Follow the old fisherman to catch sardines on Lam River
(Baonghean.vn) - When the first warm and humid winds appear in early March, fat sardines flock upstream to lay eggs, and the sardine fishing season begins. We spent a day following the fishermen of Nam Tan (Nam Dan) to 'hunt for river deer' on the Lam River, which is so blue this season.
![]() |
Around mid-January every year, Lam River sardines begin their long journey: from the estuary to the shallow rivers and streams. Fishermen around the Lam River, where sardines swim upstream, often welcome the sardines season early in the hope of enjoying some good fortune from their homeland's rivers. This is the small fishing village of Nam Tan, Nam Dan with boats nestled by the river. Photo: Trung Ha |
![]() |
The fishing village of Nam Tan commune (Nam Dan) has more than a dozen households, which have been granted land by the government and have stabilized their lives since 2010, but still mainly live by fishing on the Lam River. And this season, the boats seem to be busier to welcome the sardine season. Photo: Le Thang |
![]() |
From early morning, boats have started leaving the dock to begin a day of hard fishing. Photo: Trung Ha |
![]() |
The strong rowing rhythm of an old fisherman Nam Tan on Lam River. This morning, this old fisherman named Vi started his journey at 6 am. Photo: Le Thang |
![]() |
About half a kilometer from the riverbank, the old fisherman dropped his net. Photo: Trung Ha |
![]() |
People catch sardines by casting nets across the river. After each casting, the old fisherman waits for about 20-30 minutes, then pulls in the net and catches the fish. Each night, a person can catch 50-60 fish, and if lucky, up to hundreds. During the day, the yield can be lower, especially when the tide rises and slows down the water flow from upstream. Photo: Le Thang |
![]() |
Mr. Vi, 57 years old, has been attached to the boat all his life, and has over 50 years of fishing experience. Because of his old age and his grown children, he only fishes during the day, while "the young men work from 6pm until the next morning". Photo: Trung Ha |
![]() |
Sardines are amphibians that live in the sea but lay eggs in freshwater rivers during the breeding season. They belong to the herring family and have long, oval bodies. Their backs are slightly green or brown and their bellies are silver. Sardines eat algae, fish eggs, mosquito larvae and small shrimp. Sardines have a precise biological clock, hatch in freshwater, grow in the ocean, and when spring comes and the breeding season comes, they return upstream to the exact place where they were born to breed and reincarnate. Photo: Trung Ha |
![]() |
Mr. Vi was satisfied with the results, and leisurely rowed back to the dock to deliver the fish to his wife and children to sell. After that, he continued to go back to the river to do his fishing job. Sardines are sold at the dock for 5-6 thousand VND/fish. People sell them at the market for 8-12 thousand VND/fish. Thus, the average income per day per boat (1 fisherman) is about 400-500 thousand VND. Photo: Le Thang |
![]() |
Meeting each other to fish on a stretch of river, fishermen greet each other with smiles and ask about the results of their catch today. The sardine season is short, only peaking for about 1.5 months, but it still brings a good income to the fishermen. Photo: Trung Ha |