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