The Onon River of the Transbaikal Territory is one of the most interesting rivers in Russia. She is distinguished by a severe temper and an abundance of diverse fish. But before you go fishing, all fishing enthusiasts need to familiarize themselves with the current restrictions.
River characteristics
Onon is one of the largest rivers of the Amur basin. The upper part of the river bed is in Mongolia. Then it flows through the territory of Russia (Chita region). The total length of the channel is about 1000 km, of which about 300 km belong to Mongolia. The width of the river is on average 100 m, the depth is up to 3.5 m. The total basin area is 96, 200 km 2. The largest tributaries: the river Borzya, Unda, Khurakh-Gol, Kyra, Ilya, Aga and Aguta.
The source of the Onon River is located in the Kentei Khan mountains of Mongolia. This place is considered the birthplace of the famous Mongol conqueror - Genghis Khan. In the same area, he was allegedly buried. You can get to the source by traveling on a horse. In the cold season, the river carries melt snow water, and in the warm - it has mainly rain nutrition. The transparency of the water is quite low. Maximum runoff occurs in July and August, when floods are possible. The largest spills were observed in 1988 and 1998. They had a flood character.
Natural conditions
The Onon River belongs to the zone of sharply continental climate. Transbaikalia (eastern part) is close to Yakutia in the severity and dryness of winter. The climate is characterized by low temperatures in winter and a large daily temperature difference in summer. In November, the river is icebound. The ice cover is already destroyed in May.
The terrain on which Onon (river) flows is sparsely forested and severe. On the sides of the river bed are low mountains and elevations, composed of granite, porphyry and slates, they are mostly treeless or lightly forested. Sections of continuous forests are located near the channel. Among the most interesting representatives of the flora, Daurian alpine rose and prunes should be noted. In the channel of the river can be found shallows and islands.
Economic and recreational use
Onon is a river that is suitable for rafting and fishing. The local population uses river water mainly for irrigation of agricultural land. Along the right bank is the Tsasucheysky Bor nature reserve, which is a branch of the Daursky Nature Reserve.
On the river bank Onon discovered a tin deposit, which is considered the only one in Russia.
Onon is a river in which it is dangerous for people to swim. Her course is fast, at the bottom there are a large number of large stones, many have sharp protrusions. There are many whirlpools that can be subtle from the surface. In summer, the river becomes especially stormy, floods often occur. All this was reflected in the special attitude of local residents to the reservoir.
Fish
Onon is a river that has large stocks of diverse freshwater fish. Trout, grayling, taimen, pike, catfish, burbot, gudgeon, char, broad-headed, common carp, crucian carp, chebak, horse, rudd and other species are found here. There are even crayfish.
If the river was more abundant, then it could become the habitat of such a unique fish as beluga. However, the water level in the river tends to decrease, so the chances of finding this fish are now minimal. And before, she met only 1 time in 45 years. The size of the beluga can reach 5-6 m. The largest caught in the river. The onon specimen was 5 m long. This happened before the Great Patriotic War. Then they tried to transport the fish on a tractor, but it did not fit in the body and dragged along the ground.
Mongolian Taimen on the Onon River has a length of 70-100 cm, the largest specimens reach 120-130 cm, and a record - 210 cm. The size of the local trout is from 40 to 65 cm, and sometimes reaches 100 cm.
Mass fishing of fish led to the fact that its abundance in the river decreased significantly. In recent years, attempts have been made to limit catch by introducing various prohibitions.
Fishing
The Onon River, on which fishing is very popular among the local population, cannot boast of crystal clear water. For most of the year, the water is quite muddy, which limits fishing opportunities. A more transparent body of water becomes closer to autumn. At this time of the year, fishermen go hunting with a spinning rod. During the summer, the main type of gear is the bottom fishing rod.
In still cold spring waters, burbot is well caught. To do this, use various types of bait, for example, dung worms. Also at this time of year it is easy to catch a chebak and minnow. With an increase in the temperature of river water, you can start fishing for catfish. In these places it has a small weight - up to 4 kg. He has fat and tasty meat. Well, the most delicious trophy of a fisherman is the Amur carp. To catch him, you need to make a lot of effort, but the reward is worth it - because the weight of one instance can reach up to 8 kilograms.
The cold climate causes the carp to spawn at a later date. Here it happens in June-July. At this time, catching this fish is unpromising. Due to the rapid flow, the local carp prefers to hide in natural shelters near the coast. The greatest chances to find this fish will be for those who choose to catch deep coastal areas with a slow current. At the same time, the depth should be 5-7 m, and the distance from the coast - 3-4 meters.
Heavy weights are not always suitable for catching carp on the Onon River. If you catch near snags, it is better to use a sinker easier, preferably with a streamlined shape.
The best places for catching crucian carp are the remains of an ancient channel (the so-called elders). They resemble small lakes. In the valley of the reservoir there are a lot of such old women.
