Common taimen or taimen (lat. Hucho taimen)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Altai, according to Potanin, and also, probably, in almost all of Siberia, in addition to track fishing, which is especially successful at river mouths (on the so-called suloe), late autumn, shooting on the rifts, fighting with a spear (the Kyrgyz on Kaidzhar beat the talmens in flight when they try to jump over a waterfall), catching on lines.

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

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

One of the representatives salmon fish- taimen, a resident of mountain rivers with transparent and clean water. In terms of size, it can only be compared with its salmon relative, the Chinook salmon, an inhabitant of the Kamchatka coast; with a length of up to one and a half meters, its weight is up to 60 kilograms. Whereas taimen can reach a length of up to two meters and weigh up to 80 kg.

He has an elongated and beautiful body streamlined shape with small scales. The head is slightly reminiscent of a pike, for which in the Urals it is called the red pike. The mouth is large, it would be more correct to call it a mouth, the size of half a head. The jaws are powerful, densely furnished with large teeth with curved sharp tips.

Fish Taimen - appearance and habits of a predator

Taimen is an inhabitant of fast mountain rivers and moves very quickly in aquatic environment due to the special structure of its body: the fins are large and shifted towards the tail, and the the tail is powerful and strong. Externally, in color and body shape, it is very similar to sea ​​trout- trout. It also has another name indicating its origin: salmon-taimen.

The color of all fish depends on their habitat and the colors of bottom vegetation and landscape. Often taimen - silver colored fish, but individuals with red and brown tones are often found, but in any case, small black spots are observed on its sides and back, and the lower part of the body is usually light.

The tail and the fins closest to it are red, the dorsal fin is dark, and the pectoral and pelvic fins are grayish. During spawning periods, salmon-taimen turns red copper

All external signs indicate that salmon taimen is an obvious predator, who has no equal opponents in the aquatic environment, his reputation as the owner of the river has been established. It feeds on all living creatures that live in water or find themselves in it by chance.

These can be aquatic inhabitants - fish, water rats and frogs, waterfowl - waders, ducks and geese, small rodents crossing the river - mice, chipmunks and squirrels. It can even attack a dog caught in water.

As mentioned above, taimen can grow up to one and a half to two meters and gain weight up to sixty to eighty kilograms. Of course, fish of this size are extremely rare.

Although this predator grows without ceasing, its life is rarely long. The largest salmon-taimen in length 2.1 meters weighing 105 kg was caught on the Yenisei River. And for a fish to weigh 45 kg, it will take at least 55 years of life. Most often, fish up to seven years old and weighing up to four kilograms are caught.

Gallery: taimen fish (25 photos)

What does a predator eat?

Taimen needs food all year round, excluding the spawning period, after which an increased desire to consume food begins. This happens in June and lasts a short time.

In summer, the water warms up and the predator loses its activity, becomes passive - its element is cold water mountain rivers. Therefore, to escape the warm water, he goes to the confluence of cold streams.

In the fall, he begins to increase his mass, hunting very aggressively for any living creature. This happens in September, preparations are underway for wintering, when there will be no abundance, and fat reserves will provide support for the body during a difficult period.

This predator is a resident of lakes and rivers; juveniles gather in schools, but large fish lead a solitary lifestyle, sometimes teaming up together. Juveniles feed on those living creatures whose size makes them accessible for ingestion:

• worms, caddisfly larvae, beetles;
• small fish - chebak, gudgeon, sculpin, etc.

The diet of an adult predator is discussed above; it should be noted that taimen in some cases is likened to a crocodile, and attacks small animals, which are on land near water, unexpectedly emerging near the shore.

Where do taimen salmon live?

Taimen never enters the sea. Its habitat is determined by the fish’s preference for cold and fast water. fresh waters lakes and rivers:

Once upon a time this predator was in great river Volga (swimmed from the Kama), but that was a long time ago, before human intervention in natural water resources through the construction of dams and reservoirs.

To him I like cold water, but in the Arctic it is not observed, and there is an explanation for this - it simply does not have enough time to create sufficient fat reserves for a long winter period, since water bodies are free of ice for a very short time.

