Deep holes, countless bends, riffles and shoals - all this is densely concentrated in just a few square kilometers of the Akhtuba River around the fishing recreation center - the Fishing Village "Trekhrechye".

The Akhtuba River belongs to the Lower Volga basin and is famous not only for its wonderful landscapes, but also for its rich river fauna: the river is home to more than 60 fish species. In the Trekhrechye area there are large numbers of pike perch, pike, catfish, carp, bream, asp, perch. Numerous eriks and small lakes in these places are also rich crucian carp, tench, roach, rudd And crayfish. This creates unique conditions for fishing on Akhtuba in this particular place and attracts fishing enthusiasts and professional fishermen here.

Fishing on zander on Akhtuba. The “fanged beauty,” as many anglers lovingly call him, is perhaps the most desirable catch for any fan of this hobby. Trophy specimens of pike perch in the area of ​​the Trekhrechye Fishing Village sometimes reach 10 kilograms or more.

Catching pike and perch in the Lower Volga. Traditional for Russian fishing on the Volga Predatory fish species can be successfully caught with all known approved fishing gear.

Fishing on soma on Akhtuba. At depths below 10 m, the habitat of large catfish extends. Catfish in Trekhrechye are excellently caught using bottom gear, quok and trolling. The usual weight of caught specimens of the mustache is from 5 to 30 kg, but there are recorded cases of taking trophy catfish weighing over 100 kg. Record catfish - 106 kg.

Carp in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain it is widespread and, thanks to the abundant natural food supply and local climate, reaches very impressive sizes. The waters of the Akhtuba, Kharabalyk and Mangut rivers have all the necessary conditions for the sustainable reproduction and development of carp. Trophy carp weighing up to 10 - 12 kg have been caught.

Fishing on asp in Kharabali. An active and strong predator, the asp will not leave fans of spinning rods indifferent. The Akhtubinsky asp lives on the ridges, at the edges of the riverbed, and at the exit from bottom pits.

Like any other place, fishing on Akhtuba has its own characteristics. The river has running and fairly clean water. In some places of the river there are sharp changes in depth. These are pits under steep yars, in which circular and reverse currents are often observed. There are also underwater islands on Akhtuba, covered with various aquatic vegetation, coastal driftwood, shallow-water eriki and oxbow lakes, and ilmen. The winding bed of the ancient meandering river is rich in riffles.

Both banks, but especially the left, are predominantly low. They are cut by channels in many places, and also have areas overgrown with reeds, reeds, bushes, sedges and other aquatic vegetation. Fishermen who come to Akhtuba more than once know that on the sharp bends of the river near the right bank there are cliffs and pools with sunken trees and a snagged bottom. The river with all its branches and tributaries forms a rich food supply and provides the best conditions for the reproduction and growth of a huge number of species fish

Spring, summer and fall fishing for a particular species of fish will be most successful in those areas that serve as a permanent residence for that species. Carp, for example, is found in deep places with weak, eddy or rip currents. The river bottom in these places should be clayey or silt-clayey, with ledges. A larger number of such areas are located under the holes in the outer bend of the river. Many experienced fishermen use bottom and float rods for fishing from the shore, taking into account the characteristics of the place and the presence of sunken trees and snags. Predatory fish species are caught from a boat or from the shore, also using spinning rods with artificial bait, and using live bait.

On Akhtuba and Mangut, fishing from a boat is the most interesting. This way they catch both peaceful and predatory fish. When fishing from a boat, fishermen generally give preference to the saddle between the depths, the boundaries of the shallows (edges), which protrude deeply into the river bed. It is considered advisable to fish in areas located opposite capes, above backwaters and bays, as well as in areas under steep yars with breaker jets - that is, where the local current draws water from coastal shallows to depth - this is especially true when fishing for a predator (large pike , pike perch, asp). Very promising fishing spots are bottom gutters located on a flat, deep bottom in the channels connecting the Akhtuba branches. There is freedom here for pike and pike perch.

Carp travels along the river in search of food, moving to shallow muddy backwaters, underwater islands and other places that have become covered with aquatic vegetation. The route of movement of the carp from the parking lot to the improvised “dining room” will be the best place for catching this fish. Carp often moves in various gullies between shallows, in recesses and narrow passages that ensure its safety. Carp in search of food prefer to move against the current, this also needs to be taken into account.

Chekhon belongs to the carp family and is widely distributed throughout Russia. Despite the fact that this is not a very large fish, and its average length is from 20 to 25 cm, and its weight is about 200-500 g, it is worth noting its culinary merits. Therefore, in this article we will look at how to salt and cook sabre.

