The Asian Angler - March 2014 Digital Issue - Malaysia - English

The Asian Angler

Asia’s Angling Lifestyle Magazine

March 2014 English Edition

Abu Garcia’s Speeding Rocket

Halco’s Wizardry

Fish Ring Pliers

Fenwick Techna AV

The Legend Returns

Skill Enhancers Angler’s Havens

Amverton Cove Golf And Island Resort

Skill Enhancers

Fishing with soft plastics Presentation styles that helps you catch fish

Soft Plastic Tips

Knowledge Wise

Knowledge Wise

Understanding fishing rods Making sense of fishing rod terms...

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Contents Abu Garcia

Revo Rocket Fast just gost faster

Halco Fish Ring Pliers

The wonder of Halco

22

66

Fenwick Techna

Maruto 9644-CP Hooks

AV The Legend Returns

Hook Torture

88

VFOX Leg Bag

Denwell Natural

138

The Bag for casters 122

Amverton Cove Golf & Island Resort

150

Fishing With Soft Plastics: Part 9 Tips and tricks

210

110

Mosquitoes Repellent

Understanding Fishing Rods

Part 10: Stainless Steel Rod Guides

194

Casio Fishing Assist Sports &

Vibration Alter Watch

222

Orvis Polarized Magnifier Sunglasses

Velcro Straps Cheap and useful stuffs

224

226

Click on the icons to go directly to your preferred article...

Abu Garcia

Diplomat Fly And Pflueger PFY Kit 2

ABU GARCIA DIPLOMAT FLY COMBO THE GENTLE ART OF FLY-FISHING

232

VFOX Section Squid Jigs,

Minnow lures, Vib lures, etc.

234

Sea Tackle Section

Don't be afraid to travel the world to catch the biggest fish ! Everything is possible with these awesome FLY FISHING combos, complete with backing, WF fly line, leaders connected together with a spot on needle knot and supplied in a CORDURA TUBE. Available in LEFT wind hand and 4 sections)

Deuthlon Reel Lube & Grease

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THE ABU ADVANTAGE

• 100% high quality Carbon Blank Construction • Precision made FS Guides • Quality cork handle for optimum comfort and ergonomics • Graphite reel spooled with backing, fly line and leader • Wooden style reel-seat • Comes with a premium cordura tube for travelling and safe-keeping MODEL # - PR DIPLOMAT 904 #5/6 LH Fly DIPLOMAT 904 #7/8 LH Fly

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1 1

Like Us On Facebook www.facebook.com/theasianangler (Official Page) 15

My fellow anglers and friends, We’re now in March 2014. February felt like a month where I was cheated of a few days since it only has 28 days (29 days at best).

In this issue we start featuring resorts again in the Angler’s Havens section where anglers can bring their family for a holiday and still do some fishing without spending too much time away from them. We had a lot of readers requesting us to bring it back and here it is. Actually we took a break due to our limited budgets.

In this issue we look at the madly fast Abu Garcia Revo Rocket of which is really fast. We also take a look at one of the best split ring pliers; Halco’s Fish Ring Pliers. I think the engineers at Halco are secretly wizards making such magical pliers.

We also take a look at stainless steel guides in the Knowledge Wise section, and tips with using soft plastic baits in the Skill Enhancers section. Quite magical really this issue has proven to be.

There are lots more exciting articles inside for your reading pleasure. Well, enjoy this issue and should you be interested in joining our team of product field testers, do send me an email.

Keep on fishing as it is living your passion that makes life worth living.

Thank you for your support and tight lines.

Cheers, Phil Editor In Chief

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Test Drives

Abu Garcia Revo R

By Philemon Foo

Rocket

The Age Of Speed Believe me when I tell you this,

speed is addictive. That is the reason why the F1, NASCAR, BTT, Lemans, etc. have so many followers. Even a lot of non professional drivers spend lots of money making their cars go faster although they spend more time in traffic jams instead of a race track.

23

Racing Instead Of Fishing?

This addiction has spilled into the fishing tackle industry as well. We used to joke that one day we will be racing lures in swimming pool to see who can reel the lure in the fastest. Someone amongst us must have the gift of prophecy. Reels are getting faster by the year.

25

Bold

Color Choice

The Abu Garcia Revo Rocket is red hot. I am not sure if it is actually red or maroon and I have never been so confused before with colors.

Who cares if it’s red or maroon. I like the way it looks. It looks like one of my favourite reels by Abu Garcia of which is the Revo MGX but in red or maroon or... whatever.

27

Goodness From The

Revo MGX

It brings with it the designs of the Revo MGX such as the carbon swept handle, spool control knob, Star drag, handles, and also the magnetic dial on the other side plate. In short you can say that it looks like a souped up MGX of which is really darn good looking.

29

Dual Braking

System

Some anglers prefer magnetic brakes while some prefer centrifugal brakes. Well, in the Revo Rocket you have both centrifugal and magnetic brakes, and they work really well. We were casting all sorts of lures with different weights and the brakes did the job really well.

