Chapter 375: Chapter 228 The Game Begins
Upon hearing Liu Xiaoyun mention losing three Hua Clan fish the other day, Yang Qianli’s facial expression showed great surprise.
In their eyes, Liu Xiaoyun is definitely considered a top-notch expert in the fishing world. Usually, when arranging fishing matches, he always gives a handicap or sets other conditions, winning more often than losing.
The young angler who just greeted them looks only about in his twenties, with a hint of youthful innocence on his face.
This kind of competitor, can actually beat Liu Xiaoyun’s Hua Clan fish?
Liu Xiaoyun gave him a deep look and said in a serious tone, "Losing is losing, what’s there to lie about?
This angler’s name is Zhang Yang, his skills are pretty good, and his fundamentals are solid! If you meet him in the tournament, you need to be careful!"
"Damn! Totally misjudged! To receive such high praise from you is quite surprising!" Ma Bo nodded.
"Let’s go for another round at Pit No. 2, and then we need to prep the bait! Let’s go!"
"Let’s go!"
...
Half an hour later, the anglers and staff participating in the tournament at Li Yuan Fishing Ground gradually arrived at the venue, making the previously sparse grounds instantly bustling with activity.
After Zhang Yang and the trio finished breakfast, they found a quiet corner to start preparing the bait before the match.
Usually, during practice and casual matches, Zhang Yang lets them prepare their bait themselves. But on the actual competition day, Zhang Yang doesn’t let Meng Fan or Liu Zi intervene, instead, he takes out a large basin and prepares enough bait for the three of them.
There’s a main bait, a backup bait, along with yellow dough bait and pinch bait for mixed catch. Regardless of the pond they draw, they’re well-prepared to handle different fishing conditions.
"Four matches, two targeting specific fish, two mixed catch! Today’s fish aren’t easy to catch, so be mentally prepared before entering!" Zhang Yang distributed the bait, washed his hands, and reminded them again.
"Got it! Not much action from the fish, right? Use thinner lines, switch to smaller bobbers, and don’t be too aggressive with the fishing technique! Is that the idea?"
Meng Fan nodded and repeated it based on his understanding.
Zhang Yang nodded: "Yes! If you draw a fishing spot with relatively stable conditions, focus on sustaining your rhythm.
If the fishing conditions are poor, adopt an opportunistic approach, adapt and use methods like frog twitching, free sinker, and stillwater fishing. Catch what you can, don’t worry about building up the swim!
Poor conditions make building the swim meaningless!
Moreover, if extreme conditions arise, try the small additives I prepared in your tackle box; fruit acid and Thousand Mile Fragrance can be used in hopeless situations. It might just match the difficult conditions and get you a few bites!
If, in the end, everything fails, switch to a bigger hook, and fight to catch at least one fish.
Poor conditions can’t just single out one person. If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for everyone; during the four matches, as long as you don’t end with a zero, you’ll still have some chance!"
Zhang Yang continued to talk about the considerations needed during real competition. He usually doesn’t explain these during training, but actual competition is different from practice; without experience in this area, novice anglers are at a disadvantage.
...
Unnoticed, it was already 7 o’clock in the morning, and staff and referees from the City Fishing Association had arrived on-site.
As a category-four national tournament, the event also had a sponsor; this time it was sponsored by Hua Clan, a major domestic bait supplier. Therefore, the local regional agent would deliver a simple opening speech on behalf of the brand company.
Even though it’s the lowest category of tournament standards, its processes are still much more formal than regional commercial competitions.
Opening speech, speeches from relevant leaders, then athletes’ oath, referees’ oath, and a whole set of procedures.
Notably, the angler chosen to go on stage and swear on behalf of the competitors was an old-timer known angler from W City, Ma Yuhua. Old Ma took a script on stage, reciting it pretty seriously, the atmosphere below was good, with a round of applause setting off a small climax.
The related procedures of the opening ceremony concluded, and the competition soon moved into the draw and rod inspection phase.
Anglers drew lots in the order of their registration number to decide their match and seat number, followed by rod inspection and entrance.
Everything ahead went smoothly, but as they began to queue up and wait for the call to draw lots, Liu Zi and Meng Fan’s expressions grew tense.
Especially Liu Zi, who was younger, pressed his lips together, looking quite solemn, evidently very nervous.
Zhang Yang turned and gently patted Liu Zi’s shoulder, grinning: "Nervous?"
Liu Zi nodded and whispered, "I’m not usually nervous for casual matches, but queuing for the draw made me inexplicably anxious, I just can’t settle down!"
Zhang Yang fully understood this pre-competition nervousness. He had been in this phase before, facing so many unfamiliar anglers and unknown fishing conditions. It is very difficult to maintain absolute rationality and a calm mind, requiring strong psychological strength.
This state, unless you’re someone like Wang Yan, who naturally has a thick skin, will cause normal people to be more or less anxious.
"Being nervous is normal! The main reason is that you don’t know most of the competitors here!
But there’s nothing to be nervous about; it’s just another fishing match with a few more people! Win or lose, learn from the experience. If you win, you can brag with confidence, so why worry?"
What Zhang Yang said was very calm, but it was incredibly encouraging.