Like soles are to shoes, fishing rod guides are one the most crucial components for most fishing rods. They too, however, are one of the most commonly damaged parts due to wear and tear, rust or mere negligence.

This is my first how-to tutorial and I titled it as such because hopefully at the end of the tutorial, you would be able to be a Jenius (with a J not a G because the G spots are all taken up by the real professionals) in replacing guides.

If you've noticed, I used "repairing guides" in the title but in actuality, I have absolutely no idea on how to repair the guides themselves. I do, however, have experience in REPLACING them. I know its just a technicality but it is important to me given the amount of half-truths I've witnessed the past few days on the internet (and also the flak, oh gosh.).

Back to topic, there are really just 2 major steps to take in replacing fishing rod guides. The first being to remove the old guide including its thread wrapping and epoxy coating and the second being to install the new guide.

It's really not difficult to do this on your own as I have learnt (with some help of course). You could however get your guides replaced at tackle shops with rates around 10 dollars or more (from what I know) but it does add up to quite a sum if you're planning on refurbishing your entire fishing rod.

REMOVAL OF GUIDES

To remove guides, first we have to understand how they are installed. Guides are installed directly to the blank, followed by a wrapping of thread and finally a coating of epoxy is applied to secure the guide in place. So basically removal of guides is just the reverse engineering of the entire process.

Step 1. Heat the epoxy with a small flame

Do take note that even with a lighter, you could damage your rod blank if too much heat is applied to the rod blank (I did this once on a broken rod I bought online and it was intriguing to see the blank  fold on itself given the heat applied).

Step 2. Use a blade to shave the epoxy off.

After gently heating the epoxy, the outer layer protecting and securing the rod guides should be soft enough to cut through with a sharp blade. TIP: Cut the epoxy directly covering the rod guide so that even if you do cut too deep, you won't hit the blank. You do not have to cut off all the epoxy in one go, just shave off enough to expose the thread wrapping.

Step 3. Unwind the thread

Once the thread wrapping is exposed, you can then proceed to cut away at it to expose a sufficient amount of loose ends to unwind the thread. If done properly, this process could save you a lot of time and the epoxy removal process will take care of itself. If the thread breaks midway, just repeat process 2 and 3 until all the thread is removed.

Step 4. Remove the old guide and any remaining epoxy

Once the thread and epoxy are removed, you can the proceed to remove the guide. There might still be a layer of epoxy deposited on the guide so remove those patiently with fine grain sandpaper. Be extra careful not to damage the blank.

Step 5. Clean the blank

Using a wet cloth or just running the blank under water, clear off any remaining debris. AND YOU'RE DONE!

INSTALLING OF GUIDES

Now that you've removed the guides, you would have gained a basic understanding on how the guide was installed on the blank. So let us proceed to installing your new guide.

Step 1. Tape the new guide in place.

Using masking tape or any other tape that is easy to remove, tape down the guide onto the blank. Don't worry too much if the guide isn't perfectly straight when you tape it down as you can make minor changes to the position of the guide in later stages.

Step 2. Take your thread and tape the loose end to the guide.

You would want to prepare your guide by first creating a gentle slope at the end of the guide foot using a file. Because you would be wrapping the guide from the foot of the guide towards the eyelet (the circle thing which your line goes through), you would want to tape the thread about an inch from the starting point (also depending on the size of your guide and how many foot it has).

Step 3. Start wrapping!

Once the guide and thread are secured, you can start wrapping! Determine how far down the end of the guide foot you want your wrapping to start. Because you would need to coat the thread with epoxy later on, you might now want to start too far away from the guide and end up altering the action of the rod with the the epoxy. Further more, if there is too much epoxy, the coating might be prone to cracking. The wrapping process is really easier to explain through the video but let me try to break it down. Start rotating the rod such that the thread is taut around the guide (the guides might shift a bit, don't worry though). Once you've reached the starting point of your wrapping, slowly rotate the rod allowing the thread to tighten on itself (this is where wrapping starts and always ensure that the thread does not cross over another wrapping and if it does just unwind and repeat the wrapping process). After around 4 or 5 cycles around the loose end, use a blade to remove the loose end making sure to cut near the last wrap. After which, continue the wrapping process until you reach near the bridge of the guide to that leads to the eyelet.

