American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 352 A Dazzling Array of Sea Fishing Gear

Guided by Lin Yu-an, the navy blue Ford Raptor pickup truck finally stopped in front of the "Tark's of Las Olas" fishing tackle shop, which was full of retro charm.

"You're here?" Raven asked, somewhat surprised. She remembered Lin Yu'an's sailing plans. "Are you buying a fishing rod?"

“Yes. The boss said that once I get the boat, he will help me get the best set of clothes.” Lin Yu’an said, getting out of the car first.

As soon as they entered, the elderly shop owner, wearing reading glasses, was intently oiling a huge fishing reel. Behind the display case were countless fishing rods.

Hearing the wind chimes at the door, he looked up and saw Lin Yu'an, and immediately gave her a "I knew you would come back" smile.

"Kid! I knew you weren't just all talk!" He put down his work, laughed, and walked over, shaking hands with Lin Yu'an. "Got a boat so quickly?"

“Yes, we’re getting ready to head out to sea. So, I’ve come to you to fulfill my promise. You don’t mind if I film a live stream, do you?” Lin Yu’an said.

"Oh wow! Of course I don't mind, you're basically giving me free publicity."

The old man's gaze fell on Raven behind Lin Yu'an, paused for a moment, then his lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, his eyes scanning back and forth between the two.

"Looks like you're in a hurry to take a pretty girl out to sea! Then I'll just recommend the best equipment to you!"

"You can't let your gear down in front of a girl, right? You've come at the perfect time. Today I'll show you what real tough stuff is all about!"

Upon hearing this, Raven didn't shyly defend herself like most girls would. Instead, she gracefully extended her hand and said, "Hello, I'm Raven Montgomery, the first mate for this voyage."

"Oh! The Montgomery girl!" The old man clearly recognized Mike and warmly shook hands with Raven.

"Your dad's a regular customer here! But he doesn't have your... boyfriend's guts. He comes in and immediately challenges everyone!"

“My dad has never been able to catch fish, and he says your equipment…” Raven was about to explain that Mike’s air force was a technical problem.

The old man excitedly pulled Lin Yu'an to the back of the store in front of a row of equipment.

His gaze sharpened and became focused, like that of a seasoned "wielding master" scrutinizing a young wizard.

“Kid, before I pick out a weapon for you, I need to know two things.” He held up one finger. “First, tell me your flight path.”

Lin Yu-an answered succinctly, “Starting from Fort Lauderdale, it flows across the Gulf Stream to Bimini, then south along the Exuma Islands chain to the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

“Wow! A classic gold route! Let me think, this will pass through some of the richest fishing grounds in this area. Interesting!” Frank’s eyes lit up.

[It's here! In-depth science is about to begin! Fishing enthusiasts are overjoyed!]

[A golden route? That sounds incredibly awesome!]

“Very good, the second question, and also the most important one.” He stared at Lin Yu’an, “What is your budget?”

This question is a direct test of the client's capabilities.

Lin Yu'an smiled, calmly meeting Frank's gaze, and slowly said, "I don't have a fixed budget, I just need a result."

"To ensure that my equipment will not be a weakness in any sea area along this route, or when I encounter any level of opponent."

This answer was confident and exuded a strong desire for top-tier equipment.

Frank burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this! He liked the answer!

"I love that line, kid!" He slammed his hand on the counter. "Come with me! Today I'll show you what it means to have no weaknesses!"

He didn't waste any more words, but led Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen directly to the area separated by a glass door.

“Since we’re going to the Gold Route, we need to configure your arsenal segment by segment.” Frank took a huge nautical chart from the wall and laid it on the dedicated control panel.

He pointed to the deep blue waters between Florida and Bimini, "This is the stage for speed and passion, and your main targets are mahi-mahi and Spanish mackerel."

"They're like cheetahs in the sea, what do you need?"

"A high-speed fishing reel and a sensitive yet strong rod." Lin Yu'an surprisingly continued the conversation.

Frank was taken aback and looked at him in surprise.

"Oh?"

Lin Yu'an explained, as if this knowledge was already engraved in his mind, "Their bites are swift, and their first sprint is extremely fast."

"If the fishing reel can't keep up with the line speed, it's easy for the line to slack and the fish to get off the hook."

"At the same time, the rod must be sensitive enough to clearly transmit the bite signal, and strong enough to withstand the first wave of violent impact."

