Fish of the Nizhny Novgorod region. What happened on the Oka, Volga and its tributaries

The Gorky reservoir was created in 55-57 years of the last century during the construction of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station. Gorky reservoir geographically located on the lands of 3 regions, Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Ivanovo. This reservoir stretches along the Volga river for a distance of 427 km, and its width can reach 16 km in some places. The total area of the reservoir is 1590 km². As for the depth, in some places it can reach 22 m. On average, the depth of the reservoir is slightly more than 3.5 m.

The Gorky Reservoir was created with the aim of solving issues of shipping and energy. Most of the shipping takes place on the deeper right side of the reservoir. Fishing was also widely developed in the reservoir. Fishing on the Gorky reservoir very interesting and varied.

The Gorky Reservoir consists of two diverse sections. The first section belongs to the lake type and stretches from the Power Plant to the mouth of the Unzha River. The second section is slightly higher and belongs to the river type.

From the town of Yuryevets to the upper reaches, the reservoir looks like a full-flowing river, where the water mirror is about 3 km wide. Near the dam, the expanses of water occupy the entire Volga valley and acquire the appearance of the sea, where the width can reach about 12 km.

The ice cover leaves the reservoir, as a rule, at the beginning of May, somewhat later than on the rivers. First, the flood part of the reservoir is opened from the ice, and then the bays. Before the flow in the Volga was regulated, at least 47 species of various fish lived in those rivers that became part of the Gorky reservoir. But when the dam appeared, the habitats of many species of fish changed. Currently, the reservoir is inhabited by river species, lacustrine and lacustrine-river species. The latter live almost everywhere, the latter only in low-flow or stagnant places of the reservoir, and the former only in pronounced river sections of the reservoir.

Fishing in the Gorky Reservoir is interesting, first of all, for the wide variety of possible catch. The reservoir is inhabited by such fish species as sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, asp, black-backed, sterlet, podust, beluga, burbot, sabrefish. Lake species, tench, loach, crucian carp, minnow. And practically throughout the entire water area, pike, pike perch, roach, bream, perch are common.

It is quite natural that such a huge reservoir has excellent conditions for fishing. The shoreline of the reservoir stretches for 1340 to fluctuate, and the depths from 3 to 23 m. More than 600 rivers, streams and streams also flow into the reservoir.

Most often fishing on the Gorky reservoir It is carried out on such species as bream, roach, silver bream, pike, ide, perch, asp, pike perch, less often sabrefish, white-eyed.

Fishing in the warm season is possible in almost all parts of the reservoir, the river one, which is about 2 km wide and up to 345 km long. Priplotinny, which has the size and shape of a lake, and a stretch, which is represented by the Kostroma Bay, where there is almost no current. On the river section of the reservoir, asp, dace, chub and even sterlet are caught. On the dam site, fish that prefer low-flow areas or areas without flow. In the conditions of the Kostroma Bay, pike, bream, roach and perch are most often caught.

As a rule, large, well-fed fish are caught in a reservoir. And the nicest places where it happens fishing in the Gorky reservoir these are, first of all, the Kostroma stretch, the mouths of various rivers and streams, and small bays.

Now about winter fishing in the Gorky reservoir. The reservoir has many different places for winter fishing. An excellent place is the mouth of the Unzha River, which is located near the small town of Yuryevets. This town has been known since ancient times, because it was from these places that various fish were supplied to the royal table. This site is attractive for fishermen because in this place 3 rivers Volga, Nemda and Unzha merge at once and here the reservoir spills over a dozen kilometers. The places here are hard to reach and it is much easier to get here in winter.

The most popular place for fishing in winter is located near the dam, which is designed to protect Yuryevets from the overflowing Volga in spring. Just as successful winter fishing at the Gorky reservoir occurs in the flooded channels of the Unzhi and Nemda rivers. The current is constant here and the fish are very active.

Places near the dam have a remarkable bottom topography. There are many underwater crossbars, depressions and underwater deep pits. In addition, the slow current makes fishing easier. These are excellent places where you can conduct underwater fishing, because dumps from the braids into the depths are the places where you can always count on good bite.

Of the baits, the most often used are nymphs and devils. However, there are times when the fish stop pecking at the rewinder and then the anglers switch to baited jigs. Many local fishermen use dragonfly larvae as bait.

Large perch is caught at the "cross" - this place is located opposite the center of Yuryevets on the opposite bank of the channel part. But it is necessary to take a little to the left on the flooded channel of the channel. When fishing for perch with a jig with a bunch of bloodworms, burbot often bite. When the last ice season arrives, many anglers move to a large sandbank that is slightly to the right of the cross. A little higher along the riverbed near the left bank of the Volga, perch weighing from 0.2 to 0.6 kg is caught. In addition, there are many flooded trees and frequent cases of bait loss.

On the coast of the Gorky reservoir there are several recreation centers and fishing bases where you can stop for a fishing period.

Fishing base "2 captains"

This base is located near the mouth of the Mocha River, where it flows into the Gorky reservoir. There are quiet beautiful places, virgin forests, wide expanses of water. In summer, besides fishing, you can take a walk in the forest to collect various berries and mushrooms. You can lie on the sand, on the shore and admire the magnificent local landscapes. The tourist base is famous for its excellent fishing. The best places are located at the mouth of the Mocha River, which has always been famous for the abundance of fish resources. Pike, pike perch, asp, carp, roach, bream and perch are caught here. Successful fishing here is possible both from the shore and from a boat with a variety of tackle.

Recreation center "Good Life"

Located in the Kostroma region in the vicinity of the village of Khabarovo. The base is located near the mouth of the Nemda River, among the magnificent primeval forest. The tourist base guarantees its clients excellent fishing and excellent rest. Pike perch, bream, pike, ide, perch, silver bream and other fish are caught here.

