The Siberian grayling fish (Thymallus arcticus) is a cold-loving representative of the salmon family (Salmonidae). The closest geographical relatives are trout, muksun, pyzhyan, omul, broad whitefish, and peled. Forms a genus of the same name, consisting of several similar subspecies. According to experts, it has the most beautiful exterior among all the freshwater ichthyofauna of the Eurasian continent.
What is grayling
The origin of the species name has Finno-Ugric roots and is written in the original as harjus. The only semantic load of the word was the designation of a specific fish, so it successfully took root in many other languages, including German - harzus, Estonian - harjuse, Swedish - harren, Norwegian - harr, etc. Local forms of the name, characteristic of various regions of Russia, are also widespread - gairus, gavriz, kargus, harlez, hairyuz. You can come across the nickname “zhigan”, which describes the mischievous nature of the taxon. In some areas, grayling is mistakenly called whitefish due to its external resemblance to representatives of the biologically related taxon Coregonus.
The modern use in Russian of once borrowed Finno-Ugric, Sami, Turkic and other names of families and various types of ichthyofauna is not uncommon:
- sargi or sorroh – soroga (roach);
- lasisa – salmon;
- ogr – eel;
- kumza - trout.
- silakka – herring;
- dlesc – bream;
- karpie - carp;
- kilu – sprat;
- kuoreh – smelt;
- raabuskas – vendace.
In turn, the original Slavic names are easily guessed by their understandable descriptive component - bellied, blue, croaker, rudd, tench, bystryanka, beluga, catfish.
What types of aquatic biological resources are prohibited from catching?
a) in fishing areas provided for the organization of amateur and sport fishing:
1) Siberian sturgeon and sterlet - everywhere;
2) valek - in the Tuba River basin;
3) lenok - in all water bodies of fishery importance in the Ob River basin;
b) outside the fishing grounds provided for the organization of recreational and sport fishing, fishing of all types of aquatic biological resources is prohibited, with the exception of those listed below: pink salmon, trout, grayling, smelt, Arctic omul (Yenisei Bay of the Kara Sea, Kara Sea), pike, dace, crucian carp, bream, tench, ide, carp, roach, burbot, perch, ruffe, pike perch, gudgeon, spined loach, verkhovka, minnows, sculpin gobies, broadhead, barbel char, bleak, rotan, osman, gammarus, crayfish .
What does grayling look like?
The exterior of the fish is characteristic of the inhabitants of the rapids and uniquely identifies representatives of the genus Thymallus arcticus.
Distinctive features of the appearance of Siberian grayling include:
- oval elongated body;
- large, finite mouth;
- elongated upper jaw;
- clearly visible small teeth;
- a slightly humped back in solid dark gray or greenish tones with speckles;
- tightly fitting medium-sized scales;
- bluish-gray or silver sides with lilac, cinnamon or olive tint;
- the presence of an adipose and wide fan-shaped dorsal fin with reddish, black, turquoise or purple spots;
- lighter belly;
- strong caudal peduncle;
- large, slightly bulging eyes.
The primary and secondary colors may vary depending on the specific habitat, depth, light and transparency of the water, and the type of bottom. The fry has a protective camouflage characteristic of salmon with vertical brown stripes.
Interestingly, the dwarf forms of grayling that inhabit isolated mountain lakes retain their “baby” color throughout their lives.
Distribution and habitats
The fish lives only in cool, fresh environments with moderate to strong currents, leading a sedentary lifestyle. The distance of food migrations does not exceed 10-40 km. Siberian grayling is distributed in the northeastern part of Eurasia in the basin of the Pacific and Arctic oceans. It is most numerous in rivers and their tributaries flowing into the Laptev Sea, Kara and Okhotsk Seas (Ob, Lena, Amur, Yenisei). A large representation of the taxon is typical for Lake Baikal, Altai and Mongolia.
To learn more:
Description and characteristics of Baikal grayling
To a lesser extent, the species is found in the Urals, in the basins of the Baltic and White Seas, mountain or spring lakes, and vast reservoirs where people release them.
Siberian grayling feels excellent in fast currents, but always tries to choose areas with a moderately smooth flow or relative calm for long-term parking. Due to the nature of surface feeding, the fish does not need great depths, occupying the top layer of 1-2 meters. In this case, the characteristics of the bottom are important, which should be hard, not form excessive turbidity and provide a sufficient amount of reliable shelters - coarse sand, pebbles, stones, boulders, snags.
Regardless of size and age, all individuals in the flock try not to stray far from the shore, preferring to hide in the shade of bushes and trees, where there is the highest probability of insects falling to the surface of the water.