Ingredients:

• saberfish;
• salt.

Preparation

Salting fish of different sizes

Small, medium and large fish are salted differently. Everyone knows the expression “The fish rots from the head.” To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to remove the fish’s eyes. By the way, it will be more convenient to hang it to dry later.

Small fish (up to 500 g) can be salted whole. For 30 fish you should take about a kilogram of salt. This proportion is considered optimal. If there is too much salt, the fish will turn out “wooden”; if there is not enough salt, it may spoil. It is better to take coarse rock salt. Small fish need to be mixed in a bowl with salt, then placed in dense rows in a special container for salting. Sprinkle a layer of salt on top, cover and put under pressure. A brick or something heavy will do.

It is recommended to gut medium-sized fish (from 500 to 800 g) before salting. Then they are thoroughly washed and then rubbed with salt. Particular attention should be paid to the head and gills. Place in a container for pickling, possibly in several layers. Each row is sprinkled with salt. The top layer of salt is made more than others.

Large specimens (from 800 g) are carefully gutted, removing all the insides. After this, you need to rinse the fish well, rub it with salt, and be sure to pour salt into the gills. Then the fish are also placed in rows in containers, possibly in several layers. Each layer must be separated from the other with salt, then be sure to pour salt on top. The top layer of salt should be slightly larger than the rest.

Immediately after you have placed the fish in a salting container and covered it with something heavy, you need to transfer it to a cool place. This could be a refrigerator or a cellar. In hiking conditions, this can be coastal sand with running water, always in the shade.

Small fish takes 1-2 days to salt, medium fish takes 2-3 days, and large fish will be ready in 3 days. After salting the sabrefish, the fish must be thoroughly washed to remove mucus. After this, the excess water is allowed to drain and hung in a draft to dry.

The place for drying must be chosen responsibly - the fish should not be exposed to direct sunlight, but at the same time it should be in a draft. It is better to do this in the evening - the fish will have time to dry during the night, so the flies will not bother you much. You can hang the fish to dry by the head or tail. It is better to hang fatty fish by the tail, which does not dry well - excess fat will leak out. If you decide to hang the fishfish by the head, the internal fat will be absorbed into the meat, which will make the fish fattier. This chekhon goes very well with beer.

Chekhon prepared according to these recipes can be stored in the refrigerator for several months. It should be stored in a paper bag or wrapped in cooking paper. This packaging allows the fish to “breathe” and not spoil for a long time.

Chekhon contains a lot, which is extremely useful. In addition, saberfish contains B vitamins, rare ones that regulate the activity of the nervous system and are responsible for the production of hormones that break down fat. In addition, sanitary fish contains zinc, molybdenum, nickel, fluorine, chromium and chlorine. These microelements are involved in regulating the body's activities, but practically do not come to us with food. Chekhon will help the body replenish its reserves of nutrients. The calorie content of sabrefish is quite high - 245 Kcal per 100 g, but you should not be afraid of this. High-calorie fish oil contains many Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which the body needs to fight aging. At the same time, they are not deposited on the waist.

Dried and salted saberfish has an amazing aroma! The fish is so popular that it is listed in the Red Book to control the population. But in some areas of the country, commercial breeding of sabrefish is allowed. It is from there that the fish ends up on store shelves to delight gourmets with its delicious taste.

1. Like many other fish of the carp family, sabrefish are most often salted. It is considered to have too many bones to be cooked in other ways.
2. It is better to salt small carcasses of sabrefish uneviscerated. The subcutaneous fat of the fish will saturate the meat, making it more aromatic and tastier.

Salting saberfish: the best methods

• First you need to decide on the salting method. It can be dry and wet. In the first case we use salt, in the second we use saline solution. Salting sabrefish using the dry method comes down to the following. Pour salt into the prepared container. For 1 kg of fish it usually takes 100-150 grams. The thickness of the salt layer should be about 1 cm. The washed and dried carcasses are placed tightly on it, belly up.
• Sprinkle with salt. There should be large fish at the bottom, small ones on top. Place a weight on the container. Small fish are salted in 4 days, large fish in 10. Readiness is determined by the color of the eyes and the hardness of the carcass. The saberfish is ready if its juice has stopped secreting, its eyes have become light red, and its back is flexible and hard to the touch.
• Next, the fish is soaked in water for the same number of hours as it was salted for days. This will remove excess salt. After soaking, dry on the table for several hours. Chekhon is ready to eat.
• For wet salting, dissolve 1 kg of salt in 3 liters. water. Add 1 tbsp. l. sugar to make the meat tender. The fish prepared, as for dry salting, is poured with brine for 4-7 days. Next, the saber fish is soaked and dried.

