Fish tugunok: a description, useful properties, where it is found and how to catch

Siberia is a haven for hunters and fishermen. Forests and ponds are full of all living creatures. The northern rivers are rich in valuable commercial fish. Among them there is a fish tugunok.

Description of appearance, features of fishing, the necessary precautions associated with the characteristics of freshwater inhabitants, and some popular dishes will be presented in our article.

Features

Tugunok is a valuable commercial fish from the family of whitefish. The smallest of all representatives of a noble species, a squad of salmon. Life expectancy is 6 years. Tugunok - white fish. On the quality of meat is not different from nelma, whitefish, chir, ryadushki. In Tomi, the tuguna is called a manoeuver. This omnivorous fish is very tasty, especially good kylechnogo, spicy, salting, and the sage, or fresh fish fast salting, in one of the international competitions took the third place, ahead of dishes with truffles and famous French snails.

Habitat

The cold water of the Siberian rivers loves the tugun. There it is affectionately called a tugunok (fish). Where does it happen, where does it multiply, where does this wonderful fish work? The tugun is considered to be endemic to Siberia, but experts say that it feels great in the rivers of northern Canada.

Reaching the place where it enters the Arctic Ocean, it does not enter the salt water and returns. Migration is a continuous process. The tugun in the shallows - in the old men, that is, in the old, silted estuaries - the Yenisei, from Shushensky to the mouth, is incubated. Favorite places - Lower and Podkamennaya Tunguska, Angara.

In large numbers, it is found in the basin of the Ob. In the tributaries of Tavda, Lozva and the Northern Sosva, the tugun has commercial significance - here the most suitable for spawning are the old people. Hence the talking name is Sosvina herring. They catch a tugun in Lena, but here it is most infected with helminths.

Reproduction

She lays calves in the shallow estuaries of the tributaries of the Ob and the Yenisei. It prefers quiet water, without rapids and rapids with a sandy and pebbled bottom. In the dark, it goes to shallow water. It fits in the period of high water. Then the fish fills the plots, with a silted bottom, where it feeds on small crustaceans, caviar, mosquito larvae and algae. In July, along with a recession of water retreats into large ponds. By this time, adults gain maximum weight. Sexual maturity of tungunes reaches the second year of life.

In September-November, during the freeze-up period, spawning takes place. Caviar lagoon deposits in riverbeds on sandy or small pebbles at a depth of 1.5-2 meters. From one female, depending on the age, there are from 500 to 5000 eggs. The fish hibernate there, where it spawned.

Appearance

To say that the tugunok - a fish (its photos are presented in our article) is solid, it can not be. The largest is rarely longer than 20 cm. The average size is 10-14 cm. The maximum weight is about 90 grams, the average weight is about 20 grams. Scales silvery, shiny, easily falling, on each side up to 70 pieces. The eyes are triangular, pointing forward. Jaws of the same size. Anal fin soft, caudal - rounded, bifurcate. The back is dark, brightens to the abdomen - looks very similar to herring, on the sides there is a slightly discernible pattern in the form of a thin straight line from head to tail. The body is elongated, more round in cross section than in other representatives of the same family. For this feature and nicknamed sosvinskoy herring tugunok (fish). The photos show this clearly, but the usual herring is still somewhat darker and larger in size. The tugun is more like smelt, and the smell of a fresh cucumber from a fish just caught adds similarities. By the way, dishes from smelt and turgun are prepared by the same ones, but we will tell you more about this in a little bit below.

Fishing

In the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a tugun is allowed to catch nonsense. This is a small network-scoop. In other places this way of fishing is prohibited, and only at the mouth of the Yenisei this rule does not apply. You just need to purchase a license. Currently, the population of this fish is too small, it is reproduced slowly, so the catch rates have been toughened. No one really wants to lose the tugunok (fish) from Russian rivers. How to catch in other places, for example in Yakutia? Very simple - to bait. During the way, the tugunok jumps out of the water - just have time to change the bait. Perfectly caught on bloodworms, on a mosquito. In order to provide for his family and entertain friends, one hike in fishing in the spring - early in the summer is quite enough. More than two kg at a time in any case, it will not be possible to catch - the fish is too small. But what it tastes good for! Still, whitefish, though small. And what dishes are suitable for fish tugunok, we'll tell in due time.

Fishing tricks

To catch a tugunka-manery is a pleasure - no lure is needed, no special bait is required. The most productive catch is at sunset and before dawn. At this time the tugunok actively feeds. A moonless night is the ideal time to hunt a tugunka. Fishermen exhibit lanterns, which attract flocks, and tunguns walk jambs. Although on the hook, even in the wanderings themselves jump, for this reason fishing with a seine is forbidden - with such a barbarous catch to spawn already there will be no one to come.

In winter, the coolest thing is on the last ice. Then you can catch and fly fishing, and vpolvody. Suitable bottom fishing rod, float or spinning. Mormyshka, of course, is winter, although in summer the tugunka is caught on it. The fly knits on the hook number 16.

They love pit bulls. Optimal depth - five meters. In this case, you can make lure from the cake, chironamide and anise. Tack the float in the water. Fishermen dig a few pits, and where the clove will be first, several rods are dropped there. For one fishing (five hours), you can draw up to 120 pieces, but this rarely happens. The usual rate is 20-40 pieces from one pit.

