Grayling fish is white or red. Grayling fish. Calorie content and properties of grayling. How to cook grayling fish

Siberian grayling fish (Thymallus arcticus) is a cold-loving representative of the salmon family (Salmonidae). The closest geographical relatives are trout, muksun, pizhyan, omul, broad whitefish, peled. Forms a genus of the same name, consisting of several similar subspecies. According to experts, it has the most beautiful exterior among all freshwater ichthyofauna of the Eurasian continent.

The origin of the species name has Finno-Ugric roots and is written in the original as harjus. The only meaning of the word was the designation of a specific fish, so it has successfully taken root in many other languages, including German - harzus, Estonian - harjuse, Swedish - harren, Norwegian - harr, etc. The local forms of the name characteristic of various regions of Russia are also widespread - gairus, gavriz, kargus, harlez, khairyuz. You can come across the nickname "zhigan", describing the mischievous nature of the taxon. In some areas, grayling is erroneously called whitefish because of its external resemblance to members of the biologically close taxon Coregonus.

The modern use in Russian of once borrowed Finno-Ugric, Sami, Turkic and other names of families and various kinds ichthyofauna is not uncommon:

• sargi or sorroh - roach (roach);
• lasis - salmon;
• ogr - eel;
• kumza - brown trout.
• silakka - herring;
• dlesc - bream;
• karpie - carp;
• kilu - sprat;
• kuoreh - smelt;
• raabuskas - vendace.

In turn, the original Slavic names are easily guessed by an understandable descriptive component - shad, azure, croaker, rudd, tench, quicksand, beluga, catfish.

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.

To the distinguishing features appearance Siberian grayling should include:

• oval elongated body;
• large mouth of the final form;
• elongated upper jaw;
• clearly visible small teeth;
• slightly humpbacked back in plain dark gray or greenish tones with specks;
• tight-fitting scales of medium size;
• bluish-gray or silvery sides with lilac, cinnamon or olive tint;
• the presence of a fatty and wide dorsal fin-fan with reddish, black, turquoise or purple spots;
• lighter belly;
• strong caudal peduncle;
• large, slightly bulging eyes.

The primary and secondary color may vary depending on the specific habitat, depth, illumination and transparency of the water, the type of bottom. Malek has a protective camouflage characteristic of salmonids with vertical brown stripes.

Interestingly, the dwarf forms of grayling that inhabit isolated mountain lakes retain their "infant" color throughout their lives.

Distribution and habitats

The fish lives only in a cool, fresh environment with a moderate or strong current, leading sedentary life. The distance of food migrations does not exceed 10-40 km. The Siberian grayling is distributed in the northeastern part of Eurasia in the basins of the Pacific and Northern arctic oceans. 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.

grayling fish belongs to the salmon family, although it has quite significant external differences from other individuals belonging to this family. The grayling has an elongated large body and a marbled silver color, which can be diluted with black spots. Adult fish are darker in color.

The size of grayling fish can reach half a meter in length, and the weight does not exceed two kilograms. The life span of individuals is up to ten years.

Grayling is a river fish. She prefers cool water for comfortable living. Also, like the entire salmon family, this fish is very sensitive to pollution and oxygen content in the water. Because of this, the main habitat of grayling is mountain rivers and lakes with clean and cold water.

This type of fish does not welcome abundant vegetation, therefore, grayling cannot be found in reservoirs with a large amount of silt and algae.

There are three types of fish:

• Mongolian;
• Siberian;
• European.

All of them differ in color, size, habits and habitat.

Spawning of grayling usually takes place at the end of spring or beginning of summer, when the water temperature in habitats rises to ten degrees.

grayling is predatory fish, therefore, in adulthood, it feeds on insects that fall into the water, and can also eat small mammals. Often attacks large fish and feeds on fry. At a young age, it eats mollusks, larvae and small crustaceans.

In the food industry, grayling fish is used to prepare delicious snacks, first courses, side dishes, etc. If you are planning to go fishing to catch this fish, we recommend that you read the next section.

How to catch?

It is best to fish for grayling from the beginning of June until ice appears on the rivers. In winter, catching this fish will not bring results, since grayling is practically not active at this time of the year.

This species of fish does not like the sun very much, so in sunny weather it goes to the depth. It is better to catch it at sunset, before sunrise, at night or in cloudy weather. You can use any type of fishing rod, but it is important to know that grayling likes to stay away from the shore. You will need a boat or a fishing rod.

The best baits for catching this fish are:

• bloodworm;
• worm;
• pieces of other fish;
• fry;
• cockroaches;
• grasshoppers;
• larvae of large insects.

It is also desirable to know that bait should not be used for catching grayling. It will be enough to arm yourself with a long stick and muddy the water. Then you can cast the baited hook and wait.

How to cook grayling fish?

You can cook grayling fish at home in a large number of different ways. It does not matter if you caught it yourself or bought it in a store. Wash it first and let it dry.

An important point: it is better to cook the fish when it is still fresh, because after defrosting the grayling may lose some of its taste.

Most hostesses prefer to bake grayling in the oven with various sauces, adding certain ingredients. Alternatively, you can bake it with onions, tomatoes and other vegetables, as well as in your own juice. In addition, you can salt or smoke this fish. Salt it like this:

1. Prepare the necessary ingredients, namely: grayling fish, onions, vinegar, sunflower oil, lemon and salt and pepper to taste.
2. The fish must be washed and rid of offal, as well as cut off the tail and head. After that, the product should be cut into equal pieces.
3. Put the chopped grayling in a deep bowl and add salt and pepper. You can also add any other spices you like. Mix the contents of the bowl and leave to infuse for half an hour.
4. Dilute the vinegar with water so that it gives the dish a slight sourness, but does not interrupt its main taste.
5. Peel and cut the onion into half rings, add to the bowl with the fish, where you also send the lemon. Pour it all sunflower oil and leave to infuse for half an hour or forty minutes, after which the dish will be ready to eat.

Another great option cook grayling - make an ear out of it. Also, many fishermen cook delicious kebabs from fresh catch right on the fishing trip.

This fish is characterized by very tender meat, and there are not many bones in it. It can be fried in a pan or stuffed with vegetables. In addition, a popular dish is "Khe" made from grayling red meat.

You can find a large number of all kinds of recipes that will help you prepare a delicious dish from this fish. The main thing is that it must be fresh. And then you just need to turn on your imagination and stock up on the necessary products.

Benefit and harm

Benefit and harm can be caused by any products, including grayling fish. Especially if you do not take into account contraindications, which include individual intolerance to fish, as well as acute gastritis. It is especially not recommended to eat grayling in a baked or fried form for people who have stomach problems.

As for the beneficial properties of this fish, they include the following:

• since grayling meat can be considered low-calorie, it is recommended to use it for people who are on a diet;
• the composition of the fish contains a large amount of vitamins and trace elements that have a positive effect on the immune system, and also supply the body with the necessary mineral components;
• regular consumption of grayling has a positive effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland, providing the body with iodine.

Remember that you should not get involved in eating fish, as this can harm your body..

The grayling has one of the most beautiful colors among the fish of the Holarctic reservoirs.

L.P. Sabaneev

Fish of Russia

Grayling is an interesting, predatory fish. It is a direct relative of salmon and whitefish. The body of the grayling is oblong, and its coloration is considered one of the most colorful and attractive. Its back is dotted with many black speckles, the sides of the body are gray, and the abdomen is a light shade with a purple sheen.

Young representatives are less bright, they can be distinguished by dark transverse stripes. The color also depends on the reservoir in which the fish lives. If the current is fast, then the color will have lighter shades. If the fish lives in a pool, then its body will acquire a characteristic steel color.

humpback grayling

It is not easy to see grayling in the water, as it merges with the ground. There is also the so-called humpback - dark grayling, which has a hunchbacked back.

Grayling is easy to recognize among other species due to the powerful large fin located on the back. It strongly resembles "sails", which are brightly colored with different stripes and spots. Also, this fin is compared with a multi-colored bright flag. At the same time, the shape of the fin and its patterns are different for each subspecies.

On the back of the grayling, in addition to a large fin, there is also a small adipose fin. Its presence indicates that the grayling belongs to the noble genus of salmon.

The Siberian, Baikal, Amur, Lower Amur and Yellow-spotted graylings have a large spot above the ventral fins, closer to red in color. On the ventral fins there are oblique red-brown stripes that have a purple hue. The caudal and anal fins of adult fish are red-burgundy.

In addition, the Baikal grayling is white and black. Black differs from white in a higher body, as well as a large dorsal fin, which has several rays protruding from it. The black Baikal grayling has a darker coloration. The maximum length of the black grayling is 60 centimeters and weighs 1.5 kilograms. white look is larger both in mass and size: the maximum parameters of the fish can be twice as large.

Amur grayling

In grayling males, the rear part of the dorsal fin is noticeably higher than the front. In females, this part of the fin is smaller or has the same height. Spots of a reddish color are clearly visible on it, which are lined up horizontally: they can be oblong vertically or round, and the color can acquire purple and turquoise hues.

The head of the grayling is small, the mouth is located in its upper part.

Grayling is a small fish. It can weigh 2.5-3 kilograms. But, of course, experienced anglers also caught larger individuals - in 1956, a trophy was caught on Lake Konnevesi in Finland, which weighed 6.7 kilograms. But this is an exception. Most often, when fishing, it is possible to catch grayling weighing up to 1 kg.

The largest individuals (up to 5-6 kg) are observed in the Mongolian and European graylings. In the alpine lakes of Siberia, dwarf forms are also known, which throughout their life retain their fry coloration in the form of dark transverse stripes on the sides of the body.

Grayling loves water bodies where the water temperature is kept low. Prefers to be on a rocky bottom, which is covered with pebbles.

Grayling habits

Harris is very agile. It is in no way inferior to trout.

In warm and calm weather, you can see how this fish jumps out of the water and tries to grab insects flying by. His jumps can be very high, but not frequent. Grayling quickly gets tired and leaves.

It happens that graylings live in small flocks, but mostly they are solitary fish. Only during the zhora do they get together. Younger ones live on rifts and shallow places, while older ones, on the contrary, are found in deep pits.

Graylings are called twilight fish, as they most often go hunting at dawn.

Grayling's favorite places are above and below rifts and rapids. Anglers have long noticed that in warm weather they prefer shallow places, but in winter the grayling goes to the depths, mainly to sandy areas.

It is believed that this is one of the sedentary species. In the summer, these fish stay in the same places, and leave them only in the evening. During the day, they prefer deep places, hiding behind stones or grass, from where they attack peacefully swimming insects. Large individuals emerge from the pits to the shallows only at night. They sit in grassy corridors to better camouflage themselves.

Where is distributed

Habitat of grayling

Graylings live only in the Northern Hemisphere.

Habitat - cold lakes and rivers with clear water. Grayling prefers reservoirs with a rocky bottom.

There are river, lake and lake-river species of grayling. Most of all grayling species live in Russia. In our big country these fish are found in a vast area - from the eastern to the western outskirts. Grayling is not found only in a few European regions located closer to the south.

