Not only did I not use a float, I was also too lazy to find any decent bait.
My bait is that little bit of spider silk fishing line that was left over when I tied the hook. Now I've separated it, and it's fluffy like a chicken coop.
Spider silk is a special protein with a unique odor, making it a good material for both food bait and lure fishing.
When we were kids, if we were too lazy to dig for earthworms while fishing, we used this method to get free lures. I guess this was the earliest lure we ever used.
A three-meter fishing rod with a two-meter fishing line isn't long; in fact, it seems a bit short.
But it doesn't matter, there are plenty of small fish, about two fingers wide, in this stream, and they can hardly resist these fishhooks that float on the surface of the water like insects being swept away by the current.
Just as I was thinking this, I felt a tremor on the tip of my rod. This fishing method relies on one's own ability to sense the rod; we also call this type of fishing without a float "silent fishing."
Without a float, you have to rely on your experience to distinguish whether the trembling of the rod tip is caused by a fish biting the hook or by the vibration of the hook caused by the water current.
This is actually the same principle as lure fishing. When the fishing line is vibrating continuously and regularly in a fast current, it is mostly caused by the scouring of the water.
If the fishing rod suddenly dips sharply and you feel increased resistance when pulling it, this change is very simple; it's just that the resistance increases.
In this situation, the fish is usually snagged on the bottom, or the hook is caught on a tree branch or other floating object.
Only when there is a sudden jolt, combined with a continuous pulling and shaking, is it most likely a sign that a fish is struggling in the water.
This is when a seasoned angler's experience is put to the test. A novice might set the hook the moment they sense movement.
If a fish bites aggressively, it will naturally be caught.
However, in some places where fishing is frequent, the fish can become wary, and they usually don't take the first bite immediately, but rather take a tentative, light sip.
In this situation, hooking the fish might result in it not hooking properly, or even missing completely.
The best way is to not lift the rod immediately after the first bite, but wait until you sense a change in the position of the fishing line before lifting the rod to set the fish. At this point, 90% of the fish will not be able to escape.
That's the situation I'm facing right now. The fish was probably a little wary; it took a tentative bite the first time, and then there was no more movement.
But when I pulled the fishing line slightly upstream to tease the fish, a violent tremor suddenly came from the tip of the rod to my hand, accompanied by a force in the opposite direction.
I jerked my hand sharply, and the hook pierced the fish's mouth. The water surface churned, and with a splash, the fish tautened the line again and dived underwater.
"Trying to run?"
I snorted and stood the fishing rod upright. Under the pull of the fish, it bent into a large bow. It looked quite big.
When faced with danger, diving is a fish's instinct; deeper water makes them feel safer. Unfortunately, today it encountered me. My fishing rod is already set up, and the line is taut.
It has no chance of escaping unless it tears its own mouth or breaks my rod or hook.
Obviously, I guessed correctly; the fish in this stream were not heavy enough to damage my fishing gear.
In fact, I wasn't even worried that the bush I used to make the fishing rod would break. This one-piece natural material is more durable than commercial fishing rods. They may deform, but it's too difficult for them to break completely.
At this moment, the elasticity of the fishing rod plays a huge advantage, much like the brakes of a car.
When you go downhill, the brakes will continuously consume the power of the wheels. Eventually, the wheels will be completely drained of power by the brakes, until you are forced to stop.
I feel that although this fish is strong, it can't be very big. Pulling a fish in rapids involves more resistance than in calm water, so this kind of pressure is normal.
Based on the stiffness of my rod, this fish should weigh no more than three pounds.
My only worry now is the fishhook I made myself. It's made by bending a sewing needle and then quenching it. I don't know if it's strong enough to withstand the heat.
Just to be on the safe side, I gradually moved the fish downstream to a calmer backwater area.
Because the fishing line was very short, it was difficult to control the fish. The fish kept refusing to swim in the direction I was leading it, knowing that the shallower and slower the current, the more dangerous it would be for it.
It kept struggling to get back into the rapids and escape my control.
This is meat that's already in my mouth, how could I bear to let it go? If I let the fish that's hooked get away, wouldn't I, a fisherman of over ten years, have any pride?
But now I can't try to pull it with all my might, because I'm worried the hook won't be able to withstand the huge pull and will straighten out.
This is the time to apply Mr. Deng's theory on fishing for silver carp and bighead carp. When the fish exerts its strength, don't pull it forcefully. Instead, swing the fishing rod left and right with varying force.
At this point, the force of the fish swinging left and right disrupts the forward thrust of its tail.
To put it more vividly, if we compare a fish to a sailing ship, then the head of the fish is the rudder that controls the direction. When the rudder is undisturbed, its thrust is at its maximum.
But when the rudder is disturbed, it's like someone is pulling your rudder left and right at the same time.
At this point, not only can you not move forward, but your own momentum will also be greatly reduced, leaving you to do useless work in place and waste energy.
Strength is naturally depleted faster in rapids than in calm waters. After a short while, the struggling stopped, revealing its white belly, which had been flipping open, indicating that it had lost its strength.
I slowly dragged the fish towards the shallows. Because I had come out so casually, I had no idea that I would catch a big fish, and I didn't have the right tools to net it.
However, I have already figured out a solution to this problem.
As I dragged the fish close to me, I suddenly raised my left hand and used the wooden stick in my hand to physically anesthetize the fish's head.
Some of the struggling fish immediately quieted down after another blow with the stick, turned belly up and died, allowing me to drag them ashore.
Wanting to get away with this is impossible. If there's no net, I'll use a stick. There's nothing a stick can't solve. If there is, then I'll use another stick.
What came up was a silver carp, its whole body shimmering and very beautiful.
After bringing the fish ashore, I admit I was careless and misjudged it again. This one weighed at least three pounds, probably around three and a half pounds.
Damn it, I still have a clay pot at home today. Am I going to eat until I throw up again?
I tied a double knot in the hemp rope to secure the fin of the mandarin fish, then tied the rope to a nearby bush and continued fishing.
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