Rivers are most densely populated by this predator middle length- about 500 kilometers, but the likelihood of meeting unique specimens is highest in inaccessible areas water areas of Yakutia.

Spawning

When the fish reaches a length of a little more than half a meter, it reaches sexual maturity - taimen caviar ripens. The fish go to spawning grounds, in the upper reaches of rivers, at the end of winter.

The spawning site is selected on sand and pebble beds rivers in places where there are no silt deposits.

Having chosen a specific place on the river bottom, the female moves her tail makes a nest for himself in the form of a depression in the pebbles up to half a meter in depth, where it lays its eggs. One female can lay from ten to thirty thousand eggs with a diameter of up to five millimeters.

After that the male fertilizes a clutch of eggs, the fry will emerge from the eggs in about a month - the timing of their appearance is influenced by the water temperature. During the spawning period, the color of taimen takes on an iridescent shade of red copper.

Spawning grounds are hundreds of kilometers away from the permanent habitats of fish, and along this path one has to overcome many barriers and obstacles. Having spawned, taimen rafting to deep sections of the river.

In deep holes and pools, they spend the summer hunting for food sources, regaining strength and gaining fat reserves. In the fall, the fish moves to a place where it will wait out the winter period.

Features of catching taimen

There was never a commercial fishery; fishing was carried out only in an amateur way. But time passes, people's morals change, fishing gear keeps pace with technological progress.

The result is the disappearance of taimen from the European region and a decrease in the number of individuals in the eastern regions. In some areas it is already included in the Red Book endangered species.

It is becoming increasingly rare to obtain information about the capture of particularly large specimens of this fish. Some responsible fishermen, having captured this unique specimen of taimen in the photo, they release him back into the water element. And this is right if we strive to preserve this beautiful and strong fish for posterity.

In some regions, fishing for taimen is only allowed under specially issued permits, and those wishing to obtain such permission do not decrease every year, because catching taimen is an incomparable pleasure to experience the feeling of satisfaction from victory in a fight with an equal opponent. And the journey itself to its habitats is already an event, since inhabited places are not found in such taiga tracts.

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

Appearance and varieties

Within the genus, the following types of taimen are distinguished:

• Sichuan;
• Ordinary;
• Danube salmon;
• Korean.

All species are similar in appearance. They are divided mainly by their habitats. At a young age, dark stripes can be distinguished on their sides, located across the body, in the amount of 8 to 10. Maximum length The body of adult individuals can reach two meters with a body weight in the range of 60-80 kilograms.

Taimen has a square and slender body, which you can see in the photo below. The fish's mouth occupies exactly half of the head, and many teeth can be distinguished on the jaws: they are very clearly visible in the photo. The fish is able to move very quickly due to its displaced dorsal, pelvic and anal fins: they are located near the tail, and their blades are very large. The color of the body depends on the place where the taimen lives. It can camouflage itself, taking on brownish-red body shades, as well as gray, greenish ones, while the belly is always light, almost white, and black spots can always be distinguished on the sides and back.

Distribution and habitats

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

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

Diet

Taimen feeds all year round, even in winter, but the spawning period is not included in the count. The peak of zhora occurs during the post-spawning period, which usually occurs in June, and it does not last long. When the low-water level is established, juveniles, older ones, and adults leave small tributaries, sliding into larger rivers. In the remaining summer months, the taimen leads a relatively passive lifestyle, and it stays in places where cold-water tributaries flow, where springs flow from the bottom, since in other places of the river the water becomes too warm. In the fall, he again begins active fattening so that in winter, when there is little food, he can feed on accumulated fat reserves.

Juvenile taimen feed on invertebrates, such as caddisfly larvae. Other types of fish are eaten: burbot, grayling, and sculpin. Large taimen do not disdain frogs, mice, and even their own young. True trophies can swallow not only duck chicks, but also adult birds, including geese. Squirrels often have to swim across rivers; taimen happily eat them too.

Reproduction

Taimen reaches sexual maturity by the time its body length is 55-65 centimeters. As soon as spring comes after winter time, the fish rushes to the upper reaches of the river in which it lives. The female digs a hole half a meter deep, where she subsequently lays eggs. Taimen eggs can be at least 5 millimeters in diameter. Taimen has a fertility of 10-15 thousand eggs.