Step 4. Complete the wrap

Once you're left with an estimated 4 or 5 wraps, insert a thread loop underneath your last wrap. TIP: place the thread loop at the blank side so that when you tighten the wrap, it would sit snuggly in between the wraps and not in limbo near the guide. Wrap over the thread loop, cut the thread linked to the spool and put it through the thread loop without unwinding previous made wraps. With one swift motion, pull the thread loop and your wrap is complete! Once your wrapping is done, adjust you guide and make sure to center it.

Step 5. Epoxy time.

Okay, I've read of people using 2-part 5 minute epoxy but I would highly recommend using something with a longer curing time to get a more even coating. I've been using a 2-part epoxy that comes with a dropper and the idea is to mix equal number of drops of resin and hardener. Normally for a 6 foot rod, i'll do around 30 drops of each substance (so here's a rough gauge you might use but it really depends on the number of guide foots to cover and the sizes of the guides. Just mix more if there is not enough). Mix enough epoxy and mix it well. You could use a heating lamp or a hair dryer to decrease the viscosity of the epoxy to ease the application process. It would definitely help if you have some sort of stand and a lathe to rotate the rod while you're applying the epoxy (also great for the drying process). Make sure to apply sufficient amount of epoxy and to coat every gap as the epoxy also acts as a sealant which would prevent corrosion and rust. Once you're happy with your artwork, allow the epoxy to dry overnight (if you do not have a lathe, you might want to turn the rod every few minutes or so, depending on the build of your epoxy.)

Finally, once the epoxy has cured, check if its is still sticky. If it is still sticky, allow it to cure for another night but if the problem persists, apply another thin coat of epoxy as the previous coat might have not had the right proportion of resin and hardener. And that's it for the whole process!

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

There are many different guides in the market and there are shops that do sell relatively cheap guides. However, if you're only into Fuji guides then the costs of replacing your guide might get higher. Guides rang anywhere from below a dollar to prices where you could get a cheap rod (depending on the size and make of the guides). If you're not super particular about brand, there are many suppliers on Aliexpress that sell them pretty cheap in various sizes and colors. Thread-wise, each spool of 100 yards would cost you around 5 to 7 Singapore dollars normally but if you're not too particular about color, Joe Fishing Tackle do sell quite a few of them at wayy cheaper prices.

I hope this write-up and the video help any of you out there who are trying to replace your own guides or are trying to pick up a new skill! I am not a professional rod builder but I hope this helps! That's all for now, tight lines and smiley face :D

Given the events that have occurred recently, I would like to appeal to any of you with information on the person featured in my recent video. I would like to express my sincerest apologies to the man in black. Social media has painted a half-truth version of the events that occurred (especially on one particular website) and I am sincerely sorry that my footage has fueled it. I created my blog and YouTube channel to inform and educate and allow an audience to think objectively but my actions recently has only bred hate and unhappiness. Once again, I am sorry.

One whole month of extra classes awaits the young Singaporeans as they enter the month of June. Without the excuse of school, parents can now torment their children with stacks of additional work whilst the victims put off their holiday homework to the end of the illusion that is the holidays. 

I recently came across a video on Facebook which glimpsed the life of a regular 12-year-old girl in Singapore. The video depicted briefly her daily routine of going to school and the onslaught of extra classes that awaited her after the mandatory ordeal. The slippery slope idea of not doing well in the PSLE which would lead to not being able to enter a "prestigious secondary school" which would mean not being able to enter a "good JC" and hence not being able to enter a "good local university" which would lead to not being able to find a good career and thus failing in life is etched in the minds of parents especially in Singapore as many of them have gone through a similar system. A 12-year-old can now be "stressed" as long as the parents and schools apply such ideals to the children under their tutelage. Being afraid that their children will not meet the ever demanding standards of society, parents view tuition and extra classes as almost mandatory. Now now, this doesn't mean that the current system does not work. Take the girl in the video for example, while she is stressed out, at least she is able to articulate in decent sentence structures!

The English language is very interesting but occasionally also very confusing. Read could be read as read or read as read (ifyouknowwhatImean). Singapore did not start out as a primarily English-speaking society but it has over the years been slowly molded to be as such. While the learning of the language itself is often neglected due to the prioritization of other subjects such as Mathematics or the Sciences (because Asian parents want their children to be doctors), it is crucial to note of the importance of English even in the learning of these other subjects. Questions like "John's age is one-third lesser the age of his brother, Sam, 5 years ago. In how many years time will John's age be 25% less than his brother given that Sam may or may not be the name of a boy?" (I know this isn't a very good example. hahaha! I made it up as I went along. Is the question solvable though?) plague Mathematics questions and by the time the students reached the end of the question, the language would have gotten to them before the Mathematics does. I too once had such an issue in a primary school science paper because the word "interval" was not in my 9-year-old vocabulary (the examiner had trouble explaining the term to me without blatantly pointing the answer out to me).

