Thailand's Fish Species
Credit where credit is due, whoever coined the phrase "The mother of all carps" when describing the Giant Siamese Carp was spot on. It's certainly has a maternal feeling about it as a species. It has all the attributes of a superior species, size, beauty and a wily adversary for the angler. The Siamese Carps appearance changes during the course of it's lifetime. As a young fish its body looks immature but muscular, and colours are often creams and vivid red flashes throughout its fins, as it matures it tends to darken, the body fills out and it starts to take on that mature maternal shape with a full body and weights start to increase dramatically.
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| Fish of this size can, of course satisfied. |
The Giant Siamese Carp has been poorly represented in much western angling media and on forums as not being a "carp", by those who really have no knowledge or understanding of the species. It most certainly is a carp and a big one at that! In our view it should be at the top of any carp anglers list of aspirations. A 100lb carp is a very realistic goal if a difficult one, as several of our guests would provide testimony too. The Siamese carp is the largest species of carp in the world. They are a desirable food fish, which has unfortunately brought them close to extinction in the wild, although 150kg+ specimens are still being caught in Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma.
For size Bungsamran still holds the No1 spot as a fishing destination for Siamese Carp with many specimens over 50kg being present up to weights believed to be over 120kg+. The owner of Bungsamran has informed me directly that he has 400 fish over 30kgs/70lb, and that the largest fish he ever stocked was 158kg and this fish has never been captured or seen since it was stocked. It's hard to say for sure if the biggest carp are still alive and well in Bungsamran, although they can live for a hundred years or more so it's entirely possible that at least one or two fish over the 100kg mark are present. Shadow Lake, Palm Tree Lagoon and Lake Monsters all have reasonable size Giant Siamese Carp in them.
The Giant Siamese Carp has an enlarged head with a huge cavernous mouth and is listed in various scientific descriptions as not having barbules. Many specimens can be observed to have a minute barb located at each side of its lower mouth.
The Giant Siamese Carp has been reported previously at incredible lengths approaching three metres and attaining incredible weights of almost 300 kg’s.
Sporting a gigantic rudder-like tail and paddle-like pectoral fins the Giant Siamese Carp is capable of incredible bursts of acceleration whilst allowing the Giant Siamese Carp a high degree of maneuverability.
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| Dream come true. |
This amazing monster carp species is an extremely hard fighting fish regaled by international anglers for its fighting qualities with the Giant Siamese Carp characteristically making high speed runs, diving deep and changing direction rapidly.
The Giant Siamese Carp in Thailand is renowned for its elusive and wily nature and can be a very challenging and satisfying fish to catch.
Giant Siamese Carp although threatened in their natural environment of Thailand’s rivers have thrived in several fishing venues in Thailand reaching incredible weights in the excess of a magical 100kg’s.