Shine. Catch: 1-3 kilograms (perch 300 gr)

Weather: Various

Tackle: Winter fishing rods

Lure / Attachment: Tulle

All with the past! Starting in December, we plowed the Puchezhsky open spaces, first on foot, then on a motorized towing vehicle. But the availability of equipment, cameras, echo sounders and points in Susanin did not bring decent catches, since they simply did not find fish in quantity. And we decided to move up the reservoir. On December 30, there was a reconnaissance trip to Novlenskoye, but nothing outstanding was found there either. Since there was a long weekend ahead, it was necessary to choose a potentially fishy place to search. The choice fell on Yuryevets, since there is housing there and it is not far from the bersh, and it is still the most stable fish this season. And also there were hopes to get to the powerful tributaries of the Nemda and Unzha, as well as to visit the snags on the Nizhny Novgorod side. We left for our mini-expedition on January 3 in the evening. The dogs in the parking lot themselves settled in a warm house with all the amenities.
Day one: wake up at 6 in the morning, breakfast, fees so that at least something to push off from the evening agreed with a local fisherman named Igor Ovechenkov. He agreed to show us the perch site, and we had delivery by equipment. Upon arrival ashore, we met with Igor. And in the first 3 seasons, Brasik refused to start. And at home it was thawed and dried after the 30th, when snow was pumped into the carburetor and everything froze there. By the way, after that day, I had to make a protective cover for the engine, which covered the weight of the right side of the dog from snow swirls. After spending about 30 minutes on the bulkhead and warming up the carburetor, the dog came to life and took the four of us to a meeting with the fish. Igor sat astride and showed the way, and also, since the snow was poured into half of the boot, his weight added to the passability. In fact, with a man who was seated on horseback, there was still no place where we would not pass, especially that year was indicative when there was a lot of snow and we calmly drove 25 km a day to the exit of Unzhi. The only exception is snow and water; torment begins in this porridge.
Time 9 we are on the holes, more precisely on the spot, since there was no specific binding, just an area with hungry rare perches and clouds, just millions of ruff (I will post it on camera later). Only ruffs ran around with the camera in the lens. We rested on the search with a balancer, since Igor had already caught a couple of perches. They sat down not far from each other and went the first bites on the balancers, and all of them were so greedy that they had to take off two hooks and such an adult took the okuska. But the happiness did not last long and not because they had drilled it out, no. There was simply no one to drill, since several dozen people could be seen on the whole river, and they were sitting on the far side and mostly on the bersh. And after that, the snow covered us from everyone, but after catching 4-5-6 perches, there was silence. And we went to check last year's points, but there were only shells, sometimes with rare ruffs. So we got to the Bershov bazaars. And we decided to return to the morning lenoks and drill a little wider there, maybe we'll find some more. Igor, meanwhile, was already drilling for probably 50 holes and in the catch he had 7 or 8 perches. And before dark we caught one more at all. When it began to get dark, we went to the shore, Igor went home, and we had supper (we even had to send a photo to our wives that we were eating well so that they would not worry) and overnight. We had dinner for a long time with conversations and goodies.
Day two: at 6 in the morning we rise, we go to the parking lot after the towing vehicle and directly from the parking lot I take my bersh to the cross, and I myself went to one to check the points near the skeletons and beyond the islands and closer to Selyantsevo. At the first point I immediately stumbled upon a ruff and perches and forgot the balance wheel in the car))) At the 15th hole I found a lone roach near a hemp and started trying. Shaking for 10 minutes does not take, I lower the camera, there is no fish) I still have a hole in the storm, I see 2 roaches in the camera. Shaking the GSh 0.75 minutes after five powerful bites, give the rod back and feel the resistance of the roach on the other side of the tackle. Further, such a picture, you drill a hole 1-2 fish are, you thrust the jig, you shake the silence. If you lower the camera, there is no fish, and so on in 5 holes. After that, I came to the conclusion that the water that was under the snow when you trampled it down with your feet made light, because where you walked everything can be seen as on the first ice, where darkness is not trampled there. It looks like the fish was moving away from the light. Then he moved to check points in the Nizhny Novgorod region. There from all places I saw three perches in the hole of one local peasant on a dog. He did not interfere with him, he went on to knead the snow with water, even in one it is still an adventure. Slowly the caterpillar began to slip. since the drive gears are already well frozen. Having checked the points, I went after my bershatniki. They have several bites per day 2 and 3 pieces. edible, plus 3 small ones were released. at sunset we drove to the city and decided to slow down at the dam, as the crowd was in large numbers. we checked the roach holes fed by someone with the camera, persuaded one little thing on GSH 0.6. Moreover, there was more fish near the dam than on the other side. On day 3, all thoughts are about roach. I decided to try to fish with food. We drove into a store, took 1 kg of winter feed and a dump truck. Back for a beer and overnight.
Day three: rise at 6 am, breakfast, packing and ice. He drove his own to the bershov holes, and returned to the dam himself. All tents are already in place. I am on yesterday's holes with a camera, there are fish, but piece by piece. I feed the holes 2 dump trucks 15 apart. And I begin to persuade. In the course were GSh from 0.6-0.75 g, bright mormyshki. different cubes. All is in vain. The turn came to the chameleon cube and on the very first wiring I catch roach. And all this was the last fish of the day))) It looks like frost at -15 and the lack of current turned off the roach. Even tents ran from place to place. At 14 o'clock I went to check the snag near the islands, but there is a desert. He returned for his own, they again with bershs, they caught several of them. We decided to go ashore and then the moment came that the dog drove 10m and tightly jammed the goose with a combination of snow and ice. For 1.5 hours, the three of us, like dads Carlo, freed her from the ice captivity with screwdrivers, mallets and a spoon. Thanks to this, we saw the night Yuryevets from the ice)))) Having wedged the goose, the second trouble came to us, namely, the frozen gears were completely out of engagement. Something like scraping to the trail, and then slowly to the parking lot. Upon arrival, they cleared everything as best they could, but not completely, but you can go. During the dinner.
Day four: wake up at 7, breakfast, full packing of things. On this day, everything was decided amicably for the bersh, since 3 roaches in two days did not make me very happy and a coating at -17 would guaranteed to catch our dog in ice captivity again. Thanks to the frost of the night, our path to the Bersch holes was dry and hard. Departure from the path led to a guaranteed mixing of snow-water slurry. We arrived at the holes at 9 in the morning and after 15 minutes the first jamming began, which by 11 o'clock turned into confident blows to the hand. In total, I had about a dozen bites on the tulle out of 3 of them I took, two small ones I shook off, one good one I knocked down, the rest by, and all this from one hole until lunchtime. Mine saw bites in other holes, no matter how much I drilled, there was silence everywhere. The result of the day is 3-5-1. We got to the car quickly and easily. By tradition, we stopped in Kineshma for shawarma.

