American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 62 New Rod Halo
Lin Yu'an was very confident in his new fishing rod, but he soon thought of another practical problem.

Do beginners need a fish basket?

Otherwise, how can you display something new instead of something else like fish?

"Guys, I have a top-of-the-line fishing rod, but there's still one accessory I haven't solved—a fish basket."

"I'm sure I can catch a lot of fish, maybe even a big one weighing over ten pounds! I can't just leave them on the shore like that, making people think I'm showing off!"

"The key point is that it can also easily lead to unnecessary trouble, so I need a fish basket that can keep the fish alive in the water."

When it came to the materials for making fish baskets, the first thing that came to his mind was willow branches that grow by streams.

Before it got completely dark, he quickly went to the stream, grabbed his knife, axe, and spatial storage, and used them to quickly gather fresh willow branches.

Back at the camp, he began weaving a fish basket.

This process is somewhat similar to weaving a huge, open basket.

He first selected seven or eight thick willow branches as the longitudinal "keel" of the fish basket.

Tie one end of each fish together tightly with paracord to form the center of the bottom of the fish basket.

Then spread these "dragon bone" branches evenly outwards like umbrella ribs, forming a bowl-shaped frame.

He then used thinner willow branches to weave back and forth between the vertical "keel" sections, starting from the center of the bottom, in a crisscrossing pattern.

“Weaving a fish basket doesn’t need to be as airtight as making a basket; instead, you need to leave some even gaps.”

"This ensures smooth water flow so that the fish inside can get enough oxygen."

His fingers flew nimbly among the willow branches, pressing them tightly together, causing the fish basket to spiral upwards.

When the height and diameter of the fish basket reached his desired size, he tucked the upper ends of all the "keel" branches inward to form a slightly constricted opening.

The edges of the protective lining were carefully reinforced with thicker willow bark rope.

Finally, he made a simple lid, also woven from willow branches, to cover the mouthpiece.

They used leather strips to make hinges and latches for connecting the fish, and a rough but sturdy willow fish basket was completed!
Day 53.

Early in the morning, Lin Yu'an happily carried his Pacific yew fishing rod, his newly woven willow fish basket, and blood bait that exuded a strong fishy smell, and slowly walked towards the fishing platform.

Upon arriving at the fishing platform, he did not rush to cast his line.

Instead, like all beginners, he scooped out several large spoonfuls of sticky blood bait, mixed it with some fine sand, and forcefully threw it into the area in front of the fishing platform where the current was slightly slower.

"For beginners, it's essential to bait the area; how can you call it fishing if you don't bait the area?"

Then, he calmly took out the brand-new yew fishing rod.

A section of high-strength fishing line, about five or six meters long, was cut and one end was firmly tied to the tip of the rod.

I tied on the hook, baited it with blood, and carefully checked it to make sure it wouldn't easily fall off.

He held the fishing rod, and with a standard side-casting motion, flicked his wrist!
The flexible rod of the yew fishing rod bent and snapped back instantly, casting the hook with blood bait lightly and accurately near the baiting spot.

"Alright, now it's just a matter of waiting patiently." Lin Yu'an inserted the handle of the fishing rod into the gap of the wooden stake on the fishing platform, and occasionally gently pinched the fishing line with his other hand, feeling for any slight movement from underwater.

Time passed by, the lake remained calm and still, with only a few pigeons occasionally flying overhead.
Around noon. Just as Lin Yu'an was starting to feel that the "new rod halo" wasn't working and was preparing to move the rod to a different fishing spot to bait the area.

His fingers, which were holding the fishing line, suddenly felt a sinking sensation!
Immediately afterward, before he could react, a tremendous force came from underwater!
"We caught a fish!"

Lin Yu'an reacted almost instinctively, grabbing the fishing rod and jerking it back sharply!
The fishing rod, made of Pacific yew, was instantly pulled into a wide arc!

The rod emitted a buzzing vibration, indicating that it was under tremendous tension!
But it came from yew wood, and it showed no signs of breaking even under extreme bending!
"Wow! That's quite strong!"

Lin Yu'an gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands, his arm and back muscles tensing instantly as he engaged in a contest of strength and endurance with the "giant" underwater.

The fishing line was taut and made a whooshing sound as it cut through the air.

The creature underwater was clearly enraged and began frantically charging towards the deeper water!

Lin Yu'an dared not fight it head-on. He used the elasticity of the rod and the control of his arm to find opportunities to lower the rod tip slightly in line with the fish's momentum.

When the fish's strength decreases slightly, the rod will bend backward forcefully, gradually consuming the fish's energy.

This kind of "tug-of-war" without fishing reels is filled with tension and excitement every second! And a touch of joy too!
The stalemate lasted for several minutes.

Just then, the underwater "giant" seemed to be exhausted, and a huge splash suddenly erupted not far ahead!

"Crack-!"

A giant fish of astonishing size, with a dark green back with white spots and a pale yellow belly, suddenly leaped out of the water, violently shaking its huge head in mid-air, trying to break free from the fishhook!
"It's a lake trout! My God! Such a big lake trout!" Lin Yu'an's eyes widened, his voice filled with shock and ecstasy!
This lake trout was much larger than any fish he had caught before. It was estimated to be at least 70 or 80 centimeters long and weighed at least 20 kilograms!
After the lake trout fell back into the water, it made several final, frantic struggles, but each time the sturdy yew fishing rod perfectly neutralized its force.

Lin Yu'an seized the opportunity and began to slowly, step by step, pull the exhausted behemoth toward the edge of the fishing platform.

Finally, he dragged the huge lake trout to the fishing platform, where it lay helplessly on its side in the water, gasping for breath.

Lin Yu'an bent down and carefully cupped the fish from behind its gills with both hands, lifting the heavy creature onto the fishing platform!

"YES! YES! YES!"

Lin Yu-an could no longer contain his excitement. He held the giant lake trout, which was thicker than his arm, in front of the camera and shouted excitedly!

"Guys, did you see that?! New rod halo! That's the new rod halo! A giant lake trout! This is the biggest freshwater fish I've ever caught in my life!"

After his initial elation, he placed the giant fish on the fishing platform and turned to retrieve the willow fish basket he had carefully woven, intending to keep his prize alive.

However, when he placed the 60-centimeter-diameter fish basket next to this giant creature, he was somewhat dumbfounded.

"Well, it seems I made a mistake; I clearly underestimated the potential of this lake..."

"I caught so many fish that I had a huge catch!"

Realizing he couldn't keep this huge creature alive, Lin Yu'an made a decisive move and used three wooden sticks to send the fish back to its star.

"Alright, problem solved. Looks like next time I'll need to make an extra-large fish basket!"

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(End of this chapter)