Grayling, together with trout, is found in mountainous areas and inhabits cold rivers with clear water in Europe and Siberia. In the Angara, according to statistics, the grayling catch is millions of pieces. Graylings also live in water bodies that flow into the Baltic Sea. Also, grayling can be found in the northern rivers that flow into the Arctic and White Seas.

In general, grayling fish is quite widespread, but its habitat covers water bodies of only one continent - Eurasia. The exception is the Alaskan char, which lives on the Alaska Peninsula. There are a lot of species and subspecies, so their names usually correspond to their habitat, so as not to get confused. For example, the Western Siberian grayling lives in the lakes and rivers of Western Siberia. And the Mongolian grayling lives in northwestern Mongolia, in rivers and lakes.

Species and subspecies

Basically, there are three main types: Siberian, European and Mongolian. At times, subspecies may occur, but they are not so numerous. In the Siberian grayling, for example, there are such subspecies as the West Siberian, black and white Baikal, Amur, Kamchatka, East Siberian, Alaskan grayling and others.

European grayling

The European grayling can be easily recognized by its prominent large mouth. Such a grayling lives in the basins of the Baltic and White Seas. It can also be found in the upper reaches of the Volga, Dniester, etc.

The European grayling tends to live in rivers with very fast currents and a sparse food base. Perhaps that is why such a grayling grows for a relatively long time.

There are spots on the back and sides of the European grayling dark color. Brownish stripes especially emphasize the beauty of the fish. The paired fins of this fish are usually red or yellow, while the unpaired fins are purple. On the dorsal fin of the European grayling there are spots that have interesting shape. During spawning, the color of the grayling becomes even more enticing and bright.

European grayling females are ready for conception already in the second year of life. Males about two years after females. The males are usually noticeably larger than the females. Also, males, unlike females, have a powerful dorsal fin and their color is more saturated and bright.

Usually spawning takes place in April-May. In northern latitudes, it can come in early summer. The female can throw from 3 to 30 thousand eggs, depending on her age. River graylings lay their eggs near their place of residence or rush into small streams, where they go to the pebbly bottom. Lake graylings spawn either in the lake itself, or go into the rivers, while choosing a rocky bottom.

Siberian grayling

The Siberian grayling is also called the Arctic grayling. This grayling prefers only clean water enriched with oxygen. Therefore, in the south they most often live in mountain rivers and cool lakes. But in the north of Siberia, the cold climate allows graylings to live almost everywhere. These fish can feel comfortable in streams, small rivers, large rivers, oxbow lakes. They can also live in a variety of lakes: from small tundra reservoirs to deep glacial lakes. In the Siberian grayling, 4 subspecies are mainly distinguished:

• East Siberian;
• West Siberian;
• Alaskan;
• Kamchatka.

There are also black and white graylings that live in Lake Baikal, perhaps, as many researchers and experienced fishermen believe, these are separate species.

The most numerous groups of Siberian grayling are found in the upper tributaries of the Yenisei, Amur, Ob and Lena. In addition to the Siberian rivers, these fish are common in Lake Baikal.

The Siberian grayling has a short but fairly wide dorsal fin. And its color is in large spots that have a special shine.

The East Siberian subspecies, in turn, has stripes with a dark tint near the dorsal fin. The fish of this subspecies have their main difference - a high body with a noticeable hunchback.

Graylings that live in high latitudes grow very slowly, unlike in other regions. They usually gain weight of about 0.5 kg, only reaching 10 years, and the most big fish weigh no more than 1 kg. You can also meet dwarf graylings.

Mongolian grayling

The Mongolian species lives, respectively, in the reservoirs of Mongolia, in its northwestern part. This species is considered the largest of the entire grayling family.

This species has its features indicating their origin. The Mongolian grayling has a long head with a large mouth. The teeth are very well developed not only on the jaws, but also on the tongue and palatine bones. The back is dark in color, the belly is light. The dorsal fin is gray with reddish spots.

The Mongolian grayling lives mainly in rivers, in autumn it goes to lakes. It feeds all year round, but is much more active in summer.

spawning grayling

When spring ends and summer comes, grayling spawning begins. Usually during this period comfortable temperature water, and graylings begin to look for a suitable place to lay their eggs.

Graylings prefer spawning areas with a moderately turbulent current, pebble or sandy bottom. The depth at the same time does not exceed 60 cm. Lake species choose shallow places closer to the coast.

Grayling releases caviar in several passes, and sometimes this process can last a whole month. The development of caviar is quite fast. After some time, the fry rise to the surface of the water and, under favorable conditions, begin to grow rapidly.

Puberty in graylings occurs at about 3-5 years.

After spawning, graylings begin to gain mass. And with the first cold weather, they begin their journey to permanent places wintering.

The lifestyle of lake-river graylings is usually similar, but, for example, the Baikal grayling after spawning again swims into the lake - its permanent habitat, where it feeds.

An interesting feature of graylings was noticed. During feeding, these fish are distributed along the riverbed according to age. That is, at the bottom of the channel, as a rule, there are small graylings, and above - larger individuals. This can be easily explained. In order to rise high, the grayling needs to make a lot of effort, since it is necessary to swim against the current and overcome many obstacles. And small fish are not yet able to do it.

European grayling spawns as soon as the ice melts. This usually happens at the beginning of May. The river grayling starts to spawn near its habitual habitat, but sometimes it goes to small streams or streams to places with a pebbly bottom, where the current is fast or medium. The lake grayling spawns in shallow water near the shore or enters the rivers and stops its choice in the same places as the river grayling.

The Siberian grayling spawns in late spring or early summer, when the water is at its highest level. Spawning grounds for river graylings are placed in channels that are far from the riverbed. They prefer places with a small current, where the bottom is covered with pebbles or sand, and the water, despite the flood, remains clear. The lake grayling acts in the same way as the European grayling.

Diet

Grayling is an omnivorous fish.

Graylings feed on bottom organisms: mollusks, crustaceans. A special delicacy for graylings is fish caviar, which, depending on their active diet, may affect the number of other fish species.

Especially large graylings can attack shrews, voles and other small mammals.

If the grayling has a large size, then it can show the instinct of a predator, rushing at the juveniles of other fish species. Therefore, the Siberian grayling is usually caught on worms or small fish - on live bait.

With the onset of the warm season, when insects often fall to the surface of the water, they also become a tasty meal for this fish. From insects grayling eats midges, gadflies, cicadas and grasshoppers.

Grayling fishing

Grayling is very fond of rifts and sandy areas. He often hides behind rocks. If it is a large grayling, then it can hide in snags. If the grayling likes a convenient place in the river, then he can spend the whole summer there.

Graylings living in large lakes prefer to be on shallows with a rocky bottom and a depth of up to 2 meters.

Catching grayling is not an easy and difficult process; you cannot catch grayling “at random”.

Two methods are mainly used for catching grayling - fly fishing and float fishing rod. They are also caught on spinning and “on the pull”.

On a float rod

They start catching grayling with a bait from spring to late autumn. Float rod with thin line. The angler chooses the length of the rod depending on the conditions of the upcoming fishing. It can be from 3 to 6 meters. With a short rod, it is more convenient to move along the overgrown banks, and with a long one, it is possible to cast the bait further.

A spinning reel with a size of 1000-2000, or an inertial reel for spinning or fly fishing, is attached to the rod. The quality of the reel should be decent, because grayling, even a very small one, will not give up without a fight. As the main fishing line, you can use 0.2-0.22 mm, and as a leash - 0.15-0.18.

Float rod equipment for grayling fishing

The float should be visible. The upper part of it should be a bright color. Orange, bright yellow or red (but not its dark shades) colors are excellent. The eyes of a fisherman on the water perceive these colors well, which seem to glow on it. And the bite will not go unnoticed. Also, the float should be small and light, as large ones are less sensitive. And the fish should not see your float, it should be invisible to her. Choose from blue or black colors.

The load is used sliding, the so-called "olive". A swivel at the end of the main line will keep the load from slipping off. A leash about 20-40 cm long with bait is tied to the swivel.

According to anglers, hooks are best suited with a long forearm No. 4-7 according to the domestic classification. Since the lips of the grayling are tender, it clings weakly. And with such hooks, gatherings become noticeably less. Yes, and it is easier and more convenient to remove fish from such a hook, and this is important when you are standing in cold water, and even with a strong current.

When fishing with float gear, as many amateur anglers recommend, earthworm or dung worm are the best baits. But we must also remember that the grayling is a rather capricious fish, and if it does not bite on one of the baits, it is necessary to try others.

When fishing for artificial flies, you need to know one feature. The bite on such a bait is very short-lived. Grayling quickly realizes the deception and spits it out. And this short moment when the fish catches the bait, when the float goes under water, should not be missed. Your task in a split second is to cut. Concentration and a good reaction of the fisherman are necessary here. When fishing for a worm, you can’t be in such a hurry. Here a moment is expected when it’s “for sure”, “for sure” or “yes, there is”.

You need to hook a grayling with a sharp and quick swing of the rod.

When going fishing, be sure to take boots or waders. In mountain rivers, you can’t do without special shoes, because you have to fish while standing in the water. And the water is very cold even in summer. And instead of fish, you risk bringing home a lot of unpleasant diseases.

If after the first casts the grayling does not bite, feel free to start muddying it into the water. With turbidity, invertebrates rise into the water and attract fish. Go downstream along the river and do not overestimate yourself, calculate your strength so as not to go far and not get lost.

fly fishing

“Fly fishing and grayling are two arts created for each other.
I'm trying to be third in this company..."

Fly fishing is a whole science, an elite type of fishing. Description of all the nuances of fly fishing is beyond the scope of this article. Only general guidelines are given here. This fishing method consists in the fact that the bait is used very similar to a real fly. It should be carried out from a distant or close cast. With a casting distance, the fisherman is determined on the spot. You can fish with fly fishing even in hard-to-reach and extreme conditions.

It is necessary to ensure that the artificial bait does not slow down due to the fishing line or cord. The lines must have a running part - "running", which allows you to cast the fly further. For catching grayling, a line with a “flying head” is well suited. The fly should look as natural as possible, then perhaps it will not arouse suspicion in the grayling. Approximate equipment for fly fishing for grayling is shown in the figure below.

Fly fishing tackle for grayling

It has long been noted that grayling is a very curious fish and can easily catch any, even unnatural or fantasy flies. The grayling menu directly depends on the state of the insects at the time of the year in which you are going fishing. The correct selection of flies is the result of your experience and several years of observation. After all, each insect has its own color and its own period of activity.

Grayling is caught on wet and dry flies. And wet - it's a classic. Such flies imitate nymphs that swim in the water column.

In order for fishing to be carried out at the bottom, the bait should be weighted with a sinking cord. And in order to fish productively in medium waters, you need a floating line.

Grayling is a cautious and intelligent fish. She lacks everything and can even get used to the bait. Therefore, anglers are strongly advised to change the bait more often.

