One of the most beautiful fish in the Northern Hemisphere is grayling. It is distributed in almost all freshwater reservoirs in the north of Russia, Europe and America. The grayling fish belongs to the salmon order, but has many characteristic features that distinguish it from other red fish. Grayling is very popular with anglers and is very tasty.
Appearance of grayling
This small fish is quite beautiful and has a noticeable appearance. Its elongated body is covered with tightly fitting silvery scales with a bluish or greenish tint. There is a scattering of dark spots along it. The head of the grayling is narrow, and the eyes are large and protruding. A small mouth is directed downwards, which allows it to easily collect larvae from the bottom of the reservoir. Although this fish is predatory, not all of its species have teeth, in the European variety they are only in their infancy. A characteristic feature that the grayling fish possesses is its beautiful high dorsal fin. It is very bright - purple-crimson with red spots on the membranes and a bright border around the edge. It is sometimes called "the banner". Behindit has a small adipose fin, characteristic of all salmon fish.
What does grayling eat
Red fish is a predator. But grayling is rather illegible in food. It collects any insects, mollusks, larvae. He loves to feast on caddisflies, mayflies and stoneflies, but he also does not disdain insects that accidentally fell into the water: midges, gadflies or grasshoppers. Larger individuals prey on small fish, fry, or even small animals such as field mice. The desired prey of grayling is the caviar of other fish. So his diet is quite varied. This makes catching this fish easy and fun.
Where is grayling fish found?
This predator loves freshwater cold waters. Therefore, it is most common in the northern waters of Eurasia and America. Grayling fish likes fast rocky rivers with a winding channel and many rapids and pits. It is very demanding on the purity of water and its saturation with oxygen, but it can also adapt to life in lakes and a warmer climate - it is found even in Mongolia. But grayling is most common in the rivers of Siberia, the Urals, in Lake Baikal and in Karelia. The range of its residence is so large that scientists distinguish several of its varieties: Siberian grayling, European, Baikal and others.
Gyling - a family of fish
- Siberian is larger and darker in color. In addition, it has larger and more developed teeth. It is distributed not only in riversSiberia, but also in the water bodies of the Far East and North America. He is accustomed to a colder climate, so his meat is fatter. This species also includes such a variety as the Baikal grayling, which are white and black.
- European grayling is smaller in size, and its teeth are in their infancy. It lives in the rivers of Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany and other countries where there are cold rivers with fast currents.
Different fish of the grayling family and by what reservoirs they live in. There are lake, river and lake-river species. All varieties may differ in size, color shades and lifestyle. But everyone must have a bright and large dorsal fin.
The grayling lifestyle
This is a very agile and lively fish. The high speed of movement allows her to successfully hunt for flying insects and small fish. But usually grayling is a homebody. He can stand all day in one place where the current is fast - so it is easier for him to look out for prey. It can jump high out of the water and grab flying insects. During the day, grayling fish chooses deeper places, hiding in the grass and behind stones. It hibernates in deep pits, and already in April it rises upstream or enters small tributaries. The higher upstream, the larger the individuals, because the smaller ones cannot get that far. The grayling spawns in shallow water, in places with a clean sandy or rocky bottom. After laying eggs, the grayling goes home. And no moretravels long distances until the next spawning. Large graylings like to stay alone, while small young hunt in small flocks.
How to catch grayling
This fish is very popular with fishermen for two reasons:
- Catching her is exciting because of her lively and active disposition. Catching a grayling is not very easy, although any bait, spinners and insects will do. You need to know in what places this predator prefers to live, for example, you will not meet him in bays and grassy backwaters. But he loves areas with a fast current. Fishing for grayling belongs to sport fishing and is suitable only for experienced fishermen.
- The grayling has very soft and tasty meat, which is appreciated by all fish lovers. It has a very pleasant smell of fresh cucumber and elastic tender texture. Grayling can be s alted, boiled and fried. A very tasty ear is obtained from it. The meat of this fish is considered dietary, it cooks very quickly and does not require a lot of spices in its preparation.
In recent years, fishing for grayling is allowed only with a license. Industrial fishing is also limited, because the number of fish has decreased significantly. It is already much rarer to find specimens weighing 2-3 kilograms. Although earlier there were also seven-kilogram fish.
We love grayling (fish) in the places of its distribution. Photos of this beautiful predator with a bright and long dorsal fin can be seen in any encyclopedias and books on fishing. Its tender tasty meat is loved even by those who are repelledspecific fishy smell.
