Wuhu Hetang Yuese Sky Pond: My Epic (and Chaotic) Fishing Day

Let me tell you, folks—this fishing trip to Wuhu Hetang Yuese’s sky pond was one for the books. I rolled up around 11:45 AM (yes, I was cutting it close to noon) ready to drop some cash for a day pass, but what happened next? Total curveball. The owner looked at me like I was crazy and goes, “Dude, everyone’s saying this new sky pond’s garbage—don’t waste your time. Hit the pay-by-pound pond instead.”

Now, I’m not about that pay-by-pound life. Where’s the fun in catching a fish you know you’re gonna buy? No thrill, no “will I land it?” drama. So I told him, “Nah, I’m sticking with the sky pond.” Paid my fee, chatted for 5 minutes about the water (he warned it was shallow, but I thought I knew better), and hauled my gear to the bank. Spoiler: I didn’t know better. At all.

First Red Flag: The Water Depth (Or Lack Thereof)

I grabbed my depth finder (okay, fine, I just dropped a weight and counted) and holy smokes—this pond was MAX 1 meter deep. Like, knee-deep for a tall guy. I stood there like, “Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to land a big fish here without spooking everything?” But I’d already paid, so I was committed. Sink or swim (literally, if I fell in).

Setting Up Shop (And Crossing Fingers)

First step: chum the water with corn. Then, I tied on a 7.2-meter Fumo Qingtian rod (soft as a marshmallow, but it’s all I brought) with 3.5 main line and 2.5 fluorocarbon leader. For bait? Double corn hooks wrapped in Tianyuan Wangzhe Zhizhan (yes, I’m keeping the product name ‘cause it’s what I used—don’t judge). Sat back, waited, and tried not to panic about the shallow water.

20 minutes later? BOOM. Rod doubles over, line sings like a guitar string. “Yes!” I yelled (probably scaring all the fish within 100 meters). But here’s the thing: shallow water + soft rod = chaos. The fish bolted left, right, straight at me—no room to run. I fought it for 4 whole minutes (felt like 40) before I finally got it to the bank. Highlight! But then? Total noob move: I rushed to chum again, and—you guessed it—spooked the entire school. Crap. No more bites for 30 minutes. Ugh.

Plan B: Stalking Fish Like a Ninja

By 12:30? Wait, no—wait, it was around 1 PM (I’m bad at time). I was staring at the pond, bored out of my mind, when I saw it: a bunch of fish chowing down on grass by the gate. Like, literally eating weeds that fell into the water. I thought, “Oh! They’re not in the middle—they’re by the shore!” So I grabbed my rod, crept over like a stealthy fisherman (okay, I tripped over a rock, but no one saw), and cast right near the grass.

Close Call: The One That Got Away

5 minutes later? Another hit. This one was bigger—rod bent so far I thought it might snap. I fought it, but then? It darted straight for a pipe in the water. I yelled, “NOOOOO!” but it was too late. The line wrapped around the pipe, and—snap. Line cut. All I got back was a single scale. I sat down, stared at the scale, and thought, “Am I even good at this?”

After that letdown, I considered switching to my 6.3-meter Yiwei EX rod. But then I thought, “A soft rod’s a soft rod—shallow water’s still shallow.” So instead, I cut my main line shorter (less slack = less chance to wrap around obstacles) and moved to a more open spot nearby. Cast, chum, wait. Repeat. And you know what? It worked. Sort of.

The Slow Grind: Catching Fish (Finally)

Every hour and a half? One fish. That’s it. I had a few black bites (like, rod tip goes straight down) that I missed—probably because I was daydreaming about lunch. But by 5:30 PM? I had 3 fish total. Packed up, drove home, weighed ‘em: 14 pounds even. Not a monster haul, but for that pond? I’ll take it.

Pro Tips (From My Mistakes)

Let me drop some real talk for anyone thinking about hitting Wuhu Hetang Yuese’s sky pond:

• Water’s SHALLOW: Ditch the long float. Use a short float or star floats (seven-star floats—you know, the tiny ones). Big floats = way too visible in 1-meter water.
• Fish Love the Gate Area: Don’t waste time in the middle. The fish are munching grass by the entrance. Just watch out for that pipe!
• Owner’s Cool, But Rules Suck: The guy’s nice, but he limits catches to 4 pounds? C’mon. And he lets pay-by-pound anglers fish here? That’s messed up—they’re scaring the sky pond fish. Fix that, owner!

Wrap-Up: Was It Worth It?

Look, I left frustrated (that one that got away still haunts me) but also stoked. I landed 14 pounds? No, 14 pounds—wait, 3 fish? No, 3 fish. Wait, 3? No, 3. 14 pounds total. Yeah. It was a grind, but that first fish fight? The close call with the pipe? That’s why I fish. Not for the haul, but for the stories. And this one’s a doozy.

Next time? I’m bringing my short float, a stiffer rod, and maybe a snack (I forgot snacks—big mistake). If you’re up for a challenge (and don’t mind shallow water drama), hit Wuhu Hetang Yuese’s sky pond. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about that pipe.