Big Taimen: fishing and what kind of fish is found

From the rare book “Necklaces of Jehangir” by Pyotr Nikolaevich Sigunov, chapter “Hidden Stories”.

“...Geologist Grozdilov, who plowed many rivers on rafts, said that in 1952 he saw Siberian salmon (taimen) weighing 61 kg, caught at the mouth of the Kochechuma. And the geologist Tolchevnikov... saw in 1952 even larger - 86 kg! Fishermen pulled him out of Khatanga with nets. It is known from scientific literature that in the winter of 1945 on the Amur, near Iinokentyevka, a taimen weighing 80 kg was caught on an ice hook! The senior state fisheries inspector of Evenkia, V. E. Kalei, wrote to me that in 1943, a “giant” weighing 105 kg and 2 m 10 cm long was “snapped” into a net on Kotui by a Yakut. I heard from reindeer hunters that in 1962, hunters in Evenkia - the Yakuts shot a bill longer than two meters and heavier than a hundredweight. He “crawled” along a shallow channel from the lake to the river. Probably, such giants are not uncommon in Siberia.

They apparently live only in large bodies of water. For example, on the Severnaya River “krasuli” up to thirty kilograms are caught, in its deep tributaries - up to fifteen, and in shallow ones - up to five. I wonder what kind of giants are found in the Lower Tunguska, where the Northern Tunguska flows? Sometimes in Siberia there are even rumors about three-meter (?!) taimen. Some geologists allegedly saw some “torpedoes” similar to sharks flashing across the polar lakes in calm weather. It is no coincidence that the Mongols have a legend about how the taimen khan fish once got stuck in the ice of a river. All winter, the inhabitants of the yurts cut pieces out of it with axes and thanks to this they were saved from starvation. When spring came, the Taimen Khan sailed away, for he was so great that the Mongols could not harm him.

Yuri Orlov, Director holds the largest officially recorded record for a caught and released Siberian taimen weighing 91 lb 08 oz (41 kg 950 g), 16 lb line/test since 1993.

The IGFA recently published a book about the 50 largest world records, which included Yuri Orlov's record for Siberian taimen.

Yuri's unofficial record is a Siberian taimen weighing 54 kg, caught on the Anyui River in 1987.

The age of the taimen caught in 1944 in the Yenisei, near Krasnoyarsk, was determined to be 55 years. His weight was 56 kg.

Average statistical data on the maximum size and age of fish living in the river. Yenisei: taimen length 150 cm, weight 78 kg.

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What kind of fish is taimen?

The genus-forming taxa is the Siberian or common taimen (Hucho taimen), which is also known by the common nicknames “krasulya”, “laziness”, “talmen”. It is characterized by the largest dimensions among all salmon and the complete absence of the hypoosmotic mechanism necessary for a safe stay at sea. In addition to the ordinary one, experts distinguish Korean (Ishikawae), Sichuan (Bleekeri) and Mityagin forms. Another famous representative of the genus is the Danube salmon (Hucho hucho).

The species is one of the largest freshwater predators and, under optimal conditions, can live for more than 60 years. In standard catches, young 6-7 year old individuals (55-70 cm) weighing 3.5-5 kg ​​prevail. Adult fish grow faster; meter-long ten-year-olds have a mass of 12 kg. At 20 years of age, the length of the predator is 120-125 cm (25-30 kg). But these figures are far from the maximum - the largest taimen weighed 105 kg with a height of 210 cm (1943, Kotui River, Krasnoyarsk Territory).

Appearance description

The slender and elongated shape of the body has much in common with the structure of trout and has ideal streamlining parameters that contribute to rapid movement in the water. Other features of the appearance of taimen include:

• fins shifted towards the tail;
• large flattened head;
• small scales (140-150 in the lateral line);
• a huge terminal mouth with sharp teeth curved inward (two rows);
• 11-13 gill rakers;
• dark gray (dorsal), light ash (ventral, pectoral) and red (anal, caudal) fins.

The permanent color of the Krasula is represented by a greenish or brownish ridge and silvery sides with black spots. During spawning, the body turns copper, orange or red. Immature young animals are characterized by the presence of dark transverse stripes.

Where is the taimen fish found?

In Russia, the main range is represented by rivers, tributaries and cold-water lakes of Central, Western, Eastern Siberia and the basins of the Laptev, Okhotsk, Japanese and Kara seas. Taimen lives in the Lena, Yenisei, Angara, and Oka. It is found in the Urals (Kama, Pechora), Khakassia (Abakan), Altai Territory (Biya, Katun), in the Far East and Transbaikalia (Amur, Tunguska, Yana, Shilka, Vitim, Onon). Krasulya does not bypass Sakhalin (Langry, Bolshoy Chingai, Pogibi, Noyida), it is found in the rivers of the Primorsky Territory that flow into the marginal waters of the Pacific Ocean (Margaritovka, Milogradovka, Avvakumovka).

