TayCau Fishing – Exotic Yellowcheek/Kanyu 

Had an excellent 5 days chasing Yellowcheek with Phillip at TayCau Fishing. He is a talented and enthusiastic guide who gives very clear instructions on how to best target these unusual fish. He has devoted a number of years targeting yellowcheek so make sure you listen and follow what he says to ensure you get the most from your experience. I was fortunate to catch lots of yellowcheek including two on the fly which is an experience I will never forget. The scenery you’re fishing in is breathtaking which really made catching a fish a bonus. I also really enjoyed staying on the floating house with pens of Black carp and yellowcheek which you can watch swimming around and feeding. If you’re a fish and fishing enthusiast I would highly recommend this trip. I will certainly be returning and am keen to try the other fishing options TayCau offer.

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.

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.