A Father, Two Kids, and a Pond He Hadn't Seen in 16 Years
Sixteen Years Later: Bringing My Kids Back to Fish Valley Semenyih.
I can't believe it has been more than 10 years, over a decade, since I last stepped foot in this particular pond at Fish Valley Semenyih. Being here brings back a lot of memories. It was probably one of the first stepping stones in how I got into the Malaysian fishing scene, and it has been an integral starting point for me. Flash forward 16 years later, and now I'm here with my kids. The first time we were here, we only had about four hours to do this. It was just me, Aarif and Hana.
Since my dad passed away back in early August, something changed in me. I want my kids to experience a bit more of what my dad used to do with me, to get me to experience more than just being at home. He was always an outdoor person, and he would always take me hunting and fishing. I wanted my kids to experience that as well, and from this point forward, I want them to be part of something that I have always loved doing. Hopefully, they enjoy it too.
I know you can say there are a lot of other ponds that probably offer a bit more of an experience, but coming back here is pretty special because you can really appreciate the valley and how beautiful the pond and its surroundings are. To choose this as a starting point with my kids is a very special moment. The place is perfect for that experience, and I don't want them to stay at home playing video games and watching YouTube all the time. I want them to really feel the outdoors and experience what it has to offer. Through building the sensory experience and dealing with the changes in the natural environment, I want them to understand what being outdoors is really about. That rustic, human experience is currently missing, and I want to build that experience with them.
Starting From Zero
Starting over for me can be quite challenging because you really need to do a lot of pre planning, such as the fishing gear, what the bait should be, what the catch rate is like, what species are out there, and at least for me, you can't go fishing without proper preparation. That's a waste of time.
I decided to go with my most natural instinct and aim for the predatory fish. They are stocked in Fish Valley, and I knew for a fact that they had a lot of big pacu. Those species would probably be the main target for now, and live bait and pellets should do the job.
The live bait, a small three to four inch baitfish, specifically catfish, along with 9393 pellets, would be a good starting point. Even then, it was a big unknown. There was just no information on the web or social media, and a lot of things could have changed over the past 16 years. So I had to start somewhere, and that's what I was going with. We bought a couple of new reels and rods, Abu Garcia Cardinal 3 5000 reels and Revo rods, which I picked up from OAG Worldwide Sdn Bhd. We were using 20 pound line with a 30 pound leader.
I took about an hour to set up the whole thing. I was a bit blurred about what to do and how to rig everything, and it took a bit of time for the memories and context to start rolling again and for me to choose the right setup.
So I decided to go with a floater and sinker setup. The floater would target the predatory fish with a 5/0 hook on a 40g floater and a 40 pound leader. The sinker used a small live sinker and 20 pound leader with a size 8 hook. Small enough to hook on those pellets for Hana to catch the smaller fish or even carp based species.
Tactically, it was a solid strategy to fill in the 16 year information gap and get things rolling again. But right after we set up and cast out our bait, the weather seemed to have a different agenda.
The First Fish in 16 Years
We only had about four hours to do this, and it started raining. It was pouring pretty heavily, pausing our fishing outing. I think it was the first time for the kids to really be out there in this kind of torrential rain, so we had to head back to the car and hope the rain would pass by soon. Luckily, I had parked nearby.
We didn't really reel up the rods because, you know, if you are a veteran in fishing, you know that one of the best times for a fish to bite is actually during torrential rain.
"16 years later, fish on!
"
— Noru Razak
And believe it or not, that's what happened.
After about 20 minutes, we soaked the baitfish, and we knew that the bait was swimming around within a certain area. Aarif was just keeping his eyes closely on those floaters, haha, and all of a sudden, the rod just started bending.
That was our first fish.
Literally, our first fish in 16 years.
And damn, it was raining.
Do I have to go out there? I could leave it out there as we were the only ones there fishing in Fish Valley. So I thought, maybe we should just hold back for a while since it would not catch or tangle any line. Every second was painful, haha. The opportunity was right there, and all I had to do was set the hook.
I waited for the next five minutes before making the decision. I thought it was best to go out and reel that fish in. It was raining, and I didn't want my kids to get wet, so I went out on my own.
Luckily, there wasn't anything else like a thunderstorm, and the rain was losing its energy drastically. I know it was still risky. Don't do this. I'm stupid.
When I set the hook, I thought, "Wow, this is a big fish."
I had really forgotten how powerful pacu could be. That was the only initial impression I had, that it could be a big pacu. The fish just kept going. When I tried to divert the fish's swimming trajectory, it did not respond. I couldn't stop it, and I realized, "Wow, this is something else."
Then Aarif came by because he wanted to be out there for the experience. I handed the rod over to him and dragged him all the way under the shades so that his hands would not slip. Later, Hana came in as well. The three of us were literally soaking wet in the rain, getting Aarif to land this fish.
Both of them took turns reeling in the fish, but as we brought it closer, I suddenly realized, when I saw the fins on the surface, that this was basically a Chao Phraya catfish. I didn't know there was this species in the pond. I guess they might have put them here. It was surprising that this was our first fish, 16 years later.
It took us quite a while to subdue the fish, and we soon realized that our landing net wasn't big enough to land it. I had to walk all the way back to grab a bigger net by the restaurant so we could finally land the fish. After a few final dashes, the fish was finally in the net!