Taste qualities of the largest salmon

As with all types of salmon fish, taimen contains many useful vitamins and elements, and complete protein is absorbed much better than any meat. The fish has layers of fat, so it tastes tender and juicy

, it is best to prepare middle-aged taimen for food; it is considered the most delicious. During spawning periods there is practically no fat in the taimen; it actively consumes it.

According to scientists, taimen is the least high-calorie fish from the salmon family; it is useful to include it in the menu for those who are watching their weight.

In many ways it is like a transition from salmon to trout. She approaches the former in her size and way of life, and the latter in her general body composition. The body of taimen is thicker, more slabby than that of salmon, the nose is shorter and blunter; the spots on the body are larger, sharper and more regularly distributed and, in addition, the dorsal fin is almost always dotted with elongated dark spots arranged in several rows.

Taimen differs from trout in having more pointed paired fins, an elongated (especially in old) scales, a bluish-gray back, a silvery-white color on the sides and belly, and smaller blackish spots on the gill covers and sides of the body and gray fins; In adult taimen, just like in salmon, a cartilaginous process develops at the tip of the lower jaw.

In addition, taimen, like salmon, reaches a very significant size, up to 20-30 pounds, and lives in the seas and large lakes, from where it only rises into rivers, sometimes, however, over very long distances, and after spawning it loses, which never noticed in trout.

The distribution of taimen, which may be called lake salmon, appears to be identical with that of salmon, but is probably often confused with the latter or (smaller) with trout. As far as is known reliably, this fish is found in Finnish rivers, in the Neva, Narova; is also permanently located in Lakes Ladoga and Onega, from where it enters the Svir, Volkhov, Syas, Shuya and some other rivers.

In addition, taimen is also located in Lake Peipsi, where it was transplanted in 1852. Krasulya, laziness, under the name talmenya, is known throughout Western and significant parts of Eastern Siberia, where it is also found both in large rivers and in small rivers, reaching here an enormous size - up to 3 (in the Ob, according to Potanin, also on the Lena) and more than poods (in the Yenisei, according to Krivoshapkin, up to 3, and according to Tretyakov - up to 5).

Two-harshina taimen, according to Potanin, weighs at least 2 pounds. However, its length is not always commensurate with its weight, and in more feeding rivers (for example, Sosva) it is much thicker, fatter and heavier than in Vagran and Kakva (in the Urals). In general, it is relatively much heavier than pike. According to Haeckel, lake taimen stays at great depths for most of the year and only comes to the surface in the morning and evening and catches small fish.

It spawns in small rivers, preferring the rockiest ones, which are avoided by salmon. It apparently spawns in the spring and has whitish flesh. Sea taimen, on the contrary, have reddish meat, spawn in November and December (in our country, according to Kessler's observations, in October), and enter the rivers much earlier than this - even in the summer, sometimes not reaching a weight of one pound.

Before the start of spawning, they dig long and deep furrows for themselves, in which the male could freely fit, and lay here their yellow eggs the size of a pea; These holes are then found by other females who spawn later. Compared to lake taimen, sea taimen are more resilient.

As for the Siberian talmen, thanks to Potanin’s observations in Altai, mine in the Urals and some other fragmentary information, it is possible to formulate a fairly complete picture of the life of this fish, remarkable for its size, strength and taste of meat. From these observations it is clear that the talmen is a purely freshwater fish, hardly even found in the sea.

She lives in the river all year round, each time rising to spawn, sometimes a considerable distance, hundreds of miles from her previous location, and then sliding back. In all Siberian rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean, talmen completely replaces salmon, which is not found here, and in small, fast and cold mountain rivers - pike.

With the exception of winter, it always avoids secondary currents and chooses the very cutoff, hence its name. The only difference is that during the day the talmen stands in deep places, and at night it comes to shallows and riffles. It is rare in factory ponds in the Urals, as it does not like warm water, and probably only comes here from the upper reaches of the river, where it lives in deep holes and barrels, again in the riverbed, and not in the bays.

Deep and muddy holes near the shore with hanging spruce trees make up his favorite habitat. Rarely do several fish live in one pit, of course, almost the same size, but sometimes, when a lot of them rise, in Vagran, for example, in the summer up to twenty fish were noticed in one barrel. During the day, the talmen stays at the bottom, hiding under sunken trees, and rarely comes to the surface, except to grab a fallen midge.

Very interesting is the testimony of the fishermen that the talmen in the pit sometimes makes sounds similar to purring and can be heard at a distance of several fathoms. On the contrary, in the early morning, at sunrise, or in the evening, before sunset, you can often see him playing and splashing in the riffles, grabbing small fish.

I don’t think, however, that the taimen is a completely nocturnal fish, as Potanin believes, who was told that the taimen does not go aground before sunset, and on moonlit nights - even until the moon disappears. Talmen feeds all year round, with the exception of spawning time; at least it is caught on fishing rods in winter. Its main food is small fish, mostly grayling, burbot and small talmen, frogs, and also mice.

