Spring Fish

Spring Fish

　　In the Xinxī River (a section of the middle and lower reaches of the Pán River) in Xīndiàn Town, Chìbì City, there is a peculiar small fish known as “Spring Fish,” which has become a rare, magical, and precious specialty of Xīndiàn Town. The Spring Fish arrives and disappears quietly in certain river sections during specific times of the year, with its timing, location, and quantity all following a certain pattern. According to annual catches, the total amount usually does not exceed 2,500 kilograms (dried). The Spring Fish is small and tender, measuring between 1.5 and 2.5 centimeters in length. Based on local fishermen’s experience, they are categorized by time into “three water flows”: the first flow fish are the smallest, about 1.5 cm long, with the best quality and the highest yield; the second flow fish are slightly longer, about 2 cm, with slightly lower quality but a similar yield to the first flow; the third flow fish are larger than the second, about 2.5 cm long, but their quantity is lower. (Chìbì)