P.S. on this trip, we tested analog knives for the Mora Nova System 110mm drill from the Titan company, the drills are not even bad at all. The price is 450 rubles.
I also got myself a gearbox, with which now the screwdriver does not twist his hands and drills with it easily and naturally, and also theoretically there will be enough batteries for more holes.
I also switched to a homemade 7 "camera with manual illumination, just plasma compared to a 4.3" one)))
The guys sitting at home came up with heated gloves, they are in the photo 👇🏻
Everything went well, no fish were found, we will continue to search ...

One of the most wonderful vacation spots in the European part of Russia is the Gorky Reservoir. This artificial reservoir, formed in the 50s of the XX century during the construction of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station, is called the Gorky Sea.

The reservoir stretches 427 km in length and reaches 16 km in width in the area of the dam. Along the entire coast, there are numerous tourist centers offering not only great relaxation, but also excellent fishing. You can relax here with the whole family - everyone will find something to their liking.

Terrain features

Stretching over 4 regions, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Kostroma, the reservoir is distinguished by magnificent nature and an interesting varied landscape and provides ample opportunities for great fishing and recreation.
In the upper part, only the floodplain of the Volga River is flooded, then, at the confluence of the rivers, bays 2-3 km wide are formed, which smoothly flow into the endless expanses of water. The depth of the reservoir reaches 22 m, but for the most part it does not exceed 3-4 m.
The left bank is gentle, has narrow stretches, perfect for summer holidays. Entry into the water is generally long - 100-200 m you can walk knee-deep. The right bank is steep and very picturesque. It is the right side of the reservoir that is navigable.
As a rule, at the beginning of May the reservoir is cleared of ice. The water in shallow water warms up quickly, which provides a ground for rapid growth of vegetation. Already by the end of June, some resting places are overgrown with algae. By the end of summer, due to the rapid reproduction of blue-green algae in stagnant water, a pestilence of fish may begin, which the water carries to the shore.

Fishing

Due to the diverse flora and fauna, there are about 50 species of fish. The populations of some of them are maintained artificially - fry and special organisms are launched to serve them as food.
Now you can find:
River fish: sterlet, sturgeon, beluga, podust, asp, chernospinka and others. They live in the upper reaches of the reservoir, in the floodplains of rivers, since they need running water. They almost never swim into the reservoir itself.
Lake-river fish: pike, walleye, dace, perch, bream. She is found everywhere.
Lake fish: tench, rudd, loach, crucian carp, minnow. She feels great in stagnant water, and lives in the main part of the reservoir.

Summer fishing

In summer you can fish everywhere - the abundance of bays with stagnant water, rivulets, provides excellent opportunities for a good catch. The river floodplains are the best places for fishing, the estuaries of Sanakhta and Trotsa are considered the most fishy. Fish is also excellently caught in the area of the Kostroma flood reach. Fishing is also good in the area of Trubinka, Andronikha, Obzherikha, Novlensky, Santelevo, Krasnaya Gora, and they go fishing to Kostromka.

Winter fishing

For lovers of winter fishing, there is a real expanse here. The ice on the reservoir is strong due to the fact that the current near the reservoir is small. It is here that you can easily pull out a 3-4 kg pike perch or a two-kilogram bream. You can also catch roach, bersh, perch, you can catch burbot or smelt.

The most fishing places are considered to be Pichugino, Kineshma, Gremyachevo, Yuryevets, but in other places you can stay with the catch.

Fish is well caught along the old riverbed of the Volga - thanks to the flow of the river, the fish is always active and responsive to the bait, there are no deaths here.
In general, ice fishing is good anywhere in the reservoir. If you did not use the services of game rangers or guides from the tourist base, you can watch the locals who have studied the fishing places well.

Fishing Gorky reservoir

Recreation centers

The whole family should go to rest on the Gorky Sea. Men will be happy to plunge into fishing, while women and children will swim and sunbathe.
On the shore of the reservoir there are numerous recreation centers, which provide an opportunity to have a civilized rest, disconnected from everyday worries. Here, experienced instructors will offer real fishing routes, provide a boat and all the necessary equipment for excellent fishing.
The Country Club "Good Life" in the village of Khorobrovo, Kostroma Region, specializes in ecological tourism and has excellent fishing routes in the area of the Nemda River.
"Guest house" 2Kapitana "is located in the area of the village of Yurkino, Nizhny Novgorod region on the Mocha river. On a spinning rod, dock or an ordinary float rod, you can catch zander, bream or roach.
The Ershiha base in the Kostroma region offers fishing from the banks of the Volga or by boat at the mouth of the Nemda River.
The Demidovka base is located on the banks of the Volga in the Yuryevetsky district of the Ivanovo region. Almost all types of fishing are available here, but ice fishing is especially good.
The Gorky Reservoir is a vacation spot for the whole family. Excellent fishing, magnificent nature, warm water, sandy stretches and contact with wildlife will leave a lot of positive emotions.

