According to statistics from the China Angling Association, there are currently about 140 million active anglers in China, making it a major manufacturing country for fishing gear. Over 80 percent of fishing gear products worldwide are made in China. By the end of 2023, the market size for fishing gear and related industries in China had exceeded 50 billion yuan, with more than 636,000 fishing-related companies. The export value of major fishing gear products reached nearly 1.8 billion USD.

Having evolved from an ancient form of hunting, today's fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in China. According to data from Douyin, the topic #fishing# has accumulated over 290 billion views on the platform.

Fly fishing is a unique fishing method that uses artificial baits designed to mimic real ones. Since cold-water fish are the main targets in fly fishing and tend to be more active in winter, many anglers choose to engage in this activity during the winter season. Li Yu, a freelancer from Beijing, was introduced to this sport after a trip with friends, marking the beginning of his fly fishing journey.