Amur River, mid winter

In January the icefishing in the Amur River is not as good as from the "first ice" - in November.  Most of thefish are becoming sleepy and do not bite.  Thick ice makes it hard to search for the fish. 

Not far, at the right bank of Amur the busy city of Khabarovsk is waking up.  Near the low left bank the fishermen are preparing the holes for the whitefish fishing. 

Gas-powered ice-auger is rare tool on the ice of Amur.  Most of the local fishermen still prefer to use ancient ice-pikes.

When the ice is 1 m thick, it is hard work to break through it and make a hole. 

In mid December the schools of marine lamprey are coming to Khabarovsk from the Sea of Okhotsk (the distance is 900 km).  Lampreys will be spawning in May in the tributaries of the Amur River. 

The most active fish in January is burbot; it is both spawning and feeding eagerly.  

Burbot is the only freshwater cod

Amur pike is still biting, but not as active as in November & December. 

Amur pike is very pretty fish

Elgygytgyn Lake, Chukotka - Ice-fishing in mid June

Mysterious Elgygytgyn Lake has meteorite origin and the age about 3.5 million years. The lake is situated in Chukotka at 68*N, at the altitude of 500 m.  The lake very cold (1 - 3*C only) and deep (180 m). The water is extremely clear, with transparency up to 40 meters in spring, and 25 m in the fall. In the lake dwell 3 species of unique charrs, two of which are endemic species (see picture). These two charrs have got into the hands of scientists not long ago (1979 & 1985). They were described as species new for science, and one of them - as a new genera of salmonids (Salvethymus).

In beginning of July the lake is still covered with the ice, which is already partly melted.  On some years this ice is not melting till the next winter. 

Except the Elgygytgyn Lake, Boganid charr Salvelinus boganidae was found in some other lakes of Chukotka, and at the Taimyr peninsula (Central Siberia). In the lakes of Chukotka this fish can be over 10 kg. In the Elgygytgyn Lake Boganid charr is feeding mostly at the big depth. To digest the food, this fish is coming close to the lake shore or to the inlets of small creeks, where the water is several degrees warmer.

In June the lake is covered with the ice, but near the lake shores there is some open water.  I was catching Boganid charr both by spinning lures ...

... and through the ice with a "diving" lure. The ice in mid June is still strong enough to walk on it.  The biggest charr was 9.1 kg.   

Charrs of the Elgygytgyn Lake:

longfin charr Salvethymus svetovidovi - new genus

smallmouth charr Salvelinus elgyticus - new species

Boganid charr Salvelinus boganidae

Longfin charr (30 cm, 30+ years old male in spawning colors).  This species dwells most of the year on the depth of over 70 meters, and comes to the lake shores only sometimes.  It is very difficult to catch it with hook & line. 

Longfin charr is swimming in the hole in the ice. 

The lake outlet, the Enmyvaam River, is still murky from the snowmelt.  The river (rated 3) has some falls, and is flowing through canyons to the Anadyr River.

Amur River near Khabarovsk - ice-fishing for whitefish Coregonus ussuriensis

Amur whitefish Coregonus ussuriensis is one of two whitefish species which dwell in the huge Amur River drainage.  The fish can reach big size (up to 5 kg).  The ecology of the species is unique:  from September till April it can be found in the main channels of the Amur River.  In summer the water in Amur is too warm for whitefishes, up to +25*C.  For the summer this species is migrating upstream into the cool water of the lower parts of mountainous tributaries of the Amur R.  Most of its diet consists of small fish. 

 

Smooth ice is formed over shallow sandbars with slack current; broken ice shows the areas with the depth over 3 meters and strong current.  The fishermen are catching whitefish at the depths 3 to 5 meters. 

Typical tackle for Amur whitefish has a small brass lure with 2 hooks.  Above it we tie a dropper hook on a long tippet; this hook is baited with a long and narrow piece of raw fish. 

The lure is lifted from the bottom and dropped back every 2-4 seconds.  Most of the fish are caught not with the lure itself, but with a baited hook. 

When the biting is good, during the day it is possible to build a long fence

Arthur is glad to catch a nice Amur whitefish

 This species has terminal mouth, suitable to catch small fish

In 5 long months I will be able to catch similar fish with a flyrod..