Over the years, my vocabulary has improved to that of a 16-year-old girl who has read all the Harry Potter books but what I found more important in the English language for effective communication is grammar. Grammar is basically the syntax that English is built upon. Without syntax, only miscommunication would remain. The importance of syntax is crucial in not only expression of oneself but also in the understanding of other people and their ideas. Miss out a colon in some programming languages and your program would not compile, pretty much the same for English.

About slightly more than a week back, the Oxford English Dictionary announced its acceptance of 19 new "Singlish" words into their dictionary. It is true that as a society we have used most of this words on a daily basis (except Chinese Helicopter LOL). The acceptance of the new words drew mixed response with some people fortifying the fallacy that the acceptance would almost without a doubt impede the ability or Singaporeans to grasps proper English syntax. Yes, while the acceptance does seem to promote the creole of Singaporeans, it is important that we educate Singaporeans on the correct usage of said "new words". The education o the 19 new words could not only allow the correct usage of the words, it could also be an opportunity to emphasize the law and nature of words that govern the English language. It is not my personal preference to use these 19 words in written form but if students in Singapore would desire to use them, they should be taught the proper way of using them in proper sentence structures.

While Singaporeans are overly concerned of the 19 words that were accepted, most might have missed the new Hong Kong English words that were accepted. We should instead be more worried of the usage of words like "compensated dating" and "dai pai dong". I am unable to speak for the rest of the population but I have certainly never used these words in my life, but like a new mobile application, it is my duty to understand the words and their nature if I were to use them in a proper English sentence.

It is unwise to think the English language as one that is pure. With root words from various languages, English is a melting pot of languages. With Singapore being a melting pot of cultures, it is not surprising that a few words from a diverse society such as ours would be accepted officially. The acceptance of the words should be seen not as a recognition of the Singlish language itself but as a broadening of an exchange of cultures and understanding. Language is a tool that we each have to use in proper manner to exude the desired message.

Just like C programming and C++, whilst both might be used to carry out the same function, it is important that we educate ourselves on the difference in syntax between Singlsh and (more importantly) the English language.

Tight lines and smiley face :) Time to go #jalanjalan. (This is how it should be used.)

As a cheap miser of an angler, it is no surprise that I would scout far and wide for the cheapest of alternatives the world could offer. Aliexpress has become one of my go-to sources whenever I need something, angling related or not. There is a sequence of steps I take in order to decide where I make a purchase (which I should discuss in another post).

There is but much debate about the purchasing of products online and even in this day and age, it is hard to say for certain whether a purchase made online would hold sufficient credibility. Shipping issues aside, it is always a bit of a gamble when making a purchase on an e-commerce site such as Aliexpress. Of course the landscape that is internet shopping is improving daily and rapidly but occasionally buyers do face disappointment when they finally get their product [for example this fake of a fake (SJ4000) of a fake (SJCAM which is a popular GoPro alternative*) which I bought a while back https://sg.carousell.com/p/52447114  << its pretty funny apparently]

Fret not anymore! Your hero is here! LOL.

So I bought a bunch of soft lures a few months back and only managed to try them out recently. They were quite cheap in my opinion as they were going at around slightly more that 8USD(around 13SGD) for 50 pieces of 75mm lures. I bought the paddletail variation and they came in 5 colors which I didn't really fancy (but they were cheap, like me. cheap.) At first glance, they did look really good as they were packaged very nicely like most budget lures with the whole ziploc bag thing and they even had Korean words at the back (which might have been Kpop song lyrics for all I know). Price wise they would be less than a third of Z-Man lures but of course the quality would be different.

Personally, I am no expert in luring and lures but it is quite noticeable when comparing the texture, elasticity and rigidness between a lure from Z-Man and the one I bought online. The Z-Man definitely feels like it is able to survive longer than the Bassland (that's the brand apparently) lures but with shear quantity advantage, the Bassland does have its edge. Credit has to be given to Bassland for adding a random mess of glitter in the soft plastics which would definitely serve as an irritant for peacock bass.