Forbidden tools and methods of fishing in the Krasnoyarsk Territory
On the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the extraction (catch) of aquatic biological resources by any means of extraction (catch) is prohibited, with the exception of the following:
outside the fishing (fishing) areas provided for the organization of recreational and sport fishing:
- summer and winter fishing rods of all modifications with a total number of hooks of no more than 4 pieces on fishing gear for one citizen;
- fly fishing rods, spinning rods, using spinners, wobblers, flies and other baits;
- “ship”, with a total number of hooks of no more than 4 pieces;
- zherlitsy and mugs with a total number of no more than 2 pieces per citizen;
- nets (bait hook gear) and casting fishing rods ("casting rods"), including the use of rubber shock absorbers, with a total number of hooks of no more than 4 pieces on fishing gear for one citizen;
- onto the track (trolling);
- special pistols and shotguns for underwater hunting without the use of scuba gear and other self-contained breathing apparatus for the purposes of recreational and sport fishing;
- fine-mesh nets no more than 3 m long, with a mesh size (pitch) of no more than 10 mm for catching “live bait” (juvenile bleak, dace, crucian carp, bream, tench, roach, burbot, perch, ruffe, gudgeon, spined lance, verkhovka, minnows, sculpin gobies, broadhead, barbel char);
in fishing (fishing) areas provided for the organization of recreational and sport fishing:
- summer and winter fishing rods of all modifications with a total number of hooks of no more than 10 pieces on fishing gear for one citizen;
- fly fishing rods, spinning rods using spinners, wobblers, flies and other baits;
- “ship”, with a total number of hooks of no more than 5 pieces;
- zherlitsy and mugs with a total number of no more than 10 pieces per citizen;
- ready-made knotted fishing nets, produced by machine or manually from various synthetic monofilaments with a thread diameter of less than 0.5 mm, having a mesh size (pitch) of no less than that specified in Appendix No. 3 to the Fishery Rules “Minimum mesh size (pitch) (mm) of gear production (catch) used for industrial fishing, as well as amateur and sport fishing";
- (as amended by Order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia dated February 18, 2016 N 62)
- ready-made knotted fishing nets, produced by machine or manually from other synthetic monofilaments with a thread diameter of less than 0.5 mm and a mesh size of less than 100 mm (the size of the constructive mesh pitch is less than 50 mm);
- slings (bait hook tackle) and casting fishing rods (“throwing rods”), including the use of rubber shock absorbers, with a total number of hooks of no more than 10 pieces on the fishing gear of one citizen;
- seines (drags) for the extraction (catch) of tugun with a length of no more than 25 m, the size (pitch) of the mesh in the net is not less than 10 mm;
- special pistols and shotguns for underwater hunting without the use of scuba gear and other self-contained breathing apparatus for the purposes of recreational and sport fishing;
- fixed traps (venter, “vanda”, “muzzle”) with a wing length of no more than 2 m, with a mesh size (pitch) not less than specified in the table “Minimum mesh size (pitch) (mm) of fishing gear used for implementation of industrial fishing, as well as recreational and sport fishing" (see table below;
Minimum mesh size (pitch) (mm) of production (catch) gear used for industrial fishing, as well as recreational and sport fishing
Types of aquatic biological resources, pool, water body of fishery significance
Cast nets | Networks | Set traps | Straining, trawling, fixed mining (catch) gear (nets, small and large concentrators, storage trawls, catch pins, nets), trawling traps | Crayfish traps with a diameter of no more than 70 cm | |||||||||
mo-nya | when-water | wings | fixed seines | venteria | Traps (“vans”, “muzzles”, etc.) (gap between the rods) | ||||||||
ko-tel and yard | work area wing | barrel, yard, wings | wing (length no more than 10 m) | ||||||||||
court part | outer part | ||||||||||||
Start | end | ||||||||||||
Freshwater char | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Grayling in all water bodies of fishery importance related to the basins of the Lower Tunguska and Turukhan rivers; water bodies of fishery importance located north of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska and Turukhan river basins, including the Kureyskoye and Ust-Khantaiskoye reservoirs; water bodies of fishing significance related to the Yenisei River basin, located north of the village of Turukhansk; in the lakes of the Republic of Tyva | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Grayling in other water bodies of fishery importance | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Muksun | — | — | — | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peled (cheese) in Lake Khantaiskoye, Ust-Khantaiskoye Reservoir | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peled (cheese) in other water bodies of fishery importance: | — | — | |||||||||||
large form | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
small form | — | — | — | 36 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 40 | 18 | 30 | — | ||
Whitefish in the Yenisei River from the village of Kostino to the village of Kazantsevo, from the city of Divnogorsk to the village of Kostino | 30 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 24 | 28 | 35 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Whitefish in the Yenisei River below the village of Kazantsevo and in other water bodies of fishery importance | 35 | 45 | 50 | 50 | 26 | 35 | 40 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — |
Vendace in the Yenisei River | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 12 | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
Vendace in the Pyasina and Khatanga rivers | 18 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 14 | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
Vendace in lakes Purinskie, Makovskoe, Sovetskie, Vivi, Nadudo-Turku | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Vendace in other lakes of the Ust-Khantaysky and Kureysky reservoirs | 18 | 20 | 26 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Omul in the Yenisei River in the area from the village of Kostino to the village of Kazantsevo | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Omul in the Yenisei River below the village of Kazantsevo | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Omul in Lake Taimyr and in the Khatanga River below the village of Kresty | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Chir | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Tugun | 10 | 12 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Smelt | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Pike and ide | 30 | 36 | 45 | 45 | 24 | 28 | 35 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Pike in reservoirs | — | — | — | 50 | 26 | 32 | 40 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — |
Bream | 40 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 30 | 40 | 45 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — |
Carp (carp) | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Roach, perch | 18 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 22 | 20 | — | — |
Dace | 14 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 12 | 18 | 16 | — | — |
Carp | 26 | 30 | 36 | 36 | 18 | 26 | 30 | 40 | 18 | 30 | 28 | — | — |
Osman | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nelma | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Gammarus, Artemia (at the cyst stage) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
Cancers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 |
Fishery rules prohibit the production (catching) of crayfish using any tools and methods of production (catch), with the exception of crayfish traps of various types of designs, no more than three pieces per citizen.
Lifestyle of Siberian grayling
Schooling fish are distinguished by cautious habits, sensitivity to changes in the environment and rapid movements when necessary to escape or obtain food. Siberian grayling is a tireless predator, but at the same time it is omnivorous and is able to successfully survive even with a severe shortage of food supply.
