American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 197 The Air Force is Not a Technical Problem!
In the evening, Lin Yu'an went into the shed made of willow branches. Although he was busy, he did not let the charcoal in the tin bucket go out. Instead, it was still emitting a reassuring red glow and warmth.

Compared to the biting cold wind outside the shed, this place was simply paradise!

He rubbed his slightly frozen hands, sat back down on the simple stool, and turned his gaze to the ice cave on which he had placed high hopes.

While carrying out the massive project of setting up underwater nets, the simple fishing rod he made by hand was steadily supported by a device he also crafted himself.

After returning to the shelter last night, he didn't rest. Instead, he selected three straight sticks, each about a meter long and of uniform thickness, from the spruce tree trunk.

He used a handsaw to sharpen the ends of the three sticks so that they could be better inserted into the snow or ice crevices to provide stability.

Next, he began to create the core of the entire structure, the tripod knot.

Place the three sticks side by side tightly together on the snow. Take out a strong nylon rope and use a double overhand knot to secure one end of the rope firmly to the top of one of the sticks.

Next, the rope is tightly wrapped horizontally around the three parallel wooden sticks, about seven or eight times, forming a sturdy "binding loop".
Then, take the rope end from the gap between the sticks and tighten it repeatedly in a figure-eight pattern.

With each pull, he exerted all his strength, and the rope transformed the three separate wooden sticks into an inseparable whole.

Finally, secure the end of the rope firmly with several half knots.

Pick up the bundle of wooden sticks again, pull the middle stick backward, and the other two will naturally separate forward.

A tripod with a stable equilateral triangular base is now complete.

This morning, he set up the tripod behind the ice cave.

Then, place the simple fishing rod horizontally on the "V" shaped fulcrum formed by the crossing of the two legs in front of the tripod, with the rod tip naturally pointing towards the ice hole.

Lin Yu'an then used a short piece of spare thin rope to connect the end of the fishing rod to the back leg of the tripod, securing it a second time and providing unparalleled stability to his fishing rod.

The fishhook, laden with plump hairy fish, had been waiting underwater for several hours under this foolproof setup.

Logically, in such a "fish-hiding nest" that he had precisely located, he should have already made some gains.

Lin Yu'an walked forward with anticipation and gently grasped the fishing rod.

There was none of the heavy, struggling pull he had expected. He gave it a little lift; the fishing line was light and breezy, without any extra weight.

He slowly pulled the fishing line out of the ice hole, and at the end of the line, the plump hairy fish bait that he had carefully selected was still hanging perfectly on the hook.

It wasn't even nibbled on at all.

Lin Yu'an stared at the lonely bait, remaining silent for a moment. His fixed camera continued to work, perfectly capturing the fisherman's embarrassment after failing to catch anything.

He cleared his throat, faced the camera, and wore a serious expression that suggested he was analyzing the reasons for the failure.

"Not getting anything doesn't mean anything, after all, I've been busy setting up the net outside and haven't been personally guarding it."

"This doesn't reflect my true skill level. If I had stayed here, based on my experience, I would definitely have caught a fish today!"

"Yes, there's no bite, which is within my expectations."

"There could be a few reasons. Air pressure, it must be air pressure! The air pressure today might be low, and the oxygen content in the water is decreasing, which will greatly suppress the fish's appetite. They would rather stay still than actively seek food."

He paused, then added a reason that completely absolved him of responsibility: "Of course, the water temperature and the fish's metabolism also play a role."

Lin Yu'an pointed to the ice hole at his feet, "This fishing spot is more than five meters deep, a typical deep pool area."

“In winter, the water temperature at the bottom of the deep pool will remain stable at around 4 degrees Celsius, which is the most suitable temperature for fish to overwinter.”

"My bait is hung about half a meter off the bottom. The fish here have their metabolism at its lowest point, like they are in a semi-dormant state."

"They may only need to eat once a day, or even once every few days. The probability of a fish in 'energy-saving mode' actively swimming up to chase food that is not in its mouth is extremely low."

"So today's result has nothing to do with fishing skills! It's purely determined by the physiological habits of the fish! Passive fishing is just gambling on that one in a million chance of luck."

After his concluding remarks, his face was full of confidence, and the calmness of having everything under control seemed to have convinced himself!
Lin Yu'an turned around, looked at the tranquil ice surface, and continued, "And this is precisely the proof of the absolute necessity of all the work I did today."

"Fish under the ice have reduced their metabolism and activity to the lowest point in winter in order to conserve energy as much as possible."

"They are content to stay in their comfortable deep-water zone at 4 degrees Celsius, almost like they are in a semi-hibernation. They are extremely slow to react to external food temptations."

"The idea of ​​obtaining a stable food source through 'fishing,' which relies on fish actively seeking bait, is too inefficient and full of uncertainty. We can't afford to wait, and we can't afford to gamble."

He glanced at the locked rope, “but that invisible underwater wall is completely different. It’s an all-weather, physical interception system that covers the critical path of the river.”

"It doesn't depend on the fish's appetite, but only on the fish's presence and basic movement. As long as they are adjusting their posture, they may run into this net!"

A day's hard work may guarantee a bountiful harvest the next day.

Today's ice fishing failure did not discourage him; instead, it filled him with even stronger anticipation for tomorrow's gillnet catch.

He extinguished the embers in the tin bucket, left the tripod behind, secured the fishing rod and all the tools to the sled, and set off on his journey back to the shelter.

When he dragged his exhausted body back to the shelter, night had completely fallen. Today, he had accomplished a feat worthy of being recorded in the annals of wilderness solo living challenges!

