Where is the garfish found? Independent socio-political portal

The Black Sea garfish has many relatives. Shelled pike, needle fish - in the absence of experience, you can easily confuse these fish, although they have little in common and they belong to completely different families. Knowing what a sea beauty looks like, the peculiarities of its behavior depending on the time of year, and the most common methods of hunting for a monster, you can easily return home with a rich catch. Of course, this long-awaited event can only happen if you are lucky enough to go sea fishing - natural environment habitat of a sea monster.

The arrowfish (one of the names of the garfish) has a long body, some specimens of this family grow up to 80 cm. The body is narrow, the anal and dorsal fin are located near the tail. The jaws are elongated, very narrow and sharp at the ends. The gar is the owner of numerous sharp teeth, which, despite their almost tiny size, tenaciously hold their prey.

The scales will please fishermen who do not like to clean their catch, because they are small and can be easily removed even with a regular knife. The unique feature of the arrow is the shade of the bones. They are greenish in color, which is rare in fish.

There are several types of garfish, the most common being the Black Sea and Pacific. The difference between the Pacific and representatives of this family is a long stripe running from the head to the very tail. The stripe has a bluish-blue tint, which stands out brightly against the green body.

Natural habitat of the garfish

You can meet garfish in many seas, especially if the water there is constantly moderately warm. In Russia this is the Taganrog Bay and the Black Sea coast, a little less often – the Azov and White Seas.

You can often find an arrow near North Africa or southern Europe. Fishermen who are lucky enough to go to the Cape Verde for trophies, with a little luck, will definitely come across a giant from this family, since it is from Norway to Ireland that the largest specimens are found. According to some reports, a trophy garfish (a little more than a meter) was caught in these very places.

Arrowfish diet

The main food of garfish is anchovy. The appearance of the arrow in the Black or Azov Sea is associated with the migration of this particular small fish - the garfish pursues its favorite food. In addition to anchovy, the predator will not disdain other representatives of small fish; hunger forces it to go in search of invertebrates.

Among the fish that attract garfish:

• pipefish;
• smeltweed;
• young mackerel;
• gerbil;
• sprat.

Photo 1. Anchovies or anchovy - favorite treat garfish

Pursuing a tasty target, the garfish develops enormous speed, increasing it slightly with each jerk. Carried away by the hunt, the arrow can make incredible leaps above the surface of the water, which leaves no chance for the prey to escape.

How do the seasons affect garfish?

If the gar fish lives in comfortable conditions - in coastal areas, it rarely moves, preferring to stay in one place. The only thing that can make an arrow migrate over long distances is the search for food.

The predators living in the Black Sea prefer to spend the winter in place, but after the anchovy moves to the Sea of ​​Azov (this happens in the spring), the garfish goes after their favorite food. With the onset of cold weather, Black Sea representatives of the family try to stay closer to the shores of Crimea, which allows fishermen all year round go out to hunt for a tasty and unusual beauty.

Photo 2. The fish came close to the shore.

Lures and tackle - what to choose for hunting garfish

Even novice fishermen know very well that it is not worth going fishing in the hope of catching a garfish with a donka - it will be of no use even during the hours of rest for predators, which takes place at depth. What to choose for successful arrow fishing? It is imperative to remember that the tackle must be strong and powerful, otherwise large specimens of garfish will easily tear the fishing line and even break a thin fishing rod. Sea waves and strong wind– they can also easily damage fishing accessories if chosen incorrectly.

Photo 3. Fishing at sea.

The cross-section of the leash should not be less than 0.3 mm. The length of the leash also matters - the longer it is, the shorter the casting distance becomes. To catch a garfish, it is better to take one that is almost invisible in the water and has a rigid structure.

How to equip your gear when setting off? The first thing that should be there is a triple swivel (). It’s better not to take a large one; a medium one is enough for an arrow-fish. At the same time, the quality of fishing is significantly improved, since no extra time is spent on additional installation.