The main menu line is insects, especially in the summer-autumn period.
Favorite delicacies are:
- flies, grasshoppers, mayfly;
- chironomids, dragonflies, horseflies;
- butterflies, beetles and various small midges.
The spring diet consists of benthic organisms, worms, caddis flies, eggs and fry. In winter, the carnivorous tendencies inherent in nature are fully manifested. The main food becomes juvenile whitefish, carp and goby species.
A striking example is Lake Baikal, where the predator strictly regulates the yellowwing goby population. To survive, small fish have to spawn three times a year.
Grayling is not known for its constant gorging. It has a stomach with a long digestion process - after eating heavily in the morning or evening, it does not feel hungry for 10-16 hours.
The fish overwinters in pits with an abundance of oxygen, where they remain during periods of severe frost and deep winter. The rest of the time, the predator makes short-term food migrations, which makes it a popular target for ice fishing with small spoons and jigs.
Predators
Which predators live in the Yenisei? As a rule, spinning anglers hunt for large perch and pike. Moreover, the latter can easily be caught weighing up to ten kilograms. And the perches here are also not small.
However, fishermen are often faced with the fact that it is not so easy to get to the overgrown banks of the river. Therefore, most often they use rafting by boat. Moreover, rafting can be carried out both along the main channel of the Yenisei and along its tributaries.
It also happens: Angara fishing for bait
What else can you expect when fishing?
On the territory of the river there are large green islands. As a rule, it is in these places that trophy pike are caught.
There are other fish here that are worthy of attention, for example, burbot. It is caught not only in the main part of the river, but also in the largest tributaries of the Yenisei. The main time when you can get good loot is winter and autumn. If fishing is carried out in open water, then ordinary bottom gear will do. Moreover, the best catch is obtained at night. If fishing occurs in winter, then chicken intestines, dead fish, spleen, fish fillets or crawls are used as bait.
In winter they go after burbot with a spinner and bait. Or a bale can be used, but a natural bait is also placed on it.
In addition to burbot, you can catch other fish in winter. So, in the Yenisei you can catch perch, soroga, grayling and chebak. You can catch large bream. Pike are caught on the girders.
Fishing in winter on the Yenisei is convenient because the ice provides new trails for fishing. In addition, due to the fact that quite severe frosts are observed in the territory in winter, the ice here is stable.
Subtypes and sizes
The largest grayling rarely exceeds 60-65 cm in length and weighs 1.8-2.0 kg. There is an exceptional case of the capture of an individual weighing 2.7 kg with a height of 76 cm (1967, Canada, Katseyedie River). The European species (Thymallus thymallus) has a less impressive record for both length - 56 cm and weight - 2.2 kg (2009, Austria, Steinfeld River).
To learn more:
Rudd: description of fish and differences from roach
Specimens from 1.0-1.5 kg are considered trophy. Standard catches usually include fish weighing 0.3-0.7 kg. Life expectancy reaches 12-14 years. Puberty occurs at 3-6 years of age. Siberian grayling has several subspecies, which differ in geography and some nuances in appearance, habits and feeding.
West Siberian
The taxon name is Thymallus arcticus arcticus. Inhabits the Yenisei, Ob, Kobdo-Gol, Lozva, Tavda, Kara, Khurgon-Nur, Lake Teletskoye. It is distinguished by a wide and short dorsal fin with a metallic sheen, numerous spots and a red-brown stripe along the upper edge.
The head is slightly blunted in front. The pupil is truncated on the outside and rounded at the back. The main color is dark with a yellowish or brownish tint. The bend of the upper part of the snout is weakly expressed. Contrasting dark dots are placed in the anterior part of the lateral line. Average weight – 0.7-0.8 kg. Maximum – 1.4-1.5 kg.
Black Baikal
The subspecies name is Thymallus arcticus baicalensis. Distributed in the Angara, the southern part of Baikal, Selenge, Sarma, Barguzin, Turk and other rivers flowing into the lake. The fish has a low body, a shortened caudal peduncle, a blunt snout and highly pigmented dense scales.
Leads a sedentary lifestyle near the shore at depths of up to 25 meters, preferring a rocky bottom. Grows up to 50-53 cm with a weight of 1.1-1.2 kg. First spawning at 4-5 years of age.
White Baikal
The taxon name is Thymallus arcticus brevipinnis. It is distinguished by a high body and loose scales with slight pigmentation. The dorsal fin is relatively low with a red border stripe. Lives in small flocks in the bottom layers of the lake at a depth of 30-50 meters. It does not even enter rivers to spawn, laying eggs in Lake Baikal. Prefers a sandy, light bottom with a moderate current.
We wrote more about Baikal grayling here.
The main color is gray with a metallic tint. Grows up to 3.0-3.5 kg. The diet is dominated by bottom organisms, mollusks, larvae, crustaceans, young gobies, broadheads, whitefish and omul. In July–August it rises to the upper layers in search of hymenoptera insects. Due to accelerated growth, puberty occurs early - at 3 years.
Amursky
The scientific name of the subspecies is Thymallus arcticus grubii. One of the smallest representatives of the entire genus, rarely growing over 30 cm and weighing 300-400 grams. Inhabits the Amur basin, large and small rivers of Primorye and the Ussuri region. It has an elongated body, light flattened sides and a slightly sloping olive back.
Tight scales of medium or large size (82-90 pieces in the lateral line). The small head has a conical shape. The last caudal vertebrae are curved upward. Puberty at 5-6 years. During the first spawning period, the fish acquires a darker color with a predominance of purple hues, which remains for life. The main food consists of aquatic and terrestrial insects at various stages of development, goby eggs, crustaceans and worms.
