Fishing from a restaurant

Nothing is to crazy in Myanmar. So why not fishing from a restaurant? 

Find yourself a restaurant on wooden stilts over the water. Take worms with you. Order a pancake and a fruitjuice (lemon-ginger) and start preparing your rod. The owner wil be delighted to help and point you the fishing hotspots from his window. He wil tell his cook(wife) to light up the fire. Now try to catch a big snakehead. The fire is ready.

The rushing boats make a lot of noise and tumult in the water but don't let it fool you, the fish are used of it. You'll get bites all the time. You can try to fish also next to the restaurant on the pier. As busy as here you've never fished. Boats coming and going. People get in and out the boats. Kids are playing and the local painter washes his brushes behind you. I was already wondering why the water was becoming whiter. But if you pay attention you can be anywhere in between.Be carefull, don't catch a boat! 

Bait

Easy, just worms. Now try to find them :)

You can find the worms close to water in clay. Find yourself a shovel like thing and start diging but beware of parasites in the water. Do not touch the bundles colorfull eggs of the snails on sticks! You will recognize them. If you touch you'll be very itchy for a long time. I was digging myself but couldn't find many worms. Better is to ask someone. I asked a farmer where i could find worms. We was very happy to show me and started digging under his house. In no time he found huge worms.

Give him some kyats for the efforts ;)

The next day i was walking with a half waterbottle to the exit of the hotel on my way to the farmer. The boys of the hotel asked me what i wanted. I told them a wanted worms. They took over my bottle and told me to wait. Within 5 minutes they came back with a lot of worms. After that i gave them some "western" hooks and other materials for the effort. They were very happy with that.

I tried to use some plastics like shads but the fish did not like  it.

Fishing styles

Fish with a float or with lead on the bottom. If you fish on the bottom, use a backlead so you won't catch a boat. In the middle of the channel you can find the bigger snakeheads. At the sides ( close to walls and poles ) you'll catch smaller ones and some very nice looking transparant small fish. Again, use a piece of worm that just cover the hook. At night the boats are gone except for a few daredevils who are speeding the channel without any lights. I didn't try to fish at dark, but i think you make a good change if you try.

Fishing waters

Small channels

In the many small channels in the village you can catch the smaller fish. 

Take a small hook and put a piece of worm on it so that the hook is just covered. Start fishing and within a half hour you will have a group of young boys whom very much like you to explain and learn how to fish Myanmar style. Let them find a stick from the bush and a put line and a hook on it. Now they can fish also :)

There is a lot of movement in the water. Use the smallest hook you have with you. 

Thazi Pond

This is a big pond north of Nyaungshwe. Early morning there is a lot of movement in the water. I didn't try to fish here. If it's allowed to fish i don't know, but i think it's no problem. You just ask arround till you have the right information. The restaurant owner of Sin Yaw Shan restaurant told me that his father caught a giant common carp in the Thazi pond. The fish was so big that he didn't fit in the car..

 Early morning you can do some float fishing on the surface with a single hook and a piece of white bread. Midday it can be extremely hot. 

Or try with a carp rig baited with sweet corn on the bottom. Maybe you'll encounter some very nice surprises.

Ask around

Ask arround in the village for information about fishing. People are very helpfull and they'll show you around. The east part of town is were the fishermen are living. Try to find someone who speaks English and go there. The owner of Sin Yaw Shan restaurant for example. He lives in that area. The fishermen will be pleased with your visit and the interest you have in fishing. Chances are big they'll take you for a day. So you can experience the authentic fishing or Inle lake to the max.

Souvenirs

Buy if you see something nice. Don't think that in a other part of Myanmar you see the same stuff again. You will not. Spread your money over the country, don't wait till you are in Yangon. In Bagan you'll find some very beautiful sandpaintings. In Nyaungshwe on the market you find some very nice Buddha statues and in Mandalay you find some very nice bamboo crafts.