Large specimens swallow not only ducklings, but also adult ducks (mergansers and tufted ducks are most often its prey), as well as geese and squirrels, which often swim across rivers. Small talmeni (one-year-olds) also feed on worms. It is very possible that these predators, like many fish, feed periodically.

Potanin says that they come across most of all during the new moon, during zhora, and that in the last quarter the stomachs of talmens are always empty. The migration of talmens for spawning begins in early spring, but it seems that many remain in the same places. They, like other salmon, probably do not spawn every year.

At this time of year, talmens are found in the very upper reaches, in places where later they cannot get through; rifts and shoals do not pose obstacles for them, and they easily jump over small waterfalls and rubble, which are very common in the Northern Urals, and in the shoals they move so that half of their back is visible. Males are more numerous than females, differing in thickness, and eggs are laid on stones.

The eggs are the size of a pea, dark amber in color (according to Cherepanov and Krivoshapkin) and very few in number. In the Altai mountain rivers, spawning occurs in April, in the rivers of the Northern Urals - in May (on Vagran around May 9). According to Malyshev’s observations, in Tagil laziness comes out of the river. Tagil into small rivers at the end of April and, having laid eggs, rolls back to Tagil in mid-May.

Having spawned, the talmeni usually roll down and take their summer places. It is very possible that some of the Ural tallmen reach the Irtysh, but, probably, the rolling down occurs very slowly. Potanin says that this fish goes down already in May, but until August it still stays in the lower reaches of mountain rivers (Charysh), tributaries of the Ob, until water arrives here from the rains; if the arrival of water is late, then the tallen remains in place.

According to local residents, it rolls down (to the Ob) into the fog, and the stronger it is, especially in rain and leaf fall (wind), the more fish there are. Talmen hibernates in quiet, although deep places, and not on rapids, at least in the Urals they catch it in winter on hooks in the same place as pike, and in Western Siberia (Potanin) in winter it gets caught in the first ice in seines, in kuryi (bays) ), i.e. when the riverbed has not yet frozen, and is under ice.

In terms of strength, speed of movement and intelligence, the talmen has no rivals in Siberian rivers. The pood tackle pulls the fisherman off the boat and cannot be pulled out without outside help. Larger specimens, although more persistent, are far from being as agile and agile. Talmen's jaws are studded with large and sharp teeth and are unusually strong, so that he often bites salmon of the same height with them in half. The most complete information about grayling fish is located -

When caught with seines, the talmen jumps out of the water almost vertically to a considerable height, or rushes a long distance above the water, barely touching it with its belly and ricocheting like a thrown stone. Large fish, however, easily break through the net, rushing into it with a running start.

They say that when caught by surprise, talmens try to break the net, for which they collect nets in their mouths, and also that when beamed, they willingly go into the light, trying, however, to stay under the boat and follow its turns. Laziness is caught in the Urals in various ways - with delusions, cheese, with a fishing rod and with the so-called. path.

Bredniks, as well as other traps, catch it in the depths, with a pen; Talmen does not take fishing rods and fishing rods every year; The bait is either small roach, or three worms are put on a hook, but the best bait for this fish is a frog, which is a big hunter.

Its bite is not particularly reliable, and it does not swallow well, so it often breaks loose, but if it is caught, it causes a lot of trouble; large talmens always break the string and are never caught by the fisherman. For the most part, such people are shot, beaten with a spear in the middle of summer, and sometimes they are shot from a gun, waiting in the evening.

In winter, they finally catch talmen using lures from ice holes and girders. The most interesting and original fishing for tallmen is fishing on the track. The Northern Ural track is somewhat reminiscent of an ordinary spoon, but it also has some differences. It consists of a 2-4-inch iron or, less often, copper plate with a slight bend at the front end, where a small hole is drilled.

A hook is soldered on the other end and a piece of red cloth or other material is tied. Preparing a good track, despite its simplicity, however, requires great skill: with an incorrect center of gravity, it does not float horizontally - flat, hooked downwards, but somewhat obliquely and incorrectly oscillates - plays; Therefore, a good path is highly valued by fishermen.

The actual fishing is always done in a boat, while moving, since only then the path, turning from side to side, takes on some semblance of fish. A long and strong twine, up to 10 fathoms or more, is threaded into the front hole of the path, depending, however, on the speed of the current, since it is necessary that it floats no deeper than an arshin.

The fisherman sits in the stern and rows quietly and steadily, gradually lowering the rope; then, having etched it to the proper length, he grabs the end with his teeth and places it behind the ear. Carefully, barely moving the oar, he sails past the barrels and steep yars; The string vibrates regularly, transmitting its vibration to the ear - a sure sign that the track is playing as it should.