31

two Is Better Than One

As usual, the magnetic brakes are easily adjustable. All it takes is a turn of the knob. As for the centrifugal brakes, the side plate has to come out. Who’s complaining anyway?

33

Eleven Balls Of Steel

It is actually called 10 ball bearings and one roller bearing. Plus them together and that makes 11 bearings. Having 11 bearings is nice and a lot of anglers do determine the performance of a reel by the number of bearing it has (although not a good way to judge a reel). It is a selling point and perhaps adds to the smoothness of the Revo Rocket.

35

X-Cräftic™

Alloy

The frames and side plates on the Revo Rocket is made of X-Cräftic™ Alloy of which gives better corrosion protection and keeps the weight relatively low at 191 grams.

Of course the Revo Rocket is not as light as the MGX or the mad and crazy MGXtreme; the Rocket is made for speed and the focus wasn’t too much on diets.

37

D2 Gears

The D2 gears have been used on the Revos for some time now and they have proven themselves to be tough and durable gears.

Larger gears also means faster cranking speeds and more cranking power.

39

Trail

Blazer

What you’ve read so far is nothing compared to this. The Revo Rocket is a trail blazer. With a gear ratio of 9.0:1 (9 rotations of the spool to every 1 rotation of the handle) and 37 inches per turn, the Revo Rocket may very well be the Hennessey Venom GT (current world’s fastest super car) of the angling world.

41

Gear

Ratio 9.0:1 There is something to note though.

Just like driving a super car, the speeds you hit depends on how fast you crank. If you are used to cranking a certain reel at a certain speed using a certain lure, you will have to readjust your cranking speed by slowing down your cranking a little.

43

Smooth Emotions

Turn the handle and spin the spool, the smoothness of rotation and gears in motion feels just right.

There is a danger of being too smooth to a point where it feels empty inside. With the Revo Rocket, you still feel the connection of gears and the rotations are smooth of which is a good feel of smoothness while still being in touch.

45

Drag Smoothness When it comes to drag we took the rocket to our lab for a drag pressure test. All reels will remain smooth until it reaches a certain drag pressure and then the smoothness takes a dip. The dip for the Revo Rocket is at about 18.8lb. Note that a different unit’s drag smoothness limit may be different but the difference should not be too wide.

47

Maximum

Drag

The Abu Garcia claims that the Revo Rocket has a maximum drag of 20lb. On the pressure test we managed to get the drag up to about 20.7lb. of which surpasses the claims made. 20lb. of drag on a low profile baitcasting reel is sweet.

49

Field Test

Having such a reel in our hands we just had to put it through the mill to see how it performs in the real world. We took it to a saltwater commercial pond that is home to acrobatic barramundis. We wanted to know how well it cast and also to catch us some fish.

51

Casting Ability

The Revo Rocket having two braking systems allows for a greater range of adjustments of which made casting various lures with different weights possible (line characteristics taken into consideration of course). It cast really well even for a beginner caster who fished with me on this “Test Drive.�

53

Battle Royale

This was too easy. We were told that the fishes averaged a kilogram in weight with the largest fish being a 4kg brute (if I remember correctly). We hooked on to a good number of fishes with the biggest being about 1.6kg of which is no match for the Revo Rocket.

55

OverKill

We were not able to test the Revo Rocket’s maximum capabilities on this test. Perhaps on another fishing trip to a pond with larger and harder fighters will it meet its match, but with a 20lb max drag, I am sure that it will be able to manage most fishes.

57

Verdict

Over all the Abu Garcia Revo Rocket is a good reel and it performed well. Having two braking systems is a plus point especially to new bait casters or anglers who intend to pick up baitcasting. Feels nice in the hands as it comes with a lower profile and it is not too light.

59

Speedster

Looking nice and looking fast...

This makes the Revo Rocket a reel to consider.

61

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Test Drives

Halco Fish Ring Plie

By Philemon Foo

ers

The Wonder Of HALCO Lure anglers be it users of plas-

tic lures, spinners, jigs, etc. will know the importance of changing hooks to stronger once and changing using stronger split rings. Personally I have had my hooks crushed as well as my split rings open, even 2 x strong hooks.

67

Empahsis Is On

Quality

Changing hooks and split rings to stronger ones are no fun, even with pliers. I have had pliers break on me while doing so.

That gets really frustrating especially when you’re a few hours from heading out to sea and there are no tackle shops open. I cannot emphasize the importance of quality pliers.

69

Halco Quality The Halco Fish Ring Pliers feel really solid. However, we wanted to know how tough and durable it really is. First thing we did was to use it to straighten a tough hook.

If it breaks than the hook wins.

This actually goes into the category called abuse.

71

Tough As Nails Note that the Halco Fish Ring Pliers were not made to do this but we just wanted to test its toughness and it did really well. It broke the hook and it remained in good order.

