Just now, in 2023, the 2023 Chagan Lake winter fishing luck head fish was finally sold for 1399999 yuan, which was auctioned by the "Shangqiu Agricultural Products Center of Henan Province".
In winter, Chagan Lake is covered in silver, and here, there is a group of brave fishermen, who follow the thousand-year-old tradition and use the most primitive way to fish, creating a shocking spectacle of fish in the ice lake. This is China's national intangible cultural heritage - Chagan Lake winter fishing.
Located in the former Gollus Mongolian Autonomous County of Songyuan City, Jilin Province, Chagan Lake is one of the top ten freshwater lakes in China and the last fishing and hunting tribe in northern China. There are abundant fish species here, represented by fathead fish, which is delicious and nutritious, and is deeply loved by consumers. Every year after the winter solstice and before the Spring Festival, it is the golden time for large-scale winter fishing operations of fishermen in Chagan Lake. They first used ice picks to carve out hundreds of ice holes on the surface of the lake, and then used the principle of threading needles and wires to form a circle of fishing nets several kilometers long according to the lines between the ice caves, and then used horse-drawn winches to collect the nets for fishing, and one net can catch tens of thousands of catties of fish.
Among these fish, the most striking is the "head fish".
The head fish is the biggest and best fish caught in the first net. The head fish is regarded as a symbol of good luck and good luck, and has always been the "color head" for tourists to compete for. Every year in the winter fishing, there will be an auction of the head fish, attracting businesses, enterprises and individuals from all over the country to come to bid, and the price is also rising, constantly refreshing the record. In 2023, Chagan Lake caught a good luck head fish in winter, and finally sold it at a price of nearly 1.4 million, which is a 35-pound fathead fish, which has also hit a new high in recent years, reflecting the preciousness and popularity of head fish.
Many people say that the fish in Chagan Lake are all bathing fish, because about 3 million catties of fish are caught every year, but why can't the fish in it be finished?
In fact, you only need to go to the local area and talk to the fishermen to find out.
The reason why the fish in Chagan Lake cannot be caught is that the fishermen of Chagan Lake have mastered a set of scientific fishery management and ecological protection methods.
Winter fishing in Chagan Lake is not random fishing, but has strict norms and standards. The fishermen of Chagan Lake use the fishing nets, which are carefully measured, and the size of the mesh is 6 inches, so that the small fry can easily become "fish that slip through the net", and only catch the big fish that have grown for more than 5 years in the mature period, ensuring the growth and reproduction of the fish.
In addition, Chagan Lake releases 10 million fry into the lake in spring and autumn every year, and the average weight of a single fry is about 100 grams. In this way, only the fry are released about 2 million catties every year, and after about 5 years of growth, they grow to the size of the fishing net, which greatly improves the fishery production. In addition, the proceeds from the previous winter fishing auctions in Chagan Lake will be entered into the account of the "Charity Fund for Ecological and Environmental Protection of Chagan Lake", which will be used to purchase fish fry that are reproduced and released in spring and autumn in Chagan Lake, so as to promote the sustainable development of Chagan Lake fishery.
Finally, the surface of Chagan Lake is more than 300 square kilometers, and the area of winter fishing is only a few square kilometers every year, and the fishermen can never catch all the fish in the lake, and there will always be other fish schools hiding in unknown corners, which has caused the phenomenon of "fish every year".
Some people say that the fish from Chagan Lake are brought in from other places, and then put in the lake and then fished out and sold. There is no basis for this statement, and there is no way to fake it because CCTV reporters and media broadcast the whole process of the winter fishing in Chagan Lake every year. If the fish you bought are in the lake, then they will roam freely in the lake, and there is no guarantee that they will be caught in the net, if the net is not enough, then there is no point in releasing the fish. In addition, the movement of fish from one place to another is likely to cause a stress response and a large number of dead fish, which will also cause concern for journalists.
What are the advantages of the fathead fish in Chagan Lake? Why is it sold at a very high price, but the supply still exceeds the demand?
Chagan Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in China, located in the former Gollus Mongolian Autonomous County of Jilin Province, with a lake surface area of more than 300 square kilometers, clear water, abundant aquatic plants, and is a paradise for fish. The fishermen of Chagan Lake never feed the fish any bait, nor do they use any chemical fertilizers and pesticides, so that the fish can grow freely and enjoy the gifts of nature. Such a fish is certainly the purest and most delicious wild fish.
The fathead fish in the lake is a kind of high-protein, low-fat, low-cholesterol health food, rich in a variety of essential amino acids, and its meat is delicate, delicious, fat but not greasy, suitable for various cooking methods, whether it is steaming, braised in hot pot, or sauerkraut, sauce stew, can present a unique fragrance. The huge head of the fathead fish is a delicacy, rich in collagen and DNA high unsaturated fatty acids, which is also very nourishing for female diners.
The fathead fish of Chagan Lake is not only a delicious food, but also a symbol of culture. It contains the wisdom and courage of the fishermen of Chagan Lake, and also inherits the tradition and spirit of winter fishing in Chagan Lake. If possible, it is recommended that you go to the local area to see the grand occasion of winter fishing, which I believe will bring you an unforgettable experience.