The incubation period lasts one month or a little more. The duration of the incubation period directly depends on the water temperature. At the end of spawning, the fish leave the shallow waters and go down to their feeding grounds. They gain weight on reaches, in pits and pools, where they remain until autumn; only in winter will the fish leave them. Although life cycle can last 30 years, most individuals survive only to 15-18 years.

Fishing for taimen

Speaking of fishing: taimen is a fish that anglers love to catch with a mouse. In this case, taimen is caught, of course, not with a real mouse, but with an artificial one, the photo of which is presented below. You can make a mouse with your own hands; there are practical video tutorials on how to make this bait from cork, wood, foam or sponge rubber. Bait blanks in the shape of a mouse should have a streamlined shape. The length of the mouse bait should be 5-7 centimeters with a diameter of 2 to 3 centimeters. To prevent this type of bait from spinning in the water when fishing, and to be able to cast it as far as possible, the mouse is weighted with a lead plate, and for plausibility, the body is covered with cloth or squirrel skin.

Taimen can be caught very well with mouse in the first half of autumn, when individuals move closer to the places where they will hide in winter, downstream. Fishing for taimen is especially effective at night, but when taimen are hungry, bites can also occur during the day. When fishing at night, it is not necessary to weigh the bait, and fishing is accompanied by a fairly slow retrieve, which is not typical for conventional spinners. The taimen watches the mouse, and it begins to attract his attention if the bait does not sink, but leaves a kind of mustache in the form of a diverging path when fishing.

Taimen, as befits a predator, when fishing with a mouse, begins to swallow the bait from the head. If the taimen is large, then when fishing, you will first see how it stuns your mouse with a blow of its tail, and then turns sharply and swallows it: this is a reason to stop reeling in the fishing line. But the hook should be done only when you feel the specific push that the taimen provides. When catching this wonderful fish you will have an exhausting, but very exciting fight: then you will remember this fishing for a very long time. Catching taimen is not always within the power of one angler: trophy specimens are very powerful opponents.

For fishing to be successful, you need to choose the right gear: the rod must be strong, rigid, and its optimal length is 270 centimeters. For more information on how to catch taimen, you can watch the fishing video below...

The salmon family has many remarkable representatives, one of which is the taimen fish. In Russia, the giant is found in large reservoirs of Siberia, Altai, and the Far East. Taimen is not only a valuable catch for fishermen, but also a predator with in an interesting way life and habits. Massive catches of this beautiful fish have led to the extinction of the species, and there is a good chance that in ten years the taimen will completely disappear, remaining only in the memory of fishermen. What is so special about the behavior of fish, where do giant fish live and how can you catch them?

The peculiarity of taimen is its size, because the predator grows throughout its life, reaching one and a half meters in length. The weight is also impressive - often a handsome fish caught in a large reservoir, where there were all conditions for living, has a body weight of more than 60 kg. Fishermen claim that this is far from the limit, but, alas, there is no evidence.

Taimen has a long powerful body, the head is slightly flattened on the sides, description appearance a giant can be finished with a big mouth. The main threat to other inhabitants of the reservoir is large, numerous teeth. Thanks to them, the predator acquired another name - red pike.

The color of the handsome man is silver, with small dark patches. The anal and caudal fins are bright red, on the belly, back, and chest - gray. the fish changes color, acquiring a reddish color with a copper tint.

A relative of the common taimen is the Sakhalin taimen. The fish are similar, but there is a difference - the Sakhalin giant lives only in the vast expanses of the Sea of ​​Japan, robbing the Hokkaido River or the reservoirs of Sakhalin for spawning. They are also distinguished by their shade - fish from Sakhalin reservoirs have a darker color.

Giant's habitat and main diet

Where is the giant beauty found? Most often you can find taimen in the Yenisei or Amur basin; Lake Baikal is another haven of the giant. The south of Siberia cannot boast of large specimens, since the areas are densely developed by people, which has led to the small number of the family. The predator prefers cold and powerful northern rivers, where you can find lenok, which has similar habits. Near Arctic Ocean It will not be possible to find representatives of taimen - cold waters prevent the accumulation of fat, which taimen need so much for wintering.

