Chapter 346: Chapter 214: The Skill is Not Just for Show
With Zhang Yang’s support, Liu’Er officially settled down in W City. There was a well-arranged board house near the livestream base’s reservoir where he could stay. It was equipped with water, electricity, air conditioning, a refrigerator, and basic kitchenware. Liu Zi lived there and could also keep an eye on the reservoir at night to prevent anyone from stealing fish.
Zhang Yang was true to his word. After dinner that day, he gave Liu Zi a living expense of two thousand yuan, paid monthly. This level of support was equivalent to the salary of an ordinary worker, more than enough for daily expenses.
Once things were settled for Liu Zi, Zhang Yang handed Meng Fan a training plan he had painstakingly finalized after half a night’s research.
The next morning, Meng Fan drove to the livestream base reservoir as agreed.
"Boss! Training has started. What are we practicing today for the first day? I’ve brought all my gear!"
Meng Fan had a restful sleep at home and was full of energy now.
Zhang Yang, taking advantage of the time before the livestream started, said, "First, unload all the gear! Start with the very basics!"
"The basics? What are they?" Meng Fan was a bit confused.
"Stop dallying, Liu Zi, help your Brother Fan unload the gear! Hurry up!"
"Oh, okay, Brother Fan, you rest first. I’ll carry the fishing box, just watch out!" Liu Zi was quick on his feet and turned around to carry the fishing box.
Meng Fan was no Zhu Wu and soon joined in. The two brothers quickly unloaded all the gear from the car.
Before the two, Zhang Yang scrutinized Meng Fan’s fishing gear with a very critical eye.
"Competitive fishing isn’t like recreational or pond fishing; to achieve results, even the tiniest details must be flawless!
Most of your fishing gear here is unusable! The ones I’ve picked out, put them aside separately. You can’t use them anymore!"
"What? All of these are branded items, I never use cheap stuff! They don’t meet the standards?"
Hearing Zhang Yang’s critique, Meng Fan felt a bit indignant. When it came to gear, he was somewhat of a fanatic, only ever buying top-tier brands.
Zhang Yang ignored Meng Fan’s retort and busied himself.
First, he sorted through the rod bag, only leaving the three sizes: three-meters-six, four-meters-five, and five-meters-four rods, setting the others aside.
Next was the bobber box, removing all the heavyweight bobbers and reservoir bobbers not needed for competitive fishing.
Following were the main line box and the leader line box, setting standards per competitive fishing’s highest requirements, removing all oversized main line and hook models.
Before Zhang Yang started, Meng Fan thought his gear was comprehensive and well-prepared, but after sorting, only less than forty percent of the gear remained usable.
"Alright, make do with what’s left for now! I’ll bring you hooks and main lines later. If you want to compete, you must personally ensure the preparations, no one else can do it for you!"
"What’s next? What are we doing on the first day?" Meng Fan already understood the purpose behind Zhang Yang’s actions and began looking forward to the training ahead.
"While the morning is still cool, we’ll have a three-hour casting practice! One hour each for three-meters-six, four-meters-five, and five-meters-four rods. Use the bobbers with the smallest lead weights, provided you can see them clearly with your vision!
The requirement is simple: if you can use the 5.4-meter rod to bring the wheat spike fish in the reservoir to the surface, then you’ll pass!
Alright, use some pellet powder to make some bait, and get started!"
"Oh, okay!"
This casting training requirement wasn’t unfamiliar to Meng Fan. When he first joined Zhongsheng Fishing School, the instructors had him practice casting basics too, but they required using a three-meters-six rod. Zhang Yang’s standards were more stringent on this point.
During the time Meng Fan spent with Zhang Yang, he developed basic fishing technical skills. He quickly measured out some pellet powder, mixed it with snowflake powder, light bran, and lubricating powder, and practiced systematically.
Throughout the practice, Zhang Yang stood silently behind Meng Fan, like a real teacher, writing and drawing in a small notebook, recording something unknown.
With the three-meters-six rod, Meng Fan managed a decent casting frequency, thanks to his background in pond and reservoir fishing. The rod wasn’t heavy, and the casting accuracy was acceptable, with no major issues noted.
However, as he gradually transitioned to the fifteen-foot and eighteen-foot rods, the difficulties surfaced.
The bobbers Zhang Yang selected had a maximum lead weight of just over two grams. Even with the largest bobber on the 5.4-meter setup, Meng Fan’s casting accuracy suffered terribly amidst minor wind influences, scattering the bait extensively.
Initially, Meng Fan gritted his teeth and persisted, but after about twenty minutes, he couldn’t take it anymore.
During a break in Zhang Yang’s livestream, Meng Fan scratched his head and whispered, "Boss, using such a small bobber on a five-meters-four rod, isn’t it a bit inappropriate?
If the wind blows even a little, it’s hard to cast accurately! Hardly anyone could manage this, right?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yang, instead of his usual smiley demeanor, smirked, "If it wasn’t difficult, you wouldn’t need to practice! Stand up, I’ll demonstrate for you!"
"Oh!"
After saying this, Meng Fan got up from the fishing box and handed the rod to Zhang Yang.