I was out testing a new lure I purchased the day before (which I bought on impulse) but nothing was taking that particular lure. A small incident with a tree traumatized me and after managing to retrieve my new fat lure, I immediately kept it and switched to a cheaper alternative- the Bassland soft lure on a 1/4oz jig head. The Kuying Snapshot paired with a SeaKnight BC reel was the gear of choice for the day. A few misses later, a juvenile PB went for my lure and swallowed if whole. The hook was set through its nostril which meant that there was almost no leeway to escape. It's been quite awhile since I caught a peacock bass (simply because I don't do too good luring). The last time I caught one was when I was still using a flip phone. Whatsapp wasn't even a thing then.

So yeah. If you are willing to wait 3 weeks, willing to take your chance on a brand not many have heard of or if you're just cheap like me, then the Bassland soft lures might be for you. They do work but I would not be brave enough to say that they are effective (because PBs have a reputation for going for most lures)

A small fish is better than no fish any day. Till next time, tight lines and smiley face :D

As the sun blazed down mercilessly, 2 childish men trudged to the new hunting ground lugging their over-sized tackle boxes on their shoulders with their rods in hand. The two wanderers were stepping into foreign domain hoping that lady luck would bless their afternoon with fruitful sustenance. Each of them had different preferences as compared to the other. The less quirky looking of the two preferred rubbery weapons that enticed and deceived whilst his lazy butt counterpart (me) relished in the idea of smelly carcasses that were a delicacy to the prey. (wrote this at 4.30am so pardon the attempt at a dramatic hook) <<seewhatIdidthere? :D

Okay so my friend Gerald and I went down to Pasir Ris yesterday afternoon (23 May 2016) for a short fishing session. We surveyed the main pond upon arrival and decided to try the Pro Pond instead due to the crowd that was present probably because of the Vesak Day off in-lieu. The weather was crazy hot and the sun was blazing. It was our first time heading to the Pro Pond and we didn't quite know where and how to go about with the transactions for the Pro Pond but it wasn't rocket science.

The Pro Pond area was really quite minute as compared to the main pond. While it meant that there was less area for anglers to cover, it did not necessarily mean that the fish per area would definitely be greater than that of the main pond but as anglers, we all share the same optimistic view at the start of every fishing trip.

The setup I had that day was a 6 and a half feet Ofmer rod with guides that I self-refurbished a while back paired with the ATC Valiant 3000. I had initially wanted to try the feel of casting with the setup but the pond wasn't ideal in my personal opinion due to its rather small area.

Upon reaching our spot, we promptly set our gear up hoping to make our money's worth. I had on a 2-hook apollo rig with dead prawn bait and Gerald was going to test out the Sx-Soft Vib by Storm. Unfamiliar with the terrain and water depth, I tossed out my rig and was surprised to hit the bottom of the pond fast. Whilst reeling in the line slack, I felt a huge thud and my line grew heavy. At this point, I thought I had snagged onto the bottom of the pond but was immediately surprised as the line pulled away from me. Mind you, it was my first cast (more of a toss and less of a cast actually) and I had a fish on the other end of my line. Having had not set the drag properly before the "cast" the line wasn't pulling out and I was literally muscling the fish in with full drag hoping my lapse would not be costly. And in seconds, I could see color. There was no mistaking the distinct color and shape of the KBL. As I smiled on the lucky first cast, the barramundi smiled back, wiggling its head and spitting my hook out. A feeling of loss mixed with motivated hope echoed through the air (either that or it was just the heat wave).

About 20 minutes into the session, Gerald hooked on to a KBL which was landed promptly and about an hour later a mangrove jack took my bait. The rest of the day was pretty dull for us as we watched other anglers outfish us. The method which seemed to work the best for them seemed to be a combination of luring and baiting. Prawn spinning as most would call it is the method of fishing with a prawn (could be dead or live) hooked at the end of the line with only a split shot around slightly more than a feet from the hook (correct me if i'm wrong). The method is similar to luring in that it covers much ground but the main aim is to primarily put the bait in front of the fish and in the process entice a bite. If you're heading down to the Pro Pond anytime soon, try this method and cast along the area where they quarantine the fishes meant to be released. I've seen this method worked so many times at different locations but have yet to try it because I am one of those anglers that hope to find the best bait and willing to forgo technique. My dream really is to be a ..... Master Baiter.

