Small Fry: My Formative Fishing Years (Part 2)

Many juvenile species spend their years of growth and development in specific areas. Young Russell and John's snappers are known to frequently visit the brackish waters of mangrove estuaries, before venturing into deeper offshore regions. Damselfish seek protection in shallow, warm coral reefs for their entire lives. Others spend their days wandering throughout the seas, with scads, herring and other schooling species roaming in search of fertile feeding grounds.

My fishing journey much resembles the lives of my targets. Like the snappers, I started out in a place conducive for a beginner, with an abundance of baitfish and generally easy conditions, before progressing to more challenging settings. Similar to the scads, I thoroughly enjoy visiting new spots, especially with others, in hopes of unique, exciting and wholly enriching experiences. However, also taking after the damselfish, I always have a sense of comfort and nostalgia when returning to the place where it all began - Bedok Jetty. Here's a further insight into my formative fishing years, much more through pictorial depiction as opposed to narration. After all, a picture does speak a thousand words, and I hope you enjoy this snippet of my childhood!

Bedok Jetty, 2011-2012

Having been utterly hooked by my first trip, I took the very next opportunity to make a return during the June Holidays. Being only my second time handling a rod and reel, I was once again told to use the sabiki rig. Not that I minded though, as I was simply elated to be back out on the water again. The rod, bought from Changi Village, was taller than I was, and a stool was brought along so I could jig at the optimal angle, since remember, I could barely reach over the railing!

While I grew more comfortable with the setup, my slightly-older fishing partner, using a simple paternoster rig with little pieces of prawn, began landing all sorts of unique fish! Such is the elusiveness of some of those species that till this day, I still haven't caught them myself!

Unidentified Pelagic Species

Candystripe Cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus endekataenia)

I would eventually catch one as Species #35!

Butterfly Whiptail (Pentapodus setosus)

I would eventually catch one as Species #9!

Pink Ear Emperor (Lethrinus lentjan) (Right)

I would eventually catch the Emperor as Species #32!

Yellowbar Sandperch (Parapercis Xanthozona) (Left)

Unidentified Monocle Bream Species

Unidentified Goby/Blenny Species

Longrakered Trevally (Ulua mentalis)

Talang Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus)

I would eventually catch this one as Species #37!

Greater Lizardfish (Saurida tumbil)

I would eventually catch this as Species #31!

Indian Mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta)

After a couple of trips, I had grown more familiar and proficient with my setup and started to achieve major success with the sabiki rig, beginning to land considerable numbers of baitfish. These included more White Sardinella (colloquially called Tamban), Yellowstriped and Yellowtail Scad (locally named Ikan Kuning and Selar respectively). By my fourth trip to the jetty, I was pulling up fish almost immediately, with double, triple or even quadruple hookups! This was in part due to the perfect conditions my grandmother always chose for me, but that made me no less thrilled with my progress! I still vividly remember casting nonstop into the sunset that day, perched on my stool and arm aching. "Keep going, these make good bait!" my grandmother would cheer me on, until we finally retired for the day with our haul. Deep-fried until even the bones are crispy and edible, they were absolutely delicious, and I would highly recommend anyone to try fish this fresh at least once!

* Note that the species depicted are White Sardinella, which are labelled "Least Concern" in the ICUN Red List, an indication on the species' sustainability. However, I would recommend only to take as much as you need, despite its abundance, to ensure that this resource stays that way!

Finally, I was rewarded for my efforts with a "promotion"! On the next trip which stretched into the night, I was allowed to use the same paternoster rig my fishing partner had previously used. Once again trying to find my way around this new technique, which required much more precision and timing in order to land a strike, I only caught one fish that evening, but as always, I was more than content to just be there in the moment! Milestone unlocked - first fish caught on bait!

Species #35: Candystripe Cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus endekataenia)

And that concludes my first prolonged stint at Bedok Jetty, before I went in search of slightly larger targets, but that's for the next post!

Punggol Waterfront, December 2011

Sometime in between my Bedok Jetty exploits, my mother suggested I try a different location to switch up the variety of fish that I was bringing up. That location was Punggol Jetty, situated along the northeast shore of Singapore and along the edge of the Johor Straits separating the island nation from Malaysia. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the slightly calmer and more brackish water that the area held supported my mother's hypothesis of different catches.

My mother and I started out with a short recce to survey the vicinity and search for possible fishing spots. We immediately settled on the jetty in the middle of the park, a far cry compared to Bedok Jetty in terms of size but still, it seemed promising. The potential of the area was further heightened as we strolled along the beach, as we spotted a pair of baby catfish gracefully swimming close to shore. Remembering from my first encounter that they were safe to touch at that stage, I gingerly scooped one up to observe it. Much darker than my very first capture, it more closely resembles the Black Eeltail Catfish which I have yet to add to my lifelist. I then carefully lowered it back into its home and watched as it struggled back into the depths against the current, filled with hope for a productive day of fishing to follow!