Fishermen who are interested in spinning fishing can try their luck by using. Traditional fishing will not be fruitful - the structure of the garfish's mouth will make most bites in vain. Another feature - feeling in the mouth cold metal, the predator immediately throws a dangerous, suspicious object. Resourceful fishermen act quite cleverly - they connect a tee and a spoon on a short leash. Having swallowed the lure, the arrow-fish simultaneously deeply swallows the hook.

Simple but powerful ones are most popular when fishing for garfish. Raw meat, sea worm or freshly caught anchovy will be used as bait. It takes a good arrow (usually raw, but you can also take boiled one).

Interesting! Experienced fishermen have a strange way of fishing. You don't need hooks for this - instead, lush thread tassels are tied to the fishing line. It is enough for a curious voracious predator to be tempted and swallow an attractive bait - it is no longer possible to throw it away, the threads become tightly entangled between its numerous teeth. Sometimes a fisherman, happy with a good catch, has difficulty removing the thread tassel, preferring to cut it off with a knife.

Sargan is an interesting fish, but it is not popular among many fishing enthusiasts. This happens due to the unusual shade of the bones, which is completely safe for the human body. Only true connoisseurs know how tasty this predator is; they are ready to spend whole days doing their favorite hobby, and this hobby will certainly be rewarded with an excellent catch!

Needle fish, arrow fish, spindle fish, silver needle, sea pike - all these trivial names belong to one of the most interesting representatives class of ray-finned fish. In the scientific world it is known as garfish.

Unusual appearance and tall the nutritional value meat have made sea schooling fish the object of active fishing. Garfish dishes are different unusual appearance and excellent taste.

Appearance, feeding habits, behavior and reproduction

The name “arrow” was not given to the garfish by chance. Predatory fish In pursuit of prey, it is capable of making lightning-fast leaps, jumping out of the water and developing high speed. This is facilitated by the ideal aerodynamic structure of the fish: the body is long, slightly laterally compressed, covered with very small cycloid scales. In a calm state, the garfish moves, wriggling, like a snake (hence another nickname - spindle).

Interesting fact! A garfish jumps out of the water to overcome an obstacle. These could be objects floating on the surface of the water, including fishing boats. There are cases where fish have injured people.

When fishing, the garfish makes high jumps and can wrap itself in fishing line several times.

Thin elongated jaws, similar to the beak of a prehistoric pterodactyl, with many small sharp teeth help to capture and hold the victim. The upper jaw of the pipefish is shorter than the lower.

The younger the individual, the longer its lower jaw. It can be 3/4 of the length of the entire head.

The green and blue back and silvery sides of the garfish are in harmony with the overall color of sea water

In addition to the back, the garfish has green color bones are painted. The non-standard shade is due to the presence in their composition of a coloring bile pigment - biliverdin, which is also present in the human body. The photo shows what the fish's spine looks like.

The coloring pigment is not dangerous to human health

Typical marine pelagic fish, garfish daylight hours It stays in deeper layers and rises to the surface of the reservoir on moonless nights.

The basis of the garfish diet is small fish: anchovy, sprat, herring, juvenile mackerel and herring. In search of food, the predator migrates over considerable distances. For example, following anchovy it can move from the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Azov and Sivash.

Sexual maturity of needle fish occurs at 3–6 years of age. Females spawn eggs in small portions, so spawning lasts several months (usually from early May to mid-August, in the Black Sea - from late April to mid-October). There is no ban on fishing during this period.

Garfish and needle fish - same class, different families

There is a common misconception that garfish and needlefish are synonymous names for the same fish. Actually this is not true. The needlefish is a representative of marine fish of the needlefish family (order Stickleback). Her close relative- sea Horse.

The genus includes more than 50 species:

• common pipefish;
• Italian needlefish (other names: Black Sea needlefish, small needlefish);
• spiny pipefish;
• northern pipefish;
• smallnose needlefish;
• long-nosed pipefish;
• thin-snout needle fish and others.