Talmen, seeing her, rushes with an arrow, grabs her from the run and mostly cuts himself off. It happens that a large fish stops the floating shuttle and tears the string out of its teeth or breaks it off. In addition, taimen often breaks off, especially if the hook only catches it on the lip; but this is a minor problem: it’s worth driving through the same place again, and you can be sure, of course, with a good bite, that he will once again rush to the bait.

The most successful fishing on the track is in the mornings and evenings, at the end of summer and in the fall in low water. In all likelihood, the talmen can be caught using the methods used for fishing salmon, even with greater success, since it is less careful. More than once I watched him grab insects falling on the water.

In the Verkhoturye district of the Perm province, they catch talmen in the winter, like pike, in a way called hooking, it begins in November as soon as the Ural rivers are covered with sufficiently strong ice, but most native fishermen prefer to hook at the end of January or early February, after severe Christmas and Epiphany frosts, since it is most convenient to fish in warm and clear weather.

But even before, before the waters freeze, fishermen stock up on “live”, that is, live bait - dace, roach (roach), and, in extreme cases, small perch, which are kept all winter in perforated boxes, immersed with the help of stones in deep places. When going fishing, the fisherman takes with him 2-4 dozen “bellies” (in a beetroot or some kind of closed wooden vessel), hooks, small hay dust in a bag and an ice pick with a shovel.

They try not to freeze the “belly” and therefore wrap the vessel in something warm and, upon arrival at the place, immediately press down the so-called. icebox (a small hole in the ice, at the bottom of which a small hole is made - about an inch in diameter - for free access of fresh water) - where the fish is lowered, making sure that the icebox does not become covered with ice.

Then, immediately in the kuryas, i.e. pits, they make 5-10 holes with a diameter of 6 to 8 inches, cylindrical in shape with rounded lower edges, so that the caught fish cannot cut the lace.

The small ice taken from the ice hole is raked into a pyramidal pile, into which a thin flexible rod up to two quarters long is stuck at an angle of 45 to the surface of the water, so that the exposed end is no more than a quarter and, bent when biting, does not touch the opposite edge of the ice hole; if the time is warm and the twig does not stay in a pile, then use a split wooden die, inserting the twig into the split.

The tackle itself consists of a moth - a plank 8 inches long, a spool of Dutch cord with a piece of black cloth moving along it, and a curved hook with a locally made eye (made of mild steel or telegraph wire). This hook is inserted under the skin of the baitfish, starting from the tail almost to the gills, which is done very carefully so as not to damage the meat or entrails.

Having measured the depth, lower the baited hook into the hole, almost to the very bottom. They make a loop on the cord, move a piece of cloth towards it (so that they can see from afar when a fish bites and pulls the cord off the twig), put a loop on the twig so that the fish can tear it off without the slightest effort and not get pricked. However, the talmen is so greedy that it grabs live bait and pierces several times.

Then the hole is covered with a layer of dust, about a finger thick; the remaining cord, having been lowered from the moth, is laid in rings near the ice hole, so that any fish that come across can freely pull it into the ice hole; it is left on the basis that the talmen and especially the pike do not immediately swallow live bait, but, gradually moving away from the ice hole, drag the cord along with them.

The choice of the moment of hooking is the difficulty of this type of hunting. Having arranged the hooks in this way, the fisherman chooses a more suitable place from which everyone would be visible, and, having laid out a fire (whether in a large iron ladle), vigilantly watches his gear and, as soon as he notices that there is a sunfish on one of the twigs out of sight, he runs headlong to the ice hole and, choosing the right time, hooks a fish.

In Altai, according to Potanin, and also, probably, in almost all of Siberia, except for fishing on the track, which is especially successful at the mouths of rivers (on the so-called suloye), archery in late autumn, shooting on the rifts, fighting with a spear (Kyrgyz on Kaijar They hit tallmen in flight when they try to jump over a waterfall), and they catch them using the lines.

And in winter - with seines on the first ice, in the spring during spawning - with muzzles, later, when they roll down - with surpas (baskets, like a top, with a quadrangular hole), into which weakened fish are brought in by the flow of water. In the tributaries of the Kama (Samarin), sloths are caught using live bait and self-catching gear, since they, like sturgeon fish, love to play with hooks.

Talmen meat is extremely tasty and is considered the most valuable throughout Siberia, but only when it is completely fresh. Stale talmen is not tasty, as it is very greasy and will soon turn bitter and become covered with rust. In Irkutsk b. Parts of talmen are eaten freshly salted. The meat of this fish, like other species of salmon, varies in color: in Eastern Siberia (Krivoshapkin, Cherenov) it is white, in the Urals it is yellowish or pinkish.

The taimen genus of the salmon family (Salmonidae) includes several species that lead an anadromous or exclusively freshwater lifestyle, including in fast-moving mountain rivers. By nature, they are all cold-loving active hunters with seasonal feeding phases. The main feeding occurs in spring, autumn and winter. In warm summer water (above +18°C) they feel uncomfortable, which is expressed in inhibited reflexes and loss of appetite.