EXCITING NEWS

The decision to spend a vacation on the shores of the Gorky Sea did not appear immediately. Accustomed to spinning fishing on small rivers and lakes, I was dubious about fishing on large bodies of water, especially recently created ones.

Confused by the vast expanses of water and the almost complete absence of aquatic vegetation on the newly formed bottom of the new reservoir. Where in such conditions can fish stay, where should you look for it?

However, already in the spring and summer of 1957, that is, in the second year of the sea's existence, rumors quickly spread among fishermen about large catches of pike and perch in the Chkalovsk and Katunok area. Despite some inconsistency of these stories, one thing was clear: there are a great many pikes and perches in the new reservoir, they take on any bait and in any weather, but mostly medium-sized fish are caught.

And on the next Sunday I am on the left coast of the sea, fifteen kilometers from the dam of the hydroelectric power station. Needless to say, the three puppies caught by me in a day did not arouse much enthusiasm. However, other spinning colleagues who fished in the same area had about the same successes.

Shchuryats were all as on the selection of the same size and weight - 250-300 grams. Trying to figure out the reasons for the failure, I got into a conversation with the boatman who was transporting me across one of the bays of the sea. And it was then that I first heard the mysterious word: "Maura".

If you want to fish for pikes, go to Maura, - said the carrier, - there are a lot of fish on Maura! They catch great on spinning and on the track!

From further conversation it became clear that Maura is a bay formed on the site of a former swamp, that it is located on the left coast of the sea a little higher than Katunok, and that it is necessary to catch it there from a boat. In addition, a certain amount of time is needed for the road, since without your own transport one day, perhaps, cannot be handled.

I heard about Maura several times that fall, but I never had to go fishing there. Spring 1958 brought fresh data on the reservoir. In the stories of indefatigable nature scouts, fishermen and hunter-kiks, more and more unusual names of new rich fishing places began to be encountered. Most often these were sea bays formed along the floodplains of the Volga tributaries.

Interested in another story, I carefully study the map of the Gorky reservoir, consider the bizarre outlines of its many bays. Some of them go inland for several kilometers. It would be interesting to know what happened here before the flooding, what is hidden under the water?
I take out an old map of the Gorky Region and find places that are now flooded by the waters of the sea. Here, under the water, there were fields and meadows, there - swamps, here - bush and forest.

Well, what is this swamp almost opposite Katunok? Why, this is the famous Maura! Now she's all under water.
Where to look for fish? Well, of course, along the bays, in the places of flooding of flooded meadows, marshes, bushes, etc., that is, where there is a suitable environment for fish to live. The catches on the Maura and along the bays of the Trotsa, Yug, Yachmenka, Michi, Laimpna and other tributaries of the Volga are not accidental.

It remained to choose a fishing area for the duration of the vacation. After some thought, the choice was made: these are the bays of the Michi and Shirmoksha rivers along the left bank of the reservoir. Judging by the map, it's not far from here to Maura.

And now - vacation. Two days for packing, half a day for the road. July 10 is the first day of fishing. The object of my study is the bay along the Miche river.

LOOKING FOR PLACES

Everything is interesting on an unfamiliar body of water: the nature of its shores, the places of fishing, and, of course, the fish that you expect to catch.

On that memorable day, July 10, the weather from the very morning was favorable for fishing. It was a gray, moderately warm day; a light western breeze was blowing from the direction of the city. A quarter of an hour's journey along a narrow forest path - and I am on a high steep coast of the bay.

Directly in front of me is a wide canvas of the bay, on the opposite side of which you can see a dense forest. On the right, about half a kilometer away, the waters of the bay merge with the sea. In this direction, in my opinion, there is nothing to do: the coastline is too monotonous, too much water.

It remains to turn to the left and explore the coast of the bay until the confluence of the Michi River.

Behind the small village of Vyazoviki, the picture of the reservoir changes: the coast becomes low, and the bay becomes shallower. In some places vegetation is visible in the water. The fish is splashing. I do test casts. They bring disappointment: the spoon clings either to the grass, or to invisible, flooded bushes. Too shallow. With great difficulty I save the spoon and move on. Ahead is a large island overgrown with dense greenery; it stretches across almost the entire bay, leaving only narrow straits along the coast.

The island attracts with overly bright, unnaturally green vegetation. I carefully examine its base and clearly see how the island ... sways on the waves. It is now clear that this is a "wandering island" or "vyder" as they are called here.

Vydors are formed from the upper vegetation layer of the former peat bogs - they are lifted, as if "ripped" to the surface of the water after flooding. Their sizes are different: from a "patch" of several square meters to large, measured in hectares.

Under the influence of the wind, light otters constantly move around the reservoir and can interfere with navigation. Therefore, the largest of them are taken by boats into the depths of numerous bays. I try to fish in the strait, but here, too, the hook follows the toe. Having lost two spoons, I come to a very important conclusion: you need to fish from a boat, otherwise in a week you will be left without spoons.

I came up to a small bay, which had cut far into the land. Stumps, branches of flooded bushes, bunches of marsh grasses and algae are visible in the water. In the middle of the bay it is clear and, as it seems to me, deep. Along the edges of this "window", in the water thickets, bursts of medium-sized predators are heard every now and then. Climbing onto a large stump, I cast. Spoon falls in the center of the "window". I lead her close to the surface of the water, avoiding visible obstacles. I take out a pike of 500 grams. The start is done!

I carefully fetch the "window" and its outskirts in all directions - and in half an hour I have two more pikes and two good perches.

A collective farm herd appears on the shore. Teenage shepherds, thirteen or fifteen years old, are watching me with interest. Then one of them, a lively blue-eyed boy with a face peeling from the sun and wind, advises:

You would, uncle, go to the other side. What kind of perch they catch! - and shows with his hands the size of the "perch", the size of which a good pig would envy. Another, smaller, adds:
- And it would be best from a boat. They will flash from our boats.
- And it hits? I ask.
- Still would! Only more often than pike.
- And large ones?
- All sorts.
- Where do they catch?
- Yes, everywhere. But more on the other side, in the Zarechny meadow; do you see the bay in the forest?

