My Fishing Gear

I love fishing, I love computers, and I love music. So far, since I been here, I bought a computer, and a guitar. Both relatively inexpensive, but still, they weigh heavily on my tight budget. I thought I was done, but I really want to get some fishing in. I live on the coast. For Christ's sake. We should all be fishing!

Yesterday, I went looking for a rod and pole. Just something to cast off the docks with, and I can sit there and sing "Sitting on the dock of the bay" by Otis Redding. I want to land some strange Chinese fish. I am sure there lurks some kinds of unusual creatures off this coastline. So, I asked the taxi driver (read: had my student tell him on the cell phone) to take me to a fishing store. He did, it was right where all the good store are: Three Stations Market (SanXiang). So, I got out of the cab, and he drew me a little map, which consisted of a straight line and a Chinese symbol next to it. Oh well, I thought, it must be straight down this road. It wasn't, so I searched and then finally pulled out my dictionary.

I asked this girl: "Yumen?" which means fisherman, and she looked at me strangely, and then shrugged, so I started acting like I was reeling in a line and casting it. She recognized that, and I think my poor pronunciation was outweighed by the charade and the meaning sunk in. She directed me to follow her. I did. She took right to a fishing store. They had all kinds of good gear, some of which I thought were pool cues at first, but turned out to be long bamboo poles, I think. I looked around the store for a long time, asking prices, and getting things off the shelves.

Try to read where it says" "lingth" That is the indicator that it is fake. It is still really nice, but not a real Okuma, like the label says. At least I only spent $50 USD for both rod and reel.

I found a nice long but inexpensive pole and a cheap reel. Then the store manager came over and recommended some nicer items from the display. Curious, I asked "Doh Chow Chin" (Which sounds like the phrase "how much is it" in Chinese), and they were anywhere from 150 Yuan to 800 Yuan....Yikes. 800 Yuan, that is a lot, even for a rich American like me. I haggled and haggled and haggled, to no avail.

I put together a big group of products and got a quote: 580 Yuan. Man, I am not going to spend 580 Yuan on any one thing, unless it is a computer. But, all said and done, that is a pretty reasonable deal, it is about $82 USD. I didn't buy it all. Instead I haggled and haggled, and haggled. I pulled out 300 Yuan, and flipped it in the air tantalizingly. I moved it before and around the woman, and showed it to her. "San Bai Yuan, huh?" Three red colored beautiful 100 RMB notes. Mmmmmm, looks good doesn't it, I was thinking. Mmmmmmmm RMB, you like? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. She didn't bite. I guess my fishing skills are rusty. So finally I started putting things aside, and showing her the 300 Yuan in front of what was left.

I got tired of taking things aside, and she was starting to grow agitated, although she always came right back and picked up each item quoting a price in Mandarin, extolling the virtues of her wares. I was like, this little rubber worm, is not worth 7 Yuan. That's too much! To no avail, she couldn't understand me, which often works to my advantage in these situations.

So, I finally said "Doh Chow Chen" and held up the rod and reel. She said 150 for the reel, and 350 for the rod = 500 Yuan! I was like geeze, this lady won't budge. The Dean, of the school I work for, told me to offer half of what any store owner asks for, so I would have felt a fool had I left it at that. I pulled out my 300, and said "jooguh," which roughly means "this." I was determined to get what I came for for 300 Yuan. She turned it down, I added another 50 Yuan note, and she quickly jumped, almost as if, she was happy to get anything else out of me. I was about to leave.

I bought this nice carbon fibre telescoping rod, and a 10+ ball bearing long cast reel for 350 Yuan. I called my student and he said I got ripped off. Oh well, I always get ripped off, it seems. He means that I should have gotten it for 300 Yuan. The store owners see me, and their eyes light up, like, it's business time! I feel like it was a good deal. 350 Yuan is about 50 dollars, and the equipment is pretty decent. It is fake "jaide". The Rod says Okuma on it, which is a premier brand in fishing, although usually affordable: $30-80 USD for a real Okuma rod on the Internet. I got mine for like $20 USD, and the reel is not labeled as Okuma, but it feels great. The Chinese know how to make things, but they are still learning to sell over priced junk for too much money, and get away with it, like American companies can. Also, I have read numerous stories online about how manufacturers come to China, give a factory their designs, and then decide the manufacturing is either not cheap enough, or not up to snuff. The factories just keep on manufacturing them anyways, and they sell them. I guess they feel like they should get another chance, so they just take one.

I like my new rod and reel, now I just need fishing line, lures, and some leaders. I think I can get it all for around 100 Yuan! Then I go fishing!!!!