Hua Hong Ice Factory : Cast Net

My father loved fishing. Being the eldest in the family life had its ups ad downs for him especially when he was still young and my grandfather was still struggling to make ends meet.

My father told us that he had to learn how to cast a net very early in life to bring home fish whenever he was free from school work. My grandmother was burdened by household chores and looking after my great grandparents and the small children who were born each year.

Before my Chong grandmother passed away, my father had learned to help to cook, wash, and look after his siblings well. He was not fond of talking and was very reflective.

He must have enjoyed taking the small boat out with my grand uncle Kung Eng, either to Sg. Merah or the bigger Rajang. And they would cast their nets.

My father loved to eat fish and may be that was the reason why he did a very good job throwing down his nets.

My 7th aunt remembers him taking out a pail and a net when the tide was high at night to do some net casting. After an hour or two, he would be home with some fish. He would carefully clean the fish and prepare a late night snack for all the smaller siblings. That was his hobby.

Whether he made his own nets, we would never know now. He must have made his own net, is our guess. But he could have bought the nets from the Malay and Iban employees of the Ice Factory, where he was manager.