BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Winter fishing season has come once again to Chagan Lake in northeast China's Jilin province. The centuries-old technique to catch fish dates back nearly 2,000 years ago.

Freezing temperatures haven't kept tourists from visiting Chagan Lake in the northwest of Jilin Province. The Lake, which covers an area of almost 500 sq km, is one of the biggest freshwater lake in the country. Winter fishing here which boasts a wide varieties of fish, has been popular for more than thousands of years.

Each winter, fishermen use the centuries-old technique of drilling holes and casting net in temperatures of minus 20 to minus 30 degrees Celsius. There is no modern machineries required for the fishing, just the men and horses to do the job. And the Early Bird catches the worm, this is absolutely true for the fishermen here: they set out before sunrise, and wrap up in the late afternoon.

The key part of the job is to cast the huge net with a perimeter of 2,000 meters into the lake...each day the captain will decide where to fish and whether they'll have a good day, all depends on this location.

While most people are still asleep, Mongolian fishermen and their horses are heading to the heart of Chagan Lake, where they find the gift of nature.

The fishermen first drill a circle of holes around the lake, then by hooking and pulling the fishing net through these holes, the entire net is cast. The last hole is where they winch up the fishes. And the rule of thumb to survive on the frozen lake: the older you get, the wiser you become.

"I can tell if the fish is a female or male and even how many bones each type of fish here has," said captain of fishing crew Shi Baozhu.

By noontime, a day's work is almost complete. Tens of thousands of fresh Chagan fish are pulled out, the harvest explains why the old captain is well respected by the crew.

"There are no shortcuts in ice fishing, the good catch only comes after years of experience... So when the captain makes a decision, we follow," said fisherman Yu Yang.

The locals are hoping by preserving this original and authentic way of fishing, there will be plenty of fish for future generations.

"After releasing the fish during the summer, we let them grow freely and there is no need for feeding because the lake is rich in nutrients. The ecosystem as well as the ancient fishing method are the lifelines for us," Shi said.

The fishermen know, as they have for centuries, that the lake will continue to provide, only as long as it is well looked after. "Over the past decade, the annual catch during the 40 day fishing period has averaged at least 150,000 kilograms of fish. And the day after tomorrow there will be an opening ceremony for the ice fishing festival where we will have the chance to see an auction for the first fish caught on that day, last year, the first catch went for a record of 58 thousand US dollars, the price is bound to rise this year. And the good thing about this auction is that the money will be used in protecting the ecosystem for the lake and surrounding areas.