Starting from Robinson Crusoe-Chapter 102 - 38: Fisherman’s Diary (Part 2)

Initially, all the bites were from those blue-purple catfish.

These fish aren't very big, the longest being under 30 centimeters. They're fierce, fighting even in a bucket, with sharp teeth that leave round bites on other fish, making the bucket full of shredded meat and fine scales.

Gazing at the self-fighting fish, Chen Zhou disliked their appearance and found a sunlit stone to sun-dry them.

Perhaps sensing the miserable fate of their kin, after catching more than twenty blue-purple catfish, no more took the bait.

Then, Chen Zhou caught a new breed.

It was a small fish with large eyes, two rows of red scales on its back, a black tail, less than ten centimeters in length, and no more than an ounce of meat.

This tiny creature was too small even for a cat, so Chen Zhou was naturally unwilling to keep it; he took it off the hook and tried reasoning.

"Young fish, don't cause trouble. Go back and tell your grandfather, great-grandfather, and ancestors that there's delicious bait here.

Call them over, and there will be great benefits!"

With a round of brainwashing, he tossed the fish back into the lake and continued waiting.

Soon, Chen Zhou caught two different kinds of small fish.

They were similar in appearance to the previous fish, except one had a green back and red tail, the other a golden back and colorful tail.

The one with a golden back and colorful tail was very ornamental; its underbelly was silver-white, while its upper body had colorful striped scales. The tail was like a flame, dazzling and akin to the golden carp from fairy tales.

Chen Zhou considered keeping this visually appealing fish but decided against it due to its living conditions. He figured it was better to let it go than return home only to see it suffer, hoping to catch some luck and net a big fish instead.

But as fate would have it, the more he wished for a big fish, the more small fish bit the hook.

Fishing and releasing, time flew by, the bait in his hat running low, the sun setting; yet his bucket remained empty.

"Has the novice protection period ended?

All this and I still end up with nothing?"

"Ah, blue catfish! I regret sun-drying you; come back, I promise to treat you better this time!"

Transitioning from an angler to empty buckets takes just an afternoon, and Chen Zhou's mindset began shifting.

Ten, nine, eight, seven...

The bait dwindled.

Hooking the last worm, he casually cast out the line, awaiting some oblivious small fish to bite.

Chen Zhou started regretting not bringing the Electronic Wooden Fish.

"Surely it's because I dried over twenty blue catfish that my karma balance is low, leading to empty buckets.

Next time, I need to bring the Wooden Fish, complement my karma as I fish to achieve balance..."

Finding excuses for himself, Chen Zhou felt the top of the fishing rod move slightly.

"Dang! Another small fish bites.

This time I won't reel you in; I'll leave you embarrassed bottom-dwelling in the water, showing other small fish the consequences of reckless biting!"

Since it was his last bait, Chen Zhou wasn't concerned, holding the rod without budging.

This time he was determined; he wouldn't pull until the fish detached from the hook.

Empty buckets should be splendidly empty, totally empty.

Unexpectedly, after the initial wiggle, the force pulling downward increased, bending the rod made from iron tree branches.

"Plans changed, a big one is here!"

Firmly clutching the rod's end, Chen Zhou felt ecstatic, his mind chaotic.

Despite loitering in fishing forums, he did grasp some common theoretical knowledge.

Small fish should just be pulled straight up.

With big creatures like these, caution is necessary; slowly tire them out before yanking them out, otherwise, they'll escape the hook or snap the line, or you could end up accidentally aiding them.

Typically, anglers use the "8-shaped fish-hooking method," leading the fish in water in a "8" shape.

Circle to the left, circle to the right, circle after circle; once the fish is exhausted, proceed.

Chen Zhou knew these so-called tricks, but practical applications were far more complex than mere words.

It's uncertain whether fish-hooking involves moving the person or the rod, or both together.

Along the small lake's edge, pulling the hidden creature, he ran north, then south, unable to draw a "8", only straight lines.

Fortunately, local fish were naive with no accumulated experience of being duped, inadvertently helping him exhaust their energy, completing the fish-hooking process.

While running, Chen Zhou noticed the fish was nearing the shore.

Amidst dim light, he could vaguely discern its form across the water's surface.

The fish was all yellow-brown with dark brown spots, high dorsal fin, big mouth, and measured six or seventy centimeters, plump in size, estimated to weigh at least ten pounds.

"Finally, caught a big one!"

Victory was imminent, and Chen Zhou was ecstatic.

Repeated failure and disappointment felt like a slow foreplay; moment by moment, fishing ascended to its climax.

In this very moment, all emotions were about to unleash, an extraordinary thrill that likely represents the ultimate spiritual reward pursued by anglers.

The big fish was visibly drawing closer to the shore.

No dip nets, recalling the morning escape of a blue catfish, Chen Zhou took lessons, cautious, waiting for the most opportune moment to act.

He intentionally chose a shallow lakeshore to act promptly.

Watching the softened, struggling less-than-fish, Chen Zhou believed he was already ninety-nine percent successful.

If he wasn't uncertain about whether it was toxic, this evening might entail gutting and stewing it.

Final moments often appear lengthy and torturous.

Three meters—two meters—one meter.

The big fish's yellow dorsal fin emerged from the water; Chen Zhou quickly pressed the rod underfoot, reached down to grab.

Just as his hands touched its backbone, the fish suddenly revived as if electrified, fiercely swayed its head, breaking free.

Simultaneously, it turned, ducked underwater, raised its tail, and slapped Chen Zhou's face, delivering a solid hit.

Then it twisted its body, leaving mud trails in shallow water like a loach, diving into the little lake in a flash.

Everything transpired quickly, a literal blink of an eye.

Chen Zhou hadn't processed being slapped, covered in mud and fish slime, looking at empty hands, observing unresting water ripples, only silence remained.

Squatting by the lakeside for a long time, Chen Zhou slowly rose, seemed to age fifty years, sights drifting uncontrol towards the upstream river.

"Damn it, you can insult my skills, but not my character!

You just wait until I find the time. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

I'll definitely dam the upper stream.

Even if it means scooping water with a wooden cup, I'll capture you and sun-dry you on the tree!"

Leaving those harsh words, Chen Zhou wiped face slime, smelled fish odor on his sleeve, picked the fishing rod, took two empty buckets and an unused fishing net, and left the small lake.

This was the undeniable failure of Chen Zhou's first attempt at fishing as a novice angler.