Frank and Raven were stunned by this highly professional analysis.

“Absolutely right.” Frank took a few seconds to react, his gaze towards Lin Yu’an shifting from “looking at a client” to “looking at a competitor.” “So, what do you think we should use?”

“Great, buddy. Looks like you weren’t just buying blindly based on gut feeling.” His tone was full of praise.

"You already know what kind of weapon you need, and my job is to tell you which one is the best among all the weapons that meet your requirements."

He smiled confidently, turned around and took a silver fishing tackle set from the shelf.

"There are many high-speed wheels on the market, such as Shimano's Talica and Accurate's Valiant, which are both very good."

"But I recommend this to you: the Accurate Valiant 600 narrow spool version, paired with a Seeker 6470H rod."

He handed the equipment to Lin Yu'an, saying, "This set is the lightest in its class. After you've fought a crazed demon sword for half an hour, you'll thank me."

"Because you can still lift your arm. It's faster and more maneuverable. Of course, it's also more expensive. This set costs $2000."

"Very good." Lin Yu'an took it, felt its incredible lightweight design and perfect balance, and nodded in satisfaction.

Frank moved his finger south on the nautical chart. “King of the shallows of Exuma. The waters will become shallower when you enter the Exuma Islands.”

"The seabed is full of coral reefs and sandy areas, and the ecology here is completely different. Your opponent is no longer a sprinter on the surface of the sea, but a heavyweight boxing champion hidden deep in the reef caves."

"I'm talking about the giant dogtooth tuna and the legendary Cuban black grouper."

He looked at Lin Yu'an, his eyes turning serious: "These guys' power is pure brute force."

"They won't play the long game with you like the mahi-mahi. Their first reaction after being hooked is to plunge back into their razor-sharp coral cave within three seconds."

[Canine-toothed tuna! Cuban black grouper! Just hearing the names sounds fierce!]

[Dive back into its hole in three seconds! This fish is so smart!]

"Once you get them to succeed, even the best fishing line will be cut instantly. So what you need is absolute control."

"You must use absolute force to 'pull' the fish out the moment they are hooked, without even giving them a chance to bow their heads!"

"What do you think we should choose?" Frank looked at Lin Yu'an expectantly.

"A fishing reel with a low speed ratio and high torque, and a rod with strong backbone," Lin Yu'an answered again without hesitation.

"Excellent!" Frank clapped his hands excitedly, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "No, power! Absolute power!"

“There are many two-speed wheels on the market, such as Penn, Shimano, and Daiwa… They can all provide powerful torque.”

"But I recommend this to you—the PENN International VISX 16, paired with a Calstar Grafighter 700H rod."

He turned around and took off a set of gold equipment. "Why this? Because Penn's 'Dura-Drag' system is the smoothest and least prone to overheating of all braking systems."

"When you're having a 'death tug-of-war' with a fish that weighs over 100 pounds, the last thing you want is for your brakes to overheat and jam."

"That fraction of a second of delay is enough for the fish to dart into the hole and cut your line. This setup is designed for absolute safety! And it's cheap, only $1800."

“Finally, Marlin Lane.” Frank’s expression turned extremely solemn as he pointed to the deep trench off the coast of Georgetown.

"This is a place haunted by spirits! Blue marlin. What are your thoughts on it?"

Lin Yu'an was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't have any specific ideas, I only know that we need a large line capacity and a braking system that can withstand long-term extreme loads."

"Facing this kind of fish is like facing a 'god'; any fancy techniques are superfluous. All you need is the strongest 'faith'!"

He turned around, opened the separately locked glass case, and took out a set of ultimate weapons that could be considered the store's prized possession.

“Shimano Tiagra 130A.” Frank’s voice was filled with awe.

"This isn't a fishing reel, it's a winch! It can hold over a thousand meters of 130-pound fishing line, and the braking system is designed to tow a small car. The wheel alone costs $3000."

"For the rod, we equipped it with a custom-made Barrett 130-pound infinity trolley rod with full pulley guides and a rotating handle. The rod also costs $2000."

"Only this combination can leave you with a chance to have a conversation when you've landed a 'sea locomotive' weighing over 500 pounds."

Holy crap! A 130-pound rod! Is this still a fishing rod? It's an anti-materiel sniper rifle!