What is important for taimen in a river reservoir? The predator prefers rivers that contain:

Taimen have no competitors in any body of water - the predator feels like the absolute master of the ichthyofauna. He feasts on more than one fish; a mouse or squirrel overcoming a water obstacle can also become prey. In search of food, it will not be afraid to attack a dog; the four-legged animal has almost no chance of surviving.

Interesting! Taimen attacks everything that moves within its reach, without even trying to distinguish nutritional value. A stick floating by, geese and ducks naively considering themselves safe, even stones - there is a place for everything in the stomach of a predator.

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

Offensive summer heat in Siberia coincides with cold air flows moving from the upper reaches. Taimen is sensitive to temperature changes and immediately goes up the river to look for colder places. Often his instinct turns out to be wrong - the sources of such flows are melting ice or awakening springs. It is not always possible to get into the icy waters of the tributary; the giant hunts all summer at the mouth, waiting for the autumn cold.

Important! The desire of taimen to get into icy waters can end sadly for the fish, because experienced fishermen are well aware of this feature. By checking the water temperature in the side tributary and main estuary, you can determine the likelihood of fish presence. If the temperature changes sharply, the fishing will end successfully, fluctuations are not felt - it is better to try your luck in another place.

In autumn, taimen go to winter. The ideal option for a giant is deep-sea rivers. If the tributary is full of ridges or holes, then it is likely that it will remain there throughout the winter.

In spring, taimen go upstream to spawn. The spawning ground is chosen to be comfortable - the bottom should be free of silt, with big amount pebbles. The female independently prepares the nesting site by digging a deep hole in the pebbles. There are usually fewer males, so before mating games, fierce fights can take place, the winners of which rightfully receive a reward - a female.

After laying eggs, predators return to their permanent habitats. Often you have to travel hundreds of kilometers to spawn, but in the summer the fish certainly return.

Fishing for taimen - what you should know when going fishing

Before you go after the coveted prey, you should know that taimen is one of the representatives of the Red Book, and it can be caught only after agreement with the local authority or in places specially designated for sport fishing methods. Another rule is to release large specimens, leaving small or wounded ones. Thanks to this, it is possible to preserve the population, because large fish will produce much more offspring than small ones.

Interesting! In Mongolia, despite a large number of taimen in rivers, giants are not caught or even eaten. An ancient belief says that eating an aquatic predator brings bad luck to the house.

Preparing gear

When choosing gear for taimen, you should choose a two-handed spinning rod with a length of at least 3.5 m. The rod will withstand a large predator, but even without hoping for a trophy specimen, it is better not to take smaller gear - even small representatives of this family strongly resist.

Photo 2. Reliable spinning rod with a multiplier.

It is better to take a thick fishing line, at least 0.7 mm, otherwise just one bite is enough for the desired prey to calmly escape and go in search of more suitable food. A similar tackle is also suitable for fishing lenka, but in this case the fishing line can be taken a little thinner.

When assembling fishing tackle for taimen or lenka, you should carefully choose a reel - it’s good if it is no less powerful and reliable than the rod. Another important point– the line on the reel must be at least one hundred meters. Even if you don’t manage to catch taimen or lenok, there is a possibility of starving them out.

Thanks to the gluttony and greed of the predator, there are no problems with bait. You can use these:

1. "Pig."
2. "Kem."
3. "Kola".
4. "Baikal".

Important! The gear for catching taimen for an experienced fisherman going on a night hunt for a giant will certainly include a popper. Most often this is an artificial mouse, which a predator will certainly be attracted to.

Timing

It is better to go fishing immediately after spawning; the predator actively feeds until it appears. If the gear allows you to fish even in winter, you can continue fishing until spring. An active bite of taimen or lenok can be observed before severe frosts - the inhabitants of the reservoir strive to stock up on fat.

Photo 3. A mouse is the best bait for taimen.

Despite its gluttony, sometimes taimen refuses to grab the bait. The main reasons for this behavior are harsh. The fish tries to shift its activity to the night or morning hours - that’s when you should go hunting for the giant.

