The charms of nighttime cuttlefishing
19:43 04/03/2009

  Fishermen prepare the net before a night of cuttlefishing   Many young men in Nghe An Province have been able to turn their passion and hobby into their main occupation by taking tourists cuttlefishing at night off the romantic beach of Cua Lo.

At sunset, I stepped onto Thanh’s coracle, a tiny circular vessel made by pulling skins tight along a half-sphere wicker frame.

Twenty-year-old Thanh has been guiding tourists on nighttime fishing trips off Nghe An Province’s Cua Lo beach for four years.

His small boat seemed unstable and rocked quite a bit once we shoved off, but the confident Thanh assured me that there would be no problem.

The boat first waded out to the fishing area, which was completely dark. I got a bit seasick with the rocking of the boat, but Thanh went on unfazed, skillfully skimming the small waves.

According to Thanh, any kind of fishing requires patience and skill. Cuttlefishing particularly requires strong nerves to endure the rocking of the tiny boat, which is shaky even in calm waters.

The fishing method is simple. Thanh attached the bait, a kind of fake plastic shrimp, onto a series of hooks along a metal rod that was painted various colors.

Then he used a bright mantle lamp to attract the prey with its strong light. He wiggled the bait up and down to entice and tease the cuttle.

Soon enough the waters around the bait grew vibrant with the movement of cuttlefish that had gathered for what they hoped would be some food.

It was thrilling to see them move towards the bait and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the first bite.

Thanh watched the cuttlefish carefully and said the bait must now be kept just below the surface of the water.

As he moved the bait ever so slightly, he manipulated the cuttle who followed it and gathered increasingly closer to the hooks.

The cuttle can be caught in two ways, he said. One can wait until they bite around the hooks, or he can swipe them up with a net.

He said that with the second method, a good fisherman can catch dozens at a time.

As I was watched the cuttle dance attentively, Thanh suddenly shouted: “Terrorists!” He then used the net to fish out a group of hungry globefish who could have scared away the cuttle.

Once Thanh had grabbed a healthy share of cuttlefish from the waters, he grilled it right there on the deck of his petite vessel.

He used the kerosene flame of the mantle lamp. Our small fire was the only light in the area and we ate as the water quietly lapped up against the side of the boat. The meal was delicious.

A trip such as mine costs VND50,000(US$3.1) and one can remain on board for hours. Thanh can earn around VND100,000 a night and is more than happy to share his craft with all those interested. There are others like him.

Reported by Manh Duong

Source : thanhniennews.com