Terengganu Fly Fishing Fest 2020
A local initiative for conservation and preservation
Brandon Ho
In a small quiet village on the East Coast state of Terengganu, preparations are under way to host an international event with a big agenda. The team, headed by Cikgu Hisyamuddin Abd Ghani and Christopher Mclavarry rallied together the local fly fishers and Kampung Betong community to create history when they organized the third Terengganu Fly Fishing Fest. This year, the event was given a boost by the support of the Terengganu State Government and also some of the big names in the fly fishing industry such as FTN Asia Distribution, Pure Fishing Malaysia, Tackle Box Adventures and the up and coming FTC. Among the fly fishing and fly tying celebrities that made an appearance was Paul Arden from the SexyLoop fame, Dron Lee from Fly Tying Nation, Ben Foo, a well-known fly casting instructors in this region and many others.
With such a star studded lineup, it was no surprised that this event attracted a crowd of about 100 participants, considering that the fly fishing industry is still in its infancy in this part of the world. Participants from various fly fishing clubs as well as individuals from the United States, Philippines and Austria came together to share knowledge and experience in this art form. FTN Asia Distribution and FTC set up a booth to showcase their latest products from Semperfli, Deer Creek, Ahrex Hooks and Vision Fly Fishing. Pure Fishing Malaysia highlighted their range of Fenwick rods, Hardy reels and Pflueger reels.
Throughout the day, talks and demonstrations were carried out much to the delight of the participants. This was a great time to get personal advice and also lessons on the various discipline of fly tying and fly casting. Many products were on sale and many took the opportunity to stock up on the essentials. With great discounts, lucky draws and expert advice, buying during the event was a no brainer.
Paul Arden introduced The Sexyloops Essential Level Challenge, a set of casting skills that will make you a better caster. If you fish often enough, you will definitely need to master these skills. Nothing overly fancy but important to ensure you get the fly to the fish, regardless of the terrain and fishing condition.
That evening, the event was officiated by YB Ustad Marliaman, the State Assemblyman for Ajil. He was very supportive of this event and he personally went from booth to booth to speak to the dealers. It is not often you see a statesman that will take an interest in the sports fishing industry, especially in fly fishing.
The next day was the Sikang fishing competition. A total of 13 zones were allocated for fly fishing. Participants drew lots to determine which zone they would fish in. By 8 am, the participants arrived at their respective zones and the competition officially began. The fish caught had to be measured using the official measuring tape and photo evidence was required. All catches had to be released and video evidence was done by the ever trusted mobile phones. This was a great initiative to promote the concept of Catch & Release, one of the pillars of conservation and preservation when it comes to the rivers and streams in this area. Cikgu Hisyamuddin, Christopher Mclavarry, Cikgu Saifur and Cikgu Razak are the people behind the Terengganu Fly Fishing Club and together with the local fly fishers and local community, they are instrumental in conservation and preservation of the Sikang and local waterways, especially Sungai Berang.
As the day progresses, the fishing got better. Prior to this event, the organizers closed the river to fishing for 3 months to ensure the fish were healthy and feeding naturally. It was great news to the participants. Many Sikangs were landed but these fish proved to be in a league of their own. Presentation and accuracy were key to success. Patience is of upmost importance as you can be moving from spot to spot yet not able to spot them. When you do, there was no guarantee that the fish would take your fly. If they do, sometimes it was just a nudge rather than a take.
At the end of the competition, a 34cm Sikang was landed by Akma Faris bin Razaman, enough for win the fly fishing competition. Congratulations to you for winning the TFFF2020 Sikang Challenge and also the Best Local Fly Fisherman. The Best International Fly Fisherman award went to Matt Thackerson with his 27cm Sikang. Ben Foo managed a 34cm fish too but it was caught the next day. Still a great achievement nonetheless. Any fish caught was an achievement as many went home empty handed, myself included. It is a great excuse to come back to this beautiful river, the warm friendly people and the incredible local food.
This is a great initiative to promote the local sportfish and also to help the local community. Guiding services is available as well as accommodations and food. There are plans to help boost this initiative and local fly tyers, including Dron Lee are working hard to break the code to come up with the perfect fly for this locality. This will help the local economy as villager can tie flies to supplement their income. Several homestays have been built and more infrastructure are in the plans. This is indeed an exciting development.
FTN Asia Distribution fully supports this local initiative and hopes more companies will step forward to help build this homegrown industry.
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