Experts on the secrets of catching a tugunka are advised to make a boat, and to take chironamide or a hedge bait with a bait - this is ideal. At the worst - small sponge, worm, burdock, riding fly, bloodworm, mosquito. Cut at the first bite, do not wait for it to drown - it jerks very quickly. The lost fish will go away by itself and take away the whole flock.

Chemical composition

Who once tried tugunka - will never forget his taste. It is not by chance that the fish of the tugunks were very often present on the table of the Secretaries General of the Soviet Union. The composition of this tender fish is truly unique - there is very little fat in it - only 14%, but the consistency is such that the fish seems oily. This is typical for all whitefish. This property is explained by the high content of polyunsaturated linolenic fatty acid, which, by the way, is considered the best natural immunomodulator. Nutritionists well know what is useful fish tugunok. Freshly salted fish is rich in PP vitamins (niacin equivalent), B12, A and D, as well as fluorine, molybdenum, nickel, chromium, phosphorus, sulfur and zinc. Most of these substances are contained in the bones and scales of fish, and they are so soft that when properly prepared, they are eaten without sacrificing taste sensations. They literally dissolve in salt, as well as in cooking.

It should be noted that the heat treatment of most of the vitamins is preserved. PP, which in the tugunka a record amount, most effect on the blood vessels, restoring the tone, elasticity and permeability of both veins and arteries, and the smallest capillaries. Fish tungunks, whose benefits are beyond doubt, is among the products recommended for the prevention of heart disease. It is included in the health menu of cardiological sanatoriums, as well as other cardiovascular facilities.

Caution: parasites!

Fish tugunok, whose useful properties we described in sufficient detail, is found only in fresh water bodies, which means that it is very often infected with parasites that are dangerous to human health. Diseases that can be picked up by eating any freshwater raw fish are known - this is opisthorchiasis, ligulosis, metagonism, nanofeitosis, diphyllobothriasis, clonorchiasis and others. Tugunok, unfortunately, is no exception. Often, infection with worms is taken for allergies or food poisoning. Symptoms of helminthic invasions are really similar to them: nausea, vomiting, intestinal distress, sharp pains in the stomach or right hypochondrium, headache, high fever, itching and rash, eructations, heartburn, flatulence, fatty intolerance or bitterness in the mouth . All parasitic infections are easily prevented, but are severely treated. Diseases need not be feared, but you need to know about them, going fishing or buying fish from the procurers. With proper cooking, the fish will only benefit health. What is the right preparation? This is the strict observance of the following commandments.

Mandatory safety rules

Before you get on the table, and then into the stomach, the fish tugunok should be properly prepared - it should not be eaten raw at all. Perhaps the use of cold and hot smoked fish, spicy salting, in boiled, fried and baked form.

Cook, fry and bake on charcoal or in the oven for at least 20 minutes. Long term heat treatment only for the benefit of the minor - bones and scales become completely invisible, the taste of the broth becomes saturated and dense. Fried tuna fish simply melts in the mouth.

When freezing eggs and larvae of parasites also die. A temperature of -27 degrees will kill them in 12 hours, but the taste of the tugunka as a result of freezing is lost and the famous cucumber aroma disappears.

Hot and cold ambassador for one and two weeks, respectively, also disinfect the fish. As for the dry salting of undivided and spiky fish, in the first case it will be ready for use in 9-13 days, and in the second - after 7-12.

Dishes from the tugun

Fish tugunok in cooking is used in a variety of dishes. It is not only freshly-baked, although this option is considered the most successful. It produces a wonderful ear, pies, salads, it can be dried, smoked, and also make delicious sprats. The fish is perfectly combined with fried and boiled potatoes, with vegetables and rice. However, do not store frozen fish for more than two weeks - the taste will deteriorate noticeably and an amazing cucumber smell disappears.

Primary processing of freshly caught fish

Freshly caught fish is better to immediately cut and salted. If you do this in the evening, then you can eat by the next day's lunch. In order to exclude helminthic invasion, it is necessary to put the caught fish immediately in a brine - strongly salted water (2 liters of water - 1 glass of salt). At the end of fishing, cut off the heads and remove the insides, rinse again, sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh onions, pour with vegetable oil and vinegar - the next day you can eat. More fish salt will not take, but if you want more fresh, then it is not forbidden to wash the finished fish with boiled water.

Sprats

To prepare sprats, you need to take an enamel pot, preferably with a double bottom, salt, pepper, vegetable oil, vinegar and 1-2 kg of fresh tungsten.

Wash the fish, pour a little oil on the bottom of the pan, put a layer of finely chopped onions and a layer of fish. Salt, pepper, put a thin layer of onions, one bay leaf, ground coriander seeds and juniper (just a little bit), sprinkle with two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of butter. Then again put a layer of fish, on it - onions and condiments, as on the first layer. So lay all the fish.

Cover tightly and place in a hot oven for 5 hours. Fire reduce to 180 degrees. Fins, scales and bones will soften so much that they will not be felt at all.

Sprats carefully folded into sterile jars, wait for them to cool, and put them in a cold place.

Ear

Peel potatoes, cut into small pieces and cook. Remove fresh fish from guts and heads and rinse. When the potatoes begin to boil - add salt, pepper, peas, bay leaf and one whole onion directly with the husk (it will give the dish a beautiful golden hue). After 10 minutes, put in a saucepan of a separated tugun. Let all together cook for another 20 minutes. After cooking, remove the onion. For 20 minutes, bones and scales boil so much that they become unnoticeable in the dish, and until then a broth is obtained - you lick your fingers!