In rivers that do not freeze, fly fishing can take place all year round. But basically, fishing begins in early spring, when the water subsides, and the rivers return to their channels again.

After spawning, grayling begins active feeding. Try not to miss this time as it may only last one day.

flies

Grayling is a twilight hunter, so it is caught in cloudy cloudy weather or in the late afternoon. Flies for catching grayling are used at a time when the water in the reservoir becomes lighter and more transparent, then the grayling goes on an active hunt. Grayling is able to distinguish colors, but it is still recommended to use olive or brown flies. Also, anglers praise reddish flies.

dry fly wet fly Nymph streamer

Dry

It is time to catch a dry fly when there is a massive flight of insects. Watch them. Your fly should be as close as possible to those that fly around in greater numbers. But even your correct choice will still not mean exactly that the grayling will peck at just such a bait. The decision is up to the fish.

When choosing dry flies, the length and thickness of the wings above the water play a leading role. The shape and silhouette in this case is more important than color. Water refracts light, and the fish sees the bait a little differently than we do. Therefore, the angler must take this into account. Since the mirror of water enlarges the fly, sometimes it should be processed a little, for example, cutting off excess fluff.

Wet

In summer and autumn, wet flies and nymphs are used. The color of the nymph depends on the transparency of the water. AT muddy water grayling takes well flies of bright and noticeable colors - pink, black, orange. AT clear water a calm color of flies is better.

Wet flies are prototypes of larvae, fry, which are found in the water column. In order to attract fish, they must be agile in the water. For example, a nymph resembling an ugly dragonfly or a streamer imitating a fry. They move well in the water and are widely used in autumn.

Fly fishing is very popular in the fishing world.

For spinning

Many anglers consider grayling to be a "fly" fish. But there are times when spinning fishermen catch fly fishermen in forest and small rivers.

Of course, in order to achieve this, you need to know some subtleties.

If there are a lot of snags and stones at the bottom of the reservoir, then the grayling should also be there in large numbers, since it loves to hide behind them very much. Also, graylings like to stand in places with flooded branches, bushes or even trees. Similar conditions are likely to occur on small rivers. In such rivers, they usually wad, heading against the current. For such fishing, do not forget to dress appropriately and take a mosquito net with you.

Fishermen have noticed that when the bright dazzling sun shines, it is better to catch grayling on shallows, and in cloudy weather - behind snags.

You also need to choose the right gear. And you need to choose it in accordance with the food preferences of the fish at the present time of the year and in the specific reservoir where you are going.

The main food, of course, are aquatic invertebrates. And this means that the baits should be small, even miniature. It is convenient to catch with such lures only with an ultralight spinning rod.

Winding line "reverse cone"

I think the best action for an ultralight is medium. The rod of medium action springs along almost the entire length of the blank, and allows you to cast ultra-light bait far. And fast, ultra-fast action rods are more suitable for jigging, where you need to feel the hit of the bait on the bottom. You also need to choose the correct length.

If you are going to fish in small forest rivers, then the length of the rod should also be small, since a long one will only interfere with you. It is not difficult to navigate along the length, because it is easy to understand that it is more expedient to use a long rod in big rivers where long-distance casting is required from the shore.

The reel should be light, size from 1000 to 2000. Inertialess reel for ultralight should be with a sufficiently large gear ratio, and high-quality line laying. It is better if there is a “reverse cone” laying (see photo on the left). Such styling does not allow extra turns of thin braid to fly off.

The fishing line is best “braided”, it is stronger than a monofilament with the same diameter, and due to its low extensibility it is much more sensitive. For catching small graylings, a “braid” of 0.08 mm is better suited. Do not be afraid of such a small diameter. A high-quality “braid” with a diameter of 0.08 mm can withstand more than seven kilograms (photo on the right), which allows you to pull driftwood out of the water.

The quality of the knot with which you tie the bait has a decisive influence on the strength of the tackle. Perfect fit, watch the video and description on this site.

Remember, grayling is a cautious fish, and a thick fishing line can scare it away. Better if a big fish breaks the line, but you will experience a storm of emotions. It's worse to be left completely without a bite.

To equip a spinning rod for grayling fishing, you must:

• ultralight rod of medium or medium fast action 1.8-2.4 m
• inertialess reel size 1000-2000 (gear ratio from 5)
• thin braid 0.08-0.12 mm
• a leash is highly discouraged, only if necessary
• landing net

Spinning Lures

Spinning lures for catching grayling can be divided into three categories:

• spinners or spinners
• "oscillators", oscillating baubles
• wobblers

Spinners

Mepps
Mepps
Mepps Classic Regular №1
Panther Martin
Mepps
Mepps
Mepps Myran
Salmo Vibrax Original №2
blue fox Devonian
Russian spinner
Mepps
Russian spinner
Noname
aliexpress

The most famous spinners in grayling fishing are both Aglia Long and Black Fury number 0 from the well-known manufacturer Mepps. The updated Aglia-e works great. In fact, this is the same long-known Aglia. The Panther Martin Classic Regular No. 1 lure is also widely used. This lure works great in strong currents. The Panter Martin petal is located directly on the rotation rod without adapters and collars. Thanks to this, when retrieving on a jet, the bait continues to spin and attract prey even when it collides with stones. And the hooks, as noticed by anglers, are getting smaller.

If you are fishing for a larger grayling on the Siberian rivers, then the turntables are used larger. Such as Aglia Long No. 2 and Comet TRU-V No. 3 from Mepps. In some cases, the Thunder Bug lure (rattling beetle) No. 1 of the same company turns out to be unsurpassed. Very catchy Myran spinners weighing 7-10 g from Salmo, turntables from Blue Fox No. 2-4. The color of the petals depends on the conditions of fishing and the weather. For example, on a cloudy day it is good to catch on spinners with silvery petals. And in good sunny weather, grayling better takes baits with copper petals.

A separate type of spinners are "devons", which are considered baits for catching asp. These spinners show good results when fishing for grayling on the riffles with high speed wiring.

"Swingers" are used less often when fishing for grayling. Syclops from Mepps and Chernoshinka of domestic producers of small sizes catch grayling in a gentle current with medium depth. Castmasters are useful for catching deep pools.

All of the above spinners are not cheap, they belong to the premium class. But their quality is stable, these spinners always work. If there is a desire to save money, then their copies are sold on Aliexpress much cheaper than the originals. Among them, there are also quite working "pieces of iron", but this is how lucky.

Wobblers

Big Minnow-20SR
Anglers Republic Snap Beans MS
Yo-Zuri Bit 40mm
Aqua

For catching grayling, wobblers are the best suited, without a rear tee. These wobblers are short, plump, with a high frequency of play.

With the help of wobblers, the fisherman has a much wider range of possibilities. Wobblers are easier to control on the course. Sinking models or suspenders are great for strong jets. When using a wobbler, the main condition must be taken into account. The jet should not throw it to the surface.

Favorite models are Big Minnow-20SR and Big Minnow-25SR from Anglers Republic . The grayling especially loves the uniform wiring of this Fat class wobbler.

The Bit wobbler of the Russian manufacturer Aqua perfectly overcomes a strong current. It works maximum at a depth of up to 1 m. Lures from Yo-Zuri are also worthy of the attention of the angler. This is a pair of lures in one package of Snap Beans MS with a diving depth of up to 0.5 m.

Technique for catching grayling with spinning

Despite the fact that grayling is a predator, grayling does not belong to pronounced predators. Therefore, he will not chase a fast-swimming bait. And therefore, uniform winding of the fishing line should be carried out as slowly as possible. It is necessary to imitate a sick fish. And the quality of the spinner or wobbler is of paramount importance here. The spinner should play even if the winding is stopped.

For grayling fishing, the classic reeling is a cross casting of the bait, and then a slow reeling with drift downstream.

Another fishing method is to fish against the current. The winding of the fishing line is done extremely slowly, sometimes you can stop completely, and meanwhile the bait should move against the stream, slightly clinging to the shore.

Even a well fed or lazy grayling can spot your bait if you use the following technique. Light bait is cast against the current. And the main role will be played by the current of the river, which will carry your wobbler past the standing graylings. Even a passive fish will respond to naturally passing prey.

It is very important to properly serve a lure or a wobbler so that the grayling could not resist the temptation presented by you.

Conclusion on spinning fishing

Of course, when fishing for grayling, you need to know its place. But even knowing some of them, you will never know exactly how lucky your catch will be. Each fisherman has his own and, as it seems to them, personal places with a good bite. But fishermen are cunning people, and not everyone will share their secrets.

For a spinning angler, catching grayling replaces a whole tutorial. This fish, grayling, bites on many baits, is caught both on the surface of the water and from the bottom. Fishing for grayling helps to gain experience in the use of baits, allows you to experiment with a variety of bait methods. Catching grayling for a spinner is not just fishing, but a whole joyful creative process.

Other ways to catch grayling

It is very interesting to catch grayling on the "overtight" (paired spinning rods). On larger rivers, harus fishing on a “water kite” (“boat”) is exciting.

Important facts from the life of grayling and fishing safety rules

Grayling prefers calm water and avoids strong currents. Basically it stays on the bottom. It looks for food in quiet areas of the reservoir. These simple features the angler must take into account when launching the bait.

Grayling sees his food at the surface of the water, leaves the bottom and grabs food. If it turns out to be inedible, this fish has a characteristic habit of rolling over and making a splash that is easily recognizable to an experienced angler. And it is precisely by this surge that it is possible to determine a possible parking place for subsequent fishing.

The introduction of bait or spinners is crucial, as the grayling is lazy enough to climb up for prey floating somewhere to the side. Grayling is a rather shy fish, but it still usually returns to its parking place. Remember that the grayling sees the fisherman's shadow. In this case, even if he sees the bait, he will not budge. Therefore, the angler needs to be smart not only with nozzles, but also with his invisibility.

Grayling feeds on insects falling to the surface of the water. If you suddenly see a rise of a grayling that rises along its characteristic circle, then try to send the lure to this place as naturally as possible. At the same time, try to make a sonorous slap, as if a large insect had fallen.

In all types of fishing, grayling is attracted only by one thing - a live floating bait. You need to hook with a sharp and quick swing of the rod. This fish has weak lips, and, unfortunately, there are a lot of gatherings.

And further. Before gathering for grayling in a certain place, find out if fishing is allowed there. There are rivers in which it is forbidden to fish even with a line, and if this is not known in advance, then you can get into trouble.

You won't catch grayling here

Do not go to those places where there are many tourists and fishermen. Grayling loves exceptional silence. Fishermen have verified that in noisy places there is nothing to hope for a stable bite. Small rivers away from noisy roads and populations are the best places to catch this fish.

In addition to gear, make sure to bring allergy medication, special gloves and a mosquito suit. He can be of great use to you. Be careful when moving over rocks and fords. There is a possibility of injury. Avoid wild animals. In addition to artificial baits, grab an earthworm or leafworm. These are excellent live baits for catching grayling.

Experienced anglers advise catching grayling in the morning or evening. And during the white nights in calm weather, the grayling can take the bait until the morning.