To learn more:
Ide: description of fish, habitat and lifestyle
Kamchatsky
The name of the endemic subspecies is Thymallus arcticus mertensii. Distributed in flowing water bodies on the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Koryak Highlands and Chukotka, in the basins of the Belaya, Penzhina, Velikaya and Anadyr Bay rivers. Prefers middle and lower reaches with a hard bottom and a slight slope. Avoids places where the main food competitor – Dolly Varden (char) accumulates.
Differs from other related taxa:
- strong lower jaw;
- well developed teeth;
- long dorsal fin (15-17 rays) with an upper crimson or white border;
- dark muscular body with a red caudal peduncle.
The average size of the fish is 30-40 cm. But individuals older than 10 years often grow to a length of 48-50 cm. Puberty occurs late - at 6-7 years. The main diet consists of crustaceans, larvae, worms, adults of aquatic insects, eggs, land beetles, butterflies and hymenoptera. High speed of movement and impressive dimensions make it possible to successfully hunt juveniles and adult representatives of the goby, salmon and carp families.
East Siberian
The taxon name is Thymallus arcticus pallasi. One of the most prominent representatives of the genus. It has a fit body with small scales, a high and wide rounded fin, which is decorated with dark, red and purple spots over the entire surface.
Lives in the basins of the Pacific and Arctic oceans. It is especially numerous in the lower reaches of the Yenisei and tributaries of Lake Khantaiskoe, in cold flowing reservoirs and rivers in the territories from Ulya to Yama, from Lena and Katanga to Ioniveem, from Erguvey to Igelkhvey. Life expectancy is 10-12 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 4-5 years. It grows up to 0.8-1.0 kg with a length of 40-45 cm. It feeds on whitefish eggs and fry, worms and crustaceans, larvae and adult forms of insects, giving preference to caddis flies, moths and mayflies.
Alaskan
The scientific name of the subspecies is Thymallus arcticus signifer. There is a huge biological and exterior similarity with the East Siberian taxon. It has clearly visible rows of contrasting dots on the dorsal fin. Lives in water bodies of Canada and the Bering Sea basin. It is especially numerous in the Yukon, Koyukuk and Tanana rivers (US state of Alaska).
The main body color ranges from silver-gray to lavender-golden tones. The sides are covered with dark pigment patches in the shape of the letters “V” and “X”. The trophy weight is 1.2-1.5 kg. Standard catches mainly contain individuals weighing 0.3-0.6 kg. Officially, the largest grayling of the Alaskan (American) variety weighed 2.5 kg (data from the International Sports Fishing Association IGFA). The basis of nutrition consists of insects, caviar, whitebait, and various bottom organisms.
To learn more:
How to make a bulldozer for grayling yourself?
Fishing for grayling in open water in winter + Video
This article talks about not quite ordinary fishing. Fishing on non-freezing rivers in winter. This happens when a river is blocked by a hydroelectric dam and a permanent polynya forms below the dam. Another case is the use of a river as a cooling pond for thermal power plants. Grayling is a special fish, but the methods of catching it, developed in Siberian conditions, should be suitable for catching trout and chub.
Table of contents:
Anthropogenic changes in the thermal regime of rivers in winter
In winter, our rivers, without exception, were covered with ice. Now, this statement is no longer true. The construction of waterworks with dams has changed the thermal regime of rivers. They stopped freezing in winter at a considerable distance from the hydroelectric power station. Below the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station, the Yenisei does not freeze at a distance of 150–200 km. Prolonged frosts down to -40 degrees can reduce the polynya by 30–40 km, but with the slightest weakening of the cold, the ice edge immediately goes down. Other rivers are used as receivers of warm water from thermal power plants. There, too, there is a significant polynya. Is it good or bad? It's hard to say now.
Unfrozen river
40 years have passed since the hydrological regime of the Yenisei in Krasnoyarsk has changed, and other generations have grown up who have never seen ice cover within the city. A person adapts to everything. Our fishermen have achieved outstanding results in year-round fishing for grayling on a running bottom. This is sport fishing, it is done from a boat or shore, using artificial flies.
Biology of grayling in the downstream of hydroelectric power stations
Before the construction of the hydroelectric power station, numerous schools of grayling, lenok and taimen always migrated to the Yenisei itself for the winter. After the construction of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station 40 km above the city and its entry into design mode in the 70s of the last century, the water in the river became cold in the summer and relatively warm in the winter. The noble fish stopped entering the tributaries en masse. She learned to live in a big cold river.
Grayling found in the middle of the river
The diet of grayling has undergone dramatic changes. Instead of hunting insects from the surface of the water, grayling began to feed on Angara gammarus (freshwater shrimp), which instantly spread and filled the entire river bed below the hydroelectric power station. Of course, the old habits and tastes of fish also remain. At the moment of departure of mayflies and stoneflies, graylings are still gorging on their young butterflies. He is not averse to tasting the bottom caddisfly, right with the houses. All these features have been studied by local fishermen. This influenced the choice of gear for grayling fishing. He began to live and eat at the very bottom. The depth of the Yenisei at the navigable route can be 5 or 10 meters. At this depth you can catch any grayling, including young of the year.
Main habitats of winter grayling in rivers
We can safely say that grayling occupies the entire river bed. It is also found in shallows and in holes with current. You can also catch it in places with reverse currents. But he doesn’t like quiet-water bays and remote backwaters. Roach, perch, bream, pike and even peled reign here.