The genus-forming taxa is the Siberian or common taimen (Hucho taimen), which is also known by the common nicknames “krasulya”, “laziness”, “talmen”. It is characterized by the largest dimensions among all salmon and the complete absence of the hypoosmotic mechanism necessary for a safe stay at sea. In addition to the ordinary one, experts distinguish Korean (Ishikawae), Sichuan (Bleekeri) and Mityagin forms. Another famous representative of the genus is the Danube salmon (Hucho hucho).

The species is one of the largest freshwater predators and, under optimal conditions, can live for more than 60 years. In standard catches, young 6-7 year old individuals (55-70 cm) weighing 3.5-5 kg ​​prevail. Adult fish grow faster; meter-long ten-year-olds have a mass of 12 kg. At 20 years of age, the length of the predator is 120-125 cm (25-30 kg). But these figures are far from the maximum - the largest taimen weighed 105 kg with a height of 210 cm (1943, Kotui River, Krasnoyarsk Territory).

Appearance description

The slender and elongated shape of the body has much in common with the structure of trout and has ideal streamlining parameters that contribute to rapid movement in the water. Other features of the appearance of taimen include:

• fins shifted towards the tail;
• large flattened head;
• small scales (140-150 in the lateral line);
• a huge terminal mouth with sharp teeth curved inward (two rows);
• 11-13 gill rakers;
• dark gray (dorsal), light ash (ventral, pectoral) and red (anal, caudal) fins.

The name taimen fish includes a whole genus of fish belonging to the salmon family. There are 4 species of taimen in the genus, which differ from other species of fish from the salmon family in their very large size. Taimen is an object of fishing and sport fishing, but its fishing is limited or prohibited due to a sharp decline in the population.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Taimen is an active shadowhunter. On sunless or rainy days, he switches to round-the-clock nutrition, and his diet:

• other fish (burbot, char, sculpin, tugun, perch, grayling);
• amphibians (frogs, newts);
• small mammals (mice, rats, squirrels, muskrats);
• waterfowl (mallards, pintails, geese, bean gooses, lesser white-fronted lesser white-fronted geese).

Many cases of attacks by large predators on dogs and foxes crossing the river have been recorded. In the warm season, the share of non-fish food in the menu can be 35-40%. Because of such gluttony and indiscriminate eating, the taimen was nicknamed the river tiger.

Young Talmen feed on chironomid and honeydew larvae, worms, leeches, crustaceans, and fry. At 3-4 years, a gradual abandonment of zooplankton and benthos occurs in favor of representatives of ichthyofauna. As fish grow, the potential of their jaw, swallowing and digestive systems increases dramatically. The young predator is capable of hunting prey no larger than 15-17% of its own body length. In adults, this figure is an impressive 40-42%.

Taimen is a single fish, less often a pair fish. Spends late spring and summer in cold tributaries with a constant supply of spring or melt mountain water. From mid-autumn, it goes on vacation to the main channels of large lowland rivers, which by this time have time to cool down from the summer heat.

How does taimen reproduce?

The spawning period of redfish lasts from the end of April to June at a water temperature of +3-8°C. Sexually mature individuals aged 5-8 years participate in procreation. Since salmon typically spawn once every 2 years, only some of the adult individuals rush into the tributaries of mountain river systems. Thanks to the spring filling of the channels with melt water, the fish manage to reach the upper reaches.

As spawning grounds, taimen choose shallow reaches (0.5-2 m) with a rocky, pebble or gravel bottom. To protect the clutch from strong currents, females use their tails to knock out nesting holes, into which 5-35 thousand large dark amber eggs with a diameter of up to 5.5 mm are placed. The period of embryonic development of larvae is 30-50 days. Once the fry swims, they gather in large schools and begin to actively feed on zooplankton and benthos. Spawned spawners slide down the river to deeper places, where they remain for the entire summer season.

Video: unique filming of taimen spawning

Spawning of taimen and behavioral characteristics in different seasons of the year

The egg-laying period, spawning, occurs between April and June. The water temperature for spawning should vary between 3 and 8 °C. The fish leaves offspring once every 2 years, starting from 5-8 years, when it becomes sexually mature. To reproduce, taimen go to the tributaries of mountain rivers, rising and swimming against the current. Since the rivers widen due to meltwater in the spring, it is not difficult for the redfish to reach the upper reaches. During spawning, the body color changes and becomes copper-red.

The fish spawns in areas whose depth is 0.5−2 m. The bottom should be rocky, gravel or pebble. The female makes a special hole with her tail so that the current does not carry away the eggs. At a time, it lays from 5,000 to 35,000 eggs, the diameter of which is 5.5 mm. Taimen caviar has a dark amber color. Having completed spawning, adults move down the river to deeper areas.

The juvenile period begins 30−50 days after hatching. The hatched young flock together and hunt plankton. Once grown and increased in size, taimen becomes a solitary fish.