Yes, the opposite bank is indeed tempting. From here you can see its bays and the forest, in places descending directly into the water. But there - tomorrow. Today I am interested in this little bay. What was here before, before the flooding? It turns out to be a small, but non-drying swamp, in which, “except for frogs, there was no fish,” as one of my “fans” explains.

The next day I continue "coastal reconnaissance", this time on a different, forest shore of the bay. First, I try to fish in deep and clean places from debris and vegetation. But the catch turns out to be ineffectual. The "perch" promised by yesterday's acquaintances for some reason do not show themselves. The wind behind the reliable wall of the forest in the bay is not felt at all.

The mirror-like surface of the water shines through with the bright July sun. Algae growing all over the bay are clearly visible. In shallow places they have already come to the surface, in deeper places they are a quarter of it. The only solution in these conditions is a quick posting of the spoon over the top.

The first cast gives a bite. But then a descent follows. Then, within ten minutes, something extraordinary happens: almost not a single blank cast and ... not a single caught fish. This vicious circle looked like this: casting - grip - a second fight with a fish - descent.

I am surprised to examine Trofimovskaya: the tee is in order. So, the reason for the retirement is that the bait is too fast and the nature of the vegetation of the bay. Hiding in dense grass, the pike notices the fast-moving spoon too late, is late with the throw, clings to the tee somehow and then, passing through the continuous algae, easily comes off.

I try to drive the spoon slower, but it immediately sits down on the grass. Not hoping for success, I still continue to "catch" with a quick drive. After several retirements, with another grip, I finally feel that the pike has "settled" firmly. I am amazed at the unusual strength of her resistance, sharp throws to the side and some kind of special persistence when dragging her to the shore. The thought of a large fish involuntarily arises. I double my caution - and ... I pull out a small, half a kilo in weight, pike, into the belly of which a tee stuck. Such a "bite" only confirms the idea of the reason for the gatherings.

Having said goodbye to the bay of the "cunning squints" for today, I move on. It's already five o'clock, and there are still many new places ahead. In about ten minutes I’m on a small promontory, to the left and right of which shallow, heavily overgrown bays protrude into the coast. There are many stumps at their bottom. Since the hooks are inevitable, and getting the lures in this place clearly does not suit me, I put a very soft, weakly hardened tee.

True, with the grip of even an average fish, such a tee will immediately unfold, but frankly, I somehow do not believe in the possibility of such a bite. I put the spoon on "Trofimovskaya", two-color. Thanks to the soft tee, I cast in the most "bad" places. It brings results. We caught two perches and four bee-pups, 250-300 grams each.

They go by on a boat with a walkway. I ask about success. They are not brilliant - up to a dozen of the same squint.
The time is approaching seven o'clock. Suddenly - an unexpected and very beautiful grip. About five or six meters from the forest shore, she went abruptly to the right and forward, towards a huge stump that could be seen under the water. It is curious that this movement of the scaffold was not transmitted at all to the coil and to the fingers.

Nevertheless, I did a sweep and, without wasting time (mindful of the weak tee), pulled out the pike, taking it with my hands right in the water. The spoon was caught by the fish in the swallow, and the tee with all its hooks dug into the gills - obviously, that's the only reason it didn't straighten out. The pike contained about a kilogram.

Returning home this evening, I try to summarize my first impressions of spinning on the new pond and am thinking of going to the store for hunting supplies and buying a backpack, because mine is completely thin. The first and most important conclusion was that there are a lot of predatory fish here, but it is not kept everywhere, but only in certain places where the most favorable living conditions have been created for it: an abundance of fry, aquatic vegetation, etc. Naturally, that on the new reservoir such places will be: former riverbeds and oxbows of rivers, their floodplains, former lakes and swamps, etc., that is, places that had typical aquatic flora and fauna even before the formation of the sea.

But in order to fish all these places, hidden under water and sometimes at a considerable distance from the land, it is necessary, of course, to have a boat. When using a soft tee that rescues lures, large fish can only be caught by accident. As for the special lures for fishing in tight spots, I didn’t have them. So, we need to get the boat!

FISHING FROM THE BOAT. MAURA

The next day I found a light, stable and relatively sturdy boat relatively quickly. Her owner, giving me the keys of the oar, at the same time supplies me with a voluminous ladle and tow (just in case!). The boat will be at my complete disposal for the duration of the vacation.

For several days in a row I fish in the bays of the Zarechny meadow, inaccessible from the shore. They are small, shallow and heavily littered. Hooks are frequent, but there are no losses of lures (the boat helps out and shallow depth).
The bays are overgrown with grass almost before our eyes: after a week there was nothing to do here. Mostly squints weighing up to 500 grams are caught, perches are almost never caught. Biting is different: it is very active, then sluggish - depending on the weather and time of day. Gatherings are pretty common. The average catch for six to eight hours of fishing ranges from 4-5 kilograms.

The bay of "cunning squints" quickly grew overgrown, but bites and gatherings continued. Yet every day I managed to get two or three squints here.

In these early days of fishing from a boat, I tried to find the most appropriate and active techniques for it. In small, heavily littered and shallow bays, where the predator is everywhere, the most prey method was the “drift” of the boat downwind. This method turned out to be especially effective in a light wind, when the slow movement of the boat makes it possible to thoroughly "whip through" all places suspicious for fish. Drift duration is 5-20 minutes (depending on wind strength, bay length, number of bites and holds).

Then you paddle again against the wind, and everything starts downloading.

With a good bite in the bay near the clearing and Dolgiy Bay, I sometimes made up to ten drifts in a row, pulling out an average of two or three squints for each flight. The drift was very pleasant on some days, with winds of alternating directions, when active fishing was carried out almost without interruption.

