prey has been caught, this species also beat it against their perch before swallowing it headfirst. Common kingfishers are important members of ecosystems and good indicators of freshwater community health and are often used as bio aquatic indicators when accessing waterbodies

The white-throated kingfisher also referred to as the white breasted is another species of tree kingfisher that is widely distributed across Asia. They do not require a water body and can be located far away from water bodies and are commonly found in urban areas. The species feeds upon a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, rodents and even birds. They have become a common sight in towns and cities and can be spotted perched on buildings and wires in the mornings and calling loudly especially during mating season.

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