Not far south of the village lies the upper reaches of the Wen River. It's just the beginning of spring and not yet May Day, the perfect time for catching wild big crucian carp.
No startup capital? Earn it by fishing yourself!
With this in mind, Zhang Yang informed his mother, then hopped on his bicycle and rode out of the village, heading straight for the town.
In town, there's a wholesaler named Liu the Third who sells tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and tea, and apart from selling these sundries, he also sells simple fishing gear.
Anglers usually prefer to buy cheap consumables like bait and hooks from here. It wasn't until Zhang Yang's fishing gear shop opened in his previous life that Liu the Third's fishing gear business began to decline.
Riding his bicycle to the spot he remembered, Zhang Yang parked it in a prominent place at the door and walked right in.
"Boss, I need two sets of 3.6-meter Seven-Star Bobber (see note ①) main line sets, one set of 1.5 and one set of 1.0. Also, give me an extra pack of Heaven-Facing Hooks (see note ②)! Make sure they're number 4 Izu hooks!" Zhang Yang clearly stated what he needed.
"Hand-tied main line is two yuan per meter, finished main line set is five yuan per set, which do you want? Heaven-Facing Hooks are three yuan per pack! Planning to use the Seven-Star Bobber to poke around the grass, huh? Don't you want some Rice for Making Wine for baiting and some worms for hooking?"
Liu the Third also knows how to fish and familiarly quoted prices while trying to sell his other products.
Zhang Yang had only a "grand sum" of 13.5 in hand and no spare money to spend recklessly. He shook his head, "The finished line set will do, I don't need anything else, I've got everything prepared!"
Truth to be told, this Liu the Third is really a rip-off. The wholesale price for a finished Seven-Star Bobber main line set is just over one yuan, yet he sells it for five yuan each, with a gross profit margin of over three hundred percent!
After buying the fishing line and hooks, Zhang Yang turned around and hurried back!
When he reached the small bamboo grove at the village entrance, he took a sickle from the back seat of his bicycle, found a bamboo of moderate thickness, and cut it down from the bottom, carrying it with him.
Back home, he quickly cleaned up the branches and twigs, making a simple fishing rod.
Zhang Yang found an unused plastic fertilizer bucket at home, then used a shovel to dig some worms from the shady area behind the house and put them in a snack box.
Before leaving, Zhang Yang used a teacup to scoop half a pound of corn grits, put them in a plastic bag, and sneakily poured in half a bowl of high-alcohol Chinese liquor that his grandpa drank, letting it ferment to use as bait to lure fish.
By the time Zhang Yang arrived at the Wen River south of the village, it was almost three o'clock,
This time of year, trees are just sprouting new leaves, and the water's edge has just started to grow water grasses.
Zhang Yang organized his simple fishing setup, tying the main line to the tip of the bamboo rod,
Quickly fastening the Heaven-Facing Hook in place, Zhang Yang cast his fishing line into the water in front of some water grass he had eyed.
Fishing without targeting the grass is completely pointless. In spring, tender water grass shoots are just emerging, and crucian carp approach the shore to spawn and forage near the grass, making this kind of spot the best choice.
After choosing a fishing spot, Zhang Yang adjusted the foam star float to find the right depth, about 1.3 meters near the grass. In this season, fishing for crucian carp in shallow water warms up faster, making it just right.
With the fishing spot chosen and the water depth determined, Zhang Yang took the corn grits he had brought from his pocket, wrapped them in some mud from the bank, and threw them into the fishing spot.
This action in fishing is called baiting (see note ③), and whether it's wild fishing, lake fishing, black pit fishing, or even sea fishing, luring fish with bait is a common technique used by anglers.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yang couldn't afford to buy commercial baits, so he had to make do with the corn grits and some liquor he had at home,
Ordinary raw corn grits can be eaten by crucian carp, and soaking them with some liquor for a while has a certain luring effect, definitely better than using nothing!
After setting the bait, Zhang Yang hung a whole live worm on the Heaven-Facing Hook, casually flicking his wrist to cast the hook into the fishing spot.
The bamboo rod made from fresh bamboo is a bit heavy, giving a slightly poor feel in hand, but Zhang Yang currently has no money, so he has to make do.
About fifteen minutes after setting the bait, the bobber started to show some movement, with the three foam beads floating on the water surface displaying subtle downward pulling actions,
Zhang Yang glanced over but didn't rush to lift the rod.
Though most people see fishing as just a leisure activity, it's actually a very deep and comprehensive subject. Learning the basics is easy, but mastering it is very challenging.
For example, the same subtle movement of a bobber can convey completely different information to an experienced angler compared to a regular angler.
By observing, Zhang Yang judged that there were already fish in the spot, but the quantity was small, and the size was also small. The little fish were attacking the whole worm but couldn't swallow it, causing a trembling small movement on the bobber.
At this time, the strike rate would be very low, so Zhang Yang didn't rush to lift the rod.
A few minutes later, the tentative biting movements reduced, then suddenly one floating bean on the water was pulled down, followed by the three underwater ones quickly rising up.
