Nabil Bay, Sakhalin Island

Nabil Bay is one of the bays of the north-eastern Sakhalin Island. The bay receives water from numerous streams, and empties into the Sea of Okhotsk. Nabil Bay is very productive. Its fish fauna is mixture of marine, estuarine, and anadromous species.

Map of the Nabil Bay

Our camp in the mouth of the Nabil River. It is high tide now. In many places the bay is shallow, its bottom is flat. Fish density in such areas is not as high as along deeper waterways formed by tidal currents.

Marine sculpin caught with a fly

Pacific redfin Tribolodon ezoe is anadromous Cyprinid

We were fishing mostly from a boat

White-spotted charr (kundzha in Russian) is the most numerous sport-fish of the bay. Kundzha is spawning in the fall in fresh water, in salmon streams. The fish are wintering in the river and migrate out into the bay for the whole summer for feeding. The fish is rather strong, especially when caught in the salt water.

Most of the time I was using big and bright streamers

Kundzha did prefer this fly to any other one "Anti-wobbler" fly with upright blade was also among the best lures for charr. On the retrieve this "fly" is wobbling and moves up; these movements resemble small baitfsh which is trying to escape.

We were using mostly 2-handed rods. This tackle allows longer casts, which is necessary when fishing by wading.

Very old wooden boat

Sakhalin Island, Poronai River, Part 3 (see message from Sep 4, 2009)

In July brown bears are gathering along the rivers and feed on salmon. Among the local fishermen these animals are considered not too dangerous. They are quite careful, so you will mostly see only their tracks.

After the rain chum salmon have become more active; they have started to bite flies. I was using small black-and-red tube flies tied on bottle-tubes.

All chum salmonwere in spawning colors; regardless to this most of the hooked fish were jumping several times.

At one of the riffles I have landed a female of cherry salmon. This fish had entered the river at least a month ago; now it is in partly developed spawning coloration. Adult sherry is spending in fresh water much longer time comparing with other Pacific salmon species. Our group is coming close to the Abramovka village, the final point of the trip

Sakhalin Island, Poronai River, Part 2 (see message from August 16, 2009)

The first days were hot, and it was hard to catch anything interesting.

It was mid July; time when countless poplar seeds are flying downwind

Poronai River has lots of long deep pools. It can take long time to cover even one such pool with sport tackle.

Pacific redfin (Tribolodon ezoe) is anadromous Cyprinid; it can bite any lure or fly.

This fish was caught with a pike fly.

In the evening of the day 5 it had started to rain. Tomorrow I could expect that taimen and salmon will become more acrive.

I was using sinking line and heavy fly, suitable for taimen. Sea-run taimen often bite flies tied out of bucktail. 35-inch sea-run taimen (Hucho perryi)

The second fish was only slightly bigger than the first one.

(to be continued)