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A member of the large carp family, the sabrefish can easily survive in both fresh and saltwater. The fish has a fairly wide habitat. Fishermen across Russia love to catch these fish in all the bodies of water where they live. They are also caught commercially.
The fish is highly adaptable to all types of water, warm and cold, and its habitats are countless. However, this specimen has not reached the rivers and lakes of the Putorana Plateau. Therefore, fishing trips in the reserve will not offer the opportunity to catch this species.
What does sabrefish look like?
This popular fish is called by many different names by anglers. Names include: sabrefish, kosar, and chekhon. These names are derived from its distinctive body shape, and the sabrefish looks like this:
· The body is narrow, long and curved in the shape of a sickle from the head to the tail.
· The sides are flattened, which once again indicates similarities with peasant tools.
· The dorsal fin is located near the caudal fin.
· The abdomen is convex with a steep keel.
The head is topped with large eyes, and the mouth appears to be positioned on top. The lower jaw protrudes quite prominently.
· Large scales are easy to clean, which is why housewives and fishermen alike love these fish.
· The sabrefish has a fin on its chest that resembles an arrow in shape.
The fish is colored silvery, with a pearlescent sheen in places. The back is green or grayish-brown. The fins are gray or reddish-smoky.
· Caught trophies can reach half a meter in length and weigh 2 kg.
Anglers value sabrefish for the sheer thrill of catching them. They put up a long fight and possess remarkable speed and strength, heightening the excitement and thrill of catching them. There's a recorded instance many decades ago of fishermen netting a sabrefish weighing nearly 4 kg and over 50 cm long.
Where do the fish live?
This carp has a vast habitat. It is caught from the waters of the Moscow region to the saltwaters of the Black, Azov, Aral, Caspian, and Baltic Seas.
The sabrefish is found in large rivers: the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Kuban, Kama, Volga, Ural, Oka, Neva, Dvina, Dnieper, Dniester, and many smaller bodies of water. Listing them all is pointless, but there are many habitats in the European part of the country.
How to catch?
This valuable, semi-anadromous species is best caught on sunny days. Active sabrefish are capable of leaping out of the water, noisily diving back into their natural habitat. If you can find a school of them, you're guaranteed a trophy catch.
Look for trophies in deep water. The sabrefish is a very cautious fish, preferring depths of approximately 5 meters and rarely coming close to the shore. During winter, its activity remains constant, and it can swarm from a single drilled hole. Only during spawning season do the fish stop biting, going about their business.
When fishing for sabrefish, bait includes bloodworms, maggots, grasshoppers, and flies. Large fish can be caught even with live bait, although sabrefish are not considered predators. Artificial lures can produce excellent results. For this purpose, anglers equip their rods with wobblers and spinners ( spinners and spoons). Edible silicone lures are also suitable.
Fishing gear can include fly rods, feeder rods, bottom fishing rods, spinning rods, and regular fishing rods. The key is finding a good fishing spot, and then fishing will be fun and successful. Fish will eagerly attack almost any bait offered by experienced anglers, and they'll be hooked.
Instead of an epilogue
Chekhon can be caught almost any time of year, and fishing in its habitat always offers rewarding trophies and the methods for catching them. Besides being a pleasure to catch, its meat is delicious and nutritious.
If you catch one individual while fishing, it's possible that all its relatives, which live in large schools, will be caught as well. The established record for catching the largest sabrefish (3.5 kg) remains unbroken. Therefore, any fisherman has a chance to make history.