Shy little fish ( maximum length 30 cm), unlike the predatory garfish, it is quite peaceful. She doesn’t even have teeth: the basis of the needle’s diet is plankton, small crustaceans, and insect larvae. Most of the day the fish either moves slowly near the bottom or stands almost vertically in the thickets marine plants, leaning on the tail.

The color of needles depends on the body of water they inhabit: usually yellow, green, reddish tones

The pipefish has an elongated tube-shaped mouth (snout) with a characteristic widening at the end.

Interesting fact! Fish, like a chameleon, can change color to suit their environment.

Needlefish live in the Black, Azov, Caspian, and Baltic seas, and enter the rivers and lakes associated with them. The sea long-snout needlefish is the object of hunting for tourists. It is caught by hand in coastal areas, dried and taken away as a souvenir.

Some species are freshwater. River needlefish is found in the Volga, the lower reaches of the Don, and some reservoirs (Kuibyshevsky, Volgogradsky, Rybinsky, Tsimlyansk).

Unlike garfish, needlefish has no commercial value. Because of its friendly disposition, attractive appearance and unpretentiousness, people like to keep it in an aquarium. Usually as pet they get chubby-cheeked needle fish.

The fish got its name from its strongly protruding gill covers.

The freshwater fish looks beautiful: the body is green or brownish with contrasting transverse stripes, the abdomen is light with a black keel. Height does not exceed 20 cm, weight 5 g.

There is only one thing in common between the garfish and the needle fish: both belong to the class of ray-finned fish.

Types and habitats of garfish

The garfish family includes 25 species. Fish are classified mainly according to the area where they are found.

From a commercial point of view, the most interesting are:

• European garfish(other names: Atlantic, ordinary). The most common species has chosen the moderately warm waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Marmara, Black, Azov seas(its western, saltier water area). Sometimes common garfish are caught in Belyi and Barents Seas. The height of adult individuals rarely exceeds 90 cm. Black Sea fish is classified as a separate subspecies. It differs from the European one in its more modest size (up to 60 cm);
• crocodile garfish(other names: crocodile tylosur, giant garfish), the largest representative of the family, growing up to 1.5 meters. The weight of trophy specimens is 6.5–7.5 kg. It lives in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It got its name for its hard scales and its peculiar color, reminiscent of crocodile skin;
• Far Eastern or Pacific garfish: distinguished by a narrow bluish with a silvery tint longitudinal stripe and the absence of gill rakers; The heat-loving species is most common in the southern waters of the Sea of ​​Japan, off the coast of Korea and China (up to South China Sea), in the Pacific Ocean south of the island of Hokkaido. In Russia, fish are caught in Primorye. Garfish, as a seasonal migrant in the summer, enter the Peter the Great Bay and the channels of salt lakes in the south of the region. The catches usually contain specimens weighing up to 1 kg and up to 1 m in length. As the water temperature drops to 15° C, it goes south;
• black-tailed garfish: An inhabitant of the coastal waters of South Asia, it was named for the large black spots on the caudal fin. During low tides, fish often remain in the dry zone, burrowing into the mud or sand to a depth of 50 cm.

Most species prefer to stay close to the coast; some (for example, the tropical ribbon-shaped garfish) go into the open ocean.

There are 5 known species of the garfish family that live in fresh water bodies. They are found in rivers South America, South-East Asia, Northern Australia.

Nutritional value, cooking recipes

Needlefish, especially those caught in the fall, are tasty and quite fatty. The absence of small bones makes it a desirable product in the kitchen. Meat has a lot of beneficial properties. In it in large quantities contains polyunsaturated aliphatic acids of the Omega group. They are necessary to increase immunity, normalize the functioning of all vital systems, and equalize hormonal levels. Thanks to fatty acids, general rejuvenation of the body occurs.

