Grayling fishing in Altai: fishing features, selection of gear, bait

Where to go for grayling?

Almost all Altai reservoirs fully meet the habitat conditions of grayling: rapid currents with rapids and riffles, deep pools, and depth changes.

Mountainous terrain and lack of roads make many rivers and lakes difficult to access for fishing. According to reviews, it is in such places that trophy specimens are found. However, even on reservoirs with good access you can become the owner of a large specimen.

The most promising fishing spots:

Lake Teletskoe. It is fed by a large number of mountain rivers, so the water in it is always cold. You can freely access only the northern part of the reservoir (the area of the village of Arbytash). Ichthyologists from Tomsk University claim that the fish living in the lake, due to natural circumstances (never warming water, great depths, poor diet), have acquired some biological differences. The Taurus grayling has a shorter and wider adipose fin. The fish avoids greater depths. It prefers to stay at the mouths of the rivers flowing into the lake: Chulyshman, Samysh Baskon, Kamga, Kyga and others. Places near steep cliffs (boms) are especially catchy; there is more food there. Teletsian grayling is active throughout the year;
The Katun River is the main waterway of the Altai Mountains. Constantly cold water and a meager food supply force grayling to search for food around the clock. Excellent fish bite is noted: in the area of the village of Tyungur (especially from the second half of August to the end of September), below the village of Dubrovka (“Dubrovsky turn”) and at the suspension bridge in front of the village of Soguza (“Aisky bridge”);
The Biya River flows from Lake Teletskoye. In the upper reaches it is stormy, with powerful rapids, after the confluence of the Lebed River (the warmest in the Altai Mountains) it acquires a flat character. You can fish both in the Biya itself and in numerous tributaries. There are especially many grayling in the area of the village of Turochak (the confluence of the Biya and the Swan River). Not far from the village of Sorokino, the Biya connects with the Katun, forming one of the largest rivers in the world - the Ob;
Charysh River in the area of the villages of Charyshskoye and Sentelek. It is distinguished by a large difference in depth: from 2.5 (in the upper reaches) to 5 meters in the lower reaches. Large schools of grayling gather in the pits.
Inya, a tributary of the Charysh, a shallow stormy river. It is famous for the fact that in November grayling rolls into it from numerous mountain streams and tributaries;
the Chuya River, one of the most promising grayling reservoirs from the end of August to the end of October (the rest of the time the water in the river is muddy);
the Maima River, at its confluence with the Katun near Gorno-Altaisk, the regional capital;
Bashkaus River (left tributary of Chulyshman).

Commercial harvesting of grayling in the Altai Territory is not carried out due to unprofitability. Some areas of reservoirs (the delta of the Chulyshman River, lakes Kucherlinskoye, Dzhulukul and others) are leased. Bases have been built there and paid fishing is organized.

Grayling fishing in Altai. Where to look and how to catch grayling?

Fishing, unique in terms of yield, is one of the calling cards of the Altai Territory. More than 30 large and 17 thousand small rivers, many lakes with clear cold water attract fans of outdoor activities with the opportunity to catch a good specimen of Siberian grayling. Grayling fishing in Altai is carried out almost all year round: the lack of sufficient food supply forces the fish to constantly search for food.

Almost all Altai reservoirs fully meet the habitat conditions of grayling: rapid currents with rapids and riffles, deep pools, and depth changes.

Lake Teletskoe. It is fed by a large number of mountain rivers, so the water in it is always cold. You can freely access only the northern part of the reservoir (the area of the village of Arbytash). Ichthyologists from Tomsk University claim that the fish living in the lake, due to natural circumstances (never warming water, great depths, poor diet), have acquired some biological differences. The Taurus grayling has a shorter and wider adipose fin. The fish avoids greater depths. It prefers to stay at the mouths of the rivers flowing into the lake: Chulyshman, Samysh Baskon, Kamga, Kyga and others. Places near steep cliffs (boms) are especially catchy; there is more food there. Teletsian grayling is active throughout the year;

The Katun River is the main waterway of the Altai Mountains. Constantly cold water and a meager food supply force grayling to search for food around the clock. Excellent fish bite is noted: in the area of the village of Tyungur (especially from the second half of August to the end of September), below the village of Dubrovka (“Dubrovsky turn”) and at the suspension bridge in front of the village of Soguza (“Aisky bridge”);