The fish live alone or in pairs. In late spring and summer it swims into cold tributaries. From October, fish that have gained fat over the summer swim into the main channels of large lowland rivers, which by this time have cooled down. Spends the winter at depth in fast-flowing rivers.

Security status

Krasula has been assigned the category of an endangered species and is included in the Red Book of Russia and the list of species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, increasing pollution of water bodies and illegal actions of poachers are causing a constant decline in the number of animals.

That is why fishing for taimen during the spawning period and without special permission is strictly prohibited. In addition, measures are being taken to additionally protect spawning rivers. Work is also underway in the direction of artificial reproduction of the species, which is critically difficult due to the complex biology of fish.

Making an important decision

Trophy taimen... Do you really need this? Or maybe we should be deservedly proud of a pike perch with a “five” or a pike with a “ten”? Yes, that's possible. Only taimen is a challenge, a test of strength, when you rightfully proudly knock on your chest and shout in the middle of the taiga river: “I did it!”

Siberian and Far Eastern taimen hunters have an unwritten rule: if you pull out up to ten kilos of taimen, it doesn’t count; you’re not worthy of saying that you caught taimen. Taimen from the “ten” - yes, this is already valid. And after the “twenty” - trophy taimen. A predator from forty kilos is a giant taimen. There are plenty of trophy fishermen in Russia, but only a few dozen giants caught. And yet, I think it would be right to come down to earth - and start small.

Fishing for taimen

The optimal time for fishing for salmon is May-June (post-spawning feast) or the period from late August to November (autumn feeding). The highest frequency of bites is observed in the morning and evening twilight, when fog falls on the water surface. The fish prefers to stick to the bottom layers of rivers and lakes, so they are less likely to grab bait from the surface or in mid-water. The predator's favorite stopping places are areas near rifts and rock ridges, dumps, mouths of tributaries and streams, and small islands on reaches.

Spinning fishing

It is better to refuse ultralight and light forms, which will not be able to cope with the large mass and strong jerks of the redfish - when fishing, the prey often “lights a candle”, jumping high out of the water. A rod 2.2-3.0 m long with a top weight of 50-60 g is optimal. When catching taimen, spinning rods Aiko SGP, Daiwa Whisker, Hearty Rise SYLPHY have proven themselves well. When choosing a reel, it is better to give preference to spinning or multiplier traction models with a drag load of 7-10 kg and a spool capacity of 4000 or more according to the Shimano classification. The main thread is a braided cord with a cross-section of 0.23-0.3 mm with a breaking load of 12-40 kg. To avoid accelerated abrasion of the vein on stones, you can use a fluorocarbon shock leader. The main wiring is slow.

Lures for taimen

Due to the natural caution of the predator, you should use oscillating or rotating spoons of natural colors, which are characteristic of local fish (silver, copper, brass, gold), and have a set of different-sized baits. Large taimen fish well for small Mepps Lusox or Abu Garcia Toby, but completely ignore their larger counterparts. Good results are demonstrated by sinking and diving wobblers (suspenders) and Devons with spinning blades. Steadily floating fish-shaped baits (poppers) are used extremely rarely due to their low efficiency. It is much better to catch taimen using an artificial mouse 10-12 cm long, which realistically imitates a rodent floundering in the water. Such a spoon with several tees is especially effective when catching a predator on a cloudy day or at night.

Composition and benefits of taimen fish

Krasulya has tasty, juicy and tender pink or red meat, which contains many substances important for the body:

• easily digestible proteins (18.9 g);
• vitamin B3 (2.9 mg);
• zinc (0.7 mg), chlorine (165 mg), sulfur (175 mg);
• nickel (6 µg), chromium (55 µg), molybdenum (4 µg).

The moderate presence of fats (energy value 88 kcal per 100 g) allows taimen to be used for dietary and gentle nutrition. The greatest benefit comes from medium-salted meat, which completely retains all Omega-3 acids and vitamins. Krasuli fillet lends itself well to steaming, frying, baking in the oven, canning and stewing. Grilled dishes and taimen shish kebab are also very popular. Regular consumption of salmon reduces the risk of cancer and hypertension, normalizes metabolism and cholesterol levels in the blood, strengthens the immune and cardiovascular systems.

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Characteristics of the species

This fish belongs to the salmon family, the genus of taimen. This genus includes species such as common, Korean, Sichuan, Danube, Sakhalin.

A feature of the genus is the absence of significant differences between the species within it. All representatives have:

• long body of a typical predatory fish;
• a “pike” head flattened on top and sides;
• a huge wide mouth that opens right up to the gill slits;
• two rows of large, curved and sharp teeth;
• small scales, mostly silvery;
• in the area of ​​the lateral line there are dark spots the size of a pea;
• multi-colored fins: the caudal and anal are colored red, the dorsal has dark gray shades, the pectoral and abdominal ones are light gray.