Garfish dishes are good for health thyroid gland: Fish contains a lot of iodine.
Fish meat is rich in phosphorus. The macronutrient is needed to maintain muscle activity, brain activity, and bone tissue growth.

There are many recipes for preparing sea predator. The fish menu includes marinated, boiled, fried, baked garfish. Smoked needle fish has excellent taste.

Hot smoked garfish

The fish is cooked in a special smokehouse (can be replaced with a massive pan or bucket with a tight lid).

Operating procedure:

• pour wood chips (ideally aspen or juniper) into the bottom of the smokehouse and put on fire;
• prepare the fish: small garfish need not be gutted, large ones must be cleaned of entrails, and any greens (dill, parsley) must be placed in the belly;
• Rub the fish with salt and place on the smokehouse grate.

The garfish is kept in the smokehouse until cooked, usually the process takes about 40 minutes

The garfish is kept in a smokehouse until cooked; the process usually takes about 40 minutes. Some semblance of hot smoked fish can be cooked in the oven. To do this, cleaned garfish are first rubbed with salt, then coated with “liquid smoke,” placed in a baking bag and put in the oven for 50 minutes.

Cold smoked needle fish

The process of cold smoking is long and labor-intensive, but garfish prepared in this way can be stored for up to a year without losing its taste.

Step by step recipe:

• clean the fish, put it on twine (it’s convenient to do this through the eyes), salt it, and leave it to age for 3–5 days;
• remove excess salt: to do this, place the fish in a cold water, then rinse;
• dry the garfish in the open air for 2–3 days. For best result first insert wooden sticks into the bellies;
• place the fish suspended in a tall smokehouse (for example, from barrels) with alder or juniper sawdust: they produce aromatic cold smoke. The smoke temperature should not exceed 25º C.

The smoking process itself takes from 1 to 6 days depending on the size of the fish. Readiness is determined by the appearance of the garfish: it becomes dry, the surface acquires a golden brown hue.

Recipes for preparing this ancient dish are varied. In general, shkara is fish stewed in its own juice.

For 5–7 pieces of garfish we will need:

• 3-4 pieces of onions (the more, the tastier);
• a jar of olives (pitted and without fillers);
• 2 lemons;
• butter;
• vegetable oil (preferably olive);
• salt pepper, Bay leaf(taste).

In addition to the products, you need to prepare in advance: 2 frying pans (main and auxiliary), toothpicks according to the amount of fish.

There should be enough fish so that, when rolled into rings, it tightly fills the pan.

Step by step recipe:

1. Cut part of the lemon along with the zest into small pieces, fill the olives with them.
2. In a main frying pan, melt a piece of butter over low heat, then add a few bay leaves.
3. Roll the fish into rings, securing along the belly with toothpicks; fry in a auxiliary frying pan for 10 seconds on each side in a well-heated vegetable oil, then remove the toothpicks.
4. Cut the onion into rings and place in a thick layer on the bottom of the frying pan, first removing the bay leaf.
5. Place fish rings, belly side down, tightly next to each other on an onion bed, add salt and pepper.
6. Place olives stuffed with lemon and a small piece of butter into each ring.
7. Cover the fish with a thick layer of onion rings and generously sprinkle with lemon juice.
8. Add a little water to cover the fish.
9. Close the lid and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Advice! There is no need to remove the lid until the end of the stewing process: this way the dish will fully retain the aroma.

Sprats

To prepare sprats, you will need gutted garfish carcasses without head and tail, vegetable oil, black peppercorns (or a mixture of peppers), bay leaf, and salt.

Preparation:

• cut the fish into pieces of approximately 5 cm, place tightly in a pan in a vertical position;
• add salt, pepper, bay leaf to taste;
• pour vegetable oil so that the fish is completely covered;
• simmer covered over low heat for about 3 hours.

Such sprats can be stored in the refrigerator in glass jars.

