The Top Fishing
Chapter 260 - 160: Baby Fish Go Up_4

Chapter 260: Chapter 160: Baby Fish Go Up_4

Li Xiaopeng was aware of the direction the line was going out and couldn’t help but sigh.

Lin Yang took a look at the line going out; almost a hundred meters of line had already been taken.

"It’s almost hit bottom, and the fish has expended some of its strength, so you can tighten the line a bit more now, and then reel in," Lin Yang instructed. "If it takes out line, let it do so. Keep reeling on your end to prevent it from diving into the crevices of rocks at the bottom."

"Okay!"

Li Xiaopeng tightened the line cup a bit as instructed, then grabbed the rod with one hand and furiously spun the fishing reel with the other.

As he reeled in the line on one end, the big fish underwater frantically dived down, taking out line in a wild run. It seemed as though a tug-of-war of strength was taking place between the two.

After a stalemate of several minutes, Li Xiaopeng’s hands were almost cramping from turning, yet he still could not overcome the big fish underwater.

"Cousin, you take over," Li Xiaopeng capitulated as he handed over the fishing rod to Lin Yang. "I feel like both my shoulders are about to give out."

"Alright."

Lin Yang had also noticed that the fish Li Xiaopeng had hooked was indeed very large.

After taking over the rod, Lin Yang naturally didn’t give the big fish underwater any chance to rest, continuing to furiously spin the fishing reel to keep exhausting the fish’s energy.

After a full five minutes, the fish underwater finally began to show signs of defeat, slowly approaching the surface.

Soon enough, the big fish finally surfaced.

The moment its head broke the surface, Li Xiaopeng became instantly thrilled.

"Wow, it’s huge!"

The fish revealed a massive head and mouth, dark in color, with a width of more than twenty centimeters.

"A big catfish!"

Li Xiaopeng was overjoyed. Although Lin Yang had ultimately brought it up, the fish had initially been hooked by him, so it was as though he had caught it himself.

However, as the big fish surfaced, Lin Yang furrowed his brow slightly: "Something’s not right, this fish seems to have legs; it’s not a typical catfish."

"What? A fish with legs?" Yue’er, who had been taking photos inside the cave, heard this and immediately became curious and came over.

Li Xiaopeng was also stunned. He shone his headlamp on the fish on the water’s surface and took a closer look. Indeed, the upper part of the body of the fish had two legs on either side.

"This... couldn’t be a crocodile, could it?" Seeing the legs, Li Xiaopeng’s first thought was of crocodiles.

Lin Yang shook his head: "How could there be a crocodile in a place like this?"

After a careful second look, he seemed sure of what it was and couldn’t help but light up with joy.

"It’s a baby fish!"

"Really??" Yue’er and Li Xiaopeng both became excited too, as baby fish are a rare species.

"Hahaha, we’ve actually caught this rare creature, hurry up and take some photos," Lin Yang exclaimed.

The baby fish, scientifically known as the giant salamander, also goes by names like human fish, child fish, legged fish, weeping fish, and wax dog. It is a peculiar amphibian.

Although it is called a fish, it is not strictly a fish. It lives in water and can breathe with gills but also has four legs, allowing it to crawl on land.

This species is considered a living fossil from ancient times, a rare and precious variety.

After confirming it was a baby fish, Lin Yang gently used both hands to exert force and slowly pulled it ashore.

The baby fish was entirely dark, its skin glistening, with a length of about one meter and an estimated weight of twenty to thirty pounds. Once on land, it let out cries resembling the sobbing of a child.

Lin Yang carefully removed the fishhook from its mouth; such creatures are a national second-class protected species, and he couldn’t let it be harmed.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaopeng and Yue’er were snapping away with their cameras.

Lin Yang also carefully observed this baby fish, seeing a wild one for the first time: "This baby fish doesn’t seem to be fully grown yet. It’s said they can grow up to two meters long."

"Two meters? That big? I could barely pull up this one just over a meter, let alone a two-meter one—that would drag me under," Li Xiaopeng said, seemingly shaken by the experience. Fishing in such a place was truly dangerous.

While Yue’er took photos, Lin Yang also checked the rewards for unlocking the baby fish.

The luck was good this time; besides money and points, there was also a special line set reward, which meant he wouldn’t have to buy line sets anymore.

After the two had finished taking photos, he carefully carried the baby fish back to the water’s edge.

"Off you go, little one."

As he gently placed the baby fish back into the water, it called out a couple more times and then casually paddled its four legs, slowly moving away.

The two returned to their respective fishing spots and continued to fish.

Li Xiaopeng’s arms were still sore from pulling up the baby fish, and after casting his rod again, he began moving his arms and shoulders to alleviate the soreness.