The Biya River flows from Lake Teletskoye. In the upper reaches it is stormy, with powerful rapids, after the confluence of the Lebed River (the warmest in the Altai Mountains) it acquires a flat character. You can fish both in the Biya itself and in numerous tributaries. There are especially many grayling in the area of the village of Turochak (the confluence of the Biya and the Swan River). Not far from the village of Sorokino, the Biya connects with the Katun, forming one of the largest rivers in the world - the Ob;

Charysh River in the area of the villages of Charyshskoe and Sentelek. It is distinguished by a large difference in depth: from 2.5 (in the upper reaches) to 5 meters in the lower reaches. Large schools of grayling gather in the pits. Inya, a tributary of the Charysh, a shallow stormy river. It is famous for the fact that in November grayling rolls into it from numerous mountain streams and tributaries;

the Chuya River, one of the most promising grayling reservoirs from the end of August to the end of October (the rest of the time the water in the river is muddy);

the Maima River, at its confluence with the Katun near Gorno-Altaisk, the regional capital;

Bashkaus River (left tributary of Chulyshman).

Grayling fishing in the Altai Mountains is not much different from other Russian regions. Traditional methods are used: float rod, spinning rod, fly fishing. Bottom gear is considered to be the most suitable for fast-moving rivers. In Altai, grayling fishing is widely practiced using a “balda” and a Tyrolean stick.

The first method is the invention of Siberian fishermen. A strong fishing line is tied to the rod, to which a large float and several leads with flies are attached. The end of the fishing line is loaded with a piece of lead. The tackle allows you to cast over long distances and catch grayling from the depths. It is used mainly on lakes or wide rivers.

“Tyrolean stick”, or simply “Tyrolean”, was borrowed from Italian fishermen. In essence, this is the same Siberian “balda”, but instead of a heavy lead bulb, an elegant tube made of elastic plastic with an end weight is mounted at the end of the fishing line. The task of the “Tirolka” is to hold light baits near the bottom, preventing them from floating to the surface.

Altai fishermen can also boast of catching tackle of their own making. This is “gossip” (from the word “to weave”). It is designed for catching grayling with wet flies. Unlike other donkeys, the “gossip” on the fishing line has 2 floats: on top, a large one made of buoyant material, at the bottom, a smaller one with a lead load. On the main thread between the floats, up to 10 pieces of leashes with hooks are knitted onto which the bait is attached.

The operating principle of the “gossip” is simple: a large float keeps the fishing line taut, increasing sensitivity to bites. Loaded - increases casting distance. For fishing, use a rod with a length of 2.7 m (test 50–90 g) with a spinning reel.

The tackle is thrown above a promising area (usually the edge of a stream, an area under a rapid, a whirlpool or a deep water) and they begin to pull the line, trying to make it go along the current. A bite will be indicated by the approach of the floats.

Whatever gear the angler prefers, the main thing in hunting for grayling is bait.

In the Altai Mountains, grayling is usually caught using flies. Among the materials, the leadership is held by multi-colored threads and singed feathers from the head of a rooster. The shape of artificial baits should correspond as closely as possible to the natural prototype.

The brightest flies are considered the most catchy: poisonous green, pink, yellow, brown. The addition of red lurex increases the performance of the bait. The difficulty of choosing is that you will never predict in advance what grayling will bite today.

In autumn, grayling begins to move into wintering pits. At this time, he bites well on a small spoon, streamer, jig, and natural-colored artificial worm.

Grayling's priority is animal food. Its quantity and composition depends on the fishing season:

spring: worms, adult forms and larvae of stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies; summer and autumn: mollusks, crustaceans, terrestrial insects (botflies, ants, grasshoppers). Yellowish fir and white pine bark beetle larvae are catchable bait. Grayling bites on both types, but it is better to stock up on both: the fish can change its taste preferences within one day; winter: fish caviar, boiled mormysh (in Altai the common name is mormysh). In any season, maggots provide a good bite.

When going after grayling, in addition to strong tackle, you need to have a fairly large number of different baits in stock. During the day, fish can change their taste preferences several times.

Grayling fishing in the Altai Republic has been elevated to the rank of local traditions. The mountainous terrain does not allow access to the most attractive reservoirs in terms of catchability. But there is one secret here: you have to wait until the grayling itself begins to roll down from the upper reaches into the wintering pits. Mass migration begins in September. During this period, grayling forgets about its pickiness in food and rushes to any food offered.

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Fishing methods and features

Bottom gear works well in fast currents

Important feature: the leash must be attached in such a way that in the water it is directed against the current. This can be achieved by tying it with a figure eight.