ANYWAY, we took the fish to a Thai tze char stall and got them to cook the fish for us. The place is located at Sheng Siong near Jalan Bahar (google map or comment if you need more info). The KBL was steamed with soy sauce and the MJ was deep fried with mango salad. Being the glutton that I was, I ordered an additional fried Thai dong fen and I must say it was pretty darn brilliant. 2 men 2 fish, all in all it was a pretty decent day (though not very economical haha!) but any day fishing is a great day spent.

Just a quick update, I'm starting a Youtube channel which would include a bunch of other stuff aside from fishing (but mostly fishing). Do subscribe if you like the content and leave me a comment or contact me if you'd like to reach out to me for anything. That's all for now, till next time. Tight lines and smiley face :D

p.s. I wrote this at like 4am so pardon me if the sequence is rather sporadic. 

OH right, I'm not sure about this and would like to clarify, is the use of nets allowed for the landing  of fish at the Pro Pond?

UPDATE: Okay, so I learnt no nets are allowed at this pond and also only single hook rigs are to be used here. Broke 2 rules on my first trip. I'm such a rebel :3

After a workout of a hike, my friends and I finally reached the battle ground for the day. We entered a dimly lit room and were greeted by the NTU Breakers committee who were in charge of the day's proceedings. Having dabbled in dance for the term of my undergraduate life, I could recognize a few familiar faces who were prominent in the scene (I used "scene" because it makes me sound like I know famous people). A close friend of ours had invited us down for the event and I decided to head down to educate my ignorant butt of the art that is B-boying or breaking, also called breakdancing (yes, I wiki-ed this just in case).

We made camp in front of the stage opposite the judges, just a row behind the official photographers and videographers with their expensive toys. Loud hip hop melodies laden with arrays of fast beats filled the enclosed room as the gladiators warmed themselves up in cyphers. It is always intriguing to watch freestylers engage in such free forms of dance, testing their vocabulary and musicality concurrently. The casual translation of music through the body's movements.

Fabulous~

There were quite a few notable characters who were present and the crowd shouted their names whenever they were about to "throw down" (another one of those vocabs I learnt today). One of them was Bboy Lego Sam from Malaysia (who won the Red Bull BC One Malaysia Cypher 2015). Like a little energizer bunny, the happy-faced dancer stole the show and went on to win both the International 7-to-smoke and the day's 3v3 main event with his team Short with Attitude. 

All in all, it was an eye opener of an event and I'd definitely look forward to more of such events in the future. Tight line and smiley face :)

p.s. Didn't take many pictures because they wouldn't have told the entire story. Wait up for RP Productions for the official vids I guess! :)

As an avid (but still noob) angler studying in NTU who is soon to contribute to the unemployment statistics of my country, Nanyang Lake is definitely no stranger to me. The lake is definitely a symbol of the strong character of youths in the past. In 1961, the students of NTI dug up the lake with pure labor as the primary tool and it has now become part of the identity of the school as it holds heritage value (thank goodness the students did it then because it would be near impossible to carry out such a task in this day and age. Freshmen orientation camps aren't even allowed to scare freshmen with "fright night" anymore pffffft LAME). And while I do know of its location and its history, I've only managed to fish in the pond twice throughout my entire student life due to the undesirable procedures required in attaining a permit to fish there. Of course I've had my fair share of loitering around the area after classes and at 3 in the morning where occasionally I would just watch in envy as the permit holders fish.

Moving on from depressing issues, I spent my birthday this year fishing here for the second time. I've spotted PBs, patins and tilapias since I last fished here last year after the renovation of the lake and hoped the lake would proof promising again. The NTU Anglers' Club, which I am a phantom member of, had reported of probable poaching activities in the past which made me slightly worried that the lake would not deliver. Nevertheless, I went down for the event in hopes of putting my self-built rod to the test.

I made my way down early for registration and was first to arrive. Choice of bait for the day was Bounjour Butterscotch Loaf (which also happened to be breakfast) and Taiwan Sausage (courtesy of my friend Shafique) as opposed to the marshmallows I used last year. The first catch I had last year came in early with a running sinker rig and I adopted the same strategy this year which proved effective.

If I like it, the fatties should like it too

I caught my first (and only) patin of the day on the butterscotch bread early into the event with my first cast at around 0930hrs. It wasn't the biggest of patins but most anglers would agree that "small fish is better than no fish". I had a little help landing the fish and removing the hook from a kind angler at the event as I did not bring a lip grip or a hook remover. A quick photo with the fish and I was eager to release it to bait up for my next catch. While I was releasing the fish, a shadowy figure surfaced and almost took a bite at my catch! There was no mistaking the red tail of the RTC as it swam back down to the depths. 