Fishing for grayling in different seasons

Summer

In summer, grayling swims from large rivers to small mountain streams, where the water is cooler.

Usually active biting does not last long, about 4 hours. Grayling does not really like too bright light. At the end of June, the best bite is between 12 midnight and 5 am. In August, under good favorable conditions, grayling takes the bait well in the evenings, but they usually feed before dark. When the weather is cloudy and rainy, grayling can peck all day long.

In summer, the appetite of grayling, as a rule, is played out. But it is not easy to catch him, as there are difficulties in the selection of baits. At this time, countless insects fly, and it is not easy to guess what the grayling prefers at the moment. To seduce the fish with bait, you should also make a lot of effort. First of all, you need to be observant and vigilant.

Grayling baits are various insects that live on the shore, as well as small benthic invertebrates. Flies, stoneflies, grasshoppers, mayflies and hoofed flies are effective when guiding and fishing with float (?). It is good to put a worm on the float rod, but it should be cleaned and it will be better if painted.

Lures are very difficult to choose. Grayling is a very capricious fish. Either he willingly takes a lure, or only an artificial fly. The selection takes place right at the fishing spot. You can ask the locals if they are talkative. Otherwise, start with the well-known stonefly fly bait, and then look at the situation.

If you see that the grayling is actively hunting for insects in the upper layers of the water, then it is better to fly fish with an artificial fly. But if the surface of the water does not give grayling hunting, then it is better to use bottom gear with a live bait bait.

Since grayling is a cautious fish, it is necessary to catch it from a shelter. If the angler likes to fish while standing in the water, then when catching grayling, you need to stand with your back to the current. Funnels on the water and turbidity rising from the bottom only attract fish to you. But if the bite suddenly disappears, you'd better slowly go to another place.

The best place for summer grayling fishing is areas with calm and quiet water on fast rivers. That is, the meeting point of quiet and fast water is favorite place grayling sites.

Autumn

Gathering for grayling in autumn time, choose the weather quiet and sunny or cloudy, but without precipitation. With the north wind, the bite of the grayling is unstable, it is easy to miss the bite. Change of weather, as well as pressure drops, are badly reflected in the bite.

In general, many anglers note that grayling is best caught in autumn. This is the best time for amateur fishermen for grayling. At this time of the year, the water begins to cool down gradually, and, like many fish, the grayling starts fattening and, in principle, can bite on any bait.

During this period, the grayling pecks well throughout the day. Anglers have noticed that in the morning grayling is better at picking up bright flies. They seem to attract fish better. If with the onset of the day the weather clears up, becomes noticeably warmer and the grayling makes itself felt, then it would be better to change the fly.

In autumn, many anglers prefer to catch grayling on spinning. A wide variety of artificial flies imitating insects also work well.

But there are also certain difficulties. Grayling is not easy to find and catch in autumn. If in summer it can be detected by characteristic bursts, then in the autumn this does not happen. But this does not apply to September. In this month, there are still insects that fall on the surface of the water, and grayling is hunted in the summer way.

In the later period of autumn, the fish leave the summer camps for more major rivers. Often grayling can be found even in lakes into which small rivers flow. Graylings, preparing for winter, unite in fairly deep water places. Grayling can no longer hunt near the surface of the water, because there are no insects there and there is nothing for it to feed on.

Where to find grayling in autumn?

Usually at this time the grayling stands near the pits, on the border of calm and rapid flow, at the end of the rolls. Moreover, experienced anglers say that medium-sized fish usually stand before the roll. And a more solid grayling should be looked for at the exit from the rift, as there are some shelters there.

A little bit about autumn gear

Gear used is the same as in summer. But the technique has its own peculiarities.

For example, if you like fly fishing in the fall, then dry flies are not recommended. Since grayling now feeds only at a good depth, sinking baits, various wet flies and nymphs should be used.

In late autumn, the water in the reservoir usually becomes clear, and, given the caution of the grayling, it will not take the bait near you. Therefore, long-distance casts are the most productive. It has been noticed that nymphs with silver and gold heads, as well as red, gray and dark green flies are more catchy.

Spinning in autumn is less productive to catch. At this time, the grayling does not want to peck at the lure. But amateurs can try to catch him with the help of turntables No. 1-No. 3, no more. Braid is not recommended, it is more noticeable in clear water than fishing line.

Wiring must be slow. Even when stopped, the bait should play with the current. The grayling will not hunt for bait for a long time. But if she is very close, the fish will bite.

For those who like to fish with a float in the autumn, anglers are advised to install a 0.15-0.2 reel with fishing line on the bait. Use a float of a neutral, soft color. Intense colors are likely to scare away the cautious grayling. Nymphs and wet flies will serve as excellent bait, as well as a winter mormyshka with a worm, bloodworm, maggot or caddis flies.

We have heard from many anglers that it is rare for anyone to catch more than 7-10 graylings in one place. This suggests that if you want to get a good catch, you have to walk a lot.

In the absence of bites, there is no need to waste time standing in this place. But if you caught one grayling, then you should not rush. You are obliged to fish this entire area very carefully, most likely the next bites will not take long.

But even if, after an active bite, everything suddenly stops, without regret, go to another. But after a while it makes sense to return to the former cool place, since other graylings may have already chosen a good vacant shelter.

Autumn calendar

September

In September, grayling is easy to spot by its characteristic circles and splashes.

Grayling feeds on the surface.

You can fly-fish using dry flies, on spinners, spinners, on a float rod.

October

Grayling gradually begins to move into large reservoirs. The speed of migration depends on the weather. The colder, the faster. Therefore, the fisherman is easy to navigate.

Fly fishing is best. You can use spinning and float fishing rod.

November

If sludge has formed on the river, then grayling migration accelerates. This month, it is extremely inconvenient to catch turntables and flies due to the formed ice. It is better to use a float rod.

In November it is easy to catch migratory fish. If you are caught in a passing flock of graylings, you are in luck.

First ice

Usually fishing for grayling on the first ice begins in the second half of November. At this time it is necessary to use winter fishing rods.

The bait is rather large mormyshkas of brass and copper color. A little higher - a leash with a nymph or a fly on a small tee or hook. Bait - maggot, bloodworm or worm.

You can find grayling in the same place where you fished in open water.

Winter

When solid ice is established, winter fishing for grayling begins. With the onset of cold weather, grayling becomes inactive. Anglers laugh, saying that the cunning and caution of the grayling almost disappear, it seems to be “stupid”, and it becomes even easier to catch it.

It is absolutely impossible to predict the outcome of winter fishing for grayling. It can end with an unthinkable catch, and absolutely nothing. But this is what attracts real fishermen, this is the “zest”.

Where to find

To find in taiga rivers grayling, you need to have excellent knowledge of local conditions. The expanses of Siberia are huge. But nature is harsh at this time. There are places where, due to thick ice, fishing almost stops by the middle of winter. When gathering for grayling in winter, think not only about the upcoming catch, but also how to protect yourself in case of bad weather. The weather there is unpredictable.

Since it can be very difficult to find grayling in winter, experienced anglers already notice places for future winter fishing in summer. Recognizing such places by splashes and checking them along the way, they mark all these places on the map, thereby facilitating their search for future winter trophies.

But before you go ice fishing, you need to prepare. To drill thick ice, you need a good ice drill, proven by more than one fishing trip.

In early December, on large reservoirs, grayling can still be caught in the same places as in summer. But with a specific cold snap, the fish goes downstream, where there is more opportunity to find food.

Grayling can be found on the differences in depths. Anglers advise to drill several holes with a distance of about 20-30 cm in the place they like. Because even such a distance can affect the whole fishing. But at the same time, the strength of the current should also be taken into account, because it will not stand on the stream itself, but the grayling will definitely be watching what this current brings. Therefore, drill holes, anglers, it happens, and more than a dozen can be drilled before the first bite.

Usually a lot of grayling occurs at the mouths of tributaries that flow into a river or a solid lake. In such areas, there is enough oxygen and there is a lot of garbage, which attracts grayling in search of food.

Anglers have noticed that the bite depends on the weather, for example:

• a good biting occurs after a thaw in 3-5 days;
• in cloudy weather, grayling pecks all day.

But even the most “cool” bite can be spoiled by the angler himself, if he is still inexperienced. You can not stomp your feet and rattle gear. And it is better not to clean the holes from the sludge.

tackle

Mormyshka for catching grayling

The angler can pick up any fishing rod. But the thickness of the selected fishing line can affect your catch. A fish in clear water notices a thick line. Therefore, it is better to use fluorocarbon with a diameter of 0.12 mm. Thickness up to 0.14 is acceptable, but not more. It will perfectly cope with prey within 1.5 kg.

Just like in other seasons, it is important to choose the bait in winter. Quite often, artificial flies are used, as well as mormyshkas or hybrids of mormyshkas. You need to stock up on baits of different sizes and weights. Since this is usually determined directly on fishing. By color, mormyshkas of copper, golden and lead colors are usually used. For bait, you can take a bloodworm or a worm, and you can also use, if available, live bait.

Also in winter you can fish with a lure. Anglers have noticed that bright and small baubles are quite productive in attracting the attention of fish. You should not constantly pull the lure, you must pause.

On rivers with a strong current, where there is no freeze-up, many anglers fish with summer gear.

Balancing weights for grayling fishing

Good readily available baits for ice fishing are bloodworms or worms.

For winter fishing, it is better to choose heavy mormyshkas. Its weight should be somewhere from 1 g. You need to pull the mormyshka slowly. Some avid winterers believe that it would be better if you equip the rod with an additional hook, which is tied on a short leash about 15-20 cm higher than the mormyshka. The sting should be directed downwards so as not to cling to the edges of the hole.

There are some anglers who tint their baits, believing that this way their catch will undoubtedly be richer. For example, maggots are often dyed with beetroot juice. It turns out a bright crimson color, and mormyshka is boiled in a strong saline solution. And such actions often give good results. Fishing for grayling in winter is also possible with the use of jigs without attachments. In this case, it is better to stop at the golden color. Fishing for a revolver looks like this: first you need to twitch sharply, as a result of which the bait rises above the bottom level, and then smoothly lower the mormyshka. Such a "game" for many avid fishermen is very catchy.

Experienced winterers claim that the grayling will take only the bait familiar to him, which is in his habitat. Therefore, advice to novice anglers - find mutual language with experts in their field. This will help you in the future development of your fishing skills.

Spring

Every year, anglers face the important question of when and how best to catch grayling in the spring. To do this, it is important to know some features of the migration and behavior of this fish.

There is a sign among anglers. When the snow begins to melt on the northern slopes of the mountains and hills, and the water in the river becomes slightly cloudy, grayling fishing begins.

Grayling makes migrations every year. Avid fishermen even go out to explore, being afraid to let the migrating grayling into the upper reaches of the rivers, where it spawns in streams and springs. It is during this period of time before spawning, approximately 3-5 days, that truly real fishing takes place.

After spawning, grayling practically does not feed for about 3 weeks. But by the end of spring, the fish is gaining strength, and active biting resumes.