Catching grayling in autumn and winter with summer gear is based on its year-round stay in cold water, under the constant influence of a strong current. Grayling spends a lot of energy. And actively replenishes it. Some channels have their own populations of this fish. It happens that a grayling weighing 120 g is quite mature and is about to spawn in May, as is usually the case.
Fishing boats are not cleaned all winter
It has been noticed that in winter, large grayling come closer to the shore. Fishing from a boat is much more productive. It is possible to find grayling mooring sites much faster.
Tackle for grayling fishing
There are some differences in the choice of gear for fishing from a boat and fishing from the shore. Short spinning blanks are best suited for a boat. A length of 2.0–2.1 is considered quite sufficient. The action of these rods should be rigid, and a test of 30–50 g is considered light; it is better to have an upper limit of 70–80 g. This is due to the large weight of the sinker used. Usually cheaper spinning rods are included in the boat; you often have to throw them on the sides of the boat in excitement. Old metal spinning rods are good for this kind of fishing. The coil used is a regular, inertial one. This has already been tested by time.
Fishing for grayling on the Yenisei from the shore involves the use of more noble gear. Good, expensive forms, up to 4 m long, with a stiffness and test rating of up to 80 g. Different reels are used for the two main types of tackle. A well-made inertial reel, on bearings, is used for catching grayling on a bulldozer.
Grayling hit the bottom fly
“Balda” is a running bottom with a sliding float, which is fixed by a movable stop. At the very end of the tackle, on a mono fishing line of 0.3–0.4 mm, using a swivel with a clasp or with a winding ring, a weight weighing from 30 to 90 g is attached, then, approximately 25–35 cm above the sinker, a blind loop is made on the fishing line for attaching the fly on a leash. Just 3-4 flies. This so-called “setup” ends with a swivel. Then a limiter is mounted on the main line, which can immediately be raised along the line by 5–7 m, a stop bead and a sliding float are put on. Its size is selected according to the sinker. The float must keep the load afloat. And it should be visible from both 50 m and 150 m away. Therefore, floats are the size of a good cucumber. Once the float is on the line, you can tie the setup with the fly and sinker. Grayling fishing on the river is done from the bottom. The depth on the limiter is always set with a large margin (about 2 times the actual depth in this place). A large float pulls a sinker along the bottom, which bounces over the stones, this is reflected on the float and is even transmitted to the hand along the fishing line. For beginners, it can be difficult at first to distinguish a bite from a game of mood along the bottom. Grayling fishing in winter is carried out at different distances from the shore. It can peck at 10 meters and 100 meters (there are masters who throw this hundred with an inertial reel!).
To the Tyrolean
Over the past 10–15 years, gear for fishing grayling has been enriched with another type of fishing, which has experienced a rebirth. The Tyrolean stick, or simply “Tyrolean”, has been used on our rivers since ancient times. A wooden stick with a piece of lead at the end. In other words, the weight and the float are pushed together and drag along the bottom. Above this system, everything is like crazy, the flies are playing. The surface float is completely absent. The Tyrolean is pulled down in an arc by the windage of the fishing line, plus its buoyancy.
Video on the topic
Video: Fishing for grayling in winter
Click Play to view
This special float weight takes an inclined position and bounces over the rocks. Nowadays, sheaths from fiber-optic cables and other nano-things are used to make tyrolets. The blank is equipped with a 4000 class or larger spinning reel. The fishing line is, of course, braided. But the setup itself with loops and flies remained from mono fishing line. There are masters who send the Tyrolean fish 130–150 meters from the shore. What you won’t do to catch the desired grayling. There is also a big disadvantage to braided fishing line - in winter it freezes much more severely than regular fishing line. This phenomenon is being fought. Starting from the use of anti-icer gels, ending with the use of special winter braids.
There is also fishing for grayling using a float rod and reel (analogous to Bolognese tackle), which we call “light mood”. This method requires a separate discussion.
Flies for fishing grayling
Seasoned fly pickers are the gurus among our fishermen. They don’t even need to go fishing, since there is a queue for them day and night with bags of salted, dried or smoked grayling. These are gifts for the right to test new flies. Fishing stores are simply filled with mass-produced and exclusive flies for grayling fishing.
Cambrics and flies for grayling
All artificial baits for the above methods of fishing for grayling can be divided into cambrics and flies. All these baits are mounted on hooks of various sizes. Cambrics are equipped with small beads. Any materials are used to create catchable cambrics, from thermo-shrinkable wire casings to IV hoses and artificial veins. All the chemistry in the world is used to soften and color cabbage. Stable neologisms appear in colloquial speech, for example cambric “Panasonic”. The word cambric is not even pronounced. Grayling caught on Panasonic. And period. Gel pens with lilac paste gave rise to the promotion of the catchy Panasonic.
Flies for grayling fishing are made on smaller hooks. As a rule, the hook is soldered, like a jig. Then the fly itself is tied. Here there is complete freedom to fly your fishing imagination. Fly fishing materials, feathers, bird scalps, metallic threads, fly tying machines - and much more are used by fishermen to create flies.
Front sights with aiming point
In recent years, flies with a brightly colored head, or brightly colored ovipositor, have become popular. The verdict on all this human vanity, all doubts and suffering, is pronounced by the grayling. Who is fed, spoiled and capricious, and most importantly - dependent on the weather. He may not eat for days. The entire peritoneum of this delicious fish is filled with fat.
Peculiarities of catching grayling using balda and tyrolean
In search
Catching grayling in the fall with both gear is no different from summer. Anglers are in a state of constant change of places and in a continuous selection of flies or cambrics. Group tactics of selecting a catchy combination bring good results. There is a constant exchange of opinions.