Features of the choice of lures and bait for grayling

In the summer, when fishing, you can use a fairly large number of baits and choose any water bodies. There are no additional conditions for fishing in the summer; you can use almost any method.

For example, in winter, this matter becomes more difficult. When fishing with a worm, you need to be prepared and stock up from the summer. In fishing stores and in winter you can find anything on the shelves, and this saves many. Grayling has one distinctive feature: it is crazy about cottage cheese. And sometimes this destroys him. Fishermen learned to lure him with a bag of cottage cheese. He will, of course, bite not on the bag, but on a piece of foam plastic, mistaking it for cottage cheese.

Many people like to catch grayling in the fall, but it becomes more difficult to do so. The fish, of course, is trying to eat before the winter period, but is already moving to deeper places. After September, midges practically no longer fly and you have to look for food at the bottom. Based on this, when fishing you should exclude surface baits; grayling will not fall for them. And it’s better to switch to long casts; in the autumn the fish become more careful.

Well, in the spring, the fish go to spawn and catching them becomes a pleasure. But after the emigration period, it begins to get sick and recover, so it is advisable to stop fishing a little after spawning.

The chosen gear greatly influences successful fishing. The number of fish, its weight and size depend on it. Let's take a closer look at each type.

A float fishing rod - this option is optimal for fishing in small reservoirs or rivers. You need to hold it in such a way that the float is always in motion, this will quickly attract the attention of the fish. It works well with bait in the form of live flies, moths, butterflies and, in principle, all live baits

Artificial ones are more suitable for the winter period.

Spinning is also an option for small bodies of water. It should be no more than three meters long and you need to know how to use it. You need to hold it above the water, periodically lowering it, attracting the attention of the grayling. The bait for it is mostly artificial, both underwater and surface. But for long casts it is recommended to use underwater artificial baits.

Donka is a device for any time of year. But, it is noted that in winter it bites much more. Artificial baits with diving are an ideal option for this gear.

Winter fishing rod - it is very convenient to fish in small holes, but it is worth remembering that fishing in one place for a long time is not recommended. Frequent movements will help organize a larger catch. The baits for it are the same as for the float.

Fly fishing - anglers consider this method the most effective. A rod measuring about three meters is thrown into the water. There are a wide variety of lures for fly fishing, you can specifically choose an option to match the color of the water, and they are chosen at will, since all lures are suitable. Which tackle to choose is a personal matter, but it is worth remembering all the nuances of natural conditions, the size of reservoirs and your capabilities. When purchasing baits, you can turn to specialists, but it is not always possible to carry out these actions. In this case, fishing baits can be made with your own hands.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0g7x8gDHWXI

Paid places

On the shores of Altai reservoirs there are many bases for recreation and fishing. Guests are offered comfortable accommodation and a variety of fishing tours. Let's look at the most interesting places to visit.

Base "Kucherlinskoye Lake"

The base is located on the shore of a high-mountain lake 35 kilometers from the village of Tyungur. For accommodation, visitors are offered houses with all amenities, as well as full meals.

On site there is:

Cafe.
Sauna.
Phyto-barrel.
Massage room.

For fishing and boat trips you can rent:

Fishing spots are rich in a variety of fish such as:

Base "Corsair"

The base is located on the banks of the Elekmonar River in a cozy and picturesque place near a forest. Guests are accommodated here in separate houses, in a common building, and for camping enthusiasts there is a specially equipped area.

Guests can enjoy:

bath;
kitchen;
volleyball court;
guarded parking lot.

For fishing at the base, you can rent a boat or boat, as well as become a participant in an organized fishing tour.

Camping Altyn-Tuu

The campsite is located on the coast of Lake Teletskoye in the delta of the Chulyshman River; you can only get here by boat or motor ship.

Fishing in the Altai Republic

This is a rare region of Russia where there are no railways. It is best to get to it by your own car or by bus from Barnaul and Biysk. Lots of fishing spots, beautiful nature and low population density.

Lake Teletskoye

A unique lake with a depth of 330 meters, one of the 25 deepest in the world. You need to get to it from Biysk through the regional center Turochak. It is best to stay on the northern shore at the tourist centers of Artybash and Yogach. The most convenient way to get to the fishing spot is on rented boats and motorboats, however, sometimes people fish on the shore.

Various rivers flow into Lake Teletskoye, their mouths are also suitable for fishing, for example, Yeshtora, Chili, Samysh.

