As we all know, there are many, many ways to catch a fish. Sadly, I’m not good at any of them, so imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a video of a little boy using plastic bottles to catch some delicious protein for his family. As the proverb says, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and this kid proves it without a doubt, which explains why the clip has been called the “best fishing video.”
Like hunting, fishing is one of the earliest ways humans have harvested resources from the Earth, and different cultures have devised different methods, which have evolved over time. But, even armed with the best lures, lines, and rods, some of us still don’t have much luck catching dinner. So, the idea of trying to catch fish with little more than plastic bottles and a string sounds like an impossible task.
However, it can be done. Proving that necessity does indeed breed invention, a young boy schooled adults around the world on the art of fishing, using the simplest of tools. In fact, it took him little more than a few items you’d likely find in the trash to successfully catch dinner for his family. It was an astonishing feat, to say the least, which is why it quickly went viral and has been called the “best fishing video.”
Posted to the “Pro Fish Hunter” YouTube channel, the 8-minute clip features a “traditional boy” doing a grown person’s job with only the basics at his disposal. Having to make do with what he has, he settles along the edge of a river with some plastic soda bottles, string, and sticks before getting down to business, and his confidence in his invention is palpable.
Although we may doubt whether or not his makeshift gear will produce the desired results as we watch him get to work, he seems to know that, with his method, he will be eating a delicious fish dinner in no time. And, amazingly, he’s right.
Instead of branded and expensive angling equipment, the little boy prepares his lure by making do with what he has. Instead of worms, small fish, bugs, or fancy lures, he utilizes some kind of dough putty as bait, according to Shareably. Once he feels the hooks are skillfully wrapped with enough of the dough bait, the child walks to the edge of the river and begins to set up his fishing lines.
After planting reeds near the water’s edge, the child then unspools his fishing line from the soda bottles before placing the bottles onto the sticks to secure them. Then, using a bit of skill, he hurls the baited lines into the water and the wait begins. Three hours later, according to the video, he returns to gather his spoils.
Initially, it looks like the lines are just sitting in the water, but then the boy begins to re-spool his line around the first bottle. Eventually, the water by his feet begins to flutter and splash. After a little hard work, it becomes clear he’s caught a big one. And, a big one indeed! It’s nearly the size of the boy’s own body! But, he’s not done.
After skillfully reeling in the first catch of the day and pulling it out of the water and onto the shore of the river, he places it in his bowl and moves on to the other bottles, excitedly pulling in more fish. Although the next one is smaller, it’s still a decent catch. Then, comes the third, which is the smallest yet. However, the fourth line doesn’t disappoint.
While the last fish is smaller than the first, it’s still going to make for a filling meal or two, and you can hear the boy’s excited squeals in the video, knowing that he’s had a big haul. And, he has every reason to be both excited and proud. At such a young age, he shows mastery of a skill many adults struggle to accomplish. He’s already developed amazing dexterity, instinct, and discipline, and it comes as no surprise that he left viewers impressed.
“Amazing technique, but a much more impressive young man. At such a young age he is already a great fisherman and has incredible strength. I know he will go far in life, keep up the great work,” one such viewer wrote as many others also flooded the comments to express their admiration. Overall, it seems many were most impressed by his motivation and patience — not something many seemed to expect from a small child. However, this kid proves that children are often more capable than we give them credit for. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of necessity to give them a push. After all, hunger is a great motivator.