73

Time To Swim Next we took it for a swim. We left it in a container of tap water for 6 hours to see if it would rust.

Of course you will not place your pliers underwater for 6 hours. The reason for pliers to be drowned for that long would either be that someone dropped it unknowingly and left it there or we have a sadist that hates such tools and decided to kill it by drowning it in water.

75

Zero Rust Detected After over six hours, the Halco Fish Ring Pliers emerged very much alive and without rust. Even the spring that keeps the two parts of the nose apart remained rust free. It did very well and has proven itself to be tough and of good quality.

77

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYRrCRbRIwI&fe

eature=youtu.be

Wizards At Work I am wondering if the engineers at Halco, especially those who designed the Halco Fish Ring Pliers, are secretly wizards. We will never know. What I do know is that the Fish Ring Pliers is like no other pliers I’ve seen.

Unlike the usual split ring pliers, the Halco Fish Ring Pliers has a groove (I am not sure if that is the right term) on both sides of its nose. These grooves make opening split rings super easy and fast. We wanted to know how fast and to do so we organized a race between the usual split ring pliers and the Halco Fish Ring Pliers.

79

Race Of The Pliers We timed them to see which of these pliers uses the least amount of time to insert a split ring onto a lure. Each plier had five rounds to try for the shortest possible time. The winner will be the one with the lowest average time.

Note: full pictures of the other brand’s split ring pliers will not be shown as it is not a subject in our test.

81

Amazingly Easy The Halco Fish Ring Plier emerged the winner with an impressive average time of 5.7 seconds as compared to 14.1 seconds of the other split ring plier. It took less than half the time of the normal split ring pliers to do the same job. Super impressive!

83

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq_pp9uOya

Verdict

ao If you are one of those who dislike changing split rings because you hate how the usual split ring pliers function, fret no more. Get yourself a Halco Fish Ring Plier and put an end to that split ring changing misery of yours.

As for me, I have found a new favourite split ring plier... oh... excuse me... Fish Ring Plier.

85

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87

Test Drives

Fenwick Techna The Legend Returns

By Philemon Foo

AV

The Tough And Powerful AV One of my old favourite fishing

rod is the Fenwick Techna AV. The Fenwick Techna AV that I have has been a good fishing companion with a tough and powerful blank.

It has wrestled a won many brute from the giant snakehead to one of the fastest fishes in our seas, the sailfish (accidental catch).

I have long since put it to rest as other fishing rods accompanied me on my fishing expeditions being more modern, more sophisticated, and lighter. It came to a point where my old favourite was left sitting on one of my rod racks somewhat forgotten.

89

NEW AV Last year Pure Fishing decided to bring in the new Fenwick Techna AV and my old favourite came to mind again. I didn’t get my hands on the new one until recently, when an angling buddy of mine asked me what the difference was between the old Techna AV and the new one.

91

Meaning Of AV

AV, the two alphabets after the name Techna actually stands for Aramid Veil. Aramid Veil is made of aramid fibres of which is said to be 5 times stronger than Kevlar (fibres used in the making of bullet proof vest).

The Aramid Veil used in the Techna AV makes the Techna AV stronger and more durable. Of course like all things, there is a limit to how strong a durable it is. Abusing it will most certainly cause things to go wrong.

93

Old & New While both blanks look similar the new one feels lighter and more balanced. The older one is heavier at the tip. The cosmetics are a bit different with different colored guide threads and handle designs (very slight difference).

95

Components Another difference is in the guides.

The older Techna AV uses stainless steel guides of which is lighter and to me looks better as they are slim, whereas the new one uses high quality Fuji New Concept Alconite guides which has more benefits as compared to the stainless steel ones.

Both old and new Techna AV rods come with Fuji reel seats. This is good as Fuji reel seat are proven and they hold reels in place really well (unless the reel seat size is one too big or one too small).

97

Performance From here on I will only focus on the new one as the older one, although have the same power rating, do not have the same character. It will not be fair to compare the performance of these two rods.

99

Casting Ability The new Fenwick Techna AV has a slower tip and is a good caster. The one that I have with me is rated Medium Heavy, Lure: 7-21g, and Line Wt. of 8-20lb. We (a tester and I) were casting 8 grams spoons, and soft plastic grubs on 1/8 ounce (3.5 grams) jighead easily.

101

Managing The Fight We hooked up quite a number of barramundis but due to the rules of the pond, we decided not to land them. We would bring them to the side to “guestimate� its weight and allow it to swim off again thus releasing itself from the de-barbed hook.

Before calling it a day we decided to land one for dinner. The one we landed was about a kilogram in size. The largest we caught would be about 1.6kg while the average being about a kilogram. The Fenwick Techna AV with its strong backbone proved to be overkill at this pond.

103

Pressure Test With the fishes being too small to put the rod through some torture we had to resort to our lab to see if it achieves its claimed 8-20lb specs. On our line test machine it managed to achieve 20.8lb and was asking for more but we decided to stop since it already exceeded its rated poundage.

