King of the Wilderness-Chapter 60: Building a Fishing Platform

Day fifty-one arrived.

During the days of smoking meat, aside from refining oil and odd jobs, there was a significant task that consistently interspersed Lin Yu’an’s life.

That was repairing the stinging net that unfortunately got damaged before.

A fully intact stinging net is a crucial means of obtaining food, and it’s a path Lin Yu’an wouldn’t abandon.

Whenever he had spare time, his fingers flew through the dense net lines; the process was slow, monotonous, always testing his endurance.

Finally, this morning, after carefully inspecting all the meticulously repaired parts, he let out a long sigh of relief, the stinging net was finally fully restored.

"My stinging net can be deployed into battle again!"

Having repaired the stinging net, Lin Yu’an did not rush to set it into the water.

"Learning from last time, I’ve decided to create a sturdy net platform!"

Lin Yu’an’s gaze fell onto a lakeshore area near the shelter that he had surveyed earlier.

An image of a strong and practical structure appeared in his mind, just like the one he had seen at the logging camp before.

Characterized by several sturdy wooden stakes driven deeply into the lakebed for support, with several logs laid as a platform pier allowing it to extend some distance into the lake. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

This type of platform would not only allow him to set the stinging net further from the shore into potentially denser fish areas,

but also serve as a great observation point and fishing platform, bringing multiple benefits! The key was its robustness, preventing the stinging net from being blown ashore by the wind.

Another day of immediate action, having food meant there was no panic.

Lin Yu’an took his logging axe and handsaw and began selecting suitable materials by the lake.

He needed several thick pieces of timber washed by lake water over the years for the underwater support stakes and several relatively straight logs for the platform surface.

He carefully chose several spruce trees with diameters of about fifteen to twenty centimeters that grew relatively straight and had hard wood.

Also, he found driftwood along the lakeshore, which was smooth from years of washing.

"For underwater support stakes, the timber’s resistance to corrosion and structural strength are extremely important. These driftwoods as support stakes can last a considerable time underwater."

Using the logging axe and handsaw, he cut and made adjustments to the selected woods, then based on estimated water depth and platform height, he cut four stakes about two and a half to three meters long.

He carefully sharpened one end of these stakes with the axe, making them easier to drive into the lakebed sediment.

Next, he selected two relatively straight logs about three meters long and twenty centimeters in diameter to serve as the main beams for the platform.

And several slightly thinner, shorter logs matching the preset platform width as cross-panel materials.

Once the materials were ready, Lin Yu’an transported those four pointed stakes to the selected lakeshore area.

Dressed in rain pants, he cautiously entered the icy, chilling lake water; the late autumn lake water carried a strong chill, approximately waist-deep.

About one meter from the shore, he confirmed the position of the first pair of support stakes, about one meter apart, which would be the platform’s width.

"Ensure they won’t easily wobble, able to withstand any potential future wind waves."

He stood a pointed stake vertically at the designated spot and used the thick axe back as a hammer, aiming at the top of the stake, he forcefully pounded down one strike after another!

He drove in the other three support stakes in the same manner.

These four deep brown stakes stood firmly like sentinels amidst the rippling lake water, forming a solid foundation.

With the support stakes completed, Lin Yu’an began setting up the platform’s main beams.

He lifted the two logs, each about three meters long and twenty centimeters in diameter, and parallelly placed them over the front and back pair of support stakes.

For solid connections, using the logging axe, he chopped matching grooves into the top of each support stake.

This allowed the main beams to stably "sit" within the grooves atop the support stakes, greatly enhancing the connection’s stability.

Next, he took out ready iron nails and securely nailed the main beams to each support stake!

With the main beams fixed, the stable platform framework emerged over the lake surface.

After most of a day of diligent labor, a sturdy and practical wooden net platform steadily extended more than three meters from the Chilco Lake shore towards the lake center.

Although its form was rough, every connection point was exceptionally firm and the structure very robust, capable of withstanding strong winds.

Lin Yu’an stood on the newly built net platform, the wooden platform beneath his feet emitted a pleasant sound under the gentle waves.

"Guys, I’ve officially completed my lakeside multi-functional work platform!"

"With it, I can set the stinging net in deeper waters more conveniently, hoping for a fruitful haul."

"And, fishing from here offers a wider view; perhaps this is indeed the ideal spot for a remarkable catch!"

Without further delaying, he immediately returned to the shelter and fetched the repaired stinging net.

Besides that, he also brought a four-meter-long spruce rod.

While unraveling the stinging net, Lin Yu’an explained his net-setting strategy.

"For this stinging net, I need to firmly secure one end underwater away from the shore."

"The other end is tied to our fishing platform to form an effective intercepting net."

He picked up the four-meter spruce rod and tightly bound one end of the stinging net, along with its upper and lower parachute cords, to the rod’s tip.

He repeatedly circled the rod about ten centimeters from the tip, ensuring the stinging net was securely connected with the rod tip.

Standing at the platform’s edge, he firmly gripped the long rod connected to the stinging net with both hands.

He aimed the rod’s pointed end towards the lake far from the platform, then began pushing it forward horizontally and gradually.

As the long rod extended further, the stinging net attached to the tip was simultaneously carried out.

The net body piled on the platform was smoothly drawn into the water section by section under tension.

The wooden floats tied to the upper guideline left the platform one by one and floated on the water surface, forming a gradually lengthening and clear line of buoys.

While the weights tied to the lower guideline pulled the bottom part of the net vertically towards the lakebed.

The entire stinging net formed a "wall under the water" extending outward from the fishing platform once fully stretched.

This completed the vertical net setup extending from the platform.

"Alright, the stinging net has been successfully set again!"

"This spot’s depth is about three meters and several meters from the shore, which is just the path where some large trout or pike might roam in search of food."

"Now, the only thing we need to do is patiently wait."

"Generally speaking, dusk and dawn are the times when fish are most active, making it the prime period for net harvest."

"Tomorrow morning, we’ll see what kind of surprises this lake brings us."

With all done, the sky gradually darkened.

Lin Yu’an did not engage in other activities but returned to the stone house, using previously smoked venison jerky and some wild onions to prepare a simple dinner.

He lay in bed and started reviewing the recent plans.

Tomorrow would be the fifty-second day, with winter nearing, his food supply was temporarily not a concern, but fuel was the upcoming priority.

He forced himself to stay busy every day, preventing any mental state issues.

In his past life, when watching Alone in the Wilderness, he identified this problem; solitude is the greatest challenge in the wild.

Many keyboard warriors claim if food is abundant, lying idle should suffice!

Just let them try spending seven days without interacting with anyone.

Why do prisoners fear solitary confinement? When alone, one’s mind inevitably wanders, easily overthinking.

Hence, Lin Yu’an compelled himself to have tasks to do daily, avoiding excessive thinking.

This was the consensus survival tactic among all participants.

——————

(Thanks to all shareholders for their support, celebrating the new book "Left Seal Push")