Bien Lac - the fishing season

Bien Lac Lake is a natural lake not only associated with the name of Tanh Linh district, but for generations, this beautiful natural lake, covering an area of over 1,500 hectares, has sustained countless people in this area.

With its specialties being freshwater fish such as grouper, mudfish, black snakehead, catfish, and climbing perch, anyone who hears about them will want to come here. To enjoy all these delicacies, the locals here have a very popular fishing method during the low tide season in Lac Bay: using a brushwood trap.

At the beginning of December in the lunar calendar, when the dry northerly winds sweep in, the rice fields along the banks of Lac Sea turn a vibrant green, and the water in Lac Sea begins to recede. This is when the people of Gia An commune, Tanh Linh district, get busy preparing for the fishing season.

The reason people choose this season for setting fish traps is because the surface area of Bien Lac Lake is only about 1,000 hectares, and the areas where traps can be set are only less than 1.6 meters deep, making them suitable for fishing. Bien Lac Lake has a large surface area, with many places deeper than 10 meters, so the fish are not concentrated but scattered, making fishing with hooks and nets less effective. The method of setting fish traps, also known as building houses for fish to live in and then encircling them with nets, is laborious and requires a lot of effort, but the harvest is efficient and economically viable.

We arrived at Bien Lac Lake on a late morning at the end of the year. The sun had just passed over Ong Mountain, but it was already golden like honey. Bien Lac Lake was peaceful and ethereal, bathed in sunlight filtering through a thin, ethereal mist. A gentle breeze blew, ripples lapping against the sides of the boat, a few drops splashing onto us, cool and refreshing. The scenery was poetic and endearing, easily stirring feelings of longing and wistfulness.

Mr. Hoang Van Can is from Hamlet 1, Gia An Commune, Tanh Linh District. He has been catching mudskippers on Bien Lac Lake for a long time. From his youth to his married life and throughout his struggle for survival, the mudskipper fishing profession has been with him. He's been doing this for over 30 years, but the mudskipper fishing season is always the happiest time of his life.

Freshwater fishing traps, typically found in Bien Lac Lake, are quite different from saltwater fishing traps in the sea. Here, people cut down many tree branches and coconut fronds, 1.5-2 meters long, and pile them underwater until the branches rise to the surface. The traps are placed in areas about 2.6-2.7 meters deep, and the trap beds are circular in diameter, about 5-8 meters. In Bien Lac, there are about 20 households that make these traps. Some people have more than 10 piles, most have 20 piles each, but Mr. Can alone has nearly 30 piles, and he fishes continuously every day until just before the Lunar New Year.

The method of catching fish in the Lạc Sea is quite similar to catching them in the open sea, but on a smaller scale. First, a net is cast around the pile of fish, one person stays on the boat, and three others go into the water to remove the fish from the net. To avoid getting cold, each person drinks a few sips of fish sauce to warm themselves. Gradually, all the fish in the pile are removed and set aside to make way for a new one. The net is also tightened. The fish, disoriented by the fish in the pile, thrash around and struggle in the net. The final step in catching the fish is to enclose the net to prevent the fish from escaping. At this point, the fish are sorted and classified into different types to be sold at the night market.

At midday, we went aboard the fish raft to rest and admire the golden sunlight spreading across Lake Bien Lac. The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. In the distance, the fishermen, using nets and rowing boats, looked so solitary and insignificant.

The fishermen's lunch usually consists of freshly caught fish. Sipping his wine, Mr. Can slowly recounted stories about Bien Lac Lake with a mix of nostalgia and pride: "In the old days, Bien Lac was beautiful and majestic. It was vast, with boundless water and many precious trees, their trunks so thick that two people could barely embrace them, growing along the shore. In spring and summer, orchids bloomed beautifully and fragrantly. There were so many fish in Bien Lac that there was no end to them; even otters lived there, but later they were hunted to extinction."

During the fishing season, a fascinating night market for freshwater fish forms in Bien Lac. Fish caught in the morning are spread out in the lake to keep them fresh before being brought ashore for sale late at night. Usually around 11 PM, boats full of fish arrive at the shore. Here, traders are waiting, quoting prices for different types and sizes of fish. This market usually ends at 2 AM the following morning. The traders disperse to other markets to sell their catch, while the fishermen return home to rest and prepare for the next morning's fishing trip.

Fishing with nets in Bien Lac is hard work but enjoyable. A fishing season can provide the fishermen with a fulfilling and warm Tet holiday. Besides the economic benefits, this is a beautiful tradition of the people in Bien Lac. During the fishing season, many tourists and friends come to visit and enjoy the scenery, so the fishermen in Bien Lac are always generous, offering the freshest and tastiest fish to their guests.

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