105

Verdict In terms of design, I find it really quite conservative but beauty lies in the hands of the beholder. Overall I must say that the new Fenwick Techna AV feels better than the older one. Where it wins is the price of which I must say is a steal.

A few years ago the price actually went over the RM1,000.00 (USD325) mark. Today it is a few hundred ringgits below. So, if you want an iconic rod in this case being one with the Aramid Veil technology, you are in luck.

Note: So far only two rod brands in the world of fishing uses the Aramid Veil technology as it is patented by Fenwick.

107

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109

Test Drives

Maruto 9644-CP Hook

By Philemon Foo

ks “Torturing Hooks For Your Benefit...�

The eagle, birds of prey that swoop down from the

skies and grab onto animals including slimy fishes, sinking their super sharp claws into them so that the meal captured does not drop unless by will of the captor itself. We want hooks like these claws.

Recently we were given Maruto hooks to test and we tested the 9644-CP. We ran a few tests at our lab to see how sharp they were, how tough they were, and if they can withstand corrosion for a certain period of time.

111

Toughness Test Using 50lb lines, we secured the hook in a way where we will be able to learn how much pressure the hook can withstand before breaking. Using our line test machine and a lot of strength, we maxed out. This means that the hook can withstand over 40lb of pressure without breaking. This is indeed good enough for most kinds of fishing.

113

Drowning In Saltwater Another thing that anglers want to know is if the hooks that they are using will be able to withstand corrosion and remain sharp. To do this we drowned two Maruto hooks; one in saltwater and the other in freshwater, for a period of 24 hours. Guess what???

115

Zero Rust Detected Both hooks survived even the one in saltwater. We did not detect any rust on both hooks including the one in saltwater.

Hook technology has certainly improved. Anyway, we usually do not leave our hooks and baits underwater for 24 hours.

117

Sharpness Test I think one of the time tested ways of testing the sharpness of hooks is by running it along the surface of fingernails. If it catches the nail, the hook is considered to be sharp. Well, the Maruto hook we tested did just that and a bit more.

It also latched on to a plastic spoon after swimming 24 hours in saltwater.

119

Verdict Unfortunately we didn’t get the opportunity to fish with them as we got them after our fishing trips. Anyhow they passed all tests and can certainly take on most brutes.

They do have a breaking point of which till now is still unknown.

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121

Introducin’

VFOX Leg Bag

By Philemon Foo

Want to feel like a soldier or part of

the SWAT team? Take a look at this cool VFOX Leg Beg. This beg is put on like a waist pouch with an additional strap that further secures it to your thigh, somewhat like a holster or leg bag used by SWAT teams.

123

If It Is Pockets

s That You Want

This leg bag is made for casters and is great for trekking along jungle streams and cast to places where fishes hold out. It has enough pockets to put all your needed weaponry such as a small tackle box, pliers, spinners, spoons, lures, leader lines, small first aid kit, mobile phone, etc.

125

Water Res

sistance Water Resistant Compartments The VFOX Leg Bag comes with three water-resistant compartments of different sizes and one of which is padded. These compartments can be used to store items that you want to keep dry such as a mobile phone, perhaps a lighter, a compact digital camera, or a first aid kit.

127

A Home

e For Lures Keep Lures Organized The front water-resistant compartment comes with a rig storage case. This case is an ideal place for storing lures, spoons, spinners, etc. it comes with sponge flaps to hang all these lures securing them in place.

129

Velcro

Velcro Pockets

The pocket comes with a Velcro strap to keep your belongs in. This pocket is an ideal place to keep a small tackle box or lure box. Its position makes it a convenient place for fast and easy retrieval of items.

131

Netted Pocket

ts Easy Spotting

There are two netted pockets in the front of the bag. These pockets are great for storing leader lines, packets of hooks, or anything that you do not want hidden. Within the top netted pocket is the VFOX logo with reflectors. This makes searching for the bag easier at night with torchlight.

133

A Plier’s Plac

ce Just For Pliers

Beside these pockets sit a compartment made exclusively for pliers. This compartment is also padded and comes with a Velcro strap to keep pliers secure inside. This dedicated compartment is made to withstand scratches of which could be caused by metal pliers.

135

Big Potential

Verdict There are so many possibilities with this bag and I personally like it as it looks really cool. Being a caster, the VFOX Leg Beg is one that I will certainly use.

Just to give you an idea of what it can take... The tackle box is not exactly tiny (Samsung Note II placed beside for comparison).

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137

Introducin’

i u q s o M l a r u t a N l l e w n e D

By Philemon Foo

Hate Pesky Mosquitoes?

I can safely say that no one loves

mosquitoes. Well, maybe some scientist and green hearted people do but generally no one loves them.

Mosquitoes are like little vampires that feed on blood and spread diseases. Mosquitoes take the fun out of everything; fishing included.

t n e l l e p e R s itoe 139

Essential Oils Denwell Natural Mosquitoes Repellent is made using essential oils of which include eucalyptus, citronella, tea-tree oil, lemon-grass, etc. These oils make up the magic elixir that annoy the heck out of annoying bugs of which includes the dreaded mosquito.