With the onset of persistent cold weather, fishing becomes increasingly difficult. Your hands freeze, your gear freezes. Despite this, thousands of people go “summer” fishing on weekends all winter. The most desperate ones fish from boats. This activity in cold weather poses a direct threat to the life of the fisherman.
This is not courage
No one can help. Fishing from rubber boats is especially dangerous. Winter grayling brings pleasure even if it is caught in the amount of 2-3 tails. Why risk your life for 4–5 kg of fish? Fishing from the shore develops communication. Fishermen treat each other with flies, a glass of tea or just tea or coffee. They light small fires to warm their cold hands and thaw frozen flies in heated water. Time flies by, and the winter day is short.
Catch for two
The reward for your hard work is great health for the whole week and some gorgeous fish that smells like fresh cucumber in winter.
The article talks about winter fishing for grayling in non-freezing rivers. Examples of human impacts on the thermal and ice regime of rivers are given. The gear and methods of grayling fishing developed for Siberian conditions are described. They can also be used in other regions where there is year-round polynya on rivers.
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Fish similar to grayling
Significant behavioral similarities are observed with trout, especially with brown trout and lenok, which have common feeding preferences and act as tough food competitors. When catching grayling with a fly or small spoon (spinner, spoon), the fisherman is often in for a “surprise” in the form of trout. It is possible to understand that this is the desired prey object only at the moment of fishing in the immediate vicinity of the shore or boat.
The fish most similar in appearance to grayling is whitefish, since they are very close relatives. The main exterior differences are the width of the dorsal fin, head shape and color.
Catching grayling on a bulldozer - equipment, catching methods
Grayling is a very common fish of the salmon family that lives in rivers with cool and clean water. Nutritionists especially note the nutritional value of grayling, which has tender white-pink meat and very low calorie content.
And the hot smoked grayling is simply incomparable! Fishermen like to smoke right on the spot using a portable smokehouse. Well, at home you can cook an excellent fish soup from it, pickle it or cook it in the usual way, like most other fish.
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The simplicity of the gear, the use of artificial baits, and the excitement of the fishing process have attracted a whole army of fans of this fish. Grayling can be caught by fly fishing, spinning rods, and float tackle. But one of the most interesting ways is to catch grayling on a bullhead.
Fishing gear
There is constant debate about the origin of this name for the bait - balda. Some say that this is due to the large float, while others attribute it to the sinker, which taps the bottom like a bulldozer. Basically, it doesn't matter. You can associate this name with the assembled gear, or you can also associate it with the method of fishing.
It is better to choose a spinning rod, medium action, with a weight of at least 50–60 grams. Expensive plug rods are absolutely not needed here; you can limit yourself to inexpensive Chinese composite telescopes. The length of the rod is selected depending on the fishing method: from a boat or from the shore.
In the first case, 2.1-2.4 meters is optimal, and in the second, 2.4-3.6 meters. It is better to use rings with a larger diameter, since the stopper will fly through them. Very often, fishermen change the rings themselves, improving the characteristics of the gear.
The choice of coil is important. Fishing with a bulldozer involves releasing the bait downstream while maintaining complete control over it. And this can only be done with inertia-free or multiplier coils. But the majority uses inertia-free ones - their choice is absolutely clear, why pay more? True, handling spinning reels requires certain skills, but everything comes with experience. Even masters of balda fishing experience “beards” when casting.
The diameter of the reel should be in the range of 130–150 mm, a good stopper and ratchet are desirable, as well as the presence of rolling bearings. The manufacturer is not important. They fish with branded, Chinese and already rare famous Soviet Nevskaya reels. The reel assembly with the rod should lie comfortably in your hand, and your thumb should have easy access to its side for braking.
The main line is used 0.35-0.4 mm, and the equipment itself is one step smaller than 0.25-0.3 mm. Leashes 15-20 cm long made of 0.15-0.2 mm fishing line. Sinkers are used in different shapes: pear-shaped, elongated.
Thin and elongated sinkers have the advantage that they are easy to adjust to the float and specific fishing conditions. To do this, use wire cutters to simply reduce it to the required weight while fishing.
Homemade flies of predominantly brown, white or gray tones are used as bait. But they use both red and green.
In the matter of making and choosing the right bait, the fisherman is given a unique opportunity to fully express his creative energy. In regions where grayling is caught, a lazy fisherman can easily buy flies in fishing stores.
Interested in pickerel fishing? Our article will tell you and show you more about this.
In this article you will learn how to catch carp using a fishing rod.
Tackle for fishing with bullfish can be called differently in different regions: setup or column. You can make it yourself.
At least 100 meters of main line is wound onto the reel. Then a stopper is threaded onto the end of the fishing line, stopping the free sliding of the float, also called float. They come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. The choice is determined by fishing conditions and personal preferences.
Next, the float itself, a bead or a piece of cambric is strung as a stopper, and a swivel with a carabiner is tied with a clinch. Various designs can be used as an upper stopper, but it is better to use thread ones. Why?
The thread stopper can also be installed after the float has been strung. This type of stopper flies through the rings more easily without providing much resistance.
Take a piece of fishing line that is 0.05 mm thinner than the main one. A carabiner is attached to one end to attach the sinker, and then after about 25 cm a swivel is attached with an outlet approximately 7 cm long.
After 25 cm of fishing line, a second swivel with a branch is tied, followed by approximately a 25-centimeter piece of fishing line with a loop for attaching to the main fishing line.
