Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 186
"Hahaha, I see. That's what I like to hear. If you're looking for longline fishing gear that's meant to catch big fish, then I recommend this... Help me carry this box."
Old Man Kanor pointed at a huge, heavy-looking box on the shelf. Andres and Brandon helped him lift it down.
"The mainline of this longline is made of rope, ensuring that it won't snap even when subjected to strong tension from large fish." The old man showed them what was inside the box, revealing a whole roll of rope.
"As for the branch lines, they are made of nylon. It's thin but strong, and fish can't see it underwater. But wait, there's more." Old Man Kanor grinned and showed them a branch line equipped with a hook.
"The branch line is detachable, which is one of the most useful features of this setup. This way, the longline won't get tangled."
When Brandon heard that, he immediately understood how practical a detachable branch line was. He knew how troublesome it was to untangle a line when the hooks got in the way, making the process difficult.
He held the branch line. On one end was the hook, while the other featured a metal clip to attach it to the mainline.
"Is this clip even strong? What if a fish snaps the clip and escapes?"
"Here, let me show you how to attach the branch line."
Old Man Kanor clipped the branch line quickly. The clip seemed strong and hard to pull apart, the only way to take it off was by pinching it.
"Try pulling it."
Karlos pulled the line, and the metal clip didn't snap open. He nodded, confirming the durability of the clips after testing them.
"Not only that, this entire longline setup includes a manual hauler so your rope rolls up automatically."
The old man pulled a piece of equipment from the box. It was a hand-cranked wheel.
"This way, it's easier for you to pull the line and roll it up," the old man proudly explained.
The three men listened and realized the practicality of the equipment Old Man Kanor had shown them. They were satisfied with the sales pitch.
But the most important factor was the price.
"How much for the entire thing?"
"It's 15,000 pesos, but since you're a returning customer, I'll give you a discount and sell it to you for 12,000 pesos."
Andres slightly frowned. That was expensive.
"What if this gear breaks, especially the hand-cranked wheel? Can this pull an adult-sized tuna?" Karlos asked.
"Then I'll return your money."
"Now that's what I like to hear. I'll buy it."
"Good! I'll write a receipt for you."
The three men loaded the huge box onto the tricycle. The longline had 100 detachable big hooks, targeting large fish such as tuna and other big species.
While driving, Andres asked Karlos about the expenses.
"Are you sure about spending money on these things? We can make our own longline. I'm sure we could make something."
"Nah, it's alright," Karlos said. He didn't mind spending money on fishing equipment, he actually enjoyed it. For someone like Karlos who treated fishing as a hobby, buying different kinds of fishing equipment was fun.
'If the internet improves in the next few decades, just like on Earth, I'm sure I can find fishing equipment parts online at lower prices. But it's different right now since there's no such thing as the internet. I can only rely on physical stores to find what I want.'
Before they returned to their neighborhood, they bought 2 kilograms of sardines at the wet market. The sardines were bait fish, making them an affordable and effective choice.
They spent two hours attaching the hand-cranked wheel to their bangka, making sure it was steady and reliable.
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The next day, the three men woke up early. They were greeted by other fishermen who were also heading out to fish at dawn.
"Andres, you're going out to sea?"
"Yeah, I want to try fishing again."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine."
The fishermen helped each other carry their gear, including ice blocks and fuel. They also assisted one another in pushing their boats into the water. In their neighborhood, cooperation was the norm.
Once preparations were complete, the three men started their journey. It was quite dark, but the waves were calm for their first day of fishing using the mid-sized bangka.
Karlos glanced at his watch and the compass. They didn't have a specific spot in mind. For now, they wanted to travel west for an hour before stopping to observe whether there were signs of fish activity along the way.
Their boat could travel between 18 and 28 kilometers per hour. Reaching 20 kilometers away from the shore was already a good distance to find big fish.
While Karlos navigated the boat, Andres and Brandon were busy baiting the hooks with the sardines.
They engaged in mild conversation to lighten the mood.
After an hour of sailing, they decided to stop and deploy their longline.
Brandon set up the line. He first threw the end line into the water with a floater attached to it.
Then, the boat moved forward at just the right speed, unrolling the line. Brandon clipped on the branch lines that had sardines hooked to them one by one. He meticulously attached each branch line until all 100 clips were securely in place.
"...What now? How long do we have to wait?" Brandon asked. He knew that longline fishing required hours before 50% to 70% of the hooks caught any fish.
"Let's eat." Karlos and Brandon seemed calm. Karlos had brought a thermos filled with hot water, along with a 3-in-1 coffee mix so they could enjoy a warm drink while waiting. As for Brandon, he brought bread and salted eggs.
Andres watched the two and decided to trust their experience. They had to wait for a while anyway. He opened his bag and pulled out an entire pot.
"You brought a whole pot?" Karlos and Brandon were surprised.
"Yeah, my wife woke up early to cook something for us."
Andres grinned.
"Reina is clearly worried about you."
"Hehe," Andres chuckled. He opened the pot, revealing that it was filled with bacon.
Karlos recalled when Maya used to wake up early to make food for him. Karlos was just a new fisherman at that time, and Maya wanted to take care of him. However, Karlos had told her that she didn't have to wake up early every day, as it was detrimental to her health. She was pregnant at the time.
Karlos also didn't want Maya to tire herself out, so he discouraged her from waking up early to prepare meals for him. He would rather eat biscuit crackers than let Maya get exhausted. Her well-being was always more important to him than any meal.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]