141

Clinically Proven From a test done, Denwell Natural Mosquitoes Repellent provided 210 minutes of protection of which translates to about 3.5 hours. Personally I’ve used it and I am not sure if it actually protected me for 210 minutes but I seem to have eluded some mosquitoes of which tend to feed on me when I water my plants.

143

Pleasant Aroma Well, honestly this depends on each individuals like for such aromas. I found it pleasant while my wife thought it was a bit too strong.

If you like Asian spas especially those with aromatherapy, you may very well like the aroma.

145

e t i B e h T p o t S

es There are a number of lab test done and no, we at The Asian Angler did not do it. These tests were done by Denwell at NM Laboratory. The test shows that the Denwell Natural Mosquitoes Repellent is free of microbes, yeast, and a few nasty bacteria.

147

Hazards and Warnings The Denwell Natural Mosquitoes Repellent may be classified as a non-dangerous product but it will harm you somehow if you’ve swallowed it. It may also cause skin irritation in rare cases. May also cause mild eye irritation; so if you’re using it on your children do take extra care.

Halal The Denwell Natural Mosquitoes Repellent is halal as it does not contain alcohol as some of the other repellents do.

Do give it a try on your next fishing trip especially if you’re fishing in a mosquito infested area. It may very well take the I out of Irritation giving you a better fishing day.

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149

Angler ’s Havens

Amverton Cove Golf And Island Resort

By Philemon Foo

When we anglers holiday one of

the things we almost always look forward to and hope in anticipation is that the place we are holidaying at would allow us to do some form of fishing. Not all resorts have fishing nearby thus we bring you paradises with anglers in mind. The latest being Amverton Cove Golf And Island Resort.

151

Short Drive From The City

The Amverton Cove Golf And Island Resort is situated in Pulau Carey (Carey Island) of which is about 30 to 40 minutes drive from the city of Kuala Lumpur and about 30 minutes from KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport).

Being so close, it makes this hidden gem a holiday destination not to be missed.

153

New Resort

The golf course has been in operations since March 2013 but the resort is relatively new. The resort has only been in operations for a few months. While we were there, there are chalets that were currently being built on a little river where barramundis and haruans (brown snakeheads) frolic. The place is new.

155

Roomy Luxury

Having spent years in the hotel industry and having stayed in so many hotels and resorts, the place where I spend the night snoozing is very important. After all, the room is where one rests one’s body, mind, and soul; getting recharged for the next day’s activities be it work or play.

157

Cosy And Nice

The room we were given is really cosy and not overly done.

The beds were comfortable, airconditioning worked really well (I love cold), the LED TV works great (guest have been known to check out of hotels because the TV does not work), the bathroom is modern with a bathtub and separate showers which makes sense, and the balcony...

159

Room With A View

... From the balcony the view is lovely. We got a view of the fun pool, little river where the barramundis play, and the relaxing sight of the 18 hole golf course. Relaxing on the balcony got the angler in me itching to do some fishing.

161

Activities

For the Family

There are more than enough activities here for the family. There is of course golfing, and then there are all the fun stuffs for kids and adults who never grow up, as well as those adults that grew up. Nature lovers will have a splendid time here admiring nature while photo shooting enthusiasts could very well need terabytes instead of megabytes. SPLENDID...

163

Fun Pool

This time round I didn’t bring my family along but I am a thousand percent certain that if I did, we will certainly be having a blast.

The swimming pool comes with a slide, something that attracts children like how flowers attract bees.

I would slide down on it too, well why not?

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The Big Splash

Then there is this hanging bucket that fills up with water and pours down its wrath on the gentle souls waiting for a splash below. Oh what fun it is to stand under a bucket knowing that at some point it will fill up and you will be wetter than an otter in water. Say the last few words really fast.

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Kids Fun Zone

The Kids Fun Zone is where all kids break loose. I guarantee you that the minute your little angels see this area, all horns starts to show, and you will be in need of a lot of stamina keeping up. There are slides, tunnels, cannons, seesaws, and loads of other stuffs that would put a child’s mind into overdrive.

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White Sand Beach

I kid you not, oh well, I kid you less. There is a section by the river where a beach like white sandy area sits and this area is for kids to play in. It looks like a bunker (golf term for sand trap) but it is actually made for kids to play in. They can build sandcastles or just roll all over and get all sandy.

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Water Sports

There are kayaks and paddle boats as well should you want to play seafarer and explore little nooks and crannies along a little waterway. Arghhh! It would have been so nice to troll a little lure around while kayaking and, who knows, perhaps battle with a few barramundis. I should have done so.

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Muscle Buffs

Gym rats, you have your play area too. There is a modern gymnasium as well for those who enjoy working out and keeping fit, as well as those who want to maintain a mutant look. Having visited so many hotels and resort, few have a gymnasium this complete.