The drift performance dropped sharply in strong winds in open areas. (The speed of the drift increases, the time and effort required to lift the boat against the wind increases, hooks are more dangerous in strong winds.) In such cases, it was necessary either to climb into a remote bay protected from the wind by a forest, or to anchor the boat and catch from the spot.

I did not forget to fish from the shore, where it was possible, and sometimes expedient. Such a combination of techniques introduced variety and increased the catch rate.

Still, the sporting results of fishing do not satisfy me. Large fish are not caught. The road workers who plow the bay of the Michi River in all directions do not get an eye either. Many of them advise me to go to Maura.

Again, eyes, this mysterious Maura! I recall the semi-fantastic stories that went among the Gorky fishermen, in which “pood” pikes, “gray-haired” perches and ... torn tackles appeared. I find out from local fishermen that Maura, or Giblyaiha (the second name is less attractive, but, as we will see, is more true), in the past - a large peat bog, now - the Gorky Sea bay.

It stretches for twelve kilometers along the left bank of the reservoir and with its southern edge reaches a point almost opposite Katunok. From the bay of the Michi River to Maura with water, no more than five to seven kilometers.
On the next windless day we are going to Maura. I have a whole company of vacationers with me, gathered for strawberries. The road passes merrily, imperceptibly. About an hour later, the first otters come across - signs of Maura's proximity.

This area is called Urog. Before the formation of the sea, there were floodplain meadows here. I could have already started fishing, but my berries are in a hurry, and I do not risk delaying them. Half an hour passes, and we are in Maura.

She greets us with an abundance of otters in various sizes and colors. Some of them are striking in their bright and juicy greens, others - lifelessness of fancifully intertwined blackish-brown roots and stumps. Some of them stand still, others are constantly moving under the influence of the wind. The boat enters the maze of these floating islands.

We are not alone. Fishing boats, mostly with motors, can be seen at different ends of Maura. On many of them, judging by the characteristic postures and movements, spinningists. Oki is what interests me.

We climb into the depths of the bay. And here is the first disappointment. The water is in bloom in Maura! (The flowering of water in the bay of the Michi River began 7-8 days later, and the eye never reached such strength as here.) Having planted the berries and agreed with them about the meeting place, I still start fishing. The day is very hot, cloudless and calm.

I hide from the scorching rays of the sun in the shade of huge trees that surrounded the coast of the bay on all sides. The boat is drifting quietly. I carefully study the situation. The nature of the reservoir, its vegetation, flooded bushes and stumps, otters, trees stepping right into the water - all this surprisingly resembles the Zarechny Meadow. Only here it is more gloomy. The thought flashes that the Zarechny Meadow is "Little Maura".

A boat with three Sormovichi fishermen comes across. Two of them have spinning rods. I ask about the results.

We fished well yesterday. Takes nothing today.

With the same success comes the second boat, the third ...

Still I keep drifting. I put my crown spinner made of tinned iron, such as "Trofimovskaya", and carefully "tinker" every stump, every snag. By six o'clock in the evening I have a dozen black and flexible, like a viper, squinting and one perch (the whole catch is no more than 3 kilograms).

I'm going back. Here comes Urog. The berry farmers haven’t arrived yet, and I am directing the boat to the nearest otters. A characteristic "clatter" of perches is heard near the islets.

I drop my oars and drift. No bites. The boat is carried very close to the otter, between the roots of which a mass of scurrying fry can be seen. So the predator is somewhere nearby. Now I throw the spoon directly to the island and lead it along its edge. After a few casts, I hit a small pike.

During the next cast, the tee caught on the leash. Spoon does not "play". I pull her to the boat. And here, in front of my eyes, a hefty striped perch jabs its nose several times at the "non-playing" spoon. My passions flare up, and I repeat the cast another time, the third - but all in vain.

In the meantime, my companions arrive. Their "catches" are richer than mine: full baskets of fragrant ripe berries.

Vydery Meadows

Several days pass. Hot sunny weather is setting, the water is blooming. With each passing day, fishing is noticeably worsening. Small bays are overgrown with grass and algae, and it becomes impossible to fish in them. Only Long Bay is accessible, but the bite is inconsistent here.

I try to fish in new places, I go around almost the entire bay, but the results are not encouraging: it only takes a trifle, and even that is rare. I try to fish early in the morning and late in the evening, at dawn the result is the same. I put various spinners, change the depth and pace of the drive - there is still no success. In connection with the deterioration of fishing, the number of anglers-trackers is also decreasing. Despite the setbacks, I still stubbornly continue to look for fish; she must eat something, somewhere and sometime ...

Meanwhile, on the Zarechny meadow, in the place of a flooded swamp, interesting processes are taking place. Even in the first days I noticed several small otters here. These were ordinary, unattractive-looking, black-brown, "mud" islets. I believed that they were brought here from the reservoir. Imagine my surprise when these islets have sharply increased their area during the last 24 hours.

Interested in this discovery, I drove around and carefully examined the largest of them. Well, it is! This islet is of local origin; this is evidenced by its western shores, gently sinking into the water and closely connected by a complex root system with the bottom of the reservoir. In other words, the surface of the island was a continuation of the surface layer of the bottom of the bay, and the root system was a kind of anchor that held the island in place.

The formation of otters was apparently accelerated by strong winds that have blown recently and caused great waves throughout the bay, which contributed to the detachment of the upper layer of the peat bog and its rise to the surface of the water. It should be noted that the outlines of the otters changed very quickly, and their sizes increased just as quickly. Later, new islands appeared, and the first three otters merged into a single island.

Remembering fishing with otters on Urog, I decided to check out the new place. The first cast between the two islets brought a puppy. A few minutes later, when laying the spoon along the edge of the island, a pike of 700 grams "sat down" and on the next casting - a small perch. This was followed by two retreats in a row.

