The Hampala Barb (Hampala macrolepidota) is known as the Jungle Perch, yet is not a true perch. The Jungle Perch is a freshwater fish species in the minnows or carps family (family Cyprinidae) of order Cypriniformes (carps), native to the Mekong River basin and the Chao Phraya River basin in Thailand.
Jungle Perch Diet
The Jungle Perch feeds primarily on fry and fish, such as tilapia and Thai tiger perch.
Jungle Perch Identification
In adults the most distinctive feature is a black bar running vertically down the side of the body between the dorsal and pelvic fins. The caudal fin is bright red and orange with black marginal stripes on each outside fin ray. The body is silver to golden in colour, very similar to the roach, the similarity stops here.
Jungle Perch Flyfishing in Thailand
Thailand Flyfishing Season: All year
With the advent of tour packages to Kanchanaburi where Khao Laem Dam is as well as return cheap flights to Florida, Sydney, Hongkong and other key cities around the world, Khao Laem Dam is now one of the most prolific Jungle Perch fly fishing locations in Thailand. This hard fighting predator is often caught while fly fishing the marginal snags and weed beds in pursuit of giant snakehead. If targeting jungle perch, the most exciting fly fishing technique is to locate large shoals in open water and sight fish into the shoal. Feeding jungle perch work as a highly co-ordinated team, herding their prey into tight top water shoals. The Jungle Perch feeding attack creates an unmistakable, large visible disturbance on the surface, providing an extraordinary fly fishing experience.
We also go river fly fishing in Thailand for Jungle Perch, also known as the Thailand Trout because of it's preference for clean, well oxygenated water. The Thailand Trout is similar to Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout in the fly fishing methods we adopt. Although known as the Thailand Trout, the Jungle Perch will outfight any trout and is just as difficult to catch.
Jungle Perch are feisty and fight like Peacock Bass.
