Behrang The Unlikely Fishing Town

Life’s a beach when the nearest beach is some 100 kilometers away. Behrang, as I was to find out, is an angler’s paradise. Assorted fishing hobbyists, from near and far, congregate here before fishing at the nearby confluence of tributaries.

The principal river, Sungai Bernam, flows from Mount Liang Timur on the Titiwangsa Main Range to the Straits of Malacca . Upstream, at the mountain peak, is also the point where the borders of the three states of Pahang, Perak and Selangor meet.

A local ‘bait and tackle’ shop worker told me the prized catch here are Pak So Kung (Ikan Baung or Mystus catfish), Ikan Kelah (Mahseer) and Temoleh (Jullien’s Carp).

The catch must be so good to make people buy a RM 800 boat on location. It is nice to see a leisure activity drawing business to eateries and other shops in this forgotten town.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f8, 1/250 sec.

Standing On Two States

A slim river, named the Bernam River, formed a natural border that separates the states of Selangor and Perak. In the 1700s, a Bugis settlement was established on the riverbank of Sungai Bernam.

Facing the river for this photograph, my left leg was on Tanjung Malim (Perak side) and my right leg on Ulu Bernam (Selangor side).

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f11, 1/800 sec.