Yellowcheek

My friend and I were fishing at the Amur River near the village of Mayak. At the pool where we usually fish for the predators, something medium-sized and nimble fish were chasing the fry. We have started to fish, but to no avail. The key was found only after a few hours of trying different lines and presentations. The culprits of turmoil in the water turned out to be small yellowcheeks Elopichthys bambusa. Apparently, a couple of years ago, the spawning of this predator was successful, and a numerous generation was formed.

A floating line and two flies worked best; we used both fly wobbler flies and ordinary streamers, imitations little silver fish on the size 4 hooks. The best approach was a long cast (the fish is afraid of the boat) and fast retrieve so the flies move right under the surface.