This beautiful, swift predator is the object of commercial fishing. Mining is carried out mainly off the coast of Crimea, in the Kerch Strait. Amateur fishing (with long-range gear) is possible in spring and autumn, when needlefish come close to the shore. By this time, the fish has managed to gain fat, its meat becomes tender and juicy. The hook is baited with what garfish usually feed on: anchovy, pieces of herring, mussel and shrimp meat. The predator reacts well to chicken meat. It is possible to use artificial baits: floating wobblers and small spinners.

The upper jaw of juveniles is very short: in fish about 20 cm long, it is equal to approximately 1/4 of the length of the lower jaw. With age, the upper jaw lengthens greatly, but still remains slightly shorter than the lower jaw. The short dorsal and anal fins of the garfish are carried far back, towards the tail itself. The caudal fin is forked. Almost right next to the belly there is a clearly visible straight lateral line. Small pelvic fins are located on the belly. The garfish's back is dark, bluish-green, and its sides are silvery. It's pretty big fish, reaching a length of 94 cm, the usual body length is 70-75 cm.

Sargan is widespread in moderate warm waters off the western and southern coasts of Europe and North Africa: from Cape Verde to Iceland and Norway. In Russian waters it is found along the coast of the Black Sea, in the Sea of ​​Azov (mainly in its western part) and Taganrog Bay, and is occasionally found off the coast of the Kola Peninsula and in the White Sea.

Sargan is a schooling sea fish. During the day it, as a rule, stays in deeper layers of water, and in dark good nights rises to the very surface. The gar usually swims using the wave-like bends of its long body, but it is also capable of sharp throws performed at high speed. When frightened or in pursuit of prey, garfish often jump out of the water, making large jumps. Sometimes they are thrown out of the water in order to jump over obstacles floating on the surface. In the coastal areas of the sea, garfish are found all year round, but they also make significant migrations in search of food. In the Black Sea, the movements of this fish are associated with the migrations of anchovy, which is its main food here. In the spring, following the anchovy, the Black Sea garfish enters the Sea of ​​Azov. It does not stop feeding during spawning. In addition to anchovy, other small fish, as well as some invertebrates, also become its prey.

The garfish usually reaches sexual maturity in the fifth or sixth year of life and reproduces annually; some individuals mature as early as three years. Garfish spawn in the spring at some distance from the coast at depths of 12-18 meters. The eggs are released in portions, so the spawning is very extended and continues in the Black Sea from late April to mid-October. The main part of the fish spawns from May to mid-August. Small eggs with a diameter of 3-3.5 millimeters are laid on algae and any floating objects. Every egg

equipped with 60-80 rather long threads with which it is attached to algae. The fertility of this species is 30-45 thousand eggs. Depending on the water temperature, the development of eggs lasts from 10 days to 4-5 weeks. The first larvae appear in the Black Sea in early June. They stay in upper layers water in coastal zone. The larvae differ sharply from adult fish by their short jaws. By the end of the first year of life, small garfish, having matured and acquired a typical appearance, migrate to the depths.

This fish lives for more than 13 years, but 5-9-year-old individuals predominate in the catches. Sargan is a commercial species, although its bones have a specific green color due to the bile pigment they contain - biliverdin. Some economic importance it also exists in our Azov-Black Sea basin.

IN summer time in Peter the Great Bay and off the coast of Southern Primorye a similar species appears in our waters - Pacific garfish(Strongyiura anastomella). This more heat-loving fish is common in the seas washing the coasts of Japan, Korea and Northern China, reaches a length of 90 cm and differs from other types of garfish by a beautiful bluish-silver longitudinal stripe running along each side.

Fish. - M.: Astrel. E.D. Vasilyeva. 1999.