It was a big fish and a respectable catch. It was the first fish of the trip and the first fish for Aarif to land. It was his personal best, and we did it as a team. That was really an awesome feeling and a great experience for all of us. Mommy would be pissed if she knew we were out here in the rain, haha.
The Chao Phraya catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei) is native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins of Southeast Asia, where it is also known as the giant pangasius. It is a large freshwater shark catfish with a long, shark like body and tall dorsal fin. FishBase records a maximum reported size of up to 300 cm and a maximum reported weight of 300 kg. The species is currently listed as Critically Endangered, with habitat loss, overfishing and other pressures contributing to its decline.
For the rest of the day, Hana caught some smaller fish, including tinfoil barb. For her, the number matters. She was enjoying the rest of the afternoon, and then that was it. We headed back, all wet and eager to come back.
The tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii) is a widespread Southeast Asian freshwater fish found across the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. FishBase records it at up to around 35 cm and lists it as native to Malaysia, where it is widely distributed in rivers and lakes, including Selangor.
Round Two, With the Whole Family
Two weeks later, we were back again, and this time we had the whole family with us. Hopefully, we could replicate the same experience. We had three rods this time around. One smaller rod for Hana, and then two larger rods to catch those big fish.
It was a very, very bright day, much better than the previous time, but it was quite hot. It was actually really good in terms of fishing conditions. Hana started off with a bunch of those smaller tinfoil barbs, but the real moment here was being able to take in that full view of the valley, which I think is something that should be appreciated because it is really beautiful.
When the sky is clear, you can really see how beautiful the pond is and the flowing valley overlooking the pond. It was a slightly busier weekend, with a lot of other families showing up, but we were all set up strategically where there were proper shades and easy access to water.
And, yeah, we were back here with a vengeance, trying to replicate our previous outcome. This time around, we would use cut catfish as dead bait.
But there was really nothing for the first two hours.
I think the best moment was around midday. Both myself and Aarif were on floaters, fishing across the lake trying to get the fish to bite, but we failed. Then I realized that probably we should use the head. The catfish head is a bit hard, and placing a proper hook can be challenging. It can be hit and miss because the hook is pretty small, and I regretted that we didn't bring a bigger hook that day.
So what happened was, I was just about to retrieve my rod at the end of a stretch when I realized a fish had taken that head. I think it was only about five minutes in the water when something took the bait.
It was mesmerizing to watch the reel spilling line.
I had to run and yell, "Aarif, hook it up! Hook it up!"
Aarif then took the rod and tried to set the hook, but because the head was really big and the hook was small, it was never really able to penetrate the mouth of the fish. The bait and floater resurfaced, and we missed the opportunity.
It was a shame, but then again, it took quite a decent amount of line, about 40 to 50 metres. When Aarif reeled back, the fish followed the bait, and it was like, "Whoa."
It was like this freshwater shark lurking behind the bait.
Then I told Aarif, "Just reel it slowly."
And the fish took again.
This time, I hooked it one more time, but again, I think the hook was damaged and it never really hooked the fish properly. So we tried the pellets as well, and that resulted in just one bite. But again, the fish swam right under the structure, and then it was gone.
So those were basically the only three big moments that we had. Yeah, it was a shame we couldn't really land those bigger fish, but Aarif learned a very, very important lesson. You don't catch every fish. If you lose one, you learn from it, and hopefully next time you can do better.
Hana, on the other hand, did really well catching those smaller tinfoil barbs. One thing I realized is that she can stay focused on doing that for the rest of the day. A short attention span somehow does affect our kids, and being able to focus on one thing for the whole day was amazing. She can now cast, rehook the bait and catch fish, haha.
Overall, it was a well spent day out in the sun, and it turned out pretty much the way I imagined it would. More importantly, I hope days like this give the kids a better sensory experience and help them develop a deeper appreciation for the outdoors.
I want them to experience the feeling of being out in nature, dealing with the weather, getting their hands dirty, learning how to fish, and enjoying the simple excitement of being outside. Hopefully, these experiences will build their interest in the outdoors and create memories that they can carry with them as they grow older.
Looking Ahead
Overall, the Fish Valley experience has changed a little since the first time I came here. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think the fishing was quite as good as I remembered it being all those years ago. But perhaps that's part of returning to a place after so much time has passed. The fish may change, the conditions may change, and even my own expectations have changed, but the beauty of Fish Valley is still there.
There is something about this place that goes beyond simply catching fish. The surrounding hills, the open water, the weather rolling in, and the feeling of sitting by the pond waiting for that one decisive run still make the trip worthwhile. And this time, being here with my family and watching my own kids experience it gave the place an entirely different meaning.
That doesn't mean the bigger fish are gone. Far from it.
I've been seeing recent catches from Fish Valley on social media, and there are still plenty of impressive fish coming out. Anglers are clearly finding them, and some of the catches suggest that there is still a lot of potential beneath the surface. Perhaps the difference is that the old methods and familiar tactics aren't always going to produce the same results.
Maybe Fish Valley is asking us to fish a little differently.
For my next visit, I'll be looking at the techniques, bait presentation and tactics with a fresh approach. Sometimes returning to a familiar water means forgetting what worked before and figuring it out all over again.
And that's exactly what makes me want to come back.
Sixteen years after my first cast, Fish Valley has now become part of another chapter and this time with my family beside me. I may not have unlocked everything the pond had to offer on this trip, but I left with enough questions, memories and unfinished business to know that this won't be my last visit.
There are still bigger fish out there.
And I'm already thinking about how to catch them.
