June 11, 2008

Howdy all,
              The latest out of Baghdad fishing news are these fish, both giant mangar:

This is one HUGE fish, caught by SFC Douglas A.

               I've gotten some clarification on the fish above, straight from the man who caught it, SFC A.

Hey,
I just saw the picture of the fish I caught on the website. Thanks for posting it. I want to clear up some of the stories going around.
- It only broke one cheap pole but broke the line six times.
- It did hit on turkey sausage a few times but was finally caught on a bagel.
- I am not sure where the story of the 550 cord came from. It was actually caught on a Shakespeare Tiger spinning combo with Trilene 30 pound test. (This setup was donated by Kenny and Wendy Panther, owners of Arkansas Trading and Loan in Russellville, Arkansas.)

So there you have it. Bagels for bait vice sausage and no 550 cord involved. Thanks SFC Douglas A. for sharing your fish tail with us!

   
Here is another HUGE mangar from Camp Slayer!

     So, regarding the other fish, I only know that it was also caught on Camp Slayer and that it was a caught by a SGM. I'll see what else I can find out. Perhaps these details were for this fish. However, I will continue to seek out details. In the meantime they are still great shots of a huge fish.

     Back when I was educating myself about the fish in Iraq, I did a little research on Barbus esocinus (gotta love Fish Base and Google). What I found is that they are a giant member of the carp/minnow family. What is meant by giant? How does a maximum length of 200cm (6 ½ feet) and a maximum weight of 200Kg (450 pounds) strike you? That is pretty big in my book! The fish is classified as follows:
Name: Barbus esocinus
Family: Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order: Cypriniformes (carps)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

In Iraq this fish is know as Biss or Bisz (phonetic from Arabic). They are an important food species sold fresh in all fish markets, especially Baghdad. It is also known as Mangar, Euphrates salmon, pike bard, and Tigris salmon, though it is not in any way, besides being a fish, related to the salmonoids).

     Now that we've gotten that big fish covered, I want to make sure to thank the guys over there for sending in pictures of their catches - that is what this club is all about.  Guys, keep them coming!  The e-mail is bac@baghdadfishing.com.

     While this club is for those with boots on the ground, I need to tell you about another group - those who have been wounded in the service of our country and are finding the path to recovery easier with a fly rod.  I am talking about Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. which "is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings." - find out more at their website by clicking on the logo below.

     I also want to share a link with another group of angler in uniform, Army Bass Anglers. These guys are great - check out the site.

     We also got some great news from Orivs, they offer a Military discount to service members serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or in a supporting role for either theaters. I got the following information from their Manager of Corporate Sales:

"If any club member would like an Orvis discount of a 40% on Orvis fly fishing product, please have them e-mail me, Mr. Leigh Oliva. I will make sure they receive the correct discount. My email is olival@orvis.com or corporatesales@orvis.com"

     This is a really great offer - I hope the guys over there take advantage of it!

     SFC James C. sent in some great pictures.

       "Here are a couple of pictures from May 16, 2008.  Both were caught at Camp Slayer on the large paddle tail minnow give to me at the Operation Go Fish tournament.  Thanks for what you all do, it's sure nice to get out and fish once in awhile.   The one with the palace in the background is my buddy SFC D.W.

Thanks,
SFC JAMES C."

   
The lakes on Camp Slayer were always a favorite of mine - looks like they are still top producers.

     That is the latest from Baghdad. As always, I will post the reports as I get them in.  

Fish on!  Joel

Baghdad Time & Temp