Crabby pastimes and fishy recreations

Posted by noelbynature under Lifestyle, Reflections
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In this vivid recollection, Freddy Neo writes about growing up near the Pierce Reservoir and passing the time catching freshwater crabs and fish. How many kids today can claim to do the same?

Freddy writes:

Usually, I got to keep our haul of crabs or fish because none of my classmates wanted them. One of them, who was my closest friend, was an expert in digging the crab holes to catch the crabs but would not bring any home. He told me that his mother will cane him if she found out that he had gone crabbing in the forest. By the way, the crabs were about the size of a 50 cent coin and I put all of them in my fish tank at home. Away from the pristine water of the jungle stream, none of them survived more than a few days.

Jungles, streams, fish and crabs - it’s hard to imagine this was Singapore in the 60s! There are still little pockets of jungle around, but do kids ever play like this anymore? Read Freddy’s full story on Good Morning Yesterday.

I personally think it’s a pity that many kids today have grown up without such fishes adventures - of ploughing ankle-deep in muck seeking out those elusive guppies and if you are lucky a molly or a swordtail. You found out who your friends are - those who were willing to use body parts as makeshift dams to trap the slimy quarry.

Environmentalists today would shudder at our plunder of nature but each trip yielded just a few prized speciments and we almost left many more behind for “next time”.

While we may have started off with the intention of bagging the “big one”, these fishing expeditions afterall were not for catching the fish. It was about bonding. Little boys out on their own - working together - competing against each other - forging memories that will never grow old.

Rating: +1