Coming to fishing, people want not only to catch fish, but also to relax. Someone likes noisy companies, when you can have fun sharing impressions around the fire with your camping neighbors. But most people are tired of everyday hustle and bustle. Fishermen are a special people, and for the most part they like solitude. Vologda reservoirs are wonderful quiet places with clean water and banks that are not polluted with household waste. Here you can fish and gather mushrooms and berries, and enjoy the silence to your heart’s content. The fish here is the same as in the rest of the European part of Russia, but its quantity is noticeably larger than in other regions, and there is enough space for fishing.
Main fishing spots
Here are a few places where lovers of fishing in the Vologda region should go:
- White lake. The largest reservoir located in the center of the region. It is associated with many legends and ancient legends. Ivan the Terrible, Archpriest Avvakum, Nikon, most of the Russian church leaders were here. There are many monasteries and churches along the banks, it is believed that the “crimson ringing” comes from these parts.
- North of the Vologda region. Fishing is associated with long trips to wild lands. In the rivers you can find trout, grayling, and other types of fish, which are almost non-existent near large cities. Here, Russian and Karelian-Finnish culture are closely intertwined, as can be seen from the names of rivers, lakes and settlements. It is most convenient to fish on Andozero and Lake Vozhe, as well as lakes Kovzhskoe and Itkolskoe, located near roads, for other places you may need a good jeep and other equipment.
- Rivers. If you have a boat, then you can go fishing on them, rafting downstream, combining fishing and water tourism. But even without it, you can catch different types of fish. Fishing on the Sukhona River, along with the Yug tributary, which flows through the entire region, will bring you bream and ide, pike, perch, which are found here in large numbers. The Lezha and Vologda rivers flow into it. Mologa belongs to the Volga basin, so all the fish from it come here. Considered one of the most productive for the fisherman. Finally, the Volga itself. This famous water artery also passes through the Vologda regions, the shore of the Rybinsk reservoir is also located here.
- Reservoirs. On the territory of the region there are two large reservoirs – Sheksninskoye and Rybinskoye. Fishing on them is available, as many good roads lead there, and fishing bases are located along the banks. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to be calm about the ecological state of these places, and there are too many people here. However, for a metropolitan resident, these places are the best option of all, which are located at an acceptable distance from Moscow, where there are amenities, a boat for rent and a comfortable room. Fishing in the reservoir is special, as the behavior of fish is influenced not only by nature and weather, but also by the man-made regime, and it is advisable to go there for the first time accompanied by a good fishing guide.
- Swamps, streams and streams. Fishing on them is almost always devoid of amenities. You will have to get through the wilds, often even in a good car you often cannot get to the right place. In many cases, suitable fishing spots are located on a swampy shore, and the way there will go through a bog. Federal highways pass near many good places, but it is not possible to leave it due to deep ditches, and you have to make a big detour. But for lovers of trout fishing in forest streams, for connoisseurs of spinning fishing, when you want to catch fifteen kilograms of pike in a couple of hours, or for carp lovers who like to pull golden beauties out of the swamp every minute, such places are a priority.
Vologda people and customs
Of particular note is the character of the locals. Vologda residents are very calm people, often of small stature and strong physique. Most of them are extremely friendly, and do not respond to any aggressive attacks with aggression. The characteristic Vologda roundabout dialect, slow, intelligible and understandable speech is their calling card throughout Russia. In almost any village, you can agree on an overnight stay in a hallway or a shed, the opportunity to dry wet things. Of course, for some fee.
However, hospitality should not be abused. If you managed to ruin a relationship somewhere with someone, then it is unlikely that you will be able to fix them again. Of course, all of the above does not apply to large cities such as Vologda and Cherepovets. There the people are much more cheeky and closer in spirit to the capital. Most people don’t live well. They will be happy to help you with the arrangement on the shore, sell firewood, drive you by car for a small fee, which will be very useful for the locals. At the same time, they will not even ask for payment, but you need to pay, observing the limits of local decency. Or do not ask for the service at all and refuse the offer.
Fishing methods
Since most of the aquatic fauna here is the same as in the rest of the European part of Russia, the fishing methods used here are the same as everywhere else. Of particular note is the popularity of winter fishing. In these regions, the duration of the period when the water is covered with ice is longer than in the south, and winter fishing lasts almost half a year. They catch on mormyshka, on zherlitsy, on a spoon-bait. Fishing with a winter float rod is less popular here, and the most “folk” is fishing with a jig in winter.
Among the summer types of fishing, the summer float rod is in the first place. Float fishing is held in high esteem here, and many people practice it all their lives. They also catch predatory fish on live bait. As a rule, the range of gear is small, and local anglers make a lot of them themselves.
Catch here and on the bottom. For some reason, this type of fishing is used more on rivers. Other types of fishing are also popular – spinning, track, fishing on vents. All of them can use both modern tackle and what fishermen have in their arsenal. Recently, feeder fishing has become popular.
Many forest lakes have fauna that have been isolated from each other for a long time. As a result, you can come across a situation where only perch and roach are found in one small swamp, and only pike and crucian carp are found a hundred meters from it, although they seem to be no different from each other. Rivers tend to have a greater variety of fish species. If the place of fishing is visited for the first time, then it is better to get out to fish on the river. It may happen that, having got out on an unfamiliar lake, there will not be suitable gear in the arsenal to catch the fish that is found there.
Fishing bases
Most people come to fishing in the Vologda region for a few days. Many take families and children. Naturally, you want to spend time in comfort, and not listen to complaints about a hard sleeping bag from household members. Yes, and it is much more pleasant to spend the night in a comfortable bed than in the rain and wind in a tent, which for some reason leaked. Those who want to get acquainted with Vologda fishing should recommend fishing bases.
There are few of them here. All of them are located on the banks of free reservoirs, where there is enough fish, the catch of which is allowed. There are few of them here: this is the recreation center on the Sukhona “Vasilki” in Vologda itself, the “Ecotel” on Lake Siverskoye, the fishing and hunting base “Markovo”, the Arlazorov’s estate on the Sukhona near Veliky Ustyug. Everywhere you can find a room or rent an entire house, there is enough space for parking and privacy so as not to intersect with neighbors. You can rent a boat and equipment. Prices are usually not too high, rest here is calmer and will cost less than fishing on a paysite in the Moscow region.