See what “Common garfish” is in other dictionaries:

common garfish

Garfish- ? Garfish Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata ... Wikipedia

Garfish- common, or Atlantic, garfish (Belone belone), a fish of the garfish family. Body length up to 90 cm, weighs up to 1 kg. Distributed in moderately warm waters off the coast of Europe and North Africa, found in the Baltic, Northern,... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

European garfish- ? European garfish Scientific classification ... Wikipedia

European garfish- paprastoji vėjažuvė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Belone belone engl. flat needlefish; garfish; garpike hornfish; greenbone rus. European garfish; common garfish ryšiai: platesnis terminas –… … Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

Sargan family- The common garfish (Below belone), distributed throughout all European and other seas, reaches a length of 1 m or more, and the weight rarely exceeds 1 kg. Signs consist of a very elongated, acne-like body, elongated in the form of a long... ... Animal life - a family of fish of the order Garfish. Length from 30 cm to 1.8 m. Over 30 species, in the coastal waters of tropical, subtropical, and less often temperate seas, including 2 species in the Black, Baltic and Japanese seas. Local fishery object. * * *… … encyclopedic Dictionary

CARGANIOUS- (Beloniformes), an order of ray-finned (see ray-finned FISH) fish. Known since the Eocene (see EOCENE DIVISION). 4 families and about 150 species, widespread in the warm waters of the World Ocean and fresh water bodies, in the upper layers of water. All garfish... encyclopedic Dictionary

What makes her unique is that she has green bones. Therefore, many are simply afraid to eat such exotic foods. After reading today's article, you will learn about the main features of this fish.

Appearance

It should be noted that the Black Sea garfish is a schooling fish, which is a subspecies of the European or Atlantic family. It has a long, slightly laterally compressed arrow-shaped body. One of the main features of this sea dweller is considered to be the presence of thin, elongated jaws that outwardly resemble a bird’s beak. On the top there is a frequent comb of sharp teeth that have a conical shape.

This fish is characterized by a contrasting color. It has silver-green, light silver or grayish sides and belly. The back, upper body and head are light brown or brownish-green. The entire body of the garfish, from forty to sixty centimeters long, is covered with small, easily falling scales that extend beyond the top of the head.

Features of reproduction

Individuals who have reached the age of five are considered sexually mature. From this moment on, they are capable of annual reproduction. The Black Sea garfish, a photo of which will be presented in this article, spawns in the spring. To do this, he swims away from the shore and descends to a depth of twelve to eighteen meters. The extended period of spawning is explained by the fact that eggs are released in small portions. This period begins at the end of April and ends in mid-August.

Small eggs, the diameter of which is about three and a half millimeters, are deposited on algae and other floating objects. All larvae and fry have sixty to eighty long threads, thanks to which they are attached to underwater vegetation. The development of eggs lasts from ten days to five weeks. It all depends on the water temperature. The first larvae staying in the coastal zone can be seen already in early June. Adult Black Sea gar fish differs from them in appearance, since young fish do not have such long jaws. By the end of the first year of life, the grown-up offspring acquire a typical appearance and sail away from the shores.

Black Sea garfish: how to catch?

The hunting season for this predator begins in October or November and lasts until February. For obvious reasons, schools of small fish try to hide in quiet, warm bays, so you need to look for them there. You can also try to catch them in the open sea.

However, experienced fishermen advise organizing fishing from piers or capes. Moreover, you need to throw gear and use an object such as a spinner for Black Sea garfish away from the shore. It is interesting that this cautious and timid fish looks for food almost on the surface. Therefore, to catch it, it is advisable to use the thinnest fishing line with an almost floating bait. As for the hooks, it is advisable to completely hide them in the bait.

How is this fish useful?

Let us immediately note that the Black Sea garfish is rich in many valuable substances, including iron, phosphorus, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. Despite the relatively low cost, its meat is quite nutritious and quickly saturates the human body.

In addition, regular consumption of this type of fish helps to moisturize the epidermis of the skin and smooth out fine wrinkles. The B vitamins it contains have a positive effect on the condition of cardio-vascular system and improve blood circulation. This helps prevent blockage of blood vessels and the development of cancer.