The start was promising. I was extremely sorry that I got here only in the evening. It was necessary to find the most rational way of fishing. The drift was clearly not suitable here: the fish kept near and under the islets; besides, the boat was very quickly demolished, so that more than three casts per voyage could not be done in any way.

The method of consistent, systematic fishing with the fixing of the boat in place suggested itself. It was not difficult to do this: I simply entered the island and carefully searched the surrounding area. Fishing was really "fun", although there were no big fish. There was a pike weighing up to 500 grams.

The next day turned out to be cloudy, with torrential short-term "mushroom" rains. A weak breeze often changed direction. At twelve o'clock in the afternoon I was at the islands. I fished with short breaks until eight o'clock in the evening. On this day, pike and perch were larger (pike up to 1.2 kilograms), but bites were less frequent.

In the following days in the area of the islands it becomes "crowded": road workers reappear. Several boats are circling the islands - and not without success. Familiar Sormovichi, whom I met on Maura, also arrive. They adapted their spinning rods for fishing as a track. One is on the oars - two are fishing. Then they switch roles.

We compete in the number of heads caught. If they manage to overtake me, they calm down: - After all, we have 2 spinners.

Another fisherman who comes by motorboat from Puchezh adjoins my “sedentary” way of life on the islets. He quite successfully catches in the "windows" islets of perches for ... winter bait.

This continues for about a week. Then the bite slowly but surely begins to weaken. This is especially noticeable on the boats of the road builders: they often completely disappear from the field of view, fishing for distant places. Meanwhile, new otters appear nearby. I immediately move there - and again good, "fun" fishing for a few days.

And then - attenuation again. I strive to comprehend what is happening. The following explanation suggests itself. With the formation of a new otter, the usual living conditions of the flora and fauna in this section of the reservoir are violated. Undoubtedly, together with the vegetation layer, a significant part of the plankton rises to the surface of the water, which feeds on juveniles.

It is no coincidence that around young otters there is a huge accumulation of fry, which, in turn, attract predators. Therefore, at the moment of otter formation, the most intense biting is observed. But some time passes. The process of otter education ends. Everything gradually calms down, equilibrium comes. The fish scatters - goes to other places. The bite fades.

FISHING IN AUGUST

The weather in August was extremely unstable. Single warm, fine days were replaced by rainy and cool, with rains and strong winds, weather. Fishing conditions worsened.

The strong south-western and western winds, which drove a large wave from the side of the reservoir, were especially harmful. On such days, the fishing area was strictly limited to areas with a calm. But the same westerly and south-westerly winds, obviously, together with the water, drove the Volga fish into the bay.

In August, pikes from the sea were often seen, which were distinguished by a lighter color than the locals. From the reservoir, of course, came pike perch and even asp, small specimens of which sometimes came across a spoon.

In general, in August, the bite was more sluggish, but larger fish took it. Pikes of 1-1.2 kg were caught almost every day. The number of bites of perch (and especially of large perch) has increased.
The places of fishing also changed: the fish was still moving. The last days are recollected. On the twelfth of August, having already finished fishing, which was rather boring that day, I slowly drove up to the place where the boats were parked.

Among the coastal water-flooded bushes, I noticed a small raft tied of five or six logs and on it the figure of a fisherman. It was a boy of about ten or twelve years old. He caught it with a spoon, throwing it straight from his hand. After several casts, the young fisherman pulled out a beetle, and after him a perch. I was not so much interested in the method of fishing (it is common here), as in the place itself. It was carefully checked by me in July and did not give a single bite then. I drove closer. On the fisherman's raft lay about a dozen squints and two perches.

Do they take large ones here? I asked.
“They do, but they all fail,” the boy replied.

In the following days, using the drift method, I fished around the entire area adjacent to the flooded bushes. Among the bushes (where the boy was catching) - the grasp of small squints and perches. Farther from the coast, in deeper places, pikes weighing 500-600 grams, and sometimes even more than a kilogram, fall. Gatherings are rare. Fishing has become "fun" again. The sudden appearance of a large number of predators in this area is obviously explained by the wandering of a large green otter.

Just on these days, under the influence of the east wind, the vyder was moved from its place of residence and migrated to the Elm trees. The wanderings of the otter caused the fry to move, and a predatory fish followed the fry.

CONCLUSION

After spending more than a month on the reservoir and giving my favorite pastime at least six to eight hours every day, I had the opportunity to thoroughly study the reservoir, which allows me to draw certain conclusions:

1. The decisive moment of successful fishing was the choice of location. Experience has shown that the concentration of the predator was observed only in certain areas of the bay (areas of former swamps, lakes, rivers, oxbows, flood meadows, flooded shrubs, otters, etc.), i.e., where immediately after the formation of the sea for fish created its own kindred environment. On the neighboring bay, formed along the Shirmoksha River, there are almost no such places (here mainly fields and vegetable gardens were under water), as a result of which fishing in it turned out to be unsuccessful.

The depth of the reservoir in the fishing area was generally shallow. However, most of the grips were observed in shallow places (1-2 meters). Frequent hooks were a significant obstacle when fishing, but the loss of the lures was minimal, since the shallow depth made it possible to get them using the simplest means.

2. When fishing in a good place, the weather did not have a noticeable effect on the bite. The fish was caught in any weather. Better - on sunny, with cumulus clouds, moderately warm days. Somewhat worse - in heat and bad weather. Wind direction didn't matter much either.

The prevailing winds were the winds of the western quarter, from the side of the reservoir. Fishing was usually done with them. But even with directly opposite, easterly winds, there were good catches. The strength of the wind played an important role.

In strong winds of all directions, the fishing situation was sharply complicated. A large wave rose on the pond, which, even with a good bite, forced to abandon a good place and look for calm. The bizarre shape of the bay, as well as the wooded shores, made it possible to find such a quiet place in any wind.
Most often these were small bays of the Zarechny meadow.