[A wheel costs $3000... I feel like my values ​​are being repeatedly reshaped.]

The metaphor of a "sea locomotive" is so apt! I'm already looking forward to Lin Shen's battle against the blue marlin!

[What are you all making such a fuss about? Isn't this a normal price? Do you really think sea fishing is cheap?] [What are you showing off in the comments? Don't you know where you are on the Forbes rich list?]

Three sets of weapons, each with a distinct style but representing the optimal solution in its respective field, were displayed side by side on the counter. Their total value was close to nine thousand US dollars.

Frank looked at Lin Yu'an and said, "You've chosen your three weapons; now it's time for the ammunition."

He turned around and opened a huge storage cabinet on the wall behind him, which resembled a medicine cabinet in a traditional Chinese medicine shop.

Inside are hundreds of neatly categorized compartments, each containing lures of various colors and unique shapes, shimmering enticingly under the lights.

“Having a gun without bullets won’t do.” Frank’s emotions were running high. He took out a huge storage box and began selecting ammunition for Lin Yu’an as if he were preparing medicine.

"I'll arrange the best combination for you this season, based on your flight path."

He first grabbed a handful of brightly colored soft bait, resembling an octopus's skirt, and threw it into the box.

"These are Ilander Lures, pink, blue, and rainbow colors, all classic colors for sailfish and mahi-mahi. Remember, when trolling, let them jump on the surface of the water like a school of fleeing little fish."

Next, he selected several heavy lures shaped like bullets with metal cuts on their heads.

"Black Bart's Breakfast series is a heavy-duty lure you need to penetrate the waves and stabilize your swimming depth when the sea conditions are bad and the waves are big. They are a breakfast that mackerel and large tuna can't resist."

Finally, he brought out several enormous lures that looked like small dolphins.

"And these big guys, Mold Craft's Wide Range, we call it the 'sofa'."

“If you want to try your luck in Marlin Alley, use it. It swings wildly in the water, like an injured tuna.”

“No territorial blue marlin would tolerate this guy being so arrogant on his own territory.”

As he spoke, he placed two large boxes filled to the brim on the counter, containing at least dozens of different kinds of fakes.

"However, catching blue marlin is not that simple. These things alone are not enough. The key is how to set a deadly trap."

Frank got emotional too, “I know you probably don’t have enough space on your ship to set up a perfect five- or seven-pole formation.”

"But it doesn't matter. With these three poles you bought, you can still set up a deadly 'trident' formation!"

His eyes sharpened, like a general conducting a sand table exercise.

"First, for the short angle position on the port side of the stern, use your gold PENN International VISX 16."

He pointed to the heavy equipment, "This position is the most vulnerable point in the entire formation!"

"Blue marlin often rushes up from deep water and bites the nearest one!"

"You must use its powerful torque to 'pull' the fish away from the dangerous propeller area immediately! The 'Dura-Drag' system of this equipment was created for this purpose."

“Next is the long outrigger a little further to starboard at the stern.” Frank pointed to the silver Accurate suit.

"Put your lightweight Accurate Valiant 600 here; the target at this position isn't necessarily the blue marlin."

"It can drag smaller lures, which may attract large yellowfin tuna or mahi-mahi that hunt alongside the marlin."

"Use this light equipment to take them down, so you can add some food to your dinner without wasting too much energy on non-target fish."

"Finally, there's the 'shotgun' position in the center of the ship." His hand landed on the store's prized possession.

"Here, place your ultimate weapon—the Shimano Tiagra 130A."

"The lure in this position, dragged to the furthest point, mimics a large, injured fish that has fallen behind the pack. This is the key to luring a giant fish onto the hook. Once you hook it, you will face a long and arduous tug-of-war!"

"This equipment's massive line capacity and monster-level braking system are designed to ensure you emerge victorious in this epic battle!"

This explanation perfectly combined the characteristics of the three sets of equipment with the requirements of the three tactical positions, presenting them clearly to Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen.

This incredibly detailed explanation captivated both Lin Yu-an and Rui-wen.

[I learned something new! A skill I'll never use in my lifetime!]

Hey downstairs, what if you won the lottery? I just won 500 million!

[Director: Lottery tickets are not selling well, please help us!]

“Of course,” Frank changed the subject, “sometimes these fakes aren’t as good as the real thing. I don’t sell real bait here; that needs to be the freshest. I can teach you a few tricks.”