The beautiful taimen is the coveted catch of every fisherman, but we should not forget that the more we take from nature, the less remains. Sometimes it is better to send a valuable trophy back, thereby increasing the opportunity for descendants to admire the river giant, the number of which decreases every year.

What kind of fish is common taimen? Where does she live? What kind of lifestyle does he lead and what does he eat? Answers to these and other questions can be found in our publication.

What kind of fish does common taimen belong to?

Taimen is the largest fish in the world. Individual individuals can reach sizes of about 2 meters in length. Moreover, their weight can be up to 80 kilograms. Common taimen refers to residential fish. In other words, representatives of the species constantly live in the same body of water, be it a river or a lake. Reproduction of taimen also occurs in inhabited, well-known territories, in contrast to the same salmon, which resorts to seasonal migrations to reproduce offspring.

Appearance

The common taimen belongs to a species within which there are no significant external differences between individual individuals. Regardless of their habitat, way of life and diet, all taimen have:

• An elongated, elongated body, characteristic of predatory fish.
• The head is somewhat flattened on the sides and on top, vaguely similar to a pike.
• Wide mouth, capable of opening up to the gill openings.
• Several rows of extremely sharp, inward-curved teeth.
• Small scales of a silvery hue.
• Round dark spots all over the body, about the size of a pea.
• The dorsal and pectoral fins are grayish in color, as well as the anal and caudal fins are pronounced red.

Fish of the taimen genus are often called red pike in Siberia. The fact is that with the onset of the mating season, adult individuals change their grayish color to copper-red. After fertilization of the eggs, the taimen returns to its usual appearance.

Habitats

The largest numbers of common taimen are observed in the reservoirs of the Far East and Siberia. In the territory European countries a small number of such fish are found in the basin of the Kama and Pechora rivers. However, in last years Information about catching taimen in local reservoirs is becoming less and less common.

Representatives of the species prefer clean, cold waters of northern rivers with fast current. However, the common taimen does not enter regions near the Arctic Circle. The reason is the extremely short summer period, which does not allow such predators to store sufficient fat layer for wintering.

The most remote, inaccessible regions where common residential taimen are found are Evenkia and Yakutia. Here, representatives of the species live not only in rivers, but even in the smallest lakes.

Lifestyle

Unlike migratory fish, common taimen inhabits deep holes near the coastline. During the daytime, such a predator rests under tree branches hanging over the water. Sometimes there is a whole school of fish in one “dwelling”. As night falls, they go out onto the shallows, where there is a rapid current. Early in the morning, the common taimen begins to splash and play on the river riffles, hunting for small fish.

The predator winters in deep water. Often the taimen stands under the ice, only occasionally emerging to places where clearings have formed in order to saturate the body with oxygen. Some naturalists claim that representatives of the species are capable of emitting loud rumbling sounds from under the water, which can be heard at a distance of several meters.

Nutrition

Active feeding of common taimen occurs throughout the year, with the exception of the spawning period, which occurs in mid-summer. Having fertilized the eggs, the adults gain fat again.

When the water in its habitat warms up noticeably, taimen exhibit reduced activity in searching for prey. The predator becomes somewhat lethargic and passive. At this time, he occasionally hunts for small fish in cold tributaries of rivers or near springs. By autumn, taimen fattening increases. Thus, the predator gains weight in preparation for the winter.

The basis of the diet is fry and some invertebrates, in particular, the Common taimen likes to hunt small burbot, grayling, and sculpin. Sometimes the predator's prey includes frogs, rodents that swim across a body of water, and even the offspring of waterfowl.

Lifespan

How long does the common taimen (hucho taimen) live? Given an abundance of food and optimal living conditions, such predators can survive for more than two decades. There are known cases of catching taimen, whose age was supposedly 30 years. However, such long-livers are extremely rare.

Reproduction

Young taimen become sexually mature when they reach the age of 5-7 years. The active phase of spawning occurs in the spring and summer. The predator spawns in sections of rivers where there is a small pebble substrate and the water depth reaches no more than half a meter.

Female taimen are relatively infertile. Several factors come into play here. Depending on body weight and age, females are capable of laying from 6 to 40 thousand eggs.

