The Red Kaloi

A discovery of a brand new jungle fishery in Southeast Asia's Malay Archipelago, in search for a spectacular endemic species in the depths of one of the world's oldest rainforests, the giant island of Borneo.

Largely unknown to the outside world of fly fishing is Borneo's incredible rainforests and rivers, which are home to hugely underrated fish species and great animals, many of them facing extinction. Hot and humid one moment, and torrential rainfall the next. More often than not, it pours hard continuously for several days, sometimes weeks. Rivers swell up to dangerous velocity and levels. Wounds, cuts and scratches quickly turn septic. Overhanging branches and vines limit your casting and ability to place the fly at your desirable spots. And when you finally hook up something, these finned creatures bury you dead in their lairs. Patience and faith often run out fast. This harsh jungle environment and everything in it hits you hard. Almost everything is beyond your control. You can only pray for the best.

Got to be an optimist. Got to be totally obsessed. Because there is something in these tannin waters that harbours the promise of something extraordinary - the red kaloi, Osphronemus septemfasciatus. Only discovered as late as 1992 and found to be endemic to Borneo, no one has ever caught this species on fly until 2020, by the incredible Dayak fly fishing guide, Minggaang Lejau. Native fish, native Dayak, native fishery. Hard to find a better script.

This film tells the story of discovering the never-seen-before red kaloi fishery.
Broken fly rods, twisted hooks, busted leaders, countless swearing and a bunch of boys having the wildest adventures in the wilderness, figuring out a whole new species to be unlocked in the world of fly fishing. This is what we live for. YOLO.