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.