Your Catches: Malaysian Jungle Perch

I proudly display the Malaysian jungle perch I caught in the upper stream.

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The Tahan River gives life, thanks in large part to the Colonial British. Many years ago they converted a huge expanse of forest into a National Park. In those days it was called the ‘King George V National Park’ and still to this day we’re able to enjoy one of the most beautiful virgin forests in the world. This beautiful forest presents extensive freshwater sport-fishing opportunities that any fishing enthusiast would dream of.

The Malaysian Jungle Perch (Hampala macrolepidiota) is a respected sport fishing species in Malaysia. My mate and myself were casting into a deep tan pool, upstream of the Tahan River. Both of us were casting along a wide limestone bank. We watched fish swirling and chasing our spoons in the depths.

We continued casting hoping for the chance of a hook-up. My spoon trailed behind my friends spoon with a slower cadence and I was retrieving it in a deeper depth. Instantly, I saw a bright flash as the fish took my lure and peeled line from my spool fiercely. It was as if my drag never existed, even though it was set very high. After a lengthy battle, the fish was safely landed onto the banks, it had only a weak struggle left to it.

This Malaysian jungle perch tipped the scale at 8.6lbs, making this a rare species of this size to be caught in the upper stream. This is by far my personal best record for me and many anglers as well.

I was equipped with a 7′6″ Nitro Innovator ‘007′ Magnum-butt rod, paired with a Ryobi Excia 4500 series. The spool was loaded with 20lbs Spiderwire, attached with a 30lbs Black Magic Fluorocarbon leader. The spoon i was using is a signature spoon finished with a dull silver on one side and a orange-copper finishing on the other.