The Top Fishing
Chapter 165 - 133: Fishing in Taihu_3

Chapter 165: Chapter 133: Fishing in Taihu_3

As for the last sturgeon, I don’t have much to say because we had prepared sturgeon pellets in advance, just hung one casually, and unexpectedly hooked a big one...."

Lin Yang spoke fluently on stage, and overall, there weren’t any problems with his speech, except for the part about the fish-attracting bait, which he had more or less reported truthfully.

"It’s clear to see not only is Mr. Lin highly skilled, but he is also incredibly humble. Let us congratulate Mr. Lin once again for sweeping this competition’s double championship. After the award ceremony, a staff member will coordinate with you, and you can drive home in a BMW X5 today!"

Boss Tang handed Lin Yang a giant ceremonial check along with a large car key, and with this, the award ceremony concluded.

...

With the award ceremony over, all that remained was various paperwork handovers.

The brand-new car wasn’t registered yet. To drive it away, he needed to complete a series of formalities like obtaining a temporary license plate and temporary insurance, but it was worth spending some time on these matters for a vehicle worth nearly a million.

He was busy managing these procedures until nearly dusk before finally completing all the paperwork.

Including the 100,000 in prize money, Lin Yang had paid less than 80,000 to cover the personal income tax on both awards.

During the afternoon while Lin Yang was busy with the paperwork, Xia Xiaoxue had also been very patient in helping him deal with various issues. It was not until they stepped out the door that Lin Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tell me, where do you want to eat? I’ll arrange it tonight." Lin Yang waved the brand new BMW car key he was holding.

Xia Xiaoxue: "I’ve invited my best friend to join us for some private home cuisine. You’re definitely spending big tonight, now that you’re a big shot."

"No problem."

Lin Yang replied with a smile. It wasn’t often he visited Suzhou, and he wanted to try the local cuisine.

This morning’s journey had started with two people in one car, but by evening it became two cars for two people. Lin Yang followed Xia Xiaoxue in his now fully registered and paperwork-completed BMW X5.

The two first went to her place to pick up her best friend Li Kangshu, then headed straight for the already-reserved private dining restaurant.

...

Suzhou dishes, also called Suzhou-style cuisine, are essentially local Suzhou staples, an integral part of Suzhou-Wuxi cuisine.

Due to proximity to Taihu Lake, Suzhou-style cuisine’s history is closely linked with Taihu Lake; around the year 514 BC, Suzhou had already originated the dish ’Taihu Lake Grilled Fish’, which has evolved into a distinctive local cuisine.

Suzhou dishes use top-notch ingredients, are delicious and sweet, emphasizing cooking time, rich oil and deep sauces, belonging to the "southern sweet" flavor. It is known primarily for its stewing, braising, and simmering techniques, focusing on soup seasoning and preserving natural juices.

Here, popular dishes include: squirrel-shaped Gu fish, clear shrimp with river shrimps, sizzling eel fillets, Suzhou-style brined duck, crab roe tofu, preserved pork with bamboo shoot, and ginkgo biloba hearts among others.

Tonight, Xia Xiaoxue took Lin Yang to taste some famous Suzhou dishes which included the very classic clear shrimp with river shrimps and squirrel-shaped Gu fish.

The main ingredient for clear shrimp with river shrimps is tender freshwater shrimps from South Tai Lake, complemented by Biluochun Tea leaves from Suzhou, lightly stir-fried to achieve a dish where the tea aroma is pure and the shrimp are silky, providing an unforgettable taste.

The other famous dish, squirrel-shaped Gu fish, also uses Taihu Crucian Carp, known locally as Taihu Stonefish. After meticulous carving and deep-frying, followed by sauce drizzle, the dish resembles a squirrel. It’s said that this dish was even named by Emperor Daoguang of Qing himself.

Though Lin Yang hailed from Jiangxi Province and preferred spicy flavors, he found the somewhat sweet dishes quite good—classic cuisines are indeed renowned for a reason.

The next morning, Lin Yang initially planned to drive back to Jiangdong City since it had already been two days.

However, Xia Xiaoxue suggested they tour Taihu Lake a bit since it was a rare visit to Suzhou, and it was an opportunity to show hospitality.

Lin Yang thought it over and agreed that it made sense. It seemed a waste not to tour Taihu since he was already here, and there was nothing urgent requiring his return.

Everything at home was under control by his parents and Yue’er, and besides, he was keen to fish at Taihu Lake, looking forward to possibly discovering some unique aquatic species.

After deciding,

The two had breakfast and then Lin Yang drove his new car, following Xia Xiaoxue to Taihu Lake.

.....

A half-hour later, they drove to a small park by Taihu Lake.

Taihu Lake, the third largest freshwater lake in China besides Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake, has been acclaimed since ancient times as a lake of fish and rice. As the largest ecological wetland in the historic Jiangnan Region, it harbors countless types of fish.

Furthermore, an important aspect is that Taihu Lake is just across the river from the Yangtze River and connected in terms of water systems, so many of the fish species from the Yangtze can also be found in Taihu Lake.

Some fish species that Lin Yang couldn’t catch elsewhere might be available here, such as the renowned ’Taihu Three Whites’, found only in Taihu Lake.

This time, his target wasn’t the Taihu Three Whites but rather White Rain, Shi fish, East Sea Blowfish, and others - these fish species are rare in other places but quite common in Taihu Lake.

However, the country’s strict management of wetland protection means fishing is strictly prohibited in some major areas.

Fishing inside large parks like Taihu Wetland Park, a tourist spot, is out of the question, so Lin Yang directly went with Xia Xiaoxue to a small man-made embankment on the east side of Taihu Lake.

After parking their car and carrying their gear, they noticed quite a few fellow anglers already fishing along the embankment, and their methods were an eye-opener for Lin Yang.