Heavy rain started yesterday afternoon as soon as we got in the cars and went all night. This morning we got up at 5 and scrambled to pack our junk in a downpour. Then we hit the slow moving roads of Bhutan before they start washing out. We’ve gone from the jungle to the cloud forest. Monsoon may have very well started here in southern Bhutan.
It was a six hour jaunt to Geylegphug where we are spending tonight at Hotel Kuku. We hoped to fish along the way but not a chance with this rain and rising waters. We arrived at 11 AM and all of us took short naps.
This afternoon we visited a mahseer fish hatchery. Like the trout hatchery Mike Dawes and I visited ten days ago, this hatchery was primitive in comparison to ones in the US. But there are some great young guys running it and all were very enthusiastic about fish and of course, saving the mahseer. They took us out in the rain so they could show off some of the nice ones they have on hand. Five kids dragged a net through and when it went tight golden and chocolate mahseer started leaping over the net. They jump like Atlantic salmon! It’s amazing though how little is known about this fish species.
Tonight Jon, Niel, Dawes and I put together our presentation for the Prime Minister. Remember, Dawes and I are consulting for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in order to help Bhutan get a feel for their fishing tourism potential. Meeting the Prime Minister is a highlight for us all. That being said, we found out he’s stuck in Delhi, India at the moment because it’s raining so hard in Paro that they couldn’t land his plane today. All we can do is hope his busy schedule allows time for us for our scheduled appointment in two days.
And tonight for dinner we had grass carp. Yes you heard me correctly, white Amur, my favorite quarry of Phoenix, Arizona. It didn’t taste so great by the way.
That’s all for now. As we drive north tomorrow we hope to get out of the rain and fish for mahseer the exact place we caught our first ones at on May 21st. We are crossing our fingers!
I don’t know what you are talking about, Jeff! That grass carp looks delicious!