The Chaos of Pre-Fishing Distractions (Rain, Nucleic Acid Tests, and Annoying Friends)
I wrapped up my morning tasks by 9:30 AM, determined to save my energy for an afternoon fishing trip at the city’s ring water system. I had my gear planned, my spots scouted, and nothing was going to stand in my way—Or so I thought.
I stepped outside, and guess what? It was drizzling! The weather app didn’t mention a single drop of rain, which just goes to show you can never trust a forecast, especially when you’re dying to fish. The autumn rain was chilly, but I figured it would pass quickly, so I headed back inside to wait it out.
An hour later, the rain stopped, and I bolted to the basement to grab my fishing gear. But just as I was about to leave, someone yelled that we needed to take a nucleic acid test. I froze—this was a mandatory task, right? I dropped everything and rushed to the community square.
When I got there, the line was already long, and people were still holding umbrellas even though the rain had stopped. The staff were strict about starting exactly at 2 PM—no early starts, not even a minute before. I waited in line for 20 minutes, and was about 10 minutes away from the front when a staff member announced over a loudspeaker: “This is not a universal test, only key personnel need to participate.”
Wait a second! I’m just a guy with nothing but time on his hands—definitely not “key personnel.” I didn’t waste another second. I turned around and booked it back to my fishing gear. Mission: fish, activated!
On my way back, I ran into my buddy Lao Wai, who was heading to the test site. I told him he didn’t need to go, but he just rolled his eyes and said, “It’s free, why not?” Ugh, does it matter if it’s free? This isn’t a free grocery sample! It’s a public health measure. The people who need to take it avoid it, and people like him show up like he’s scoring a huge deal. I swear, his “I’m getting a steal” face made my blood boil. But hey, silver lining: he asked me to save him some of the fish I caught that afternoon. I said yes—even though the fish were still swimming in the river. It’s like promising a kid before the baby’s even born! Talk about counting chickens before they hatch.
Finally at the Water: Choosing the Right Spots (and Ditching My Friend’s Old Nests)
I got to the ring water system just in time to see my buddy Ma Li packing up his gear. He said he had to leave for something urgent, and offered me three pre-made nest spots. The spots were good, but they were so far away that even with my 6.3-meter rod, I’d have to use a stand, and I knew that would kill my back after an hour. I nodded and acted like I’d use them, but as soon as he left, I went back to the two spots I fished at that morning.
A friend who was with me joked, “I thought you said you wouldn’t reuse old nests?” I told him there’s a difference: reusing a nest while you’re actively fishing is one thing, but these spots had been sitting unused for five or six hours. This wasn’t “reusing”—it was re-setting up new nests. Big difference!
At first, the bite was slow—probably because of the time of day, or maybe the leftover rain. But then it started drizzling again, and I was ready! I popped open my umbrella and settled in, ready to fish for real this time.
But of course, the distractions weren’t done. My wife called—her tai chi team was practicing at the health square, and she wanted me to pick her up. I sighed and went. I mean, Yue Fei needed 12 gold medals to be called back from battle, and I fold for one phone call. Man, life’s unfair. That detour took 40 minutes, and by the time I got back, it was already 4 PM.
Mastering the “Angler Seeks Fish” Technique: Why Traditional Fishing Isn’t “Soulless”
When I finally got back to my rod, I tested the water—and sure enough, the fish were biting! I alternated between the two nests, and caught five or six small crucian carp in a row. It was a little peak of action, and it made all the running around worth it. But then, the bite slowed down, almost completely stopping. It was like a car running out of gas—my excitement was still there, but the fish just weren’t interested. I felt like I’d taken one bite of a cold, refreshing watermelon on a hot day, only to have it taken away. So frustrating!
That’s when I remembered the “angler seeks fish” technique—one of the best parts of traditional fishing. I once heard a guy say traditional fishing is “soulless.” Are you kidding me? What’s “soulful” about sitting there for hours with no bites? The only thing that matters is catching fish. And this technique is how you do it when the bite is slow.
What Exactly Is the “Angler Seeks Fish” Technique?
It’s not about running around the entire river looking for fish. It’s about actively searching for fish within your nest spots. When the bite is soft and slow, it doesn’t mean there are no fish—they just aren’t interested enough to swim the 10 or 20 centimeters to your bait. You have to bring the bait to them. Here are the main methods I use:
- Plum Blossom Fishing Method: I cast my bait in five different spots around the nest, like the petals of a plum blossom. This covers a wider area and makes it more likely to get a fish’s attention.
- Lantern Fishing Method: I move my bait up and down in the water column, like a lantern swaying in the wind. This mimics a live, moving insect or worm, which triggers the fish’s predatory instinct.
- Tapping and Teasing Method: I gently tap the water with my rod tip or move the bait in small, quick motions right in front of where I think the fish are hiding. It’s like waving a treat in front of a dog—hard to resist!
I started using these techniques, and sure enough, the bites started picking up again! Small crucian carp after small crucian carp, and I even hooked a big one by accident (it got caught on the side of my hook, not the mouth—classic “car accident” catch). That just proved how slow the bite was—even the big fish were too lazy to swim for the bait, so my teasing made it impossible for them to ignore.
In just one hour, I caught more than 10 fish—way more than I had all week. I remembered I’d promised some to Lao Wai, so I set aside a few of the bigger ones. When I got home, I put them in a vegetable sink to keep them alive until he came over. My wife saw them and gave me a huge eye roll. I have no idea why—maybe she was mad I spent so much time fishing, or maybe she was jealous the fish got more attention? Who knows with women. I just ignored it. Some battles aren’t worth fighting.
My Final Thought: Fish Hard, Ignore the Noise
Looking back on that day, I realized how close I came to missing out on all those fish because of silly distractions. Rain, unnecessary tests, my wife’s phone call—all of them almost derailed my trip. But I stuck to my plan, ignored the nonsense, and when the bite got slow, I used a technique that turned my afternoon around.
If you’re a fellow angler who’s ever had a day full of small annoyances, just remember: don’t let them stop you. And when the fish aren’t biting, don’t just sit there and wait. Get active, try the “angler seeks fish” techniques, and you’ll be reeling them in before you know it. And if you run into a guy like Lao Wai who wants free fish? Just say yes—you’ll probably catch enough to share anyway!
