Chapter 6 Fishing at the Water Gates

Water gates,almost everywhere Teluk Anson had many water gates,so much so Fabian thought President Nixon learn about them from Teluk Anson.No,lah only a silly joke how can Nixon learn from Malaya about them.

So as suggested the day before the gang set out to fish at that water gate Heng mentioned.The Yap brothers had the patient to sit quietly at one spot and fished,but Fabian did not have that type of patient.He was lying on the cemented side and sleeping.However his brother was never like him and followed the Yap brothers sitting quietly and fished.

Minutes passed the elder Yap was the first to catch one fish."It is a "ikan hantu",(ikan hantu is a very lazy fish that sleep in one place all the time waiting for food to come to its mouth)."It is not big but at least something",said the elder Yap.

"Let me see so this is the "ikan hantu",asked Fabian,"fish not taking my bait,why?"asked Fabian."Because you moved about too much",says Francis."wait,I catch one for you,you see",said Fabian.No sooner had he stopped talking his bait was taken and he hurriedly pulled up the rod.Sure enough there was a fish.

A smiling Fabian said,"See I told you so,I got a fish"."Yeah,lah you clever',said Francis.That day they got a number of fishes to take home for dinner.About to go they saw a number of mud jumpers."Aiya,very ugly fish,can jump very well with big jutting eyes.Can swim and jump on land,luckily cannot eat".

Yes,those days people do not eat them now the Japanese and people in Hong Kong, and Taiwan consumed them.

The river was just a short distance away and they never bothered to wander towards it,for there was another bigger water gate further up.Fabian and the Yap brothers often went there to fish and to swim.The stream flowing out there was very much bigger and deep enough to swim.

Fresh water oysters but not many,because whenever the gang went there were only a handful of them,insufficient to go round for everyone,so the elder Yap took them home.But swimming at that water gate was wonderful,so peaceful and no disturbances whatsoever.