Mostly spawned fish remain in the upper reaches of the rivers. Here she is more comfortable, because the water is saturated with oxygen, and there is a lot of food at the bottom. But by autumn, the grayling will again migrate to the lower reaches, closer to the pits for the upcoming wintering.

Most often in the spring, anglers use spinning or float fishing rods.

Fishing for grayling in the spring, in particular with a float rod, is most popular with local fishermen in different regions Russia. Because it is simple, affordable and, if in capable hands, effective.

When fishing with a spinning rod in the spring, the best lures are spinning and spinning lures, wobblers and silicone fish. It is better to use spinners of medium size and silver color, so that it looks like a small fish. But if the water is clean, then a darker color can be used. When spinning fishing in the spring, uniform wiring is usually used. You can “dilute” it with all sorts of twitches known to you or short stops or accelerated winding. Grayling needs to wait a bit. He does not immediately rush for prey, but first looks at it.

When insects appear in May, you can experiment and try to catch jigs, which are very similar to midges.

Valuable, tasty, healthy…

Grayling is valued not only for its attractive appearance, but also for its taste properties. This is an unusually tasty fish with tender white and pink meat. And the low calorie content makes grayling affordable for all people who want it.

Fish soup is boiled from grayling, fried and salted. On sale there is a frozen or chilled grayling.

Smoked grayling is considered a delicacy, which you can buy in the store, but you can also cook it yourself. There is nothing difficult in this. To do this, you need a small smokehouse, a sliver, salt, the fish itself and a fire. Just half an hour and tastiest fish ready.

In general, anglers usually have their own cooking. They have their own cooking principles. And, as a rule, no great cook can compare with them.

I can't tell you the weight or size of this fish... Tell me, is it possible to evaluate everything that is given to us in grams and centimeters!.. It was a long-awaited gift, and therefore priceless. And, honestly, I did not regret at all that a second after this gift was presented to me, Chulyshman again hid his gift in a foamy stream ... The fly flew off to the side, and the grayling, like a night ghost, disappeared into the water, goodbye drawing a stream with the dorsal fin.

grayling

Grayling is a fish of the salmon family. These fish are predatory. The body has an elongated shape. The color is silvery green or silvery blue.

There are black dots on the back. The belly and belly are silvery with a purple sheen. The upper fin is large. The pectoral and ventral fins are bright yellow or red, while the anal and caudal fins are purple. The head of the grayling is small, the mouth is located in the upper part.

Grayling is the closest relative of salmon and whitefish. These fish live only in the Northern Hemisphere.

The habitat is cold lakes and rivers with clear water. Grayling prefers reservoirs with a rocky bottom.

There are river, lake and lake-river species of grayling. Most of all grayling species live in Russia. In our country, these fish are found in a vast area - from the eastern to the western outskirts. Grayling does not live only in several European regions located closer to the south. Also, there is no grayling in the basins of lowland rivers, for example, in the Yenisei and Ob.

A distinctive feature of the grayling is a large dorsal fin, which is shaped like a multi-colored flag. At the same time, the shape of the fin and its patterns differ in different subspecies of grayling. On the back of the grayling, in addition to a large fin, there is also a small adipose fin. The presence of this fin indicates that the grayling belongs to the noble genus of salmon.

Grayling is a relatively large commercial fish.

Representatives of the species can weigh 2.5-3 kilograms. But larger individuals were also caught - in 1956 in Finland, a record holder was caught on Lake Konnevesi, who weighed 6.7 kilograms. But most often in the catches there are graylings not exceeding a kilogram.

Grayling can be called an omnivorous fish. Mostly graylings feed on benthic organisms: molluscs, crustaceans, larvae of various insects, such as stoneflies, caddisflies, and insects that accidentally fall into the water. A delicacy for graylings is fish caviar. Large individuals often eat fry. Especially large graylings can attack shrews, voles and other small mammals.

Graylings winter in the lower reaches of rivers, choosing deep holes. In the spring, they come out of their shelters and begin to climb the river. Often this happens when there is still ice on the river. With a flood, graylings enter the tributaries and breed there. Lake-river subspecies behave similarly. But graylings leave the lakes not only into inflowing streams, but also into falling rivers and descend downstream.

Puberty in graylings occurs at 3-5 years. Together with sexually mature individuals, young fish also participate in spring transitions. Young growth during the spring run is fattening up a lot.

Spawning for graylings takes place in May-June, when the water temperature is 5-10 degrees. Fish spawn in areas with a moderate current and a pebbly bottom. The depth of such areas does not exceed 30-60 centimeters. Lake forms of grayling also spawn in shallow water.

For river graylings, feeding continues until October. With the first cold weather, the graylings again, as in spring, begin their journey. But now they are heading back to their permanent wintering grounds.

Lake-river graylings have a similar way of life, but among them there are also individuals that, after spawning, again swim into the lake, where they feed. Thus, for example, the Baikal grayling behaves.

Throughout Northern Russia - hagius, garius, harjuz, charez; in the upper reaches of the Volga it is wrong - whitefish; on Kama - chorus; on the river Princes, flowing into the Unzha, - seriously - a fish (warped grayling) ...

In many ways, grayling is, as it were, an intermediate link between salmon and whitefish. He approaches the former by the formation of his mouth, which is planted with larger teeth than that of whitefish, also by a wide tongue, by his way of life and location, to the latter by a small mouth, body shape, rather large scales and smaller changes in age and sex, which are so significant. in fish of the salmon genus.

This name, which is used throughout Northern Russia, is obviously not Russian and is of Finnish origin. In Eastern Russia, it is more often replaced by the Bashkir ku-tema, which, apparently, means light, shiny. Grayling is very easy to distinguish from all other fish by its huge dorsal fin, which sometimes, being complex, almost reaches (in males) the tongue-shaped adipose fin that characterizes the entire salmon family.

Its body is less squared and more compressed than that of salmon, trout and talmen, and is covered with rather large, dense and firmly attached scales; only on chest and belly pelvic fins there are extremely small scales, and more or less developed bare areas are noticed at the base of the pectorals.

According to Moerbe, the stomach of the grayling is distinguished by unusually rigid, almost cartilaginous, walls. By its color, grayling is one of the most colorful and beautiful of our fish. Its back is usually gray-green, dotted with more or less numerous and clear black spots, the sides of the body are light gray with longitudinal, sometimes, however, inconspicuous brownish stripes; the belly is silvery white.

Paired fins are usually dirty orange, and unpaired fins are purple with dark stripes or specks. Young graylings are always less brightly colored and in Western Europe usually have dark transverse stripes. The color of grayling, however, is subject to great changes: in fast waters it is much lighter; the grayling living in the whirlpools is more steel-colored.

It is very tricky to see grayling in the water, as it is difficult to distinguish it from the ground and stones. The North Ural grayling, apparently, is somewhat different from the common one; it is he who never has a large number of streaks and the longitudinal stripes on it are very unclear. In addition, in some rivers of the Perm province, for example, in the river. Ireni, is distinguished by a special difference (or type) of grayling of a darker color and with a more hunchbacked back, which is why it is called a hunchback.

There are undoubtedly several species of grayling in Siberia. Grayling rarely reaches 1 1/2 feet and 3 pounds of weight and in most cases is much smaller. Only in rivers Northern Urals belonging to the Ob basin, it is much larger - 12 inches long and 5 pounds in weight, and according to some Lobva fishermen, even one arshin and 10 pounds, but such giants are a rare exception there.

Grayling mainly lives in mountainous areas and, together with trout, constitutes the main fish population of cold and fast-flowing rivers of almost all of Europe, Northern and North-Eastern Russia and all of Siberia, where it is also found in lakes (Markakul, Baikal, etc.); Huge numbers of graylings are caught in the Angara (several million pieces).

In the rivers flowing into the Black Sea, it is found only in the mountain tributaries of the Danube and the Dniester; in the Crimean and Caucasian rivers and in Turkestan, there is no grayling at all, so that its distribution in Russia seems to be rather limited. It is found, however, in almost all both large and especially small rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, it is very common in Finland, Olonets province, also in St. Petersburg, partly in the Baltic provinces.

In addition, it is distributed in Ladoga, Onega, Peipus and, probably, in many other lakes of Northwestern Russia. Grayling is also common in our northern rivers flowing into the White and Arctic Seas, it is very numerous in all tributaries of the Kama, Ufa and Belaya, especially in the upper reaches of both these and small, secondary rivers; but actually in the tributaries of the Volga, and even more so in the Volga itself, grayling is already a rather rare fish.

In the Middle and Lower Volga, it does not even exist at all (it was found only in the Shuika River of the Kazan province.), And most often it is found in its upper reaches and tributaries, in the Tver province; in the Yaroslavl province. graylings live only in a few rivers and rivers that flow into the Volga from the left side (for example, in Poshekhonsky district). It is in the upper reaches of the Mologa, Sheksna (in its tributary Suda) and in some tributaries of the river. Unzhi, in the Kostroma province.

From here it sometimes enters the Volga itself, but in the latter it is constantly found only in the upper reaches, from where it occasionally enters Seliger and, probably, other lakes of the Tver Bay. In the right tributaries of the Volga, at least starting from the Yaroslavl province, grayling is no longer there, which depends on the greater population density and the associated lower purity of the water of these rivers. Grayling is generally distinguished by great agility and liveliness and in this respect is in no way inferior to trout.

The French do not call it Pombre for nothing, as it disappears instantly, like a shadow. On a sunny day, he very often jumps out of the water, brightly shining with the rainbow colors of his wide fin, and grabs the fallen insects. At the same time, his jumps are sometimes amazing; but nevertheless, he seems to soon tire, which is also noticed when catching him with a bait.

Grayling leads an almost diurnal lifestyle and feeds exclusively during the day; its main food is, apparently, insects falling into the water from the branches of trees hanging over the river, which is why it likes to stay in such places, also midges (Phryganea) and mayflies (Ephemera), larvae of aquatic insects and water snails, for which often pokes its head into stones, which is why it is called Lake Onega in some areas. blacksmith.

In addition, it destroys the eggs of other fish, which, very possibly, is the reason that in those rivers where grayling is numerous, all carp fish, despite the huge amount of their caviar and with a sufficient number of quiet bays and old or side channels, they are already very rare. In the northern and northwestern rivers, the grayling also destroys well-covered salmon eggs, and in Lake Onega in spring it feeds on smelt eggs, in autumn - on salmon caviar (Salmo salvelinus L.).

In Western Europe, it is considered a very harmful fish, as it destroys the eggs of trout, with which it lives together, although it is never found in the upper reaches of the rivers. Where salmon and trout spawn, one can always observe a few graylings in the distance, waiting for a convenient time to devour the spawned eggs. The British therefore catch graylings on salmon eggs, both fresh and dried (in the spring).

Occasionally, it also eats juvenile fish and minnows, the latter, it seems, more in autumn, with a lack of their main food - insects. Most of the time of the year, graylings live in small flocks, which become smaller, the older they have reached. There are some grounds to assume that before their maturity, a herd of young graylings is, so to speak, like one native family; but even adult individuals at a certain time form small flocks, also b. hours of the same age.

