Aleef having a laborious time paddling his canoe laden with collected underwater vegetation. — Photo courtesy of KL Fly Fishing Shop
IN a quest for a pristine fishing spot, a group of fly-fishers in Selangor went into gotong-royong mode, dedicating half a day to clearing underwater weeds at Empangan Air Kuning in Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam.
Around 20 anglers split into two teams: some paddled boats and canoes while others waded chest-deep into the water, pulling out dense vegetation and loading it onto the waiting vessels.
“We found a few snagged lures among the weeds. Since no one could claim ownership, it was finders-keepers for us,” joked Aleef Syafiq, a fly-fisher who brought his large canoe to haul the uprooted vegetation.
Yeop Kamal posing with a large, hard-fighting pacu at Empangan Air Kuning. — Photo courtesy of Yeop Kamal
For those unfamiliar with the craft, fly-fishing involves more than casting a line and waiting for a bite.
Anglers must actively work their flies or lures, retrieving the line with techniques that mimic the movements of prey – making their artificial offerings twitch, skitter, gurgle or swim in ways that trigger a predator’s instincts.
Fly-fishing is a centuries-old passion, requiring precision and ingenuity to attract fish without using bait, which many anglers consider less sporting.
Fly-fishermen clearing up underwater vegetation in Empangan Air Kuning. — Photo courtesy of Aleef Syafiq
The delicate design of these lures means even a small snag of floating vegetation can disrupt their lifelike movement.
Worse still, if a hooked fish dives into thick underwater weeds, the resulting tangle can snap the line, leaving the lure – and sometimes the fish – lost in the depths.
Aleef explained that while workers occasionally clear the weeds at Empangan Air Kuning, the gotong-royong effort, organised by the Fly-Fishing Association of Selangor, was an opportunity to contribute directly.
“We started at 9.30am and by 1pm, we’d cleared about half the lake,” Aleef said.
“I thought it would be easy, but the wet vegetation was so heavy that when my canoe was full, paddling became a real struggle.
Aleef’s canoe being filled with underwater vegetation. — Photo courtesy of Aleef Syafiq
It gave me a new appreciation for the challenges beneath the surface and the physics of fighting fish near weed beds.”
The 4.5ha Empangan Air Kuning, regulated by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, allows fly and lure fishing from Tuesdays to Sundays, 7.30am to 6pm. On Mondays, it opens only during public or school holidays.
Anglers pay RM30 for the first fishing rod while they pay RM10 for each additional rod per day.
Boat rentals are available, costing RM20 for a half-day trip or RM40 for the whole day. Alternatively, you can bring your own watercraft, with fees determined by vessel size.
Electric thrusters are permitted, but petrol-powered engines are banned to maintain water quality.
While bait fishing is allowed, this is a 100% catch-and-release zone, meaning every fish must be returned to the water. The emphasis is on sport, not harvest.
Species found in the lake include haruan, toman, sebarau, jelawat, eartheater cichlids, pacu and peacock bass.
For Selangor’s fly-fishers, the effort to clear the weeds was a small price to pay for ensuring their beloved fishing spot remains a haven for sport and conservation alike.
