Sunday finally came, we met at Pasir Ris MRT Station and I drove the four of them down to the boat. They were Kenny (The Lureman), Kenny (Vivken), Wong (who loves to eat fish) and Vivian.
After getting my special live prawns from the usual fishfarm, we headed for the Big Grunter spot where I had brought some other chaps a week ago. The previous Friday we hit 2 there and on Saturday I hit another one there. Sadly, this week, the Grunters were not cooperating.
So we went to a couple of my other spots where all we could manage were smallish Garoupas, Snappers, a Queeny and even a Leatherjacket. Then a storm came and we took shelter in Ketam.
After the storm, we headed back to a spot which I had known for seven years. Seven years ago, we used to land Barras, Snappers and Chermins at this spot, but about two years ago, man-made changes to the sea-scape made me think that the spot had outlived its glory days. So I stopped going to this spot. Once in a while however, I would visit the spot for old times' sake but only for a few minutes. This time, however, I realized that my two-year absence had simply made the fish Bigger, Better and Stronger.
We were anchored almost over the spot and Kenny was getting snagged on the structure below although he knew it was there. It was a good approach he was using... the 'no risk no gain' approach.
In order not to compete with Kenny, I cast my line to the other side of the structure and waited. After about 5 minutes, Wong, who had been keeping himself busy pulling up baby Grunters and catching tiny fish with little chunks of prawn meat, pulled up a Tanda.
Those familiar with my 9 kilo Garoupa story will know the significance of a Tanda. So when I saw the fish, my hopes were raised and I was clearly saying, 'Wow Tanda, that's the sign of the Barra's presence!' when an explosion made us all turn around.
I turned around just fast enough to see a half-hearted jump of a HUGE BARRAMUNDI. I saw that my line was limp and I knew that it had taken my bait.
Screaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!!! went my tiny reel newly filled with 8 lb line. Jump! Another Jump! With each jump, my heart skipped a beat... I had lost so many such Barras when they jumped like that... I lost count. So all I could do was hope that my hook stayed firmly in place.
After about 5 minutes, the fish seemed to have tired itself out and I started to gain line. What a naive angler I was. This fish was a fighter... and it was just swimming towards me to get to the other side of the boat.
It easily swam under the boat and headed for deeper water. This time, the drag seemed to go on forever. I had half a mind to raise the anchor and follow the fish, but a quick check on my spool assured me that I should have enough line to play the fish till it tired itself out.
After another 10 minutes of more giving than taking, I was demoralized. The fish seemed to know this and fought in a wide circle around the boat, using its weight to its own advantage, making me clamber wildly all around the boat while the other guys started speculating. Although they were half joking about whether the fish felt the hook at all, I could almost believe them. Every time the fish took off on a run, I would look worriedly at the amount of line I had left in my small spool.
Mind you, trying to pull in a HUGE BARRA like that on spiderweb was no easy task. Eventually, as the circle around the boat grew smaller, I knew I had him. After a few anxious moments with the anchor rope at the front of the boat, the fish had made its way to the rear of the boat. A few more half jumps and weight-guessing attempts later, the fish was almost within net reach. Kenny had put its weight around the 4-5 kg region while I had earlier estimated it to be around the 8-10 kg region. Eventually, we settled on 6 kg. But as the fish drew nearer, we saw the thickness of its shoulders and immediately revised our estimation.
Finally, after almost half an hour of sweaty battle, it came within reach and Kenny, with a clean swoop, managed to get the head of the fish into the landing net... and the battle was over.
Vivken took out his brass weighing scale and we weighed the bugger... exactly 8 kg. What a fish! As the fish lay there glistening in the sunlight exhausted, I too rubbed my cramped right arm and in that brief moment, my eyes were re-opened to the beauty of the Barra... and the beauty of fishing.
All it takes is a fish like this, which fought like there was no tomorrow, to keep an angler going. Though I have fought countless big Barras before, this, I would say, was the BEST BARRA FIGHT I EVER HAD!!!!!! Thanks Kenny, Wong, Kenny and Vivian for the encouragement and assistance during the fight.
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