As spawning grounds, taimen choose the upper reaches of rivers, as well as rapid tributaries. The approach of sexually mature individuals to such areas is often observed after the ice melts, when the waters warm up to 7-8 o C. At the same time, many more females come to the spawning areas than males. The eggs are laid in the pebble-rocky bottom, after which they are fertilized with milk.

Extermination of taimen

Taimen has no enemies in natural environment. However, its population is steadily declining due to poaching. This species is vulnerable and is listed in the Red Book. In most cases, catching such a predator is strictly prohibited. However, fishing for taimen is still possible according to official license. In this case, the sporting principle is used, according to which, after being caught, the fisherman can take a photo with his catch and then release it. Only non-viable individuals are allowed to be taken for food consumption. These are taimen whose mouthparts and body were seriously injured during capture.

Reasons for the decline in species numbers

The common semi-anadromous taimen is gradually disappearing from the habitat regions characteristic of the species. The phenomenon is caused by the following list of problems:

1. Change chemical composition water due to climate warming. For atypical surges average annual temperature surrounding space, even by a few degrees, a decrease in the population of such predators is sure to be observed.
2. Fires not only lead to warming of the water, but also change the pH value when ash and burnt wood enter it. The water gradually becomes alkaline. This phenomenon negatively affects the population of not only taimen, but also other fish that belong to the salmon category.
3. Anthropogenic human activity - the creation of reservoirs, hydroelectric power stations, the use of fertilizers in agriculture - leads to the destruction of organic matter in river waters. Not only microscopic organisms suffer, but also plants that saturate the water with oxygen. All this leads to the fact that it becomes difficult for taimen to adapt to the newly formed living conditions.
4. Mining - such fishing causes clouding of water, changes in its chemical and physical parameters. This kind of activity also often leads to the destruction of depressions in the river substrate where taimen live. Typically, in sections of rivers that are used for mining, there is complete disappearance salmon.
5. Water pollution from waste industrial enterprises- the entry of polluted wastewater into rivers leads to the destruction of certain biocenoses. This often causes the disappearance of prey typical of taimen. The habitats of this predator are gradually populated by pike, which is not picky in its choice of food and can actively reproduce in a wide variety of environments.

Culinary value

Taimen is considered a real delicacy. The fillet of such fish is moderately juicy and tender due to the presence of fatty layers between the muscle tissues. The optimal solution is salting taimen, during which the meat acquires a special, specific taste, which harmonizes perfectly with other products in cold appetizers and salads. Refusal of heat treatment when preparing such fish allows you to preserve many valuable microelements. In addition to pickles, taimen is often fried on a grill, and is also used to prepare fish soup.

Amateur fishing

As noted above, common taimen are caught only under a license. Fishing for such a predator is possible using a spoon. The optimal bite is observed in the early morning, when representatives of the species show increased activity when searching for prey.

During the feeding season, the predator is not too picky in its choice of food. Almost any spinner is capable of catching taimen during such periods. The rest of the time, such fish are quite picky. They react mainly to rotating lures of colorful shades.

Experienced fishermen believe that taimen bite especially well on bait big size. However, as practice shows, the passion for using only large spoons in most cases does not allow one to count on fishing success.

Taimen has strong, extremely strong jaws. Therefore, when preparing gear, special attention is paid to creating strong tees and choosing thick fishing line. Otherwise, the predator may tear off and drag away the bait.

When fishing for taimen, numerous spinning anglers use devices that imitate a mouse as a spinner. Predatory fish They often hunt small rodents that swim across bodies of water. Therefore, the choice of such bait seems justified. Having noticed the bait in the form of a mouse, the taimen tries to drown it out with its tail, after which it swallows it with a swift jerk.

Finally

So we found out what the common taimen is, told about its habitats, nutrition, reproduction, and way of life. Finally, it is worth noting that such fish, like other representatives of the salmon family, look extremely attractive in terms of fishing. However, in most regions it is strictly prohibited. The attitude of the inhabitants of the Far East towards such a trade is instructive. The local population deliberately refuses to catch and eat taimen. According to beliefs, such activities bring bad luck.