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Pool, Snooker, Foosball

For those who like prodding balls with sticks, snooker and pool as well as foosball are available in a dedicated place. This place is a place made for hanging out especially at night when the other activities have retired for the day.

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Karaoke

There are karaoke rooms (two) where song birds can go let out their hidden talents. There are a few hotels and resorts with karaoke rooms and the karaoke rooms here are amongst the better once I have come across in resorts.

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Golfers Haven

For golfers, here are 18 holes of haven for you to enjoy. Amverton Cove’s golf course has been nominated best new golf course 2013

by Par Golf magazine. One of the tee boxes has a wooden walkway through a little mangrove area where during the high tide, fishes swim in.

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Golfing With Barramundis

What’s more interesting is that the water hazards of the golf course have barramundis swimming in them. I do not mean farmed barramundis but natural ones. How cool is that?

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Angler’s Paradise

We anglers get to wet our lines at the river nearby where barramundis call home. There is also that little river to fish in but you will have to check into the chalets of which should be completed in March.

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A River To fish In

You could take a drive to the many barramundi commercial fishing ponds nearby. Some charge RM3.00 (USD0.90) per rod but you will have to purchase any catch at RM15.00 to RM16.00 (USD4.80 to USD5.30) for every kilogram of fish caught. Or you could opt for the all inclusive pay by hour ponds.

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Verdict I love this place. Amverton Cove Golf and Island Resort is one of those places where I see myself running too when I need to take a break from my crazy work schedule. With lots of funs activities for all in the family and its closeness to the city, this is a piece of paradise to go to without having to tire out one’s right foot and straining of one’s butt muscles.

Do bring your family there for a holiday. You could sneak an hour or two away with your fishing tackle and come home with dinner or just hangout, chill, relax, and forget about work and all the city stress for a while. A family vacation is the glue that keeps a family together.

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Knowledge Wise Understanding Fishing Rods Part 10 Rod Guides: Stainless Steel Guides

By Philemon Foo

Fishing rod guides are important components

of any fishing rod. There are a few types of fishing rod guides. Last issue we took a look at coil guides. Now let us take a look at stainless steel guides of which are more often used on saltwater boat rods than on other rods.

When someone mentions stainless steel fishing rod guides, they can actually mean one of these two things. a. Fishing rod guides with stainless steel frame but ceramic or other material rings also called inserts.

b. Fishing rod guides that is made up entirely of stainless steel including its ring.

In this article we will discuss point “b� thus focusing more on the ring instead of just the frame.

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Not Common An

nymore Stainless steel guides are less commonly used these days and more anglers prefer ceramic guides but they still do have some following especially with saltwater anglers. The reason they prefer stainless steel guides to ceramic guides is that the stainless steel guides can take more knocking.

197

The Stainless St

teel Advantage Stainless steel guides are made up of a stainless steel ring that is wielded onto a stainless steel frame. The ring itself being stainless steel will not crack (unless the impact is really hard) of which seems to be why a certain group of anglers love them.

When stainless steel guides break they usually break at the wielded sections. And it normally breaks at one wielded section leaving the other intact of which means that the angler can still fish. This is seen as an advantage over the ceramic guides.

Another advantage is its price.

Stainless steel guides are not expensive. They are value for money thus most rods with stainless steel guides are lower priced (generally) and is a plus point for anglers looking for a new rod at a lower budget.

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The Stainless Ste

eel Disadvantage The use of stainless steel guides have dropped over the years especially with the increased use of braided lines. There are also other disadvantages that have made them less popular these days. Anyhow, they will one day fall into the category of the “classics.�

201

A Weighty Affair

r Stainless steel guides are generally heavier. Placing them on general lure casting rods (average medium action graphite rods) will tip the balance and make them less appealing to use (I am being gentle here).

203

Lightweight But S

Seldom Used However, there are lightweight ones too of which uses inserts such as chromed stainless steel rings but they are less commonly used these days as more anglers prefer to use ceramic guides with the ceramic advantage.

205

Issues With Braid

ds Stainless steel guides seemed to be easily damaged by braided lines. Grooves as if they have been cut, have appeared on these guides caused by the abrasion against braided lines (lines in return break because of these grooves). Some believe that braided lines alone are not the cause but the debris that gets stuck onto these lines is to be blamed. Well, damaged done and such a point makes no difference really.

Slow Dissipation Of Heat Stainless steel dissipates heat slower as compared to ceramics.

Should you be in a battle with a fast running brute, take sailfish for example, the heat between the guide and the line takes a longer time to cool. This translates to higher chance of line damage as well as damage to guides.

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Corrosion And O

Oxidation Although stainless steel is known to resist corrosion really well (depending on grade) they do corrode over time. It is important to keep the guides clean and dry or you will see corrosion and oxidation happening with brownish and greenish rust, or what I call “gremlins,� growing.

