Dragon Boat Festival Fishing: Watching Others Reel in Catches in the Rain

Okay, let’s cut to the chase—my Dragon Boat Festival fishing trip was half “epic fail” and half “wait, why am I the one getting rained on while everyone else is hauling in fish?” Spoiler: It was three days of chaos, corn, and a near-disaster with a collapsing riverbank. Let’s break it down, shall we?

Day 1: Right River – The Great Grass Carp Fiasco

First off, Dragon Boat Festival vibes were everywhere—dragon boat races, drums beating, people cheering. But me? I was all “grass carp, here I come!” I spent the day before stocking up on tons of corn. Like, who needs cereal when you’ve got 5 pounds of bait corn? Genius, right?

Got to the Right River spot, set up my gear, and did the classic fishing ritual: chum the water (toss that corn like it’s confetti), fish the bottom (nothing), switch to mid-water (still nothing), go full float (15 meters deep, nada). By the end, I was staring at my float like, “Are you even real?” Packed up, drove home, and called it a “scouting mission.” Yeah, that’s what I’ll tell people. Air Force mission (aka zero fish) but let’s not split hairs.

Day 2: Yong River – Rain, Risk, and (Finally) Some Fish!

Woke up at 6 AM to… pouring rain. My first thought: “Should I just go back to bed and eat zongzi?” But then I remembered the fishing rule: real anglers don’t melt in rain (okay, maybe we do a little, but we lie about it). So I threw on my rain gear, made a quick breakfast (noodles + dumplings—fuel for the storm), and mixed up my bait: Niu Bi Carp + Magic Cube Carp (don’t ask, it’s a “secret” recipe I found online).

By 7:30 AM, I was at Yong River. The rain was still coming down, so I grabbed the bare essentials: fishing chair, umbrella, rod, line, net, and bait. Parked, popped the umbrella, and set up in record time. First thing I noticed? Two other anglers were already there—way more dedicated than me. One was even fishing in the water (crazy, but respect). The river was 30 cm higher than usual because of the rain, which I should’ve paid more attention to.

The Near-Disaster: Collapsing Riverbank

I picked a spot that looked “comfortable” (keyword: looked). Ten minutes in, I hear a crack—and suddenly, the ground under my chair starts sliding into the river. My fish net almost took a swim! I jumped up like a cat on a hot stove, heart pounding. Turns out, the rain had soaked the riverbank, and the waves were eroding it from below. There was a big crack, water seeping through, and the whole thing was about to go. Yikes.

Quick fix: I grabbed a stick and dug a tiny ditch around my umbrella to drain the rain. Saved my spot… for now. Lesson learned: always check the riverbank before sitting down (duh, why didn’t I think of that earlier?).

Finally! Some Catches (Small, But They Count)

After the near-disaster, I got back to fishing. The river’s inlet had tons of small fish from the rain runoff, so my first catch was a tiny tilapia—nothing to brag about, but hey, it’s a fish. Then, a quick bite: a small grass carp (wait, the same species that ghosted me on Day 1? Rude). Next, a black bite—another grass carp. Then, a slow sink of the float: I lifted the rod, and bam—a 4-finger carp! Finally, something worth posting (if I’d remembered to take photos).

The “Watching Others Reel In” Part (aka My Envy)

By 9:30 AM, my spot went quiet. No more bites. But guess who was still catching fish? The guys with long rods across the river. I watched them haul in carp after carp—like, how? Their floats were dipping, rods bending, and I was just staring at my empty hook. Classic fishing moment: you’re the one getting rained on, and everyone else is having a party.

Pro tip: If it’s raining and your spot dies, steal the other guys’ rod length (metaphorically, don’t actually steal). Long rods were winning that day.

Day 3: The Aftermath (and Fried Fish!)

Day 3 was a blur—mostly because I was tired from two days of rain and near-disasters. But the highlight? Cooking the fish I caught on Day 2. Fried carp with some spices? Chef’s kiss. Perfect Dragon Boat Festival meal. No more corn, no more empty floats—just good food and a story to tell.

What I Learned (The Hard Way)

Let’s be real, I didn’t catch a trophy fish, but I learned more than I did in a month of fishing videos. Here’s the tea:

• Grass carp = grass bait, not corn: Duh, the name says it all. I wasted 5 pounds of corn for nothing. Next time, I’m bringing actual grass.
• Rain = check the riverbank: Collapsing ground is no joke. If the bank looks squishy, run.
• Long rods win on rainy days: The other guys had rods twice as long as mine—their bait was in the sweet spot where the fish were hiding.

And hey, even if I didn’t “win” the fishing trip, I had a story. Who else can say they survived a collapsing riverbank while watching strangers reel in fish in the rain? Exactly.

So, next Dragon Boat Festival? I’m skipping the corn, bringing a long rod, and checking the riverbank three times before sitting down. Maybe I’ll even win a dragon boat race… but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, let’s eat more fried fish.