How to dry saber fish?

If you have a lot of freshly caught sabrefish, you can prepare it in the following way.

We wash the ungutted fish with water, place it in a container (basin, pan), and sprinkle it with coarse rock salt. We put a load on top and send it to a cool place for 7-10 days. After the specified period, fill the fish with water. Let stand for 7-10 hours (the time spent in water should be equal to the time spent under pressure). We take out and dry the chekhon. In a bowl, mix unrefined vegetable oil and vinegar. Quantity is at your discretion. Gently rub the fish with the oil mixture. Then we hang it up to dry for 4-7 days. It is better to lay something on the floor, as juice will drip from the saber fish.

To prevent flies from landing on fish hung for drying, it should be wrapped in gauze soaked in vinegar.

Salting sabrefish is a fairly popular method of preparing this type of fish. With this method of preparation, it can be eaten after 4 - 12 days. Also, salting sabrefish is the first stage of drying and withering fish. An alternative way to prepare saberfish is baking. Whatever method you choose, the sabrefish will turn out delicious as long as you follow the cooking times.

Chekhon (other names - saber, Czech, cleaver) is easily recognized by its narrow, elongated body, slightly compressed from the sides. This fish is valued for its dietary and taste qualities. It is prepared in many ways: boiled, baked, salted, used for minced meat. However, saberfish have 2 serious drawbacks: it is very bony and does not live long after being caught.

Preparing the fish

First of all, individuals must be sorted by size. Small fish, without cutting, are washed in cold water and placed in a container for salting. Medium and large specimens (from 500 g) are carefully gutted, without touching the inner film, which will retain the fat inside the abdomen, then the gills are removed, the carcasses are washed and wiped with clean gauze. In large specimens, an incision is made from the inside along the ridge.

Next, you need to decide how to salt the sanitary fish. There are 2 salting methods: dry and wet. The first recipe is the simplest, it is suitable for preparing smaller fish. The largest specimens can be salted using the wet method.

Dry salting method

Salting of saberfish is carried out as follows.

1. Coarse salt is poured into a prepared enamel, plastic or wooden container (bucket, basin or box). Iodized water is not suitable for these purposes. For 1 kg of sabrefish you will need about 150 g of salt (more is possible, but not less, otherwise the carcasses will spoil).
2. The fish are placed on the salt base with their backs down (large ones first, smaller ones on top).
3. The sabrefish is sprinkled with a thick layer of salt so that the fish is completely covered. If you need to salt large specimens, each layer also needs to be sprinkled with salt. Particularly large carcasses should be rubbed with salt from the inside.
4. A dish, a wooden board or a special circle is placed on top and pressed with pressure: a jar of water or a heavy cobblestone (about 4 kg). This will help the excess gas escape from the salted fish and prevent it from rotting.
5. The container is covered with gauze folded in several layers to protect the fish from dust and insects.
6. It is correct to salt fish in a cool, dark place: refrigerator, underground, basement. You can dig a hole in the shade and cover it with plastic. In winter, a good place would be a veranda or balcony.
7. During the salting process, the fish will release brine. Since the dry method is used, the resulting liquid must be periodically poured out of the container (if the carcasses are salted in a wooden box, the juice will flow out on its own through the cracks). You can make holes in the bucket for the brine in advance and hang it over a large basin.

Experienced fishermen share a secret: if you mix salt with sugar in a ratio of 10:1, the fish will be more tender, softer, and its taste will be richer

How to determine how much to salt sabrefish? Approximately small fish are salted in 2–3 days, large fish in 5.

Readiness can also be determined by the carcass: it becomes more flexible, harder, the eyes acquire a light red tint. Salted fish is washed and soaked in water for 3 hours to remove excess salt. If you add a little vinegar to the water, there will be no white salt coating on the dried saberfish. In addition, this procedure will help protect the fish from flies during the drying process. For the same purposes, you can wipe the carcasses with a mixture of vinegar and vegetable oil in equal proportions.

After soaking, the saber fish is again placed under pressure for 2 hours to remove excess liquid. Next, the fish needs to be air dried for 2 hours.

Wet salting

The following instructions will help you pickle saber fish in brine.