It has been a long while since I came across anyone fishing with fishing rods adorned with stainless steel guides. I am sure there are but because of its small number of users I hardly see them (except for fly anglers). This is due to the growing use of ceramic guides.

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Skill Enhancers

Fishing With Soft Plastics: Part 9

Soft Plastics Tips & Tricks: Desparate Tim

By Philemon Foo

I am unsure what images such a

title draws in your mind but what this article touches on is how soft plastic baits can be transformed or modified should certain unplanned situation arise. This is one of the reasons I love using them.

9

mes

211

The Case Of The M

Missing Tackle Box Unexpected Situations I have been caught in various unexpected situations before and had to exercise some creativity or becoming even more frustrated in an already frustrating situation. One of these unexpected situations happened recently.

The Case...

Having similar tastes in bags with one of your fishing buddies does have a disadvantage. Being in a daze, after a tiring trip, someone may grab the wrong bag and someone did. I was left with a few packets of one inch grubs and a tackle box with jig-heads (worm hook type) that were too big. To cut a long story short, I had to do something or go home.

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Lets Do Some Mag

gic Should you happen to find yourself in my situation one of the things that you can do is to enlarge your soft plastic baits. This can be done by joining two baits together and in my case, two one inch grubs. The same can be done with some of the other soft plastic bait designs.

First, look around for something sturdy and straight such as a twig, toothpick, or a paperclip. If you cannot find one, sacrifice one of your hooks (straighten them). You may need to cut them to an appropriate length.

215

Measure And Cut

Next get an idea of the additional length needed for your improvised bait to work. Bring out two grubs (in my case) and cut the length of its body that is needed using a scissors or a knife. Shape the cut segment if need be using the scissors or knife.

217

Make The Connect

tion Using the twig, toothpick, or hook as a connector; attach the cut segment of grub to the other grub (that is whole). This is easily achieved by pushing one end of the connector into the grub that is whole and the other end into the cut out segment.

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Voila! You Are Now

w Ready To Fish Voila! You can now use your modified soft plastic grub on the larger jig-head and go catch yourself some fish. If your grub swims in an awkward manner, just give it some adjustments and try again. It will have the same swimming action of a normal non-modified grub if done nicely.

So should you find yourself in an awkward fishing situation, don’t get frustrated. Get creative instead and find ways to make things work.

Most of the time, you can do some magic and make it work. If nothing seems to work, just do what you can, sit back relax, and enjoy the day.

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221

Stuffs And Goodies

CASIO Fishing Assist Sport and Vibration Alert Watch

By The Asian Angler

Know the best times to cast off. These watches calculate

the best times to fish based on lunar movement, latitude and longitude. There’s even sunrise/sunset data and a vibration alarm to begin and end your day.

Site: http://en.casio.broadink.com/Product.aspx?iid=9438 Note: May not be available in some markets.

Specifications: Fishing Timer Moon Age/Phase Data & Sunrise/Sunset Data Displays moon age, phase and time on each hour angle (0h, 6h, 12h, 18h) for current or designated day Displays sunrise time, sunset time on the current or designated day Vibration Alert (daily alarm, hourly time signal, fishing timer alarm) Time Memo Memory capacity: 40 records (each record contains month, day and time) 100M Water Resistant Auto EL Backlight with Afterglow 5 Daily Alarms 1/100 second digital stopwatch Measuring capacity: 23:59’59.99�

Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times Auto Calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2039) 12/24 Hour Formats Accuracy: +/-15 seconds per month 223

Stuffs And Goodies

Orvis Polarized Magnifier Sunglasses

By The Asian Angler

Polarized magnifier sunglasses with durable, injected-mold-

ed CR-39 plastic lenses help you see better in an instant. A quick glance downward and you get helpful 1.5X, 2.0X, or 2.5X magnification. Polarized sunglasses have black frames.

Lens color in gray, amber.

Available at: http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_ id=76HK Note: May not be available in some markets.

225

Stuffs And Goodies

Velcro Straps

By The Asian Angler

Velcro straps are great. They can

be used in place as rod straps to strap a few rods together for easier mobility. You could also use them to secure rods to places in your vehicle such as the overhead hand grips in your car. They can be used to secure your tackle boxes together.

227

Another use for Velcro straps is that they make good rod holders when the need arises. They are one very versatile ordinary “stuffs� that anglers could add into their fishing items.

