National Geographic Channel's Top 10 Monster Fish
National Geographic Channel's program, "Top 10 Monster Fish" airs in the U.S.A. at 7pm and again at 10pm on
Monday July 27th on the National Geographic Channel where many of FishSiam's captures of G.F.S will be shown.
Zeb Hogan Giant freshwater stingray expeditions
 Fishsiam Ltd Thailand is proud to announce an exciting series of research expeditions for the coming year in
search of
Giant freshwater stingray in association with emerging National Geographic explorer Dr.Zeb Hogan and expert veterinary
scientists
from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Conservation minded anglers will be given the unique opportunity to fish alongside Dr.Zeb Hogan during field trips to
various locations in
search of Giant freshwater stingray.
Megafishes project Director Dr.Zeb Hogan will be working alongside Associate Professor Dr.Nantaika Chansue with her
expert team of aquatic
veterinary scientists from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in an attempt to mount the world’s first comprehensive
study of the awesome Himantura
Chaophraya/Giant freshwater stingray.
The forthcoming research expeditions which have official approval from the Department of Fisheries in Thailand will
see conservation minded
anglers fishing at various locations throughout Thailand in search of the mythical Giant freshwater stingray.
With our expert team of Thai fishing guides anglers will be pushed to their absoloute physical limits in pursuit of what
has been described as
possibly the largest freshwater fish in the world whilst also contributing to science.
Read More...
The World's Largest freshwater fish is captured again
Another expedition to the
Maeklong River
accompanied by Hirosumi Yamaguchi from Japan's premier television station NHK
saw the Fishsiam team involved in another documentary concerning Giant freshwater stingrays.
During a one week expedition the team landed eight individual Giant Freshwater stingray's with all stingrays caught by
the team acoustically tagged by National Geographic explorer Dr.Zeb Hogan and Dr.Nantaika Chansue from Chulalongkorn University
in Bangkok.
The expedition was highly productive and provided a wealth of scientific data concerning Giant freshwater stingray's.
On the date of 28/02/09 the Fishsiam team whilst filming with NHK landed a massive Giant Freshwater stingray from the
Maeklong River after an epic four hour battle.
A closer inspection of the prehistoric fish saw the Giant Freshwater stingray being identified as the same Monster Fish
that Dr.Ian Welch captured exactly one month before at a record breaking estimated weight of between 265-350kg's.
The fish was identified by an external tag previously fitted by Dr.Zeb Hogan and was released soon after capture due to
the fish clearly showing signs of pregnancy.
Read more...
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
ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY TWO (122)!
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.
The results of the expedition with National Geographic can be seen on Hooked! Monster Fish of Thailand which premiers
on NGC on the 6th of July 2009.
Visiting angling journalist Ian Welch from the Anglers mail joined the Fishsiam team at IT Monster Predator Lake in Ratchaburi.
Ian bagged numerous predatory species whilst fishing this highly prolific water. Ian’s haul included Redtail catfish, Alligator gar,
Sorubim and various other hungry predators.
After a brief trip to the local clinic due to a small injury caused by a lively Sorubim Ian once again began fishing. With
the light beginning to fade Ian received a savage take to a rod fished in the nearby margins with a mackerel fillet. This
would herald the start of a gruelling thirty minute battle with a 2.3m Arapaima gigas continually trying to shake itself
free of the hook!
Some thirty minutes after hooking the Amazonian giant the fish was expertly netted by Boy and Jeab. The fish had an
extremely large girth and required five anglers to hold the spectacular creature for photography. The fish was estimated
to weigh 140kg+ and was measured at a length of 2.3 metres. The entire capture was caught on video which will be appearing
in our video section shortly.
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