“When you get to Bimini, you can buy some frozen bajo fish at the dock and tie them into the skirt of an octopus. No sailfish can resist this temptation.”

"If you catch a small squid yourself, cut it into strips and hook it onto any lure, and you'll find that the mackerel will go crazy."

“As for the ultimate weapon,” he smiled mysteriously, “if you want to catch blue marlin, the best bait is a live blackfin tuna.”

"In Marlin Alley, first try to catch a small one, then hook it and cast it. Next, hold your rod tight and pray to God."

[It mentioned bajau fish and baby squid, which made my mouth water, but it turns out it's for fish to eat.]

[The bait for the ultimate weapon is tuna?! Wow, this is like a pay-to-win game for a boss!]

Seeing the excitement and longing in their eyes, Frank's smile slowly faded, and his expression became serious and solemn.

“However, young man,” he looked at Lin Yu’an, his tone turning serious, “equipment only gives you the qualification to challenge behemoths.”

"But sea fishing, especially when challenging those real deep-sea giants, is never a simple matter of overwhelming them with equipment."

Frank's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm and steady strength that came with experience, quieting down the previously noisy atmosphere in the store.

"It's more like a duel, a duel between that colossal creature weighing hundreds of pounds and the ever-changing ocean."

"Your eyes must learn to read the language of the sea—where there are flocks of birds circling, there are baitfish."

"The changes in water color, the edges of ocean currents—those are battlefields where giant creatures lurk. This kind of knowledge, no matter how expensive the equipment, can give you."

Frank looked at the two thoughtful figures and smiled again, a smile that reflected the expectations of a senior for his juniors.

"Remember, equipment can only get you into the ring. But what truly determines victory or defeat is experience, patience, and reverence for the sea."

Lin Yu'an was silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "I understand, thank you for your guidance."

This is more than just a shopping trip; it's more like a transmission of knowledge and experience.

"Alright, buddy, your weapons are all set." Frank finally finished his long-winded explanation.

He took out a calculator, pressed the keys rapidly, and muttered to himself:
"An Accurate set is 2000, a PENN set is 1800, the Tiagra 'big guy' set is 5000... I'll round up the price for the lures and various accessories to 1500... The total is..."

He looked up and announced an astonishing figure: "Ten thousand three hundred US dollars."

Raven listened with her heart pounding. She knew these things were expensive, but she never imagined they would be this expensive!

Lin Yu'an didn't even blink and handed over a black card.

Frank took the card, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes as he looked at the young man who seemed completely unconcerned about the price.

He said with a smile, "Buddy, I like you. You're decisive and polite, unlike those loud, clueless idiots who only know how to haggle."

"Besides, you're taking Montgomery's girl with you on your voyage, so you're practically one of us."

As he spoke, he re-entered a number onto the card reader.

“Okay,” he said, turning the card reader toward Lin Yu’an, “10000 yuan. The remaining 300 yuan is on me, treating you two to beer.”

"Bring me back a big one, and hang a picture of it in the most prominent spot in my shop. That'll count as you paying for advertising!"

This small discount not only reflects the generosity and human touch of an old-fashioned businessman, but also doesn't make it seem like Lin Yu'an is taking advantage of the situation.

"Deal." Lin Yu'an smiled and readily entered the password.

"Alright, have fun! I'm looking forward to seeing you two come back with your spoils in a couple's photo!" The old man handed them the packed equipment.

He first patted Lin Yu'an's arm, then said to Raven, "Girl from the Montgomery family, give my regards to your old man!"

“No problem, I’ll bring it.” Raven nodded readily.

After the three sets of fishing gear, worth a total of $10,000, were placed in the Raptor's massive cargo bed, Raven started the pickup truck and prepared to head to the next stop.

Lin Yu'an said to the live streaming phone, "Friends, there are many children on the street. In order to protect their privacy, the live stream will be paused and restarted at any time. I hope you understand."

After seeing Lin Yu'an stop the live stream again, Raven asked with a smile, "Alright, Captain, we've finished buying your weapons. Shall we go on a big shopping spree?"

“No rush,” Lin Yu’an shook his head, glancing at the navigation. “The next destination is here.”

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.

(This chapter was so enjoyable to write, it felt like I was writing a super-rich novel!)

(End of this chapter)