HUN Chapter 61: Beginners Use One Rod, Veterans Set Up Stalls

Time came to the fifty-second day.

The morning chill was more severe than usual. Lin Yu'an woke up very early, and after adding new firewood to the stove, he quickly walked toward the newly built net platform by the lake.

He stood on the net platform, his gaze fixed tightly on the float line.

The line was motionless, showing no signs of being disturbed by fish.

He picked up a long wooden stick and carefully probed it into the water, gently moving the gill net.

The feeling in his hand was slack, with no struggling force transmitted back.

"Looks like last night was another fruitless endeavor."

A trace of disappointment crossed Lin Yu'an's face, but he quickly regained his composure.

He had mentally prepared himself. This passive waiting style of gill net fishing was inherently full of uncertainty.

"Maybe the recent temperature drop has changed the fish's activity range, or it's simply bad luck."

"However, we can't just wait around like this. We need to take the initiative and attract the fish."

He returned to his shelter and fetched the clay pot containing blood bait that gave off a strong fishy smell.

Using a wooden spoon to scoop up a clump of sticky blood bait, he added some fine sand to help the bait sink to the bottom, then forcefully threw it into the water about one to two meters in front of the gill net.

"Splash!" Several sounds as the blood bait clusters dispersed in the water, and the rich bloody scent likely spread through the calm underwater depths.

"Hope the chumming works! I'll come back this afternoon to see if there's any harvest."

After completing this, he went to check the tanning pool where deer hide was soaking.

The deep reddish-brown tanning solution seemed to have become somewhat lighter in color. He knew this was the result of the hide absorbing tannins.

He lifted the deer hide, flipped it over, added some previously prepared tanning solution to the pool, then submerged it again.

Returning to the stone house, Lin Yu'an didn't begin another day of firewood collection.

Just now, while standing on the fishing platform, a thought had flashed through his mind.

"Guys, there's an old Chinese saying: beginners use one rod, veterans set up stalls."

"I've been using hand lines for fishing. Although I can catch fish, the control isn't quite there."

"They say every newly made fishing rod has a new rod blessing! I've decided to make myself a wilderness version fishing rod! Hopefully, I'll get the new rod blessing!"

He entered the forest he had become quite familiar with and began a search that was more rigorous than any previous material selection.

"To make a fishing rod that can withstand tremendous pulling force, choosing the rod blank is the most crucial aspect. It must meet several nearly demanding conditions."

"Lightweight, tough, excellent elasticity, and perfect natural taper from butt to tip."

He first ruled out tree species that grew too quickly and had loose wood grain.

To make a fishing rod capable of battling large trout or pike in the depths of Chilko Lake, ordinary birch or willow branches would be far from sufficient.

A tree species that North American indigenous peoples considered "sacred wood" appeared in his mind, Pacific yew.

Pacific yew wood possessed unparalleled elasticity and toughness, making it excellent natural material for crafting top-quality longbows and fishing rods.

While searching through the stream valley, Lin Yu'an explained to the camera, "It usually grows in the understory of coniferous forests, growing relatively slowly. Finding a specimen with perfect 'rod material' form requires some patience and luck."

Finally, on a damp slope shaded by tall firs, he locked onto an ideal target.

It was a Pacific yew sapling that had grown unusually straight in its competition for limited sunlight.

The base diameter was about three to four centimeters, with virtually no side branches along its length, and it was approximately three meters long.

Lin Yu'an lightly flicked the yew's dark red trunk with his finger, hearing a dull but solid resonance.

"It grows slowly, so its wood fibers are extremely dense. Its main trunk is filled with amazing toughness. This is the premium rod material I'm looking for."

He used his homemade oil saw chain hand pull saw to cut it down near the base, then carried it back to camp.

He first carefully removed the thin outer bark from the yew pole, exposing the tough reddish-brown heartwood beneath.

He placed the debarked yew pole above flames, slowly and evenly rotating and roasting it, performing initial straightening and stress relief to ensure the rod blank was straight as a line.

Only after the rod blank had completely cooled and set did Lin Yu'an begin the most critical shaping work.

He took out a piece of coarse sandstone he had found by the river earlier and began grinding from the rod's base toward the tip, bit by bit.

He ground with great focus, the sandstone making soft "sha sha" sounds against the hard yew rod, with wood shavings falling continuously.

This wasn't just to make the rod blank smooth, but more importantly, to fine-tune the rod's taper during grinding, creating a smooth, natural transition from the thick grip section to the delicate tip.

While grinding, he explained to the camera, "The soul of a good fishing rod lies in its perfect taper."

"This allows force to be evenly transmitted and distributed from rod tip to grip, maximizing the rod blank's toughness."

Only after the rod blank had been precisely ground to his satisfaction did he begin the final performance enhancement steps.

He placed the shaped smooth rod blank above flames, slowly rotating it for even secondary heating.

"Now that the rod blank's form is fixed, I'm doing another fire treatment. This time the purpose isn't shaping."

"It's to open the wood surface's micropores, preparing for the upcoming oil treatment so the oil can penetrate more deeply."

When the yew rod blank became slightly hot and its color deepened, he dipped some previously refined pine resin oil from a clay bowl and applied it all over the warm rod blank.

"The pine resin oil is being absorbed by the thirsty wood."

"The oil can penetrate deep into the wood fibers, greatly enhancing its toughness and water resistance."

He repeated this fire roasting and oil application process three times until the entire yew rod displayed a lustrous, deep reddish-brown color, like an enlarged magic wand.

Next was processing the tip section's line attachment structure, one of the most critical parts of a hand rod.

"Without a reel and guide rings, all the force will be transmitted through this small rod tip to the fishing line."

Using his multi-tool's knife point, he rotated and carved a shallow ring groove about one centimeter from the rod tip.

"Now, we're going to create a permanent 'tip knot' here."

He wound nylon thread soaked in pine resin in spiral fashion from below the groove toward the rod tip, each turn overlapping the previous one.

When he reached the groove, he deliberately wound several extra turns, forming a slightly raised reinforcing ring.

Finally, he tightened the line end with a slip-proof knot, cut off the excess line, and applied a thick layer of pine resin.

The solidified resin and nylon thread would form a hard, smooth unit.

That small groove would perfectly catch the main fishing line tied to it, ensuring it would never slip under high-stress pulling.

Finally, he wound willow bark cord around the grip section, not only providing anti-slip effect but also further protecting the grip section's wood.

After a full day of meticulous crafting, a brand new wilderness version "fishing rod" with a lustrous rod blank in deep reddish-brown was finally complete!

Lin Yu'an held the rod with both hands and made several practice casts in the air. The rod blank cut through the air with "whooshing" sounds, while the tip vibrated sensitively!

He forcefully bent the fishing rod into an amazing arc, clearly feeling the powerful, tough rebound force from the Pacific yew wood core transmitted through the rod blank.

An unprecedented confident smile appeared on Lin Yu'an's face as he gently patted the solid rod blank.

"Now, I have absolute confidence in this fishing rod's strength! Tomorrow I definitely, definitely won't go fishless!"

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