Seeing this pull-down then rise-up bobber action, Zhang Yang immediately knew a crucian carp had fully taken the bait, and he twitched his wrist to lift the rod and hook the fish!
He felt a heavy sensation transmitted from the rod tip—the first crucian carp was quite sizeable!
Feeling the fish's strength underwater, Zhang Yang lifted the rod, using the bamboo rod's resilience to lift the fish out of the water.
A four-ounce large wild crucian carp, Zhang Yang excitedly lifted the rod over his head, and the fish flew up directly.
He removed the hook and glanced at the position where the fish hook was attached to the mouth. It was right in the middle, not too deep or shallow, and the whole worm was still on the hook without being swallowed.
Wild crucian carp of about three or four ounces are still frequently caught in the Wen River, so they are not particularly rare.
But two years later, because of reduced water release from upstream and the ravages of nearby villagers' electricity and net workers after the water level dropped, these would become hard to find.
The first fish was a large wild crucian carp; this was a good sign. Satisfied, Zhang Yang put the fish in the bucket, filled it with water, and continued fishing.
With the first fish caught, more and more fish started to come, and the school of fish had already discovered the corn bits mixed in the mud at the fishing spot and were gradually gathering.
Second, third, fourth!
Zhang Yang got more and more skilled, catching several crucian carp in a row,
The only downside was that the later crucian carp were much smaller, just over two ounces.
Well, wild crucian carp are not all the same size anyway, which Zhang Yang didn't mind, so he patiently continued fishing.
After catching five fish in succession, it got quiet at the fishing spot, and Zhang Yang re-baited with a fresh worm and cast the rod into the water. After patiently waiting a few minutes, the bobber remained motionless!
Damn! Could the catch from the spot really be just five fish?
Zhang Yang muttered to himself silently but kept his eyes fixed on the bobber in the water.
Just when he thought there were no fish in the spot, suddenly there was a strong downward pull on the bobber, and a star on the water's surface was drawn underwater again.
This time there was no follow-up upward float action; instead, all three stars on the water's surface were pulled underwater.
A blackout bobber!
Typically, when a wild crucian carp takes the bait, it sticks its butt up while nibbling at the bait, and after getting it into its mouth, it lifts its head and swims away.
This bait-eating posture is reflected in the bobber's movement by a downward pull followed by an upward float as it lifts its head.
It is very rare to see a direct blackout bobber action like this, which is more common with carp or other larger fish.
A blackout bobber indicates a firm bite, a bobber movement that anglers must grasp.
How could Zhang Yang let this opportunity go? He flicked his wrist and lifted the rod to hook the fish!
The force underwater was indeed much stronger than the initial large wild crucian carp, and the big fish couldn't emerge immediately; Zhang Yang's bamboo rod bent into a bow.
With the No. 1 single hook and direct line, Zhang Yang felt quite assured in his mind. The water was cold in spring, and the fish were not very active. Even a three-to-five-pound big carp could be hauled in.
After two rounds of tug-of-war, the fish surfaced, and at first glance, Zhang Yang was overjoyed!
Crucian carp! A big crucian carp!
Weighing at least over a pound, plump and round, its length almost rivaling a water bottle.
In trendy terms, a large wild crucian carp plus!
Such a big wild crucian carp was a rare find, far rarer than a three-to-five-pound carp, and Zhang Yang cautiously dragged the fish to the water's edge and lifted it onto the shore after confirming the hook was securely set.
Holding the fish in his hand, Zhang Yang made a clearer assessment of this large crucian carp, at least a pound and a half, female, with a bulging belly, likely full of roe!
"Alas, alas, my friend, I'm in need of some silver to save my life, so I'll have to inconvenience you," Zhang Yang hesitated for two seconds before putting the fish into the water bucket.
The pause at the spot earlier was probably due to this large wild crucian carp coming in and frightening the smaller fish away. Once the big crucian carp was caught, the spot quickly became active with fish again.
In the next two hours, Zhang Yang caught over thirty crucian carp, including seven or eight large wild ones and an ancient grandfatherly-sized big crucian carp, with a total catch weight of about ten pounds.
The corn bits thrown into the fishing spot were eaten up, and the bites became sparse. Zhang Yang glanced at his phone; it was already five o'clock.
If I rush to the night market, I should make it in time!
With this thought, Zhang Yang simply packed up the fish line and rod, hung the fish bucket on the handlebar, and rode away.
Note ① Seven-star bobber: A traditional fishing method where four to six colored floating foam beads are strung on a nylon fishing line as a bobber. The depth of the fishing spot is determined by adjusting the bobber's position up or down the line, typically used with the Heaven-Facing Hook and live bait like worms, suitable for long rod short line in grass.
Note ② Heaven-Facing Hook: A special type of hook used in traditional domestic fishing, with a drop of lead or tin welded to the hook's shank as a counterweight. Due to gravity, the hook will settle with the shank down and the point up once in the water, giving it its name and commonly used in the seven-star bobber method.
Note ③ Baiting the spot: The act of throwing food that fish love to eat into a fishing spot to attract fish from a certain range to gather around the fishing spot, creating a fish hotspot for anglers. This action is called baiting the spot.