Young graylings usually live in shallower places and on rifts, while large ones already prefer more or less deep pits, where, nevertheless, they no longer face such danger from predatory taimen and large trout. Grayling's favorite places are above and below rapids and rifts; on the latter, he often goes out to fatten. From the middle of September (in St. Petersburg province) the grayling no longer keeps on the rapids and goes into the pits and backwaters for the winter.

According to some fishermen (namely, Narva fishermen), grayling in warm weather goes to the limestone bottom, that is, b. h. to shallow places, and in cold weather it looks for sandy and deeper places. In places in autumn it gathers in numerous flocks and sometimes descends from the upper reaches of rivers into large rivers and lakes, where it does not occur at all in spring and summer, and it is very possible that it leaves the Neman and Luga for the winter in the Baltic Sea, as Terletsky and Liberich say.

In all likelihood, in large lakes, like Ladoga and Onega, it does not occur all year round, except at the very mouths or sources of rivers. In general, this is one of the most sedentary fish. It has even been noticed that throughout the summer graylings constantly stand in the same places during the day, leaving them only in the evening, when they go out to the rifts or to the rapids, where the water is still flowing in an even stream, so that it is convenient for the fish to look out for falling insects on it.

During the day, graylings usually stay in deeper places, in the grass and behind stones, approaching the shallow shore for food, where the current is stronger and there is no grass. Here, the grayling stands in one place, constantly jumping to the surface for insects floating by. Sometimes, says Liberich, several dozen of them gather on a rocky shoal, but not side by side, but apart, and each takes a special position, from which it moves away only at the sight of a swimming insect.

Grayling swims out to meet him, rushes at him, or, seeing him from afar, catches up with him, grabs him and then immediately returns to his place. Its movement, caused by the current, is limited to a circle no more than an arshin in diameter. That every grayling really keeps to a certain point is proved by the fact that the largest or smallest is always noticed in the same place, and also by the fact that the place occupied by the fished grayling remains vacant for several days; then it deals, in all probability, with a new stranger.

Very large graylings, according to Liberich's observations, come out of the pits on the rapids only at night, rarely during the day. They prefer to stand (in the rivers of St. Petersburg Province) in corridors formed by grass, or under steep banks, where it is easier for them to hide. Here they also always stay in one place and one by one, and local fishermen know where and how large graylings are kept.

In early spring, sometimes even before the opening of the rivers, graylings leave the places where they wintered and rise upwards from the lower reaches of the rivers. At this time they meet b. h. singly and are most brightly colored, especially males, which, apparently, are more than females. Sometimes, however, there are also barren ones - barren individuals, which are distinguished by shorter fins and a less bright color, but are very fat.

Spawning itself takes place at shallow depths and even rifts, and in general terms (except for time) is very similar to the spawning of other salmon fish. It begins in more southern areas as early as April (in Western Europe even in March), but in the north usually in May, even at the beginning of June. Spawning sometimes lasts a very long time - almost a whole month; so, for example, in 1872, in the rivers of the Bogoslovsky district, it lasted almost the whole of June.

In the Irkutsk province. graylings spawn from mid-April to mid-May. In Petersburg province, according to Liberich, spawning begins at the end of March (?), still under the ice, which, in my opinion, is very early. Probably, graylings, like other fish close to it, release their eggs in several steps, but this may also depend on the fact that, as I noticed in the Ural rivers, the largest graylings play first.

Usually all this time they meet in pairs - a female with one male, rarely with two or three. Then they can often be seen rubbing their belly against stones, which is why almost the entire belly is exposed from scales and turns red. To place their, however, not particularly large, testicles, females, as they say, dig small holes in the cartilage with their tail fin (?) and, after fertilization, cover the eggs with small pebbles. According to the fishermen of the St. Petersburg province, the grayling spawns as if between the roots from the grass that has rotted over the winter, and does not spawn in crowded places.

This caviar is exterminated in large quantities by fish, especially Siberian nelmas, which at this time are chock-full of grayling caviar (Potanin). According to Liberich's observations over graylings in the river. Izhora (very feeding river), juveniles that hatched in April lead a very secretive life until the end of July, so it is not known where they stay - whether they hide under o or between stones, like salmon and trout, or are they in their birthplaces , i.e. in thick grass, between the roots at the bottom.

The small grayling appears first in the smallest rapids, having two inches deep and rocky ground, or, under the same conditions, near the shore. At this time, young fish have from 1 1/2 to 2 in. length. In September, they already reach 3 inches and in some places come across in such a multitude and so bother the fisherman, who is catching on an artificial fly, that he has to change his place.

During the winter, graylings-seltki almost do not feed and do not grow, so that in the spring the same three-inch fish come across. By autumn, that is, after a year and a half, they are already 5 inches tall; then a year later they increase by another inch. It has been observed that graylings standing on the rapids grow faster than their peers living in quieter places.

This is due to the greater nutritional value of insects compared to their larvae and worms, as proved by English scientists with respect to trout. It is almost impossible to trace further growth, but graylings 8 inches long and 1 1/2 pounds in weight should have here (on Izhora) at least 5 years; 3-pound ones, from 11 to 12 inches long, probably not younger than 10 years.

After spawning, graylings again gather in small flocks and, in contrast to salmon and trout, eat off very soon. Although fishing for this fish is not of particular importance, nevertheless, in the upper reaches of the Ural rivers, where grayling is the main fish species, as well as in many rivers and streams of northern Russia, grayling fishing is not without importance and at least satisfies local needs.

Due to its tender and fatty meat, grayling is unlikely to ever be a marketable item: even when smoked, it quickly deteriorates, which is why in the north in the summer it is immediately salted after fishing. Fresh and smoked grayling is one of our most delicious fish and is in no way inferior to whitefish in this, but only large graylings, at least two pounds, are good smoked, since small ones are very dry and tasteless.

In St. Petersburg, however, it is valued cheaper than the latter, which is why fish merchants sell them (fresh) for whitefish, after cutting the dorsal fin. In spring and summer until August, graylings are not so tasty, and in Western Europe those caught in winter are most valued. Moreover, like any other fish, they are tastier in one area than in another. Freshly caught grayling emits a very strong smell, reminiscent of smelt, but more pleasant.

Some compare this smell with a weak cucumber, others - with the smell of Bogorodsk grass (hence its Latin name - thymallus). The smell, however, soon disappears. In young graylings, the meat is very similar to that of trout, while in older graylings it approaches the taste of whitefish meat. The darker the grayling, the tastier it is considered. According to Krivoshapkin, the Chinese prefer single fish, as they are tastier and fatter; according to him, Siberian graylings have much stronger, stronger meat than European ones, since, at least in the cold, they last longer than other fish, without weathering.

Artificial breeding of grayling is quite difficult, since it spawns in a rather warm time, when the transfer of eggs and roe fish is very inconvenient, and because the reproductive products of fish kept in cages do not develop. As far as is known so far, grayling has never been successfully kept and fattened in ponds, where, however, trout has taken root well.

In those same cages, in running cold water, where trout live for several months in summer, graylings, with the most careful care, do not withstand more than a week; they show white spots with a tumor. They rise to the surface, then turn upside down and, covered with yellowish mucus, fall asleep. In winter, however, graylings live in St. Petersburg cages for a very long time.

The most lucrative, very common fishing for grayling in the Bogoslovsky District is with the tops, set in the spring at the mouths of the rivers, along the stream. It has the advantage over other fishing - syrpas, that the largest fish come across these shells, rising up to throw caviar; it happens sometimes to pull out from one top up to two pounds of the most selective graylings.

These tops are arranged somewhat differently from willow muzzles: they also have the shape of a cone, but much larger - from 2-3 arshins in length and are made of pine laces attached to 4-5 bird-cherry hoops of various diameters and, in addition, for greater strength, intertwined talnik in 8-9 rows. A throat is inserted into the wide end of this projectile - a short cone, also from holes; in addition, a wide and strong oval-shaped bell is attached, made of bird cherry branches and also on hoops; the ends of the top are tied with ropes, and the fish is taken out through a hole arranged on the side.

Syrp fishing begins here after St. Peter's Day, when the graylings have already gathered again in small flocks and roll down from the upper reaches to deeper and wider parts of the river, where it is already possible to swim in a boat. The syrp itself consists of a small net tied in the form of a net, 4-5 arsh. length, vershokov 8 in height and depth up to 2 arshins; the cells in the syrp are usually 2-3-fingered, i.e. 2-3 fingers can easily crawl into them.

With its open end, this sak is strung on a strong twine, so that its mouth, when stretched, looks like a long rectangle. Thin poles are attached to the lower string, about 5 arshins in length, and the so-called poles are tied to the upper string at both ends. sims are also twine that fishermen hold in their hands.

The most syrp fishing is carried out on two boats, or rather, shuttles, four of them: the rowers, sitting in the stern, direct the boat obliquely with their only oar, as if to the shore, and stretch the syrp, which is pressed to the bottom with poles by the other two fishermen sitting on the bow every boat. In this way, they swim against or downstream, through each hole until they bust, and as soon as the fishermen hear from a sima wrapped around their finger that a fish has got into the net, they lower the upper bowstring and raise the cheese.

Even more successful is fishing with four boats. Having reached the pit or noticing a fish in the clear water of a mountain river, all four boats stand side by side against the water, below the fish; the middle two, who have a syrp, step forward together and plunge it, and the remaining two at the same moment, with all the speed, with two oars, rush above the net and slam the oars in the water against the bag. Being engaged in this trade from an early age, the North Ural fishermen acquire such dexterity and agility that, seeing the graylings run from afar, they pursue them until they catch almost the entire fleece.

Talmens are caught here in exactly the same way. In autumn, and occasionally in spring, graylings in the Ural rivers are also caught with a spear with a beam, and often, with luck, each boat fills up to 2, even 3 pounds of graylings at night and with local stupid and clumsy spears, part of the talmens, which, as more nocturnal fish are less worth at this time than graylings, usually lying quietly at the bottom of pits, near rifts.

According to Voronin, graylings are also beaten with spears in the Olonets Gubernia. According to him, it is easy to stab a grayling, as it stands still and is not afraid of fire, but at the noise it rushes to flight. It is necessary to beat easily, with a delay, because with a strong blow, the grayling breaks into two parts, and the tail falls on the spot, and the head and half of the body float away by 2-3 fathoms. In the rivers of the Kuznetsk district (in Siberia), grayling is most successfully caught by hand, like burbot, as it loves to hide here under the overhanging banks, washed out by water, and under writhing.

The local graylings are not shy and very soon return to their original place, even after a shot. In the Neva, according to Danilevsky, graylings are caught with rows of hooks, which are set across the river in zigzags; hooks are tied at a distance of 1/2 sazhen; every 13 hooks a stone of 1-2 lb. is attached, and at the ends, a stone of 3 lb. The most complete information about lenok fish is located -

The bait is probably worms, and perhaps blind vines (lamprey larvae), which generally constitute one of the main baits in the Neva. The worst time for graylings to be caught here is in June, as at this time they feed on ephemera and freegans, which fall into the water in large numbers. In general, the catching of graylings in the small rivers of our north is quite significant, although, of course, it cannot be expressed even approximately by the correct figure. However, in one Bogoslovsky district, the amount of catch of this fish, according to some sources, should not be less than a thousand pounds.

