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+--- Thread: Fishing for Giant freshwater stingray in Thailand. (/showthread.php?tid=491234)
Fishing for Giant freshwater stingray in Thailand. - Fishsiam - 04-09-2009
Record breaking Giant freshwater stingray captures in Thailand.
Anglers Mail journalist and fish biologist Ian Welch recently joined the Fishsiam team to assist in the filming of a documentary with National Geographic Channel featuring Giant Freshwater Stingray.
[font "Arial"]The Fishsiam team were also joined by eminent fish biologist and National Geographic Explorer Dr.Zeb Hogan in addition to a National Geographic film crew.[/font]
[font "Arial"]Soon after his arrival Ian would witness a truly enormous Giant freshwater stingray being caught from the Ban Pakong River of over 180kg’s[/font]
[font "Arial"]After witnessing such a colossal fish Ian would not have dreamed of events that would take place the following day.[/font]
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[font "Arial"]An early morning start saw Ian and the team traveling to the Maeklong River in Samut Songkran province in Western Thailand.[/font]
[font "Arial"]The team fished extremely hard throughout the day catching Giant Freshwater Stingray with weights of 40kg, 45kg and 65kg’s from various areas of the river.[/font]
[font "Arial"]All fish that were caught were examined by Dr.Zeb Hogan and a top Thai veterinary surgeon with accurate measurements and weights being recorded in addition to the attachment of numeric tags externally to the prehistoric fish.[/font]
[font "Arial"]With still a few hours of fishing time left Ian returned to the river in search of more Giant Freshwater Stingray.[/font]
[font "Arial"]Later in the afternoon Ian would go on to hook a much larger fish that would require every ounce of his strength and angling ability.[/font]
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[font "Arial"]After an epic ninety minute battle a Giant Freshwater Stingray was finally brought alongside the boat.[/font]
[font "Arial"]The enormous leviathan with a width of over 2metres was safely secured before being brought back to the waiting scientists at the riverside.[/font]
[font "Arial"]The fish was observed to be heavily pregnant and it was decided not to attempt to weigh the Monster fish.[/font]
[font "Arial"]After a thorough scientific examination by Dr.Zeb Hogan and the visiting Thai veterinary surgeon the fish was released back into the river.[/font]
[font "Arial"]Scientists present at the capture have estimated the Giant freshwater Stingray to weigh an incredible 265-350kg’s making it quite possibly the largest true freshwater fish ever landed on rod and line![/font]
[font "Arial"]We believe the lower range of the estimate to be more accurate 260-300kg's possibly.[/font]
[font "Arial"]Whilst fishing with Dr.Zeb Hogan and the National Geographic production crew the Fishsiam team successfully captured and released sixteen different Giant freshwater stingrays.[/font]
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[font "Arial"]Another expedition in February saw the Fishsiam team filming with NHK channel from Japan.[/font]
[font "Arial"]Whilst fishing at the Maeklong River the team recaptured the monster Giant freshwater stingray at an estimated weight of 250kg’s+.[/font]
[font "Arial"]The fish was beaten after a four hour battle and was released after a scientific examination by Dr.Zeb Hogan.[/font]
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[font "Arial"]We have now caught 84 different Giant freshwater stingray in a fifteen month period from both the Ban Pakong and Maeklong Rivers in Thailand.[/font]
[font "Arial"]The Fishsiam team is now engaged in a two year research project concerning Giant freshwater Stingray populations in several Thai rivers and is working closely with Dr.Zeb Hogan and Thai scientists in an effort to gain a greater understanding of this prehistoric predatory fish.[/font]
[font "Arial"]In previous conversations with anglers it has been stated that Sturgeon are the largest freshwater species.[/font]
[font "Arial"]From exchanges of information with several scientists it has been stated that Sturgeon migrate seasonally into marine waters making them not a true freshwater fish.[/font]
[font "Arial"]Giant freshwater stingray have not been found in marine enviroments and are widely distributed throughout the rivers of Thailand in freshwater and brackish conditions.[/font]
[font "Arial"]At the time of writing it is believed that Giant freshwater stingray do not venture into marine enviroments and is therefore a true freshwater fish.[/font]
[font "Arial"]I would be interested in any thoughts on this subject from US anglers with any knowledge of Sturgeon.[/font]
[url "http://www.fishsiam.com"]http://www.fishsiam.com[/url]
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