My friend Shafique arrived shortly after armed with a packet of red sweet sausages after my tip-off. With some birthday luck, I hooked on to a red-tailed catfish on my first cast with the sugary weapon. The fight of this fish was unlike that of a patin and it was thrilling as my reel screamed. Wrestling it slowly and patiently, there was a moment when I thought I had lost the fish as it swam in my direction. I could feel its weight which was exaggerated by the cheap nylon line (Daiwa Justron size#2, but i'm pretty sure its a replica) I had bought online. I struggled to switch on my action cam to capture the moment (yes, i know, priorities) and soon after managed to coax it to the surface. One of the Anglers' Club exco members assisted me in landing the fish. The creature "farted" the entire journey from water to land. Protocol demanded the mandatory photos and I proceeded to release the fish. Unlike the patin, the RTC has a rather rough and non-slimy skin akin to leather which I found rather amusing. 

The rest of the day was rather uneventful however as the sun rose to its peak. Shafique managed to catch a patin on the crimson processed meat and the rest of the day was pretty dull with us shifting spots to avoid the sun. 

I did have footages of the patin and RTC catch on my action cam which I had initially planned to upload but a glitch in the recording system of the device overwrote all my important files and now i'm only left with the pictures I took from my compact camera. I guess everything evens out in the end but I am glad I managed to catch my first RTC on the first day I brought my self-built rod for a test.

The Jenius #1, my first self built rod

Nanyang Lake's biodiversity has certainly improved this one year and I do hope the new species introduced (especially those not mentioned in this article) would flourish. I'll be back again next year. Tight lines and smiley face :D

Thanks for organizing NTU AC! 

p.s. I was pissed that I lost all my footages so I didn't bother editing any of the pics.

Shimano is a brand many anglers swear and live by. Some might even consider it a religion of the sport that is fishing. I've yet to own a Shimano product but would definitely consider the brand if they too would consider my job application I sent in a few months back. I've fiddled with a couple of entry-level Shimano brand reels in the past but have yet to have a feel of their flagship Stella range which some consider to be high up on the fishing reel caste system. Shimano Singapore Open House 2016 provided me with an opportunity to do so and I seized it.

The event started at 10am but I was still sleeping my unemployed butt away at that time. I wobbled my way to the event after lunch and reached at about 1430hrs. A fishing kaki of mine wanted to get the goodie bag which was on sale at the event and I obliged. There was no queue when I was there and I promptly paid for the bag and took a quick peek at where they stored the goodie bags and figured that there was at least another 100 bags left to clear (I heard that the goodie bags used to sell out before noon in previous years though). The goodie bag was priced at 35SGD and included various products including a cap, pliers, a jig, an eging lure (size 3.5 which is a little huge for local eging in my opinion) ,a fish length measuring tape, a pen, the latest Shimano brochure, a Shimano sticker and a reel of fluorocarbon line. Each purchase of the goodie bag also came with a lucky draw coupon which saw a total of 50 prizes (and one mystery prize~ wooooo~) up for grabs.

Shimano had a bunch of products on display and on sale. The area where there had reels for sale saw a steady stream of audience which turned me off slightly but I managed a glance. The Stradic FK was going for 150SGD and the Sustain was going at 250SGD if I'm not mistaken. I can't quite recall the current retail price of said products but if I remember correctly, the Stradic FK would cost around 200SGD usually. There was also a booth selling "beginner combo sets" which included a Cruzar rod and a Alivio reel going at 80SGD. With some effort, I managed to squeeze between the crowd and was able to get my hands on the Stella. I must say it is quite a piece of art but honestly, with that price tag, I would take my chances with a cheaper reel (like how I would like Shimano to take it's chances by granting me an interview LOL). I did also manage to play around with the new Stradic Ci4+ which is a more likely purchase choice for me given my unemployed status and also my preference in colors.

Some day Stella, some day.