This time, I blended the two techniques I had learnt prior at Bedok Jetty, opting to use tiny pieces of shrimp on the sabiki rig. It certainly did yield results, and this setup would go on to become my go-to method for a considerable few years!

Species #5: Freckled Hawkfish (Ambassis kopsii)

Species #6: Threespine Frogfish (Batrachomoeus trispinosus)

Species #46: Smallmouth Scad (Alepes alpercna)

Labrador Park, 2012

Funnily enough, my biggest ever catch isn't even a fish! Well, if you could even count that I caught it. It was the first time I was fishing with my classmates and we had chosen Labrador Park along Singapore's southern shores as our fishing spot. With the jetty under renovation due to a recent landslide, we opted to fish from shore, with a surfcasting rod borrowed from my friend's dad. The rod being twice our height, we comically struggled to get the bait out more than a couple metres, before the adults finally intervened. The action was slow, but in the company of my friends, time didn't seem to be passing slow at all. Suddenly, the screaming of the rod's drag instantly caught our attention. Rushing over and promptly setting the hook, the four of us took turns to fight the unseen beast, the rod arcing dangerously. The power exhibited by whatever was at the end of the line was something I had never experienced before, as I took instructions from nearby anglers to pump and wind. As we managed to retrieve a considerable amount of line, my heart palpitated faster as I tried to guess what was coming up. Queenfish? Cobia? Hold on, a shell?

A reptilian head broke the surface of the water. Nope, not Godzilla, sorry to disappoint! The sea turtle, barely hooked beneath its hard carapace, swam awkwardly in the turbulent waters. We felt a mix of disappointment and sheer awe - yes, it wasn't a fish, but what a majestic creature! Our exhiliration was quickly replaced by concern, though, as we wondered how we would be able to let it go. Fortunately, a nearby angler was able to scale down the slippery breakwater and bravely unhook the turtle, which thankfully swam back into the deep gracefully and unharmed. An unforgettable experience indeed! P.s. Please don't go around targeting sea turtles!

Lower Peirce Reservoir, November 2012

The final destination of my first two angling years was Lower Peirce Reservoir, and one of the rare times I have fished in freshwater. In Singapore, any form of organic baits is banned in freshwater bodies such as canals and reservoirs, so I had persuaded my parents to get me a small surface lure. Having visited the area before, I knew that the banks along the fishing zone was extremely rocky, making it conducive for fish and other aquatic life to thrive. As such, I added a small net and pail to my arsenal for the day. I had never handled a lure before and was uncertain about what action to impart. Seeing the golden lure gently sway as I reeled in, I instinctively chose to do a straight retrieve, coupled with several enthusiastic jerks. I swear I saw a dark shadow following my lure, but after 2 hours without results, I was bored and spent.

I turned my attention to the rocks that lined the reservoir, net in hand, and began lifting rocks to uncover vibrant cichlids and resting catfish. Even so, they were all too agile for me, as my frantic efforts with the net only stirred up the sediment, literally leaving me in the dust! I was not about to be outdone here too, though, and managed to fool a crayfish to grab onto the end of my net. Well, at least that's something!

While celebrating my success, I suddenly heard my mother call me over. Instantly plopping the crayfish back into its den and sprinting back to where she was, I found her pointing toward an angler engaged in battle. The water erupted as a fairly large barred fish leapt powerfully. "Want to fight it? I'll go get the net" The angler smiled kindly as he invited me to rein the feisty fish in. Already awestruck to see a freshwater beast at the end of a line on my very first freshwater trip, I gratefully took the rod and wound down. "He's gonna jump! Keep the tip down!" I held my breath as it exploded once again, headshaking ferociously. While it was on light tackle, I was still amazed at how this fish had such stamina to put up a sustained challenge. Nevertheless, it now seemed to have expended its last ounce of energy and within a few seconds, it was safely in the net. A Speckled Pavon (Cichla temensis), or simply known as Temensis, and a beautiful specimen at that. A cousin of an iconic freshwater sportfish in Singapore, the Peacock Bass, these fish are native to South America and are considered an invasive species. After a quick photo and measurement, I gratefully handed it back to the generous angler who was willing to trust this newbie with his catch. It was nearing sunset, so we packed up and headed home, as I struggled to comprehend what had just happened!

That wraps up my first two angling years, which truly ended with a bang! I set out trying to hook some fish, but frankly, it was the fish that hooked me. If you think the fish here are too small for your liking, stay tuned for my next post, as larger beasts await :)

Tight lines,

~ Ryan, The Fishing Chinchilla