The Top Fishing
Chapter 250 - 158: Fungi and Fish_2

Chapter 250: Chapter 158: Fungi and Fish_2

As the first competition came close to an end, the venue buzzed with discussions.

"Master Lin’s strategy was flawed. He kept catching small fish and would have been eliminated if he hadn’t caught the Erhai Bowfish and the Big Head Carp in the end."

"Do you think there’s a possibility that Master Lin was actually aiming for the Erhai Bowfish and Big Head Carp from the start, which is why he kept focusing on the spot?"

"Hiss, come to think of it, it’s really possible. With Master Lin’s fishing skills, how could he make such a novice mistake of just catching small fish? He must have known that by aggressively focusing on the spot with the small rod, he could attract the Bow Fish and Big Head Carp. It seems he was targeting these fish from the beginning."

"If that’s true, then it’s terrifying. He risked losing the competition just to catch special fish species, and they did catch their target fish in the end. This means they might have already completed the process of luring the fish to the spot. Perhaps next, they might actually be able to catch a lot of Bow Fish and Big Head Carp.... It’s just a shame that the competition won’t give them the time."

....

However, as the fellow anglers discussed and analyzed, Lin Yang’s true intention and tactics in this competition were gradually revealed. His aim from the beginning was not to catch small fish; he was targeting the Erhai Bowfish and Big Head Carp all along.

Ultimately, his tactics proved effective, as he was indeed the only participant who caught an Erhai Bowfish.

It is somewhat regrettable that it wasn’t until close to the end of the competition that Lin Yang and Yue’er caught these two high-scoring fish.

Therefore, some anglers speculated that they might have already gathered Big Head Carp, and possibly even the Erhai Bowfish schools, through their previous intense focus on the spot. If given even half an hour more, they could have caught more of these two types of fish.

Considering a Big Head Carp is worth 5 points and an Erhai Bowfish is worth 10 points, if they could have caught a few more of these fish, they might have been able to make an astonishing comeback. Unfortunately, it is a competition after all, and extra time was not a possibility.

The results of the first competition were final.

The organizers then displayed the names of the teams advancing to the next round on the big screen, and those who didn’t make the list had no choice but to pack up and go home.

As everyone packed up and prepared to leave, the organizers launched a special program.

The program featured an introduction to the four significant guest species at the competition - Yunnan’s four famous fish: Erhai Bowfish, Dianchi Golden Line Barbel, Fuxian Lake Anti-wave White Fish, and Lugu Lake Split Belly Fish.

The organizers brought in experts to discuss the history of these four types of fish and also produced a beautifully crafted promotional documentary that showcased the real appearances of these four famous fish from Yunnan Province in stunning visuals.

Through the introduction in the program, everyone gained a deeper understanding of the four famous fish, all unique to Yunnan Province and listed as precious and rare animals in the country’s records, making them highly valuable and scarce.

Originally, these were not rare species but rather common ones. However, they rapidly declined in numbers within a short period for one reason.

The reason is that they are too delicious. All four fish are extremely tasty which led to excessive fishing in earlier unregulated times. Today, these once common table fish have become rare species, requiring protection to prevent their extinction.

Thus, the competition was deliberately held across Yunnan’s four famous lakes, where the highest-scoring fish species are unique to each of these lakes, a poignant detail.

It was an occasion to draw attention from the entire society, foster environmental love, and protect rare animals.

Lin Yang’s catch of an Erhai Bowfish was particularly significant, enhancing the real social value of the program and significantly aiding in its promotional impact.

With his catch of this fish, especially as one of the four famous species of Erhai, it was easy to spark a social trend, thereby promoting awareness of environmental and wildlife protection. This is also why Yunnan TV was able to collaborate with the Fishing Association and was permitted to hold a fishing competition even in a no-fishing zone.

This competition was not only about promoting Yunnan’s local scenic tourism and culture but also about advocating for environmental and wildlife protection.

Under the arrangements of the organizers and the official support, images, videos, and news about Erhai Bowfish appeared extensively online. Especially the footage of Lin Yang catching the Bowfish and immediately releasing it back into Erhai was widely publicized, creating a significant online response.

"It’s such a pity that such a beautiful fish is close to extinction."

"I heard this fish tastes great, but now it’s an endangered species. It seems I’ll never get the chance to taste it in my lifetime."

"The organizer really has a conscience for catching and immediately releasing the fish. This really serves both promotional and protective purposes for rare fish species."

"Kudos to the young man who caught the Erhai Bowfish, thankful to him for letting us know that such fish still exist."

....

After the competition ended, Lin Yang and his group returned to their temporary lodging at the hotel.

Having unlocked the Erhai Bowfish in the morning, the guidebook granted him a thousand dollars, along with 10 experience points and points, and 0.01% fishery encyclopedia knowledge, a reward somewhat as he expected.