PASIR MAS: The receding water level of Sungai Lachang after the third wave of flooding has blessed freshwater fish enthusiasts around Rantau Panjang with easy access to various fish species.
It is even more interesting to watch these freshwater fish hunters casting their nets while standing on a ‘gere’ (a square-shaped platform) built by the locals in the middle of the river.
Among them, Shamsul Yusof, 49, and his 36-year-old wife, Suraya Hamid, from Kampung Tasek Gondang, who came to an area known to locals as ‘culvert 10’ in Pengkalan Teluk to cast a net for fishing.
“Since the water level has receded, casting nets has become easier as the ‘gere’ built in the middle of the river before the flood will resurface.
“These ‘gere’ were built so that people do not have to stand in the water to throw their nets,” Shamsul told Bernama here today.
Shamsul further said that although casting nets may seem easy, it requires proper technique to achieve satisfactory results.
He added that since the first wave of flooding, the ‘culvert 10’ area has become a focal point for many freshwater fish enthusiasts, and locals can be seen fishing almost every evening.
“There are various species here, such as ikan tenggalan (crossbanded barb), toman (giant snakehead), patin (silver catfish), tembakang (kissing gourami) and baung (a type of catfish). If you’re lucky, you can even get udang galah (giant freshwater prawns),” he said.
Shamsul said that the fish caught are usually for personal consumption and might be sold when there is a surplus. - Bernama