Black Sea garfish: how to cook shkara?

This is one of the most favorite dishes of Crimeans. It consists of two layers of stewed onions, between which is hidden. As one of the components, garfish is used, which is perfectly suitable for this dish.

To prepare a restaurant version of shkara, you will need filleted fish. Garfish strips rolled up and secured with a toothpick are lightly fried over a heated olive oil. This should be done no more than twenty seconds. After this, you need to remove the wooden sticks and place an olive stuffed with lemon inside each roll.

In a simpler, fishing version, this dish is prepared a little differently. Pre-cleaned and gutted garfish are cut into pieces. Place onion rings in a frying pan moistened with vegetable oil. Place fish (or olive rolls) on top of them. Sprinkle everything on top with salt, pepper, marjoram and rosemary, and then sprinkle with a small amount of chilled, grated butter and cover. Add a little water to the frying pan, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for twenty minutes.

Garfish with lemon jam

To prepare this dish you will need twelve peeled fish, two hundred and fifty grams of potatoes, two tablespoons of butter, ¾ cup of breadcrumbs, as well as a tablespoon of cinnamon and lemon jam.

Pre-boiled potatoes need to be mashed together with butter. Add cinnamon and lemon to the resulting mass. You need to stuff the fish (Black Sea garfish) with this mixture and fasten it on the sides with toothpicks or skewers. The fish dredged in flour are fried on both sides for one or two minutes and served with spinach.

Preparing snacks

The Black Sea garfish has small scales that are well separated from the body. Therefore, before serving with beer, it is not necessary to clean and gut it. Simply roll the fish in salt and leave for twenty minutes. After this time, the carcasses need to be hung upside down and wait until they wilt a little. This will take about twelve hours.

You can also make “sprats” from this inexpensive and tasty fish, the taste of which is not inferior to Baltic canned food. To do this, you need to take a previously gutted headless carcass and cut it into strips, the length of which does not exceed five centimeters. Then the prepared fish is placed in a deep narrow pan so that the pieces are arranged vertically. A pinch of salt, a few bay leaves and peppercorns are also sent there. Then the contents of the dish are filled with vegetable oil so that it covers the fish by about a centimeter. The pan is placed on low heat, covered with a lid and left for three hours. Ready dish served chilled.

Hot dishes

Despite the fact that dried and smoked garfish are sold in southern markets, all its taste qualities remain not fully developed. It's best to try cooking it under marinade. A kilogram of fish must be cleaned, gutted, salted and fried in vegetable oil. Then pour three tablespoons of flour into a deep frying pan and fry it. After it acquires a creamy hue, add two hundred milliliters of water, half a glass of dry white wine, salt, pepper, rosemary and a small amount lemon juice or vinegar. The resulting sauce is boiled until thick, and then the fish is stewed in it. This dish can be served with any side dishes.

The Atlantic garfish in the waters of the Black Sea usually grows up to 70 cm and reaches a weight of 300-400 g. It is a schooling predator whose main food consists of various small fish, mainly ferina - a fish similar to anchovy (scientifically - silverside). The shape of the garfish resembles something between a needle fish and an eel: a long, elastic body covered with small silvery scales. Characteristic feature are very elongated forward jaws-beak, studded with small teeth, which makes it look like a swordfish or marlin. And although it is smaller in size than the legendary corsair south seas, can easily compete with them in aggressiveness and tirelessness when pursuing prey.

Fishing for garfish Black Sea coast begins around July and continues until frost in November - December. If in the summer garfish are caught only sporadically and, as a rule, small ones, then in the fall a dozen toothy predators are a completely normal catch. It is at this time that organized schools of garfish begin the hunting season for ferina, which gather in large schools on the eve of winter. This small, 7-10 centimeter fish serves as the best bait for the “Black Sea pike,” as garfish are often called, so the hunt for garfish begins with ferina fishing. Ferina is caught using a lift, a light float rod (bait - a piece of mussel, shrimp) and a mini-tyrant (two five hooks No. 2.5 - 3 according to the domestic classification, equipped with white wool and shiny threads).

