| When entrepreneur Stuart Gillham needs to | | | | holiday. We have 60 fishing rods here and, if |
| explain the location of his Amper Muang fishing | | | | needs be, we'll put the lot out. |
| resort, he says: "near the dirt mound and the | | | | Simon: How rare are araipama? |
| building site". If that makes you suspect that the | | | | Stuart: They're very, very rare in most of the |
| resort itself might be a bit of a tip, understand | | | | wild. They were brought to Thailand probably 20 |
| that, consciously or otherwise, Gillham is following | | | | years ago for the aquarium trade. They grew too |
| the business adage that says: "underpromise and | | | | big for the aquaria. The Thais took them out and |
| overdeliver". | | | | threw them in ponds. Thailand just totally suits |
| The 53-year-old's baby is a dazzling, | | | | them. They are becoming extinct in Brazil but are |
| impeccably-landscaped, 120-million-Baht, 26-acre | | | | numerous in Thailand. They grow from nothing to |
| effort atmospherically enhanced by the presence | | | | a metre long in just a year. |
| of gigantic karsts (limestone crags) standing | | | | Simon: So what's the secret of catching |
| sentinel in the background. It results from drive | | | | arapaima? |
| and devotion in the face of thorny planning | | | | Stuart: Patience. You put a bait in the water and |
| problems and natural challenges, not least the king | | | | they'll look at it for four or five hours and then |
| cobra that had to be exterminated after it made | | | | decide whether to eat it or swim off. When you |
| a meal of a few of the 700 fish. | | | | catch one, because it's so big and because of its |
| Armed with five mechanical diggers, Gillham's | | | | temperament, it takes five guys to tackle it. |
| team embarked on the project in November | | | | Simon: Arapaima are said to be very aggressive. |
| 2007 and worked seven days a week, day and | | | | Stuart: That's right. In the fish farms in Brazil, |
| night in shifts. Because of the pressure, more | | | | over ten kids a year are killed by arapaima. One |
| than once, Gillham and his family considered just | | | | of only two fish in the world which can swim |
| filling the land in and going home. | | | | backwards (the other is the Wells catfish), it |
| But now the farm is almost finished. It is worth | | | | launches itself at you like a battering ram and |
| seeing, partly because among Gillham's giant shoal | | | | smashes into you with its bony, prehistoric head. |
| are 10 species of record-breaking super-heavy | | | | Simon: Everything about this fish seems to be |
| fish. That's about 60 individual fish. Shedding light | | | | weird. How does it breed? |
| on these prodigious statistics, Gillham says that he | | | | Stuart: When the arapaima spawn, the female |
| filled the lake with vast quantities of natural food | | | | opens her mouth quickly and inhales but does not |
| before stocking it. Also, he admits, he just bought | | | | swallow her young. Then she grows white tubes |
| in many readymade giant fish from other farms. I | | | | down her body, and the tubes are what the fish |
| spoke to Stuart about the art of angling, walking | | | | feed on for the first month of their life. The |
| on water and a Jaws-like Amazon monster that | | | | females stay close to the surface, the males |
| inspires obsession. | | | | swim around to protect them. We could see a |
| Simon: What was the inspiration for your resort? | | | | female under the surface in October when they |
| Stuart: I'd fished around the world and stayed at | | | | spawned. We sent a Thai boy who works here |
| fantastic places with awful fishing and at awful | | | | out in the boat to scoop the net alongside this |
| places with fantastic fishing - you just never | | | | female fish and get some babies. As the boy |
| knew which you would get. There are plenty of | | | | came alongside, the big male (150 kilos and |
| lakes in Thailand with big fish in, but they're mostly | | | | 10-feet-long) attacked the boat, rammed it and |
| ugly square holes which don't have good | | | | turned it upside down. |
| surroundings. Some have nice accommodation, but | | | | Simon: What did the buy do? |
| the fish are small. So we said, 'What would | | | | Stuart: What did the boy do? He just ran across |
| everybody want?' The answer we came up with | | | | the top of the water. I thought only Jesus could |
| was big fish, nice accommodation and pretty | | | | walk on water, but this kid did it. He was out in |
| gardens. This is a place where a guy can come | | | | seconds. |
| alone and do little else than have mammoth | | | | Simon: Sounds a bit implausible, Stuart. |
| battles with huge fish. Or he can bring his family | | | | Stuart: You weren't there. There are some plants |
| and spend quality time with them in between the | | | | growing in the water, which presumably supported |
| fish fights. We're catering for just about | | | | enough of his weight as he ran. |
| everybody with an interest in fishing, really. | | | | Simon: What's the secret of catching fish in |
| Simon: And how do you source the fish? | | | | general? |
| Stuart: I've got an agent. He travels all round | | | | Stuart: Patience. A few other things are important |
| Thailand looking for big fish. Strange job he has | | | | in fishing, like location - if you watch a lake and |
| really, negotiating the price of mammoth fish: | | | | you watch it long enough, you will see that there |
| there's not exactly a huge market for them. In | | | | is a particular fish which keeps showing itself in a |
| fact, I think I may personally have significantly | | | | particular place. So then you realize this fish lives in |
| pushed the price up by stocking my lake. Maybe | | | | this little spot. Then it's just down to patience. |
| we need an options and futures market, where | | | | Simon: Lures or bait? |
| people can place bets on the price of a 100kg | | | | Stuart: Lures aren't that effective. Well, they are |
| giant carp in a year's time. Well, Thailand already | | | | in new water when the fish have never been |
| has more bizarre things - diving with elephants | | | | targetted. Once they have been caught once on a |
| and shopping with sharks, to mention just two. | | | | lure, they are pretty clued-up. So, I would say |
| Simon: What's the most expensive fish you | | | | bait. Dead sea-fish are really good - especially |
| stock? | | | | when the target fish has grown up in a fish farm |
| Stuart: The most expensive and hardest to find, | | | | and has got used to feeding on sea-fish. |
| believe it or not, is the Siamese carp, which sells | | | | Simon: Is there a particular bait that does it every |
| for around 1,000 Baht a kilo and is on the | | | | time? |
| endangered species list now. | | | | Stuart: No, but any oily sea fish is good for the |
| Simon: What is your most popular fish? | | | | predators. Carp and Mekong catfish like maize and |
| Stuart: Certainly, the arapaima are the headline | | | | paste balls more. |
| fish that almost everybody comes for. They're | | | | Simon: Many of your fish, like the arapaima, are |
| the fish that guys travel from all over the world | | | | rare. How conservation-conscious are you? |
| to try and catch. We have a guy coming here | | | | Stuart: All fish are catch-and-release. We have got |
| who has spent 20 years of his life trying, | | | | sea-eagles and kites coming in here every day |
| on-and-off and unsuccessfully, to catch an | | | | feeding, as well as giant kingfishers. The more the |
| arapaima. He has just been given six months to | | | | resort is becoming established, the more wildlife is |
| live, due to a terminal illness. So he phoned me up | | | | coming here. My workers are all under strict |
| and asked how long he should stay here. | | | | instructions: no one is allowed to kill anything. |
| Generally, if you fish here for five days, you'll | | | | Simon: Won't the birds kill your fish? |
| catch an araipama. So we've said nine days and | | | | Stuart: My fish are safe. My fish would probably |
| we shall pull out all the stops to catch him his | | | | eat the eagles. |
| arapaima. This guy's not going to get a return | | | | |