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Saltwater Fly–Fishing in Thailand.
Phuket and Khao Lak.
"Saltwater Fly–Fishing for Dorado and GT".
(September through May).
We have guided many anglers in the past who have caught
saltwater fish, fly–fishing on our budget saltwater trip. Finally, after
strong demand for this style of fishing, I have decided to make a
webpage dedicated to saltwater fly–fishing in Thailand.
Unfortunately in Thailand we don't have access to flats style inshore
fly–fishing, but we do have very many FADs that hold good numbers
of several different species of pelagic fish. FAD is an acronym for
Fish Aggregating Device, which is a fancy name for a 1.5m cube of
polystyrene in a net, that is attached to the bottom of the sea by a
thick rope. Many FADs also have a submerged raft of bamboo
attached to the rope deep down. FAD’s are very successful at
attracting, and holding migrating fish in an area of sea that does not
have many natural underwater features.
We do have inshore fly–fishing around rocks and reefs where you
can target GT (Giant Trevally), Grouper, Barracuda, Spanish
Mackerel and Long Toms. This is however quite difficult because
the conditions and fish species in this area are not really very well
suited to fly–fishing. We recommend that you fish at the FADs where
there is a much greater opportunity of a good catch, unless a GT is
on your bucket list!
The key to success is to find the fish, and the best way to do this is
by using our regular fishing gear. Once we know where around the
FAD the fish are positioned, we can then position the boat for fly–
fishing. Another method is to hook a Dorado (Mahi Mahi) using
regular gear and bring the fish to within fly casting distance of the
boat, and leave the fish there. It is common for other Dorado to
follow hooked fish. To just tie onto an FAD and start blindly fly–
casting is not usually productive, but we have caught a few fish
doing that. Dorado in particular are usually around in good numbers
at the FADs and they take fly very well, often out fishing regular
methods. Dorado are usually very close to the surface in shoals,
hunting small fish, which makes them an ideal target for the fly. With
Dorado staying in the upper layers of the water close to the surface,
they are not affected by commercial fishing, the trawlers nets go
well beneath them. Another reason that Dorado are so abundant
where we fish, is that they have very little commercial value in
Thailand, and you never see them on the menu at Thai restaurants.
Dorado only brings 30 thb per kilo when sold to the fish market,
which is the trash fish market value for any fish that are made into
fish meal. It's a mystery why this is so, because Dorado are a very
good table fish held in high regard in many other parts of the world!
This is all good news of course for sportfishermen!
The FADs start around 9km offshore in water around 45-53m deep.
On our budget trips, it takes around 1.5 hours to reach the FADs,
but once you reach them, there are very many FADs spread around
1km apart. (However we have faster boats available from 18,000
THB per day). We visit very many FADs during a day's fishing.
Usually if Dorados are around an FAD, we will get a strike within 10
minutes. If no strikes after 10 minutes or so, we move to the next
FAD. As mentioned earlier, finding the fish is imperative so we
quickly keep moving until we find the fish.
Please note however, saltwater fly–fishing is not easy and you need
to be of a good standard of casting, and be prepared to work hard.
We recommend 8# to12# fly–fishing equipment with floating
intermediate lines. 10# being my personal favourite weight. 12# if
you want to try inshore fishing where you may encounter GT.
Flies should be made with strong sharp hooks, Dorado have a
tough mouth and fight extremely hard, and are very acrobatic! I
have seen several times where anglers have underestimated the
power of saltwater fish, and after lots of hard work have lost big fish
because the hook bent out. See below for a selection of fly types
that we like to use and have been successful with.
What to bring:.
Suitable comfortable footwear with a rubber soul for grip, and ideally
to cover the tops of your feet for sun protection.
Long sleeve shirt
Hat
Polorised sunglasses
Towel
Sunscreen
Camera (preferably waterproof)
Lightweight Rain Jacket
8
–12 weight fly equipment with floating / intermediate line.
Fly selection consisting of large streamers, poppers and any others you
would like to try. Please contact us near the time of your trip for an undate
on the most productive flies.
Fly–fishing equipment is available for rent, however all
damages must be paid for.
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All fishing trips include:
Roundtrip transport from Phuket or Khao Lak.
lunch, drinking water, soft drinks, and fresh fruit.
Full guide assistance.
Prices:
1 Angler - 7,000 thb.
2 Anglers - 4,000 thb each.
3 or more Anglers - 3,000 thb each.
Fishing Khao Lak recommends these hotels for this destination ––>
We are looking forward to seeing you, so until then,
Tight Lines!
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