The presence of ferina in the fishing zone is one of the essential conditions for successful fishing. Schools of ferina easily reveal themselves splashing and fussing at the surface of the water; fish love to spin around piles, piers, and moorings. From time to time you can see how suddenly there is a commotion in the school, the fish rush in all directions, and greenish shadows flicker in the water. Don't yawn here - the garfish has arrived! Fishermen often lure ferina by throwing crushed mussels, pieces of fish and other animal food into the water. Sometimes the fish are stocked up in advance and frozen at home. But, as you know, everything fresh is always better than frozen.

When choosing a place to catch garfish, it is important to pay attention to one important thing. If you've ever fished from a pier, you'll often notice that the beach is separated from open sea a breakwater that is hidden below the surface of the water, but not so much that it cannot be missed. The resulting bay is very good for swimming and catching gobies, but many sea ​​fish prefer to stay on the open sea. The garfish is no exception. Therefore, if you plan to catch this fish, look for it behind a breakwater, in the open sea, or in a place where there is no breakwater.

So, let's assume that you have stocked up on ferina, now is the time to talk about gear. Garfish are caught both using a rubber band and using a float for long-distance casting. In both cases the bait should be 0.5 - 1 m from the sea surface - it is in this layer of water that garfish primarily hunt.

The design of the marine rubber band is quite standard; it is distinguished from the traditional one by a small but important detail. At the point where the leaders leave the main line, foam floats the size of a wine cork are attached to keep the bait in the desired layer of water. The length of the leads should be about 1 m; it is advisable to connect them to the main line using a swivel. Leaders are sometimes weighted with a small pellet so that the bait sinks faster. It is better to use a small hook (No. 67) with a long shank and very sharp. Typically, 4 to 8 hooks are used on the elastic band. The fish is placed on the back, and bites are determined by the behavior of the floats - they begin to dive and spin in place.

A more sporty type of fishing is using a float for long casting or a slightly weighted “match” equipment. To do this, you need a fishing rod 35 m long (you can use a match or Bologna), an inertia-free or multiplier reel, a main line with a diameter of 0.25-0.3 mm or a cord up to 0.15 mm and a meter of smaller diameter, a “match” float with a long antenna and a sliding sinker “olive”. Although the garfish's teeth are sharp, I don't remember a case where it bit off a leash from a fishing line, so it is not advisable to use a tungsten leash. The installation of the float is preferably sliding, this makes casting much easier. Long body allows it to successfully withstand a small wave, and when biting the fish feels less resistance. This is really important, because, having grabbed the victim with its “beak”, the garfish continues to move, turning around and swallowing the fish. If he feels a lot of resistance caused by a heavy “blind” sinker or a powerful float, he will probably throw the bait. Of course, depending on the wind and the size of the waves, it makes sense to adjust the equipment of the fishing rod: make it heavier or lighter. Therefore, sometimes they use a “live bait” float with a carrying capacity of up to 15 g. However, even in a mild storm, garfish are almost never caught. When biting, given the structure of the garfish's mouth, you should not rush to hook it, since it is unlikely that you will be able to pierce its nose with the hook. You need to show restraint and let the fish swallow the bait. The garfish is usually given 20 seconds for this. If time is running, but there are still no bites, try playing with the tackle: slowly reel in the line, make gentle jerks with the rod.

Schools of garfish actively move along the coast in search of ferina, so sometimes drift fishing from a boat is more productive. A characteristic feature of fish of the Sarganaceae family is the greenish color of the bones, which is believed to be due to the high phosphorus content. However, eating this fish is not at all dangerous, and garfish is very tasty.