Fat of graylings (Oleum aeschii) is used in medicine as a healing agent. Fishing for grayling in most of Europe. Russia is completely unknown, but in the northern, northeastern and northwestern provinces and in most of Siberia it is very common and enjoys almost the same respect as trout fishing, which in Europe. Russia is found almost in the same place as grayling.

This is quite understandable, since catching both fish, almost equally tasty, is much more difficult and requires more skill than catching other fish, although, of course, in remote rivers both trout and grayling are taken on the bait much more boldly than where they are often pursued. . O6 grayling fishing Until recently, we had very little printed information. How it is caught with a line in Northwestern Russia, we do not know; probably, like a trout - on insects and occasionally on an artificial fly.

Terletsky says that only in the tributaries of the Neman they catch him on a long running rod, with a long line and without a sinker, which they throw from the shore, changing places. In the northern districts of the Vologda province in forest rivers, where they go especially for fishing grayling, they catch (in summer) in large quantities - by the pood - so they salt it in tubs. According to Arseniev, the grayling takes only on the riffles; in the whirlpools, where it goes after a thunderstorm, in bad weather, after rain, when the water is very cloudy, at noon, probably at night, there is almost never enough nozzle, even if it is standing here in masses.

The grayling comes out here on searches in large, dense flocks - in a "raft", almost on top, it melts. The main fishing starts from the middle of June and lasts until August, and the best bite happens here at the end of June. He takes from early morning until 11 o'clock, and the closer to noon, the more it melts; then it starts to take again from 5 o'clock until sunset, but not as greedily as in the morning.

They catch on a light long fishing rod with a hair line, without a float and a sinker, on an ordinary dung worm or on a gadfly, and they throw the nozzle right where the fish melts, which is why sometimes you have to go into the water. Here, the grayling is considered a very greedy fish, because, during the zhor, at least, it takes very surely, often grabs the bait on the fly before it touches the water, is caught at once in pairs, with two hooks, and is very bold, because it is not afraid noise.

In general, in our country, catching grayling is considered easier than catching trout, while in Western Europe, on the contrary, it is accepted that the former breaks down much more often than trout. G. Kurbatov also says that grayling rather takes trout (krasuli) and does not eat the bait so often. This strange contradiction is difficult to explain and is probably due to the fact that our trout is significantly different both in appearance and in lifestyle from the Western European.

G. Yanishevsky notes, however, that the grayling is taken from the raid and that it must immediately be hooked and thrown ashore; therefore, to catch it requires a lot of dexterity and agility. Here, on Chusovaya, grayling is also caught with fly-fishing, for dragonflies (?) and cobwebs, throwing a fishing rod into the middle of the river, into the very rapids, which is why they mostly fish standing knee-deep in water, in bast shoes, to protect their legs from sharp stones.

In the Ural rivers of the eastern slope, I many times observed grayling fishing with syrpas, but I didn’t fish myself and didn’t see how others fish, but I know that they are caught here, as well as on Chusovaya, more on a cobweb (Tabanus) in summer, and in autumn - and on a small hook, covered with tin on top and, therefore, resembling a lure - without a nozzle. Apparently, this hook is caught only in whirlpools.

On the river Vage, in the Velsky district, according to Pospelov, they catch grayling for bread (?) And for a Prussian cockroach, certainly on the busts, that is, on the rapids. The rod is light, with a line without a sinker and with a small float. Catch standing in the water or from a boat. In Velsk, they don’t know any other bait, except for a cockroach. Voronin reports the following about the fishing of graylings in the Olonets province.

The rod is walnut or birch, rarely longer than 4 arshins, hairline, 3-4 hairs, white, surfacing - a round cork no more than a walnut; leash in one hair. The hook is small, probably a real number 12, without a sinker. Best time fishing - in the morning and in the evening, in the whirlpools near mountain streams, which flow into Ayat in abundance.

The nozzle in early spring is a small red dung worm, moreover, only one that, when pierced, releases a yellow mass, then a shitik (it seems that a mosquito larva), and then almost to the end of fishing - a larva screwworm(omentum or maggot). In the very late autumn, they fished for large dried ant eggs, which were scalded with boiling water before use.

At noon and in hot weather, they caught in the middle of the river standing on shallows and stones, sometimes waist-deep in water, on a small grasshopper or a gray stinking butterfly, sometimes on large flies. They caught from the shore, choosing a bush as a cover, or caught from the other side, where the shadow from a person did not fall on the water. In the river they fished with a long line, letting the bait go with the flow, and in most cases the grayling was hooked by itself. The largest specimens did not exceed 1-2 feet; most often came across 1/2-pound.

The best biting happens after a night rain. They avoided leading the fish, and immediately tried to land it, as the caught grayling splashes heavily, which temporarily stops the biting. On a clear hot day, the midday fishing was the most productive. The bite of the grayling is peculiar: in the rapids it takes from the raid, and in the whirlpools it pecks very carefully - the float seems to be sucked in (like a crayfish pecks), then it will immediately appear, as if jumping, and suction will begin again; then, no longer sinking, it moves slowly in some direction.

The fish was preserved by burying it in river sand under water. The most detailed information about the fishing of graylings is given to us by Liberich, who fished mainly in the St. Petersburg province and, moreover, on rods with a reel. His description of grayling fishing for a worm, and especially for an artificial fly, placed in the January book "Nature and Hunting" for 1891, is fuller and more detailed than all foreign ones, so that it requires only a few additions from foreign sources.

Worm fishing is carried out mainly in the spring, when the water is still cloudy and the grayling is very hungry after spawning. In the summer it takes on a worm relatively badly, and sometimes it does not take at all; at this time, according to Liberich, he feeds on small black snails, shells (mollusks), and also tiny gray worms living on aquatic plants, especially on reeds, and mainly on insects falling on the water.

Therefore, it is best to fly-fish on live or artificial insects. In autumn, in September and October, he again begins to take a good worm, especially after rains. Abroad, it is also caught in winter, and the best bite occurs on clear, warm and quiet days after a night frost; in our country, winter fishing for grayling from ice-holes seems to be completely unknown; At least nothing has been reported about her yet.

When fishing with a worm, there is no need for a rod and reel, unless graylings larger than two pounds are found in the area. In strength and agility grayling, although it surpasses almost all our cyprinids of the same height, is significantly inferior to trout in this. The reel is needed more because a large grayling, if it has not swallowed a worm, breaks off its lips, which are very weak in this fish, in addition, it makes it possible to quickly shorten and lengthen the line, which often has to be done when fishing for grayling.

It should be recalled that in the spring the largest graylings are caught, which are very rarely caught in the summer. According to Liberich, the worm can be caught in three ways: with a float, basting and on the bottom. In all cases, a small (dung) worm serves as a nozzle, and even better two, three. The worms must be, especially when basting, very strong and aged for quite a long time in the moss. No seasoning is used, as it is invalid.

You can only throw worms into the stream during fishing, but even this does not have useful results, because grayling, like trout, does not occur in flocks, at least in Petersburg province, and rushes to bait from an ambush, again into it hiding. German authors (Moerbe) advise, however, when catching graylings on worms (and larvae) to put the nozzle for several hours in an odorous mixture of egg yolk, saffron, Bogorodsk grass and a few drops of anise oil, but, for the same reasons, this is hardly will allow you to catch more fish.

They fish with a float, mainly, sometimes even exclusively, in whirlpools, with a weak or whirlpool current. You can, however, catch with a float and in the course, throwing the worm into the stream between the grass, the so-called. the corridor is the favorite habitat of graylings, and they walk along the shore for 20 steps, returning back 2-3 times. The worm is let in so that it does not touch the bottom. Sailing past the ambush of the grayling, it attracts the attention of the fish - it rushes at the worm from a running start and takes it right.

The bite on a worm is similar, according to Liberich, to the bite of a perch, and the grayling swallows deeply, which is why you should not rush to strike. However, having felt the hook, the grayling immediately spits out the worm, and therefore the float must be very sensitive and loaded properly. Best of all feathered, with a small pellet as a sinker. In calm water, you can catch without a sinker, since the worm will still, albeit slowly, sink to the bottom.

In shallow places with a rocky uneven bottom and a more or less strong current, it is most convenient to catch a basting - on a long fishing line without a float, with a small sinker. This method of fishing is quite original and is used for many other fish except grayling, so I will give a description of it verbatim.

“Going to the river, throw the worm directly in front of you as far as possible or even take it a little higher; then, pulling up a bit of the line, with the movement of the rod, make it fall into the very middle of the stream, or, rather, between two streams; loosen the line so that the load plunged about 1/2 arshin and went further with the jet.

After five seconds, again support the fishing line in order to raise or support the load - act in this way until it is brought to the shore by the current; pulling it up again under the very shore, where the fish often stands, throw it higher again, etc. The eye here does not play any role when biting, but only the feeling in the hand, which will explain to you whether the load or profit touches the bottom or stones, and that will encourage you to make hand movements more often.

With a frequent movement of the hand, you support the profit higher, while rare it will go lower. This is the basis of all angling. Your nozzle, fish or worm, must go around the whole place opposite you, go around every stone, stay in pits and whirlpools; A good angler, by his ability to pull up in time, makes the nozzle in the space it passes through go down somewhere deeper or in pits.

He jerks her up when she comes to the stones, makes her walk between them so that the hook does not touch anywhere; having passed the stones, with a sudden inclination of the rod, he lowers the line and allows the sinker to sink into the water again. The biting of a fish is expressed by a rather strong feeling in the hand; this is not a small twitching - even a small grayling will seem like a big fish to you.

Feeling a push in his hand, the angler makes the slightest shudder with his rod, which is already too much to drive the sting of the hook or even pierce the lip of the fish through, if this happened in battle, then there is a magnificent scene: a frightened fish rushes into battle; feeling resistance in the lip, it jumps up and, carried away by a strong current, splashes on the surface, tumbling.

In these cases, the angler must be extremely careful; upon capture big fish, carried away in this way by the current, the wheel (coil) should let it go freely, but still holding the line with your finger; the fisherman himself must, without delay, go down the bank and follow the fish.

Spotting is more convenient because the fish takes a run more greedily and the liveliness of the worm does not play any role, since it, supported by the rod, is in constant motion. But on the other hand, it must be very strong, because, touching the bottom and the grass, it often breaks. It is best to put two on a hook with a spatula so that the first one is skipped on the fishing line. In the rapids, the grayling takes on the worm bolder, more willingly and earlier than in the whirlpools.

Graylings are caught on the bottom relatively rarely, which is quite understandable. When fishing in whirlpools, the load must be at least 1/2 arshin from the worm, so that the bait, carried away by the current, can describe large circles. The size of the sinker depends on the current: if it is circling in the pool, 1-2 pellets No. 1 are enough; then the hook will walk along the bottom and protrude to the surface. In addition, with a heavy sinker, the bite is always wrong.