1. 1 kg of coarse salt and 20 granulated sugar are dissolved in 3 liters of water.
2. Place the washed fish in a bucket filled with brine: the larger ones on the bottom, the smaller ones on the top.
3. The contents of the bucket are pressed down with 3–4 kg of pressure.
4. The container is closed so that there are no holes left and put in a cool place.
5. After 7 days, the saber fish prepared by the wet method is soaked in water acidified with vinegar for 7 hours and dried under natural conditions.

Drying process

You need to dry the saber fish by hanging it on a strong fishing line, wire or twine. It is more convenient to thread it with a large needle through the eyes. It is better to do this in the evening, since fresh fish attracts flies: they lay larvae on it. Insects will not land on saber fish that have dried overnight. However, if flies and wasps do attack the fish, you can protect it by wrapping it in gauze soaked in a vinegar solution.

If possible, it is better to hang the case for drying in a closed, cool, drafty room without direct sunlight, or use wooden boxes protected on all sides with gauze.

Fish up to 500 g are hung by the head so that the fat in it does not drain. It is better to place large specimens with their tail up, since having gotten rid of excess fat, they will dry out faster. Carcasses should not touch each other. In this case, it is better to lay some kind of fabric on the floor that will absorb the flowing liquid.

Depending on weather conditions and the size of the specimens, drying time takes from 10 to 20 days. After this period, the fish is not yet ready to eat: it will need to lie in a dark, cold place for 20–30 days. It should be remembered that saber fish remains oily even after drying.

Storing dried fish

Properly dried saber fish can be stored at home for about six months. To prevent the fish from losing its high taste and valuable substances, it is wrapped in baking parchment or placed in a paper bag and placed in the main compartment of the refrigerator, or on the balcony in the cold season.

You can keep fish underground or in the basement. To do this, it should be placed tightly in a glass jar and sealed well.

In this condition, sanitary fish will be stored in the summer for 2 months, in the cold season - up to 5 months

An important condition for storing dried fish is a normal level of humidity. An increased rate (over 60%) can lead to the formation of mold on the product. Humidity that is too low (less than 40%) will cause the fish oil to dry out excessively.

The most delicious thing to eat is freshly dried sabrefish, so it is better not to make large stocks, but to prepare the fish as needed.

Chekhon is a dietary fish. Its calorie content is only 88 kcal per 100 g. Moreover, the product contains a large amount of valuable protein, many vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Dried saber fish is served with boiled potatoes, tomato and herb salad. However, dried fish is full of salt, so those who are watching their weight should consume it in moderation.

Chekhon is a small fish. Its maximum length, which occurs in nature, is 25 cm, and its weight is no more than 800-1000 grams. It is found in domestic waters, and therefore is one of the most common representatives of the carp family. Chekhon is excellent for salting, so we will devote this article to this process.

Salting fish

It is worth immediately noting that the salting of fish of different sizes is different. To ensure that the process goes correctly and the carcass does not spoil, experienced housewives and fishermen recommend removing its eyes, as this is where the deterioration of the fish begins.

So, let’s assume there are carcasses up to half a kilogram. Such small fish can be salted without cutting. For 30 pieces you need about a kilogram of salt. Wash the carcasses and sprinkle with salt. Mix well and place in dense rows in a basin or enamel container. Cover the top layer with salt, cover with a lid of smaller diameter than the container and place something heavy on top (you can use a brick).

If the fish weighs from 500 to 800 grams, it should first be cleaned of its entrails, so it will be salted faster and will not stink. Next, the carcasses need to be placed in a container for salting, sprinkling each layer with salt (preferably rock salt). The top layer should be thicker than the rest. Leave it to salt.

You can often find large specimens up to a kilogram. In this case, in addition to cleaning the insides, it is necessary to wash the fish well, rub it with salt outside and inside, and also pour it into the gills. We lay them in exactly the same layers as the smaller fish and sprinkle them with salt. The top soy should be thicker than the rest.

1. Fish is salted in a cool place, that is, in a cellar or in a refrigerator.
2. For small fish, two days from the moment of salting is enough. Three is enough for a medium one, but a large one will take four days to salt. After the carcass is ready, it needs to be washed from accumulated mucus, then wiped well and hung to dry in the shade or in a draft.
3. To make the meat of a large fish more fatty, hang it by the head to dry, but if you want to get a drier specimen for beer, hang the carcass by the tail.
4. Proper storage will allow you to keep the fish for up to several months. And you need to keep it in a paper bag or newspaper in the refrigerator.

Conclusion

Due to its high content of fish oil, saber fish is very useful. In addition, it also contains vitamins, for example, group B, as well as the rather rare vitamin PP. Fish is very high in calories, but due to the fact that fat contains amino acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, they do not affect the figure, but fight the aging of the body.