This was a great trip in northern Vietnam. Starting in Hanoi a 3 hour journey to a stunning lake. Once at the lake a brief and picturesque transfer on a longtail boat to Philips floating base, cold drinks and air conditioned rooms are provided! A quick local breakfast and then on the boat for some very active and exciting fishing. Philip is on sonar at all times telling you where and when to cast. The water is crystal clear and a swim in the summer heat is a must. We had a great lunch at a floating restaurant and then back on the water for more fishing. At the end of the day we had another delicious local meal at the base and then an early night. Yellow cheek are not super active early in the morning so we were on the water by 8 am the next day, if you ask you can start as early as you like. This allows a nice calm start to the day and traditional breakfast. We were off the water by 3:30 and back in Hanoi by 8pm. In total we caught 4 yellow cheek and 1 particularly aggressive tilapia. Philip organised everything and transport was easy. The fishing gear was top class and his knowledge of the water fantastic. I would recommend being competent in using a bait casting reel as yellowcheek are extremely fast and catching a fish relies on making quick and accurate casts. There are spinning rods available. All in all a fantastic experience and I am planning a return trip.

Had a great time with Phillip for chasing after Yellowcheek, then Peacock. I was surprised that native Yellowcheek was here in Vietnam, yet hearing Phillip’s explanations they are native in the stretched Yangtze River, yup make sense.
If you are visiting Hanoi, wondering fishing, contact Phillip is the only choice.
Philip can offer you a great fishing experiences targeting your “First” Yellowcheek, Toman to Mahseer, or name it in SEA.

This is one of the best fishing expérience you could get, Yellowcheek is a fascinating pelagic Fish from the carp/ Aspius familly, they go fast and hit like a Tarpon. The headshakes are a full body squeeze just get ready to knee down with them as they dive again and again.

You can find them with the subsurface livescope or at sight and I will not even talk about the many possibilities you will have to target also many snakehead species and other fish in that pristine place where you can sleep in a traditional floating house. We caught many fish during this trip but we released plenty of them with no pictures and loose some of course.

We made a movie during this trip, you can find it back on YOUTUBE : “Renaudfiiisher : The chase of the Yellowcheek.”

I had an amazing time fishing for Yellow Cheek with Phillip.
Phillip is a very nice guy and a skilled angler who will definitely hook you up with some good fish. The location is stunning, easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve fished.

As a European, I didn’t know much about Yellow Cheek before I discovered Phillip’s Instagram account. I was amazed by these cool-looking fish and when I caught my first one I truly fell in love. They’re so much fun to catch, especially when they hit top water.

I’m already looking forward to my next trip with Phillip. Thanks so much for such a great experience! I would highly recommend Phillip to anyone looking for an unforgettable fishing adventure.