Where To Buy: DIY Shop

229

SWEATSHIRT GREY

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To mark it’s generations of fine Swedish collection t-shirt (Grey & Moss) to commem Get yours *Limited to only 300 pieces sold in Malaysia. Be sure to

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231

Featuring

PFY KIT 2 • 8’ three piece 5/6 weight fly rod with cork grip • 1094 metal rim control fly reel • 25 yards of level fly line • 4X tapered leader • Braided dacron backing • Fly assortments

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ABU GARCIA DIPLOMAT FLY COMBO THE GENTLE ART OF FLY-FISHING Don't be afraid to travel the world to catch the biggest fish ! Everything is possible with these awesome FLY FISHING combos, complete with backing, WF fly line, leaders connected together with a spot on needle knot and supplied in a CORDURA TUBE. Available in LEFT wind hand and 4 sections)

THE ABU ADVANTAGE • 100% high quality Carbon Blank Construction • Precision made FS Guides • Quality cork handle for optimum comfort and ergonomics • Graphite reel spooled with backing, fly line and leader • Wooden style reel-seat • Comes with a premium cordura tube for travelling and safe-keeping MODEL # - PR DIPLOMAT 904 #5/6 LH Fly DIPLOMAT 904 #7/8 LH Fly

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233

Deuthlon Reel Lube

And Grease It is never fun fishing with a squeaky roughed up reel.

What’s worse is fishing with a reel that feels rough and has a sticky drag. While a squeaky and rough reel may just be annoying, a sticky drag actually has an effect on your fishing. A sticky drag could lead to lines breaking and thus losing the fish.

Use Deuthlon Reel Lube and Reel Grease on your reels.

The Teflon technology keeps reels smooth and working efficiently longer.

Features Non toxic (biogredable), non tainting, not oily, and not sticky Clean dry lubrication Excellent water resistant Does not wash out Protection against corrosion and oxidation Keeps moisture out Try out Deuthlon Reel Lube and Reel Grease to keep you reel working well and working great.

For more information please contact: Sea Tackle Sdn. Bhd.: +603 7875 9888 Email: info@ofmer.net 235

VFOX Luminous Pick Jig We are going into the east coast (Malaysia) squid season and one of the most effective jigs luminous squid jigs such as the VFOX Luminous Pick Jig. The VFOX Luminous Pick Jig is visible from far attracting squids from further distances to investigate. The hooks on the VFOX Luminous Pick Jigs are also strong and extremely sharp of which ensures a secure hookup.

Hook: 1.0mm x 2 layer or 3 layer For more information please call Brilliant Tackle Sdn. Bhd. at: No. 27, Jalan IMJ 4, Taman Perindustrian Malim Jaya, 75250 Melaka, Malaysia.

Tel: +606-334 4555 Fax: +606 336 2211 Mobile: +6012 631 3561 (Whatsapp available) Email: enquiry@brilliant-tackle.com Website: http://www.brilliant-tackle.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brilliant.tackle

237

VFOX Minnow Lure The VFOX Minnow Lure is engineered to be easy to cast with its streamlined design as well as to swim tight. They are also tough lures made to withstand the jaws and teeth of most fishes.

The VFOX Minnow Lure is excellent for fishing snakeheads, sebaraus, peacock bass, large mouth bass, etc.

For more information please call Brilliant Tackle Sdn. Bhd. at: No. 27, Jalan IMJ 4, Taman Perindustrian Malim Jaya, 75250 Melaka, Malaysia.

Tel: +606-334 4555 Fax: +606 336 2211 Mobile: +6012 631 3561 (Whatsapp available) Email: enquiry@brilliant-tackle.com Website: http://www.brilliant-tackle.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brilliant.tackle

239

VFOX Luminous Eight Engles Jig The VFOX Luminous Eight Engles Jig has eight sides of which gives it a unique glow of different colors that emerges from inside of the jig. This squid jig has been proven effective wth catching squid.

For more information please call Brilliant Tackle Sdn. Bhd. at: No. 27, Jalan IMJ 4, Taman Perindustrian Malim Jaya, 75250 Melaka, Malaysia.

Tel: +606-334 4555 Fax: +606 336 2211 Mobile: +6012 631 3561 (Whatsapp available) Email: enquiry@brilliant-tackle.com Website: http://www.brilliant-tackle.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brilliant.tackle

241

VFOX Yarika Jig The VFOX Yarika Jig is a luminous jig wrapped in to give a luminous glow but one that is not too bright should the targetted squid species be unwilling to take jigs with a bright glow.

For more information please call Brilliant Tackle Sdn. Bhd. at: No. 27, Jalan IMJ 4, Taman Perindustrian Malim Jaya, 75250 Melaka, Malaysia.

Tel: +606-334 4555 Fax: +606 336 2211 Mobile: +6012 631 3561 (Whatsapp available) Email: enquiry@brilliant-tackle.com Website: http://www.brilliant-tackle.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brilliant.tackle

243

VFOX Q5 VIB Lures The VFOX Q5 VIB Lures are made to swim erratic looking like an injured fish of which makes it an easy target for predators. These lures also glows in the dark which means that you can fish them at night.

For more information please call Brilliant Tackle Sdn. Bhd. at: No. 27, Jalan IMJ 4, Taman Perindustrian Malim Jaya, 75250 Melaka, Malaysia.

Tel: +606-334 4555 Fax: +606 336 2211 Mobile: +6012 631 3561 (Whatsapp available) Email: enquiry@brilliant-tackle.com Website: http://www.brilliant-tackle.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brilliant.tackle

245

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