Despite the fact that in Siberia this fish is usually called red pike, it is difficult to confuse it with other species. The typical inhabitants of mountain rivers and lakes, lenok and grayling, are somewhat similar to it. However, they are much smaller and paler than their cold-water neighbor.

Reproduction

The onset of spring is accompanied by spawning among taimen. During this period, the female rises, accompanied by the male, upstream, up to the upper reaches. This is where the couple will lay and fertilize their eggs. There are rare cases when a female rises accompanied by two or three males.

The female prepares a hole directly in the bottom soil, which reaches a length of one and a half to ten meters. The eggs are laid by the female in this depression. Immediately after this, both potential parents begin to fertilize her. In terms of time, the entire process does not take individuals more than 30 seconds.

The female carefully buries the laid eggs after they have been fertilized. For the next 3 weeks, the parents do not leave the spawning area and protect the offspring. Of these, the fry mature in eggs for 2 weeks, and towards the end of the third they set off on their first voyage. Although, natural conditions play a role in many respects.

The fry do not leave the spawning grounds for a long time. Puberty in females occurs at a weight of two kg, and in males - from one. If we consider fish that lived in comfortable temperatures and a favorable food supply, then they gain this weight at about 5-6 years of life.

Geographical habitats

There are two concepts - habitat and biotope. The habitat is the area where representatives of this genus or species can live. A biotope is the same type of biogenic and abiogenic environmental conditions in which a set of species included in a given biocenosis lives.

The range is limited to the Asian part of Russia. These fish are found in the rivers of the Urals, Yakutia, the southern part of the Far East, Khakassia, Buryatia, and Transbaikalia.

If we describe the area by water bodies, it includes the following rivers:

• Pechora;
• Kama;
• Aldan;
• Amur;
• Tugur;
• Yana;
• Tunguska;
• Zeya;
• Gilyuy;
• Anyui;
• Choir;
• Abakan;
• Katun;
• Yenisei;
• Angara;
• White;
• Vitim;
• Barguzin;
• Avvakumovka.

Taimen can also be found in lakes Teletskoye and Khanka.

It is found only in clean, transparent taiga rivers and lakes. Despite its similarity in appearance to pike, it also has habits like catfish. Both of them love to live where there are many pools and holes. Such a large body needs to be hidden in holes, and deep ones. After resting in shelters, taimen go hunting.

The weight of an adult reaches 60-80 kg

Distribution and habitats

The taimen is most widespread in the basins of the Lena, Yenisei, and Amur rivers. The fish is found in the Lake Baikal basin, in Altai, Sayan Mountains, and in mountainous areas belonging to the South Siberian region. But these places are well developed by humans, which is why it is impossible to catch trophy specimens there. Hundreds of kilometers from large cities, taimen are not found at all.

Taimen loves the cold, so it is more comfortable in the northern regions, where rivers with cold and clear water flow. But this fish is also not found outside the Arctic Circle, even if there are no people there. The fact is that beyond the Arctic Circle, the period of open water is so short that taimen do not have time to accumulate enough fat to be able to lead a passive lifestyle during the long winter and feed on accumulated fat reserves. The largest number of individuals live in rivers with a length of 400 to 600 kilometers. And such trophy specimens, as in the photo, are most often found in hard-to-reach places in Evenkia and Yakutia.

Nutrition and lifestyle

The taimen, which lives in large mountain rivers, is considered the “shark” of these waters. Normally, it feeds on any prey it can catch. Most often, its victims are grayling, lenok, whitefish, perch, gudgeon, roach and other fish. However, like the catfish, it also preys on airborne inhabitants. Perfectly merging with the bottom of a mountain river, it can grab a rat, squirrel, chipmunk, cat, dog, mouse from the bank in one leap. He, of course, also hunts waterfowl. Its prey can be small ducks, waders, dippers and anyone who had the temerity to come into the attention zone of this super predator.

Prefers to live alone, sometimes as a couple. They do not form flocks.

If the hydraulic regime of a reservoir changes and the water becomes warm, taimen (like grayling and lenok) tries to migrate. And if this is impossible, he gets sick and dies.

These fish usually live 15-18 years, but individuals that have reached 30 years are also known. However, this is the age of individual centenarians.

Maximum feeding and migratory activity occurs in September - this is the time when individuals need to gain the maximum amount of fat.

Preferring to lie down in holes, this giant is still not afraid of shallows and riffles. Having a well-muscled body, these fish can easily jump over rapids and overcome small waterfalls. On the way to big water, they decisively move through areas of shallow water so that sometimes their backs are visible above the water, and their bellies scrape along the pebble bottom.

This inhabitant of clear waters prefers to come to the surface and actively swim in rainy, windy and foggy weather. This may be due to the fact that in such weather it is more difficult to see them from above, that is, from the air. In addition, in such weather, insects get wet, their flight becomes more difficult, and they are more likely to fall into the water and become easy prey.