Experienced fishermen recommend attaching the sinker through a piece of fishing line with a smaller diameter. Then, if the sinker gets snagged or gets stuck in the rocks, you can only lose it without affecting the tackle. To do this, the sinker is tied with a clinch to the fishing line, and after 10 cm of the fishing line a loop is made that connects it to the line.
It is best to prepare flies on short leashes with a loop and have a certain supply of them in different colors and designs. They are installed and changed afloat very quickly - by threading them into the outlet loop on swivels.
When several settings (columns) have been prepared, and a supply of sinkers, floats (floats) and flies has been stored, you can go fishing.
It should be noted that fishing for grayling on the Yenisei is distinguished by very interesting gear. The sinker is made composite: the upper part is made of cedar cones, and the lower part is lead. The tune line runs through the top.
In the water, such a sinker stands up straight up, reducing the likelihood of snagging or getting stuck in rocks. If this does happen, then with a certain force the line cuts the cone and the tackle itself can be pulled out, leaving the load behind.
Are you interested in fishing for bullfish? The article will tell you about the basic techniques for catching fish with this equipment.
Here you will learn how to properly catch snakeheads on Kapchagai.
Tactics for catching grayling on bulldozer
Promising places for grayling fishing are areas of river beds with rifts and edges. But in their migration areas, grayling can also be caught in the fairway. It is especially well caught this way on the Yenisei. If the place is unknown, then you need to explore the depth.
This is done with the same gear that we use to catch, and if you have a boat, you can measure it with a simple sinker and fishing line or an echo sounder. The length of the line from the float to the sinker should be slightly greater than the depth.
A test cast is made in the direction against the current at an angle of 60-70 degrees. When the sinker falls to the bottom, the float will continue to be carried away by the current and, in the end, will carry the sinker along with it.
If the float stands vertically, then the depth is not enough and it must be increased; if it rests on the water, then the depth is reduced accordingly. This is done by moving the upper stopper along the main line.
Among those who like to fish for bullheads, there is such a thing as angle of attack. This is the angle between the setup and the bottom surface. It has been verified that the best angle of attack will be 45 degrees, while the sinker should be carried along by the float (float) and move by tapping on the bottom.
In this case, clouds of turbidity are formed, and the flies move in the water very temptingly for grayling. It is very important to harmonize the float and the sinker so that they behave correctly when paired: the sinker touches the bottom and the float is able to drag it.
For different fishing conditions and at different depths, you need to have a certain arsenal of floats and sinkers. At great depths and strong currents, larger floats and heavier weights are used and vice versa.
If fishing is from the shore, then throw the bait at an angle of 60-70 degrees against the current. After the sinker falls to the bottom, the slack line is removed and the float is monitored; as soon as it is in the working position, it is gradually released downstream, feeling the contact of the sinker with the bottom in the hand.
If necessary, play along with the tip of the rod so that the sinker comes off the bottom better. When the bait goes 60-70 meters downstream, it is pulled back and the steps are repeated.
The bite is mainly visible by the behavior of the float: it either dives or lies on the water, or the rhythm of its usual oscillations on the surface of the water changes. The hook should be sweeping and fast.
If there is no production, wiring continues. If fishing occurs from a boat, then everything becomes much simpler. There is no need to make long casts, just short ones to the side of the boat or release the sinker behind the boat downstream to a promising place.
Results:
- Grayling fishing on a bulldozer is a sporty, exciting, productive type of fishing that involves significant physical activity and requires the skill of a fisherman.
- For an excellent fishing result, you need to have a good arsenal of flies, sinkers of different weights, floats (floats) and settings (posts).
- The skill of the fisherman lies in the correct selection of the right float and sinker for the existing fishing conditions, setting them up to work in pairs, and then searching for exactly those flies that will be interesting for grayling.
We invite you to watch a video on catching grayling on a bulldozer.
Interested in fishing for mullet from the shore? Read about this in our article.
Here you will learn about equipment for cake fishing.
There is still a lot of interesting and useful information on our website https://lovisam.net.
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Spawning
Size growth and time of puberty depend on climate, duration of the warm season, intensity, calorie content and regularity of feeding. If adequate year-round nutrition is possible, the first visit to the spawning ground occurs at the age of 3 to 4 years. In unfavorable conditions, the process of formation of seminal products and eggs is delayed up to 5-7 years.
The timing of spawning of Siberian grayling coincides with the water warming up to +5-8°C. This is usually the period from late April to mid-June. Sexually mature fish leave the deep channel closer to the shore, into tributaries or streams in search of flowing shallow water (30-70 cm) with a sandy or pebble bottom. Spawning migrations are never too long. To find a suitable place, it is usually enough to sail from the main habitat at a distance of 5-30 km.
Depending on the size and age, the female is capable of laying from 3 to 20 thousand large eggs, which settle to the bottom and tightly attach to the solid substrate. Additionally, males cover the clutch with silt, pebbles and grains of sand. To increase the chances of survival of the offspring, spawning occurs in portions on several spawning grounds. The hatching of the fry begins after 18-25 days.
Prohibited periods for fishing in the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Important. The established prohibitions do not apply when extracting (catching) aquatic biological resources with one float or bottom fishing rod from the shore with a total number of hooks of no more than 2 pieces on the extraction (fishing) gear of one citizen within the administrative boundaries of populated areas and at a distance of no more than 0.5 km from these borders.
The prohibited periods (periods) for the extraction (catch) of aquatic biological resources in the Krasnoyarsk Territory are as follows.