These are apparently pretty popular

Fast forward 20 decades and here we are, SINGAPORE, known for its A-class fancy shiny airport, its (sometimes pretty artificial) greenery and also its ban of chewing gum. Of course, when people think of Singapore, they think of how far this little island state has grown since its humble beginning. Indeed we have grown and much credit has to be given to the government of the past for planning and paving the route for Singapore's growth. In their planning, they look into all aspects of the Singaporean life, micro-managing every single detail to engineer the Singapore we have today. I could go into elaborating how the government systematically tailored the lifestyle and mindsets of Singaporeans but that's definitely another post for another day.

Today, like most days, we talk about fishing.

Recently, there has been much arousal in the Singapore angling scene with regards to Public Utilities Board or PUB (yes PUB, without U, there will be PB*. hehe totally original angling joke here) clamping down on illegal fishing. If you mention illegal fishing anywhere else in the world, you'd probably get a different response akin to poaching. Pictures of newly placed signage such as the one in the picture above have made their way to forums and Facebook groups causing a stir of emotions. 3000 Singapore Dollars is no small sum for most people but just to clarify, those caught fishing outside designated areas or using live bait will be fined $50 for their first offence and $200 for their second offence. Offenders will be prosecuted for subsequent offences and can also be fined up to $3000. So calm your calamaris, it isn't a straight 3000SGD fine but no fine is fine (see what I did there).

Personally, I am not a huge fan of freshwater fishing as almost all freshwater bodies in Singapore have huge restrictions and peacock bass meat hasn't had many good reviews (I've not tried it yet though). Firstly, no baiting is permitted at this areas as a measure to not taint the water. Secondly, there are designated areas to fish, fishing outside of these areas would be deemed as illegal fishing. Thirdly, there is little fish at this designated areas. Occasionally, I still do head down to said freshwater places to donate a few lures.

Jurong Lake Park has been my most frequented freshwater fishing spot as it is one of the more convenient places to head to via public transport in the west side of Singapore. It was also the place where I caught my first peacock bass. I was using a 2 piece Pioneer brand rod, a really budget reel priced around 5 dollars and a Daiso lure which was way below the suitable casting weight of the setup. Ignorant to the existence of laws governing water bodies, I was told by PUB employees that the spot I was fishing at was not a legal spot shortly after my catch and was requested to move to the designated spot. Let's just say that my first catch that day was also to be my last. I didn't understand why certain areas were considered legal and others not when they shared very similar terrains. I did some research and came to realize that reservoirs have been demarcated for different activities which meant that maybe the legal/illegal fishing zones were put in place for the safety of kayakers. Honestly though, it's not often that I see people kayaking which makes this whole "safety reasons" argument really ridiculous. Furthermore, many of these legal spots are so crowded with people, anglers and not, which makes it even more dangerous for everybody.

Ridiculous gets more ridiculous. So I moved to the legal fishing jetty and for quite a few occasions I donated lures there but on most of these occasions, people around me were catching fish. I realized that these people were baiting at a legal spot. PUB boats just rode past us without a query. I guess it is just easier to spot an angler fishing at a non-legal spot than it was to differentiate a baiter from a lurer.

And it gets really ridiculous. I was once carelessly casting away at where I thought was a legal spot. A few dozen casts later, I had obliviously drifted to the edge of one of these signage which informed the boundaries of the legal fishing area. A PUB dude came over on a bicycle to remind me to fish only at the legal spots. I had to move literally 2 steps from where I was but I was still casting at the same areas but I was considered good in the eyes of the law. If you've fished at Jurong Lake Park, you would know it makes more sense to put a designated eating area in the park as opposed to a designated fishing area given the amount of litter lying in the lake.

It is not easy to be an angler in Singapore especially one passionate in freshwater luring. The laws set in place really forces this group of enthusiasts to take unnecessary risks to pursue their passion. I am not familiar how the planning of these rules and infrastructure were put in place but I believe that proper designation of spots for fishing enthusiasts would be more effectively assigned with the consultation of experts in the field (definitely not me though).

"Singapore was a fishing village." This statement would have been conveyed to every Singaporean child more than once during their education phase. The past holds huge cultural weightage to the present. Instead of treating the passion of angling as a burden to society, I believe that this passion could in turn be turned into one that generates interest and even revenue for Singapore if perspectives are changed. When a person travels to another country, they want to learn its culture, its past and how its past has held true to the present. Sell that. Sell how Singapore was a fishing village but also sell how we fish now and not just disregard the past and reduce such history to just another statement in a text book.

Till then, beach fishing it is for me. Tight lines and Smiley face :D

*PB-peacock bass

I do not own the rights to the picture in this post.