Taimen especially love high water. Fortunately, in mountain rivers this situation happens quite often. A day after heavy continuous rain, rivers begin to overflow their banks. This means that many land dwellers end up in the water. This is especially true for mouse-like animals. The water in mountain rivers rises very quickly, so mice, rats, and often chipmunks do not have time to find reliable islands of land. They are picked up by a strong current, and they become prey to the numerous mouths of the inhabitants of the water.

How does it reproduce

This king fish of cold waters begins to reproduce after it reaches a length of 60 cm. This is a big problem for many large species. The fact is that with great activity of fishermen, few specimens survive to this stage. As a result, there are fewer and fewer individuals left in water bodies capable of reproducing.

Is it possible, with one fishing rod, to destroy the entire population of taimen, grayling and lenok in one mountain river? Of course you can. All these fish stay in pools and holes, going out onto rapids and rifts only for hunting and spawning. Knowing the location of the holes on the river, you can catch all the large fish that can reproduce. The surviving little thing, of course, can grow up and begin to reproduce. However, this will only happen if a person leaves the pits of this river alone for at least 5 years. If this does not happen, taimen will disappear from such a reservoir.

It’s a little easier with lenkas and graylings - they reach sexual maturity faster, so they can have time to lay eggs before the next visit of fishermen to the pits.

It is especially difficult for large fish to reproduce under conditions of strong anthropogenic pressure, which is why taimen are now a rarity. The paradox of life is that the less a particular fish remains in the rivers, the more it is hunted. And it’s not just about the gastronomic and commercial value of this species. Taimen, with its fish head, is increasingly moving from the category of prey to the category of trophy. In other words, it is often caught not to eat, but to show off.

Catching individuals larger than 60 cm in large quantities in one place leads to a complete loss of the reproduction potential of this population. For this reason, fish do not die out immediately over the entire area of ​​their range, but in individual rivers and lakes, that is, where fishermen show special stubbornness - unreasonable and irrational.

Spawning in taimen, like all fish from cold regions, begins in the spring. Interestingly, at this time, sexually mature individuals change their silver color, which camouflages them in clear waters, to bright copper-red shades. At this moment, when the silver usually becomes a “red pike” predator, it is clearly visible to all fish body hunters. However, you have to take risks, because males and females must find each other as quickly as possible. Having spawned eggs, the individuals quickly change their red color to normal. After this, they again merge with the color scheme of the mountain river.

Taimen caviar, although from a large fish, is small in size - no more than 5.5-6 mm. Young females are capable of laying no more than 10-15 thousand eggs at a time. Those who are older are able to throw calves 2 times more.

Taimen, which lives in large mountain rivers, is considered the “shark” of these waters

To perform the sacrament of spawning, females rise to the upper reaches of rivers and build nests there from clean pebbles. The caviar lies in this secluded place for about a month. The fry grow quickly and by the end of summer they swim to where all the adults live.

Babies feed mainly on invertebrate animals that live in the water or fall on its surface. After a few days, young predators are already able to chase the fry of other fish.

The largest taimen ever caught. When, where was it recorded, in what year?

From the book “Jehangir’s Necklaces” by Pyotr Nikolaevich Sigunov, chapter “Hidden Stories”.

“...Geologist Grozdilov, who plowed many rivers on rafts, said that in 1952 he saw Siberian salmon (taimen) weighing 61 kg, caught at the mouth of the Kochechuma.

And the geologist Tolchevnikov... saw in 1952 an even larger one - 86 kg! Fishermen pulled him out of Khatanga with nets.

It is known from scientific literature that in the winter of 1945 on the Amur, near Iinokentyevka, a taimen weighing 80 kg was caught on an ice hook!

The senior state fisheries inspector of Evenkia, V. E. Kalei, wrote to me that in 1943, a “giant” weighing 105 kg and 2 m 10 cm long “snuck” into a net on Kotui.

I heard from reindeer herders that in 1962 in Evenkia, Yakut hunters shot a bill longer than two meters and heavier than a hundredweight. He “crawled” along a shallow channel from the lake to the river.

Probably, such giants are not uncommon in Siberia. But they apparently live only in large bodies of water. For example, on the Severnaya River “krasul” up to thirty kilograms are caught, in its deep tributaries - up to fifteen, and in shallow ones - up to five.

I wonder what kind of giants are found in the Lower Tunguska, where the Northern Tunguska flows? Sometimes in Siberia there are even rumors about three-meter taimen. Some geologists allegedly saw some “torpedoes” similar to sharks flashing across the polar lakes in calm weather. It is no coincidence that the Mongols have a legend about how the taimen khan fish once got stuck in the ice of a river. All winter, the inhabitants of the yurts cut pieces out of it with axes and thanks to this they were saved from starvation. When spring came, the Taimen Khan sailed away, for he was so great that the Mongols could not harm him.

Average statistical data on the maximum size and age of fish living in the river. Yenisei.