On water bodies of fishery importance in the Yenisei River basin:
It is prohibited to harvest (catch) all types of aquatic biological resources:
- from July 25 until freeze-up - in the Leontiev channel of the Yenisei River (from the mouth of the Laphaya River to the mouth of the Pastukhovskaya River);
- from May 1 to June 30 - in all lakes of the Angara and Podkamennaya Tunguska river basins;
- from April 20 to June 20 - in the Angara rivers (with the exception of lakes of the Republic of Tyva, included in its basin), Yenisei, as well as in the lakes of the Yenisei River basin south (mouth) of the Angara River;
salmon and whitefish:
- from September 10 to November 30 - in lakes Makovskoe, Sovetskie (Turukhan River basin);
- from September 15 to November 30 - in the lakes of the Lower Tunguska River basin;
- from the melting of ice to November 15 in the Yenisei River from the mouth of the Sym River to the mouth of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River;
whitefish species:
- from September 1 to December 15 - in Lake Munduyskoye and its tributaries;
muksuna:
- from November 15 to September 30 - in the Yenisei River below the village of Ust-Port;
whitefish:
- from September 1 to November 15 - in the Yenisei River with tributaries from the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station dam to the mouth of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River;
- from September 20 to November 30 - in the lakes of the Republic of Tyva;
peled (cheese):
- from October 1 to December 31 - in the lakes of the Republic of Tyva;
- from October 15 to December 31 - in the lakes of the Republic of Khakassia;
In water bodies of fishery importance in the Khantayka River basin, including the Khantay Reservoir, the extraction (catch) of all types of aquatic biological resources is prohibited:
- from September 10 to November 30 - in Lake Maly Khantaiskoye (western), a channel between lakes Maly Khantaiskoye and Khantaiskoye;
- b) from May 20 to June 30 - pike in the Khantay Reservoir.
Kureyskoye, Boguchanskoye, Krasnoyarskoye, Sayano-Shushenskoye and Mainskoye reservoirs with inflowing rivers:
It is prohibited to harvest (catch):
in the Kureyskoye Reservoir:
- from May 20 to June 30 and from September 1 to October 31 - all types of aquatic biological resources in the Maly Tiptur rivers - Orokta, Degen, Avam, Meandrovka and their bays;
in the Boguchansky reservoir:
- from April 20 to June 20 - all types of aquatic biological resources;
- from September 1 to October 31 - grayling and tugun in river bays;
in the Krasnoyarsk reservoir:
- from May 1 to June 30 - in all bays of the reservoir at a distance of less than 70% of the length of the bay from its headwaters along the midline;
- from September 20 to June 30 - all types of aquatic biological resources at a distance of less than 3 km from the variable (actual) backwater of the Yenisei, Abakan, Tuba, Syda, Koma, Ubei, Derbina, Biryusa, Sisim rivers;
- from April 20 to June 30 - all types of aquatic biological resources in the upper reaches of the reservoir in the area from the port of Abakan to the southern end of Mount Tepsey - the southern end of Mount Glyaden;
- from April 20 to June 30 - all types of aquatic biological resources in the bay of the Syda River in the area above the alignment of Mount Tangal - the mouth of the Karasuk River;
in the Sayano-Shushenskoye and Mainskoye reservoirs:
- from April 20 to June 20 - in the southern part of the Sayano-Shushenskoye Reservoir along the mouth of the Bedelig River (250 km of shipping lane);
- from September 10 to November 20 - all types of aquatic biological resources in the bays of the Khemchik, Kantegir, Kazyr-suk, Us, Bolshaya Ura, Shagonar rivers at a distance of 3 km from the variable (actual) backwater.
Water bodies of fishery importance in the Pyasina River basin:
It is prohibited to harvest (catch) all types of aquatic biological resources:
- from September 10 to October 10 - in the lakes of the Pyasina River basin.
Water bodies of fishery importance in the Lake Taimyr basin:
It is prohibited to harvest (catch) all types of aquatic biological resources:
- from August 15 to October 31 - off the northern shore of Lake Taimyr in the section from Expectation Bay to the east for 25 km (belt width 3 km);
- from September 1 to October 15 - in all lakes of the basin with their tributaries.
Water bodies of fishery importance in the Khatanga River basin:
It is prohibited to harvest (catch):
- from September 20 to November 30 - omul, whitefish, muksun, peled (cheese), tugun and vendace in the Kheta River.
In all water bodies of the Yenisei fishery region:
Harvesting (catching) of invertebrates is prohibited
- from March 1 to June 15 - Artemia cysts;
- from June 1 to June 30 - crayfish.
Inland sea waters of the Russian Federation:
- from August 1 until freeze-up - omul in the Yenisei Bay of the Kara Sea;
- from August 1 to March 15 - muksun in the Yenisei Bay of the Kara Sea.
Taste qualities
The fish is famous for its juicy and tender fillet without a strong odor, which completely retains its structure during heat treatment. This makes it easy to prepare fish soup, casseroles, roasts, grilled kebabs, etc. Due to its exquisite gastronomic properties and low calorie content (112 kcal per 100 g), grayling is recommended for inclusion in the diet, preferably in boiled form. Smoked and lightly salted dishes have excellent taste. The Korean salad “He” stands out, for its preparation you need:
- cut raw fillet without skin into small pieces;
- marinate in vinegar and soy sauce with onion, pepper and salt;
- let it brew in a cool place for 40-60 minutes.
Another popular dish for their grayling is fish pate. To do this, the product is boiled in salted and slightly acidified water with vinegar, followed by the removal of all bones. Then the fish is crushed, mayonnaise, spices, herbs are added and finally brought to consistency using a mixer.