Fishing significantly improved before a thunderstorm. It happened that the fish snapped almost every time it was cast. The biting intensity clearly depended on the time of day. In the morning the fishing was very sluggish. The pike really began to take only from eleven o'clock.

The number of bites increased continuously until seven in the evening, after which a decline began.
Hours of the most prey fishing (with the maximum number of grips) from five to seven in the evening. At the same time, the largest specimens were also found.

3. A large margin of time allowed me to try out all the set of lures I had. The most profitable was a home-made spoon such as "Trofimovskaya", made of tinned iron. The relatively wide course and pale golden color of this spoon probably made it look like a crucian carp, which is quite common here.

I remember the evening of July 30th. I fish in the area of the former oxbow of the Michi River. No bites. I put on "Trofimovskaya" and go into the drift. Grasping immediately begins. For some forty minutes I pull out five pikes (from 500 grams to 1 kilogram) and two good perches. Travelers going on a parallel course on two boats catch with silver and nickel-plated spoons and do not have a single bite.

True, on some days the fish began to "be capricious" and took better on various white spoons. With regard to the rate of laying the bait, they were different, depending on the nature of the bottom and the level of vegetation of the reservoir.

The direction of the casts when the boat drifted was also varied. The advantage, however, was the flank casts; casts to the rear were less often used. Forward casts, along the course of the boat, were practiced even less often, since with a strong drift they always led to hooks.

4. I have already repeatedly pointed out that mainly small pike was caught on the spinning rod and on the track. This, of course, does not mean that there are no large fish here. It should be borne in mind that fishing was carried out in the most "not pike" time (July and the first half of August), during the hottest weather and water bloom. And yet the fish was caught! In spring and autumn, according to local fishermen, large pike is not so rare. I personally saw large pikes twice in the bay of the Michi River.

The first time, it was at the end of July, I was fishing in the area of young otters. After the next cast, I dragged a small pike to the boat. To my surprise, she was accompanied by a large, at least one meter long, pike. Not paying any attention to me, the predator tried to grab "my" pike. But she did it somehow reluctantly, slowly, without excitement, which allowed the pike to avoid her terrible mouth.

Struck by the impudence of the fish, I immediately stopped reeling in and let "my" pike go deep into the depths, naively believing that it would be swallowed by a large pike right there. After waiting a few minutes, I resumed rewinding. The picture was completely repeated. And at that moment a crazy thought comes to my mind: to catch the robber with a landing net. ^ Having shortened the forest to the limit, I continued to pull my prey to the boat with the help of a rod. A large pike followed her as if enchanted. Grabbing the landing net in your right hand, lowering it into the water and bringing it under the fish - it was a matter of one second.

I make a lightning-fast movement with a landing net, and ... a large body of a fish easily slides out of it. The landing net was too small: it only captured the tail. Dissatisfied with such a reception, the pike again reluctantly goes into the depths, but this time forever. I stare after her in confusion. Taking advantage of the bustle, "my" pike safely leaves the tee and leaves after its "savior". As they say, you will chase two hares ...

Another incident happened a few days later - in early August. The weather was hot, sultry, foreshadowing the approach of a thunderstorm. The boat drifted slowly towards a large green vyder. There were no bites. The stuffy, heavy air, uniform rocking of the boat, lack of bite - and I began to feel sleepy.

Overcoming the drowsiness, I, rather out of habit, made casts and mechanically reeled up the forest, literally falling asleep for moments.

Suddenly the forest stopped. "Hook" - I thought and opened my eyes. Carefully (so as not to plant a spoon), I jerked the tip of the rod. And only then I realized my mistake. A huge body of a pike rushed from deep to the surface. Illuminated by the rays of the sun in transparent water, it seemed to me unusually large and ... beautiful.

The pike shook its head and the spoon flew out of its mouth. She never showed up again.

What if I hooked?

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about the protection of the fish resources of the new reservoir.

I have already spoken about the enormous damage inflicted on the fisheries of the sea by an unexpected drop in the water level in winter and early spring of 1958, when massive fish “killings” occurred under the ice in the bays. I am not an expert, but it seems to me that such phenomena can be avoided by coordinated (between the Gorkovskaya and Rybinskaya HPPs) regulation of the water level in the winter.

Finally, about the poachers. The highest "activity" these grabbers show so far on the Volga, below the Gorky hydroelectric power station, where there is a large concentration of various fish. They "catch" from motor boats equipped with the latest poaching technology mechanical "lifters" with a fine mesh net ("spiders", "shakes", "parachutes", etc.).

We had to see on some days below the hydroelectric power station dozens of boats of these predators, even climbing into the forbidden zone of the station itself. They literally scoop up fry of perch, pike perch, ide and other fish. Their "catches" are calculated in sacks and are used for fattening livestock. It is said that some of the most "enterprising" poachers from Gorodets and the surrounding villages have already made whole houses on fish.

And all this is being done, despite the strictest ban on fishing 1500 meters below the dam of the hydroelectric power station with any fishing gear (including sports) throughout the year. Fishermen-athletes carry out this order, but poachers - they act according to the principle "And Vaska listens and eats!" The question is, where is the State Fisheries Inspection?

This is not to say that she does not conduct any fight against predators, her boat is often seen in the area of the hydroelectric power station. But the poachers also have boats with motors. Try, catch up! In our opinion, the only way out is to attract a wide mass of amateur fishermen to the protection of fish stocks, to establish permanent posts in the area of the hydroelectric power station to combat predatory fish extermination.

Most often fishing on the Gorky reservoir It is carried out on such species as bream, roach, silver bream, pike, ide, perch, asp, pike perch, less often sabrefish, white-eyed.

On the coast of the Gorky reservoir there are several recreation centers and fishing bases where you can stop for a fishing period.

Fishing base "2 captains"

Recreation center "Good Life"