When fishing on the bottom in a strong stream, as well as from a boat, when the line is pulled by the current, the load should be much larger. Grayling grabs more greedily in the rapids and often hooks itself. Therefore, in the whirlpools, it is necessary to allow it to be swallowed after a bite, and in the course to hook it immediately. In any case, when catching grayling on a worm, as well as when fishing on a fly, you often have to change the place, since the grayling stands still, and does not walk along the river to find food.

Having caught 2-3 fish in the pool, you have to wait half an hour and move to another place. That is why graylings are very rarely fished from a boat, but almost always from the shore. I believe, however, that graylings could be very conveniently caught on insects (live and artificial) from a boat on the move, by swimming - the most interesting and prey method, which will be described later. According to Lieberich, grayling temporarily takes well (in the second half of summer) on a horse (grasshopper), but usually under water, and not on top, so this fishing is no different from the same fishing for ide.

by itself favorable weather for fishing graylings it is considered abroad (probably also here) somewhat cloudy, with a westerly wind, especially after a long bad weather; in extreme heat, when the sun is very hot, and with an east wind, the bite is always worse. In general, the colder, the better the grayling takes. They fish for worms mainly in the morning and in the evening. In Western Europe, sinking fishing is practiced in spring, early summer, late autumn and winter.

First they catch a worm, then a maggot and various larvae; in autumn - on a live one (with torn off legs), and later on an artificial grasshopper with a load in the body, also on artificial larvae, which are easy to prepare yourself by pouring lead or tin on a long hook with a ringlet, which is shaped into a very large maggot; This lead is wrapped in green wool, having previously made notches on it so that it does not slip.

In England, in late autumn and winter, graylings are very successfully caught for salmon caviar. The hook (with the exception of the last nozzle) should be somewhat larger than when fishing on top, namely No. 8-9; a sinker is not always used, but in any case a small one, since they fish more in still water and with a light feather float. The fishing line is best veined (in one vein, about 4-5 arshins long), which is fastened to a thin waterproof reel lace.

The bait should not touch the bottom, but should be at least a foot higher, as the grayling is reluctant to go down for prey, but grabs it by rising up. When fishing for a grasshopper in late autumn, stronger tackle is used, since at this time there is no calculation to mess around with one fish for a long time. For the most part, artificial grasshoppers are fished without a float, constantly slightly raising (with the hand) and lowering the nozzle.

Grayling takes fish (minnow, char) and crayfish neck very rarely, and these baits are caught by chance, when angling other fish. The live bait usually catches a large grayling, and b. hours in autumn, during trout fishing. I now turn to the description of the most important, both in terms of prey and interest in catching graylings - on live and artificial insects, and I will most of all use the observations of Mr. Liberich.

First of all, it should be noted that catching graylings on a fly abroad and among us, among anglers on an artificial fly, is considered more difficult than catching trout. Grayling - the most capricious fish when fishing - today is caught perfectly, tomorrow, under the same conditions, it does not take at all, although it catches falling flies. He is also very whimsical about the size and color of the fly: the largest graylings are sometimes taken only on the smallest fly.

The main difficulty is the fact that the grayling grabs the fly much more carefully than the trout, moreover, with its lips, and since its labial cartilages are very soft, they very often break off. A very good fisherman with an artificial fly pulls out no more than a third of the graylings caught on the hook: the majority leaves with pinned and torn off lips. Fishing without a reel on an artificial, even a live fly is possible only where there are a lot of graylings and no one fishes them.

In addition, it must be borne in mind that this fish is very lively: a large grayling caught rushes in all directions, jumps out of the water and beats on the surface, trying to fight off the fishing line with its tail, which it often succeeds. Fly fishing begins in the spring, when it is established warm weather, and continues all summer and half of autumn. In the spring, however, the grayling takes on a fly worse than a worm; in the summer it goes out to lively and fast places and chases the fly only at night, so that in June and July it is rarely possible to catch it during the day, mainly before a thunderstorm or a change in the weather.

In summer, the grayling is full and it is much worse for an artificial fly than for a live one, especially when there are a lot of flies (midges) floating on the water; in this case, to catch him, you need to plant a live fly. In general, in the summer he takes badly, and the main fishing begins in August and lasts all of September, and sometimes even October. Fly fishing on top is almost exclusively on the current; in pools with a weak current, they catch on a fly very rarely, moreover, for the most part because of the bushes, on a short fishing line and on a living insect.

Having planted a butterfly, midge, mayfly, or the like on a hook (No. 9-10), carefully lower the nozzle into the water; if the gaps between the branches are too small to allow the line to pass 3-4 arshins long, then it is wrapped around the end of the rod and, having passed the last one between the branches, unrolled until it hangs from the upper loop of the rod ring. With this method, it is obvious that the fish cannot be allowed to move, and it is necessary to keep it as tight as possible, lowering the line from the reel only to the extreme, which is why the line must be stronger than usual.

In general, the smoother and quieter the current, the more cautious, whimsical and legible the grayling is on the bait. In total it is more convenient to catch on the fly in more or less fast places, on the rolls. Best Places- in front of the rapids, where the water still has a smooth surface. All the graylings hiding behind the nearby stones come here in the evening or in general before the fall of the fly. They are also very fond of staying in clean places between the grass, in the so-called corridors, where the water runs with considerable speed.

Such places are especially fond of large graylings, even prefer them to fights. Grayling, like trout and many other fish, loves to stay where two currents, two streams merge, and therefore it is necessary to throw a little higher than such a place. In addition, you should definitely throw a fly in front of each stone, even a stake on which grass has swum, since a small whirlpool is formed here, in which the fish stands, in protection from speed, and waits for prey.

Fishing on live insects is used only when; grayling, chasing live insects, does not take on an artificial fly. The best nozzles the large mosquito is considered, then the mayflies and the yellow midge (Phryganea). Sometimes a large grayling takes only a midge and never goes to a big one. In Ivanovsky, on the Neva, at the rapids, east wind sometimes it catches up with myriads of black flies (midges) from Lake Ladoga, which call to the shores of all the graylings that usually stand here in the rapids.

A large mosquito (probably a Tipula centipede) makes up one of the graylings' favorite baits. They catch him before the sun, when he sits quietly, on the fences and on the leaves, in some kind of stupor. When the sun rises, the mosquito warms up and is difficult to catch. They put it from the head on the hook No. 9-10. The whole difficulty of catching live insects is to throw the nozzle far without knocking it down.

Therefore, it is often necessary to resort to various tricks.

“If a large insect floats along the river, for example, a large mosquito or a yellow fly,” says the same Lieberich, “then I advise you to plant a couple of such insects on hook No. ; try to stand upwind; don't even try against the wind. If the flies sank, catch new ones and plant them again ...

The whole difficulty lies in throwing, especially if there is no wind and you have to throw far; I advise you to do this: stretch the lines as much as necessary to reach the point where you want to throw the fly; having stuck the rod near the shore, from where you will cast, step back into the field, having a hook in your hands. Pull out the line, plant the insects and put them on the ground.

Returning to the rod and taking it in your hand, with an accelerated movement of your hand, wave the long line in two circles in the air so that the lines come into complete obedience, and then cast. When Lesa begins to sink, lower the rod down, otherwise your floating fly will sink.

Letting the fly swim as far as possible (it is impossible to tug) and seeing that it begins to turn towards the shore and sink, pull the fishing line out of the water with an increased movement (and the fly will certainly plunge into the water) and again describe two or three arcs through the air in order to shake off fly water; the second time she will certainly swim, the 3rd maybe, but the 4th will already sink.

Then, pulling it out of the water in the same order, throw the fly back on the field, without making any swings, stick the rod in and start catching insects again ... This is done in this case, if the forests are two or three times longer than the rod and if you do not you can, as with a fake fly, release it little by little, casting first closer, then farther, because through this you will soak the live flies before you have time to throw it to your chosen place.

Instead of a live fly, I often do the same with a false one, and a dry false fly, falling on the water, swims for a long time, as if alive; therefore, if the shape and color of it correspond to the living, you can, by circling it in the air or drying it, retreating into the field, proceed as described for the living. The success will be the same, but a mouldering fake fly takes longer to dry than catching live insects if there are a lot of them."

As for catching grayling on an artificial fly, it differs very little from catching trout, to which we refer the reader. It should only be noted that only small flies are suitable for grayling, in the form of a mosquito - its favorite insect. Grayling does not like flies of bright and light colors and prefers dark ones. In general, when choosing a fly, they are guided by the size, color and shape of insects falling into the water. Grayling's favorite flies are the smallest black ones, not very lush, the same brown, and sometimes gray.

“From a long experience,” says Liberich, “I was convinced that from spring the grayling loves a darker fly, sometimes larger, by the end of autumn it is especially greedy for a fly with an orange belly and light gray-yellow wings; such live flies sometimes appear at the end of August and keep until the frost.

As already mentioned, grayling takes on an artificial fly, compared to trout, very badly. Sometimes the bite is so sluggish and weak that the hook only slightly touches the lip; it happens, when a lot of flies fall on the water, that a well-fed grayling only slightly nibbles the bait without taking it into the mouth. The speed of hooking when fishing for grayling is even more necessary than when fishing for trout, which has a much larger mouth.

The grayling grabs the insect from below, sometimes even rising perpendicularly, and descends with the speed of lightning, however, not letting the bubble out, like a chub, which depends on the fact that he takes the insect very gently, with his lips, only slightly opening his mouth. However, it happens that he grabs a thrown fly on the fly, jumping a half inch out of the water. A grayling who has been on the hook becomes very cautious and is rarely deceived by a false fly.

Hooking should be very easy, especially in the rapids; it should be borne in mind that the lips of the grayling are very tender. A large grayling must first be led, and it is even useful to go down the river. Such a grayling is usually drawn to the bottom, and therefore in grassy places it is necessary to keep it steeper, trying to keep it closer to the surface. In large rivers, for example, in the Neva, where it is almost never caught with a line, since it stands here in the rapids, grayling takes much better and catching it is very simple.

In Ivanovskoye, for example, they are caught in large numbers on the so-called sheathing. It is a kind of artificial fly, very poorly made of 2 fairly long feathers, about an inch long, attached to a 5 no. Since the grayling rarely approaches the banks (as on other large rivers) and only during the fall of the fly, they catch here on the sheathing from a boat and float, releasing it quite far from themselves, i.e. this fishing resembles fishing on a track (metal fish) predatory fish.

On the Svir, finally, according to Liberikh, they catch graylings with special undercarriages, without a load, on which from 10 to 20 skins are planted. The line, tied to a short fishing rod, which is held in the hand, is pulled downstream along with the skins. This fishing is carried out from a boat and at a considerable speed. After that, it is clear why in the north and north-east of Russia and throughout Siberia, the biting of grayling is considered very true, and this fish is often caught with a bait by the pood.