The beloved fish trap

The fish trap is lightweight and easy to carry. The interesting thing about it is that it's similar to a net but differs in that it's placed directly into the water, the mesh surface contacts the mud, and catching fish doesn't require much waiting time. However, the trap is only suitable for shallow water, so it's usually used along canal banks or in shallow ditches. Along the canals around the forest edges, the fallen bark and leaves of the Melaleuca trees, which have darkened the canal water over the years, create an ideal environment for fish to live and breed.

The snakehead fish here are bigger than the snakehead fish in the rice fields. When you see areas with grass along the bank, and bubbles rise to the surface, gently lower the net. When the fish get caught in the net and thrash about, lift the net immediately.

Children go fishing around the edge of the U Minh Thuong forest.

The fish trap is a rudimentary fishing tool, suitable for shallow water fishing, and is therefore widely used during the dry season. Fish traps are mainly used to catch tilapia and other small fish, and the catch volume is not as large as with other tools. Therefore, adults rarely choose this tool, but children absolutely love it. While most other tools require experience, the fish trap is much simpler to use.

Knowing we loved catching fish but worried that splitting bamboo was dangerous for us because we were too young, my grandfather would often go to the backyard and choose long bamboo branches to make a few fish traps for us.

People catch fish along the ditches surrounding the rice fields.

The older boys helped him, while the younger children watched, then ran around inventing all sorts of fun games. The gardens in my hometown had two rows of cool, green star trees leading out to the vast fields. Along the embankments around the fields, there were many kinds of wild vegetables, forest vegetables, and weeds, all familiar and connected to our childhood. Those playful days of searching for crabs and snails, picking cassava and other fruits to eat until our mouths were blackened, were filled with joy and laughter for everyone.

During the dry season, the rice paddies and ponds gradually collect water from the higher areas to the lower ones, and birds like egrets come to feed. While setting up the traps, my grandfather also made a few egret traps to catch egrets to stew for us to eat. After setting the traps, he would go around the rice paddies to catch fish and then return to check on them.

Children go fishing around the edge of the U Minh Thuong forest.

During the dry season, the water drains into the ditches around the rice fields, and these areas are teeming with snakehead and tilapia fish, making it the perfect time for fishing. My grandfather went ahead, and we followed behind. Our youngest child, who wasn't even taller than the rice stalks, loved to follow along, but after a while, he got tired and my grandfather had to carry him back into the house.

We lacked experience, so our photos often ended up with tree roots sticking out. Trying to pull them up would tear the netting and distort the camera lens, but my grandfather never scolded us. Instead, he helped us fix the lens and patiently taught us how to take photos.

The results of the fish photoshoot were mostly snakehead and perch.

When I was a child, my parents worked far away, so we stayed at home with my paternal grandparents. Every day, we would go frog hunting, fish catching, and gathering wild vegetables and banana blossoms for my grandmother to cook for dinner. The simple meals, made from ingredients from the countryside, were rustic yet delicious and appealing. Those meals left a lasting and rich memory in my mind over the years.

My homeland, with its fertile alluvial soil, bestowed upon us sweet childhood gifts, imbued with the spirit of the riverside countryside. Although the fishing trap is not used much these days, in the setting of my childhood, I have countless cherished memories. I fondly remember the times I played games with my friends, climbed trees to pick fruit, the small canals where I swam, the image of my frail grandfather diligently making fishing traps for us, and the summer afternoons spent cruising along the dikes of my peaceful village with a fishing trap perched on my shoulder.

Text and photos: Nha Uyen

Source: https://baokiengiang.vn/van-hoa-the-thao/than-thuong-chiec-chup-ca-15947.html