National Geographic & MegaFishes Project join FishSiam to Study GFS
The FishSiam Team has been engaged in some highly adventurous and pioneering angling on two of
Thailand's wildest
and unexplored tidal rivers. In a short one year period the FishSiam Team has accounted for no less
than
SEVENTY EIGHT (78)!
individual Giant Freshwater Stingray (Himantura Chaophraya) captures with massive weights to an
estimated 265 kg / 583 lb.
These groundbreaking captures have attracted worldwide media interest and have seen the Fishsiam
Team engaged in research
with various agencies such as the MegaFishes Project and
the
National
Geographic Society.
The Fishsiam Team was recently joined by Stefan Lovgren and Dr.Zeb Hogan from the National
Geographic news team.
Whilst filming at the Ban Pakong River the team caught a large female Giant Freshwater Stingray
which was observed to
be heavily pregnant. While being held at the rivers edge the prehistoric predatory giant gave
birth to a live newborn
measuring a mere 34cm. This ground breaking capture is the first documented example of a Giant
Freshwater Stingray birth
in its wild and natural enviroment and a good sign for this highly understudied and obscure
species. The mother and
infant were safely released together after Dr.Zeb Hogan recorded measurements and made a short
scientific examination.
Ian Welch and the Fishsiam team land the largest freshwater fish ever caught on rod and line!
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.
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.
Soon after his arrival Ian would witness a truly enormous Giant freshwater stingray being caught from the Ban
Pakong River of over 180kg’s. After witnessing such a colossal fish Ian would not have dreamed of events that would
take place the following day.
An early morning start saw Ian and the team traveling to the Maeklong River in Samut Songkran province in
Western Thailand. 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. 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.
With still a few hours of fishing time left Ian returned to the river in search of more Giant Freshwater Stingray.
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. After an epic ninety minute battle a Giant Freshwater Stingray was finally brought alongside the boat.
The enormous leviathan with a width of over 2 metres was safely secured before being brought back to the waiting
scientists at the riverside. The fish was observed to be heavily pregnant and it was decided not to attempt to weigh
the Monster fish.
After a thorough scientific examination by Dr.Zeb Hogan and the visiting Thai veterinary surgeon the fish was
released back into the river.
Scientists present at the capture have estimated the Giant freshwater Stingray to weigh an incredible 265-350kg’s
making it the largest freshwater fish ever landed on rod and line!
Whilst fishing with Dr.Zeb Hogan and the National Geographic production crew the Fishsiam team successfully
captured and released sixteen different Giant freshwater stingrays.
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.
More Record Breaking Giant Freshwater Stingray Fishing Catches in Thailand
Visiting specimen hunter Peter Lipah from Germany joined the Fishsiam team in August in search of
Giant Freshwater Stingray on the Maeklong
River near Samut Songkran.
 On
the German angler's first day of fishing Peter landed the largest brace of
Giant Freshwater Stingray ever captured from the Maeklong River in Western Thailand.
Peter landed massive specimens weighing an estimated 190kg (2.1m) and 180kg (1.95m) in the space
of a few short hours in addition to a smaller male specimen weighing 50kg's.The two larger specimens
were clearly in excess of Anglers Mail reporter Dr.
Ian Welch's previous Maeklong River record
which was captured by the team during an earlier expedition in May and estimated to weigh 150kg+.
The following day Peter a highly experienced angler then turned his attention to the Ban Pakong
River in his continued quest for Giant Freshwater Stingray.
Fishing a river with far from ideal fishing conditions Peter spent a frustrating day trying
to present baits in the flow of the main river. With rafts of vegetation and other underwater debris
continually fouling the anglers lines the prospect of a take looked unlikely.
With a few short hours left of daylight a fast and determined take signalled the beginning of an
epic one hour battle which saw the German angler battling with the unseen leviathan.
After what seemed like an eternity, a massive Giant Freshwater Stingray was brought to the surface
some two hundred yards down river from where it had been originally hooked.
The gigantic female specimen with a width of 2m's was estimated to weigh 185kg's+ and was released
after photgraphy and scientific data was recorded.
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