River shrimp fishing

(Baonghean.vn) - Fishing for river shrimp is not only a hobby for shepherd children, nowadays, many people with different purposes also seek this hobby.

Around this time, in Yen Thanh rice district (Nghe An), it is easy to see anglers holding rods sitting quietly by the river or on ponds, lagoons, and dams to catch shrimp. Mr. Chu Hoan, a veteran shrimp fisherman in Chu Trac hamlet, Hoa Thanh commune, said: "The season for fishing for river shrimp is from February to the end of April of the lunar calendar. During this season, shrimp reproduce a lot, so there are shrimp in all rivers, lakes, and dams. Male shrimps are very large, with long claws. Female shrimps are smaller, with bellies full of eggs, looking very delicious. It is a specialty of the lowland countryside of Yen Thanh."

From February to the end of April of the lunar calendar is the shrimp breeding season, so there are shrimp in all rivers, lakes, ponds and dams. Photo: Tien Dung

According to Mr. Hoan, the shrimp fishing rod is not as complicated as the fishing rod. It is very simple, just a flexible old bamboo stick, the rod is as small as the little finger, the tip of the rod is thin, about 1 - 1.2m long, the hook is made from a sharpened bicycle brake wire, the curved part of the blade is only as small as a grain of rice, the body of the blade is about 1cm long. The hook is tied to the smallest thread or fishing line. The float is made of broomstick about 2cm long. A fishing trip only needs to prepare 4-5 fishing rods with a basket to have enough equipment to go to the river. The bait for shrimp fishing is mainly shrimp, the angler chooses the fishing spot, spreads the rod like a fan in front of him and then sits and watches.

Hoan said: "Shrimp fishing is simple but requires experience. The line must be close to the bottom. When the shrimp bites the bait and the buoy flashes, the angler must "remember" up and down to "lean" the shrimp. Crayfish specialize in snapping in the opposite direction, if the line is pulled too tight, it will react quickly and easily miss. Then the angler pulls and leans the shrimp to the shore. When the shrimp comes out of the water, it snaps its claws, the rope is tight and heavy... This is the most exciting moment for shrimp fishermen."

River prawns in Yen Thanh have firm, delicious meat; the current market price is 120,000 - 150,000 VND/kg. Photo: Tien Dung

Mr. Quoc Dung, a fisherman in Hop Thanh commune, shared: "Business is sometimes tiring and stressful, so I find entertainment by fishing for shrimp. This hobby helps me escape from the hustle and bustle of life, and sometimes I can catch quite a few shrimps."

River prawns in Yen Thanh have firm, delicious meat. Most fishermen bring their "spoils" home to make their family meals more cozy. However, many people have made a living by fishing for prawns. Mr. Loi, a prawn fisherman in Long Thanh commune, said that he catches about 3 kg of prawns a day, and the current price of river prawns is 100,000 VND/kg. In a day, he earns 300,000 - 400,000 VND in river "luck". This is not a small amount of money for a farmer.

River prawns have high economic value because they are considered a specialty. Therefore, traders buy prawns from fishermen at 100,000 VND/kg but they sell them on the market at 130,000 - 150,000 VND/kg.

River prawns are getting more and more expensive. Some people catch 2-3 kg a day. Photo by Tien Dung.

Nowadays, shrimp fishing is considered a popular pastime that many people (regardless of age or social status) love and are passionate about. Understanding this mentality, some people have taken advantage of ponds and lakes to release shrimp for anglers to relax. Typical examples are Ha's fishing lake in Hung Thanh commune, Nam's in town, Quy's in Hoa Thanh commune... Although these fishing lakes are just beginning to be built, they promise to be interesting destinations for anglers to indulge in their passion for this popular pastime of shrimp fishing.

The spoils of war of a group of shrimp fishermen in Yen Thanh. Photo: Tien Dung

Tien Dung