The lake is home to 18 species of fish. Among them, for example, are the following:

Grayling, up to 800 grams in weight.
Teletsky whitefish, from 300 grams to 1 kilo in weight. Endemic, not found in other lakes.
The large fish is the Uskuch, its weight can reach 5 kilos.
Pike, its weight can reach 10 kilos.
Burbot, up to 5 kilos in weight.
Taimen. The largest fish in Lake Teletskoye weighs 40-60 kilos. Its length reaches two meters.

When planning a fishing trip to Lake Teletskoye, you should take into account that the weather there is changeable, you need to be prepared for wind, rain, and cold temperatures.

You also need to know that only the left bank of the lake is used for fishing, and its right part is a nature reserve where fishing is prohibited. But on the right bank you can visit the beautiful Korbu waterfall.

Fishing on Lake Teletskoye is prohibited during the spawning period, but the period may differ for different fish, so you may be able to catch someone. You can fish all year round. In winter, fishing occurs from the ice. This prevents a good catch of pike, perch and other fish species.

For fishing they use spinning rods, fishing rods and ordinary fishing rods.

The large and rare taimen fish should be caught in June and September in the tributaries of Lake Teletskoye. It is listed in the Red Book of Altai, so after catching it must be released. The same rule applies to whitefish Pravdin, but it is not necessary to release grayling; its local residents know how to cook deliciously.

Shavlinskie lakes

The height of these lakes above sea level is about 2200 meters. The width of the largest of them is 500 meters, and the length is 1.5 kilometers. The climb from the lower lake to the upper one takes a whole day. The best place to fish is on the Shavla River. Grayling is the best fish to catch. Fishing gear can be obtained during a walk or horseback riding trip for an organized group, which takes 7 days.

Fish catch

Ulaganskie lakes

They are located in the eastern part of the region at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level. There are several large lakes:

The best way to get to these lakes is by SUV along the road through the Seminsky Pass, heading towards Ongudai. Along the way, it is worth seeing the confluence of the Chuya and the Katun.

Fish is found in abundance there, sometimes artificially bred, for example, trout and peled. You can fish on your own or book a fishing tour that is offered to vacationers. It’s a good idea to combine such a tour with a ride on an ATV, a ride on a catamaran or a boat.

You can stay near the lakes in hotels, camp sites, estates, guest houses, eco-tour complexes and the Uzun-Kel camping site.

The area around the lakes is interesting for its microclimate; heat-loving plants grow there, for example, pears, cherries and other garden crops.

Karatash Lakes

The lakes are located in the northeast of the republic, on the Sumultinsky ridge. In the upper reaches of the Uy-Karatash River there are 15 lakes of varying sizes. Several of them contain trout, lake and rainbow, which began to be artificially bred during Soviet times.

When traveling to these lakes, you should take into account that snow can lie in that area until the end of June, because the altitude is almost 2000 meters. The largest of the lakes is 600 meters long. Tourists reach them on foot or on horseback. Trout are found in two lakes.

Chulyshman River

Its channels and delta are rich in various fish. You can catch Telets dace, Altai osman, Siberian char and grayling. The best way to get to Chulyshman is by car along a dirt road. Among the attractions near the fishing spots are waterfalls, a healing spring and stone mushrooms. The river valley is a picturesque canton about 130 kilometers long.

You can catch grayling all day, but the best time is evening. It is good to catch it in the fall, when the fish are hungry and swim in the upper layer of water. It is convenient to catch this fish using a “boat” device.

The river flows through the southern part of the republic, along which the Chuisky tract runs. There are several settlements on the banks where you can stop for fishing, for example, Kosh-Agach. Fishing there begins at the end of August and is especially good in September and October. In the Kosh-Agach region, grayling and osman are well caught; the latter, even in winter, gives a good catch on Kameniste Lake near the regional center.

Chuya River

Ursul River

It is home to taimen, grayling and lenok. Fishermen can stay in the non-residential village of Stepushka. From it 5 kilometers to the mouth of the river. You need to catch grayling after it spawns and before the freeze-up begins. To catch taimen you need a strong fishing line. The fishing ban is in effect during the spawning period from April 25 to May 25. Fishermen can spend the night at the base in Ongudai, from where it is convenient to go fishing every day.

A fishing tour costs 3 thousand rubles per day. It includes the services of a guide, equipment rental, accessories for a fire, utensils for fish soup, and transportation.