Therefore, it is worthwhile to reward yourself with an equally top-notch dinner and to hold a grand celebration banquet to mark the beginning of a new "fishing and hunting era"!
His gaze passed through the shelter door and landed on Yukii's refrigerator, where a huge Boston lobster, a symbol of ultimate deliciousness, stood as a prize.

"Alright, guys, dinner time! Let's celebrate properly today." He looked at the camera with a long-awaited smile.

They took out the lobster, which weighed over two pounds. At that moment, it was still frozen solid, like a stone covered in dark green armor, exuding a powerful aura.

Then, place the giant lobster next to the fireplace and let it thaw slowly in the warm environment.

"For such top-quality ingredients, the simplest cooking method is often the greatest respect we can show them."

As Lin Yu'an prepared the tools, he explained, "But that doesn't mean it's monotonous. Today, I plan to use this lobster itself to make a three-way lobster dish!"

About an hour later, the lobster's joints were able to move, and it was basically thawed.

His first step was not to throw the whole lobster into the water, but to twist the pair of huge, hammer-like claws and the thick, powerful tail off the cephalothorax.

Now, all that remains in his hands is a huge, heavy lobster carapace, brimming with essence.

"The soul of lobster flavor lies half in the meat, and the other half is all hidden here."

He carefully pried open the hard shell of the cephalothorax with his hunting knife, revealing the yellowish-green, paste-like shrimp brain and roe inside.

He heated a stainless steel pot over low heat without adding any oil, and then used a wooden spoon to scrape all the precious shrimp brains and roe into the pot.

"Fuck-"

The fatty shrimp brains melted instantly upon contact with the hot pan, producing a pleasant sizzling sound.

Simmer it slowly and patiently over a low flame. Soon, an indescribable, complex aroma began to permeate the entire shelter!
As the mixture is stirred continuously, the moisture in the shrimp brains is slowly evaporated, leaving only a pot of golden-red shrimp oil with an enticing sheen.

Then, peel the whole shrimp tail meat from the shell and cut it into thick pieces. Then, put each piece into the shrimp oil that has been extracted from their own essence and fry it slowly over low heat.

The shrimp meat sizzled as it was fried in its own oil, and the edges quickly changed from translucent to opaque pure white.

The aroma of shrimp oil and the sweetness of shrimp meat blend perfectly under high temperature!
A few minutes later, when both sides of the shrimp pieces were perfectly golden brown, he served them. This was the first dish: pan-fried lobster tails with original shrimp oil.

Next, he dealt with the pair of huge claws, using the back of his axe to crack open the shell and remove two whole pieces of claw meat.

Instead of cooking them, he found two large scallop shells that he had left over from before and used them as a natural "baking pan," placing the two claw meat pieces into the two scallop shells respectively.

Then, he poured the remaining shrimp oil in the pot evenly over the two pieces of raw, cold claw meat.

"Zi la——!"

The scalding hot shrimp oil bursts into a burst of steam upon contact with the cold claw meat!

Then, the two "natural baking trays" filled with top-quality ingredients were carefully placed on the hot stone slab in the fireplace for a final roasting using the fireplace's radiant heat.

A few minutes later, when the shrimp oil in the scallop shells began to bubble slightly and the aroma of the claw meat was fully released, he knew that the second dish, shrimp oil baked lobster claws, was also ready.

He placed the two dishes side by side on a clean wooden board, and first tasted the still steaming baked crab meat.

First, there's the outer layer of piping hot, rich shrimp oil, which carries an exquisite freshness and aroma.

Then, as your teeth break through the firm outer layer that has been "baked" by hot oil, the semi-raw meat inside, which still retains amazing elasticity and sweetness, bursts in your mouth!
This is a top-quality taste with an extremely rich and complex flavor profile, cooked on the outside and raw on the inside!
I picked up another piece of pan-fried shrimp tail meat. Unlike the claw meat, the shrimp tail meat is more tender. After being pan-fried on both sides, every muscle fiber is soaked in the rich shrimp oil, which elevates the sweetness of the shrimp meat to a whole new level!

This is more than just a meal; it is the ultimate reward for his several days of intense exploration, planning, and construction!
After finishing this luxurious lobster feast, he breathed a satisfied sigh of relief, looking at the pile of bright red lobster shells in front of him, but showing no intention of throwing them away.

"In wilderness survival, no potential nutrient should be wasted."

"Although I've already eaten the best parts of the shrimp, the shrimp brains and meat, these shrimp shells are still a treasure."

Lin Yu'an pointed to the connection between the shrimp shells, as well as the white fascia and bits of meat attached to the inner wall that were difficult to peel off by hand.

"These tissues, rich in collagen and flavor-enhancing amino acids, astaxanthin, can be completely dissolved in water through long-term low-temperature slow cooking, resulting in a pot of natural broth full of umami and essential proteins, which provides the body with more salt and energy than drinking pure hot water."

All the leftover shrimp shells were thrown back into the still-warm stainless steel pot. Sufficient water was added to the pot, and it was then placed steadily on the stone slab of the fireplace that could absorb radiant heat.

There's no need to boil the soup vigorously. On this long, cold night, the residual heat from the fireplace will act like a tireless, slow simmer, gradually extracting all the remaining valuable substances from the shrimp shells.

Only after completing this final, meticulous work of making the most of the materials did he truly relax.

As night deepened, Lin Yu'an sat by the warm fireplace, listening to the gentle rustling of the wind outside, while also anticipating the catch of the skewer tomorrow.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(Wishing you brothers to eat lobster every day!)
(Remember to vote with your monthly pass!)

(End of this chapter)