During the summer season,amur fishing is an exciting and rewarding experience for any fishing enthusiast. In the sultry heat, there is nothing better than spending a day in the shade of some trees, trying to catch these silver devils. Get ready to discover all the secrets of the amur to turn your fishing into an exciting adventure, where patience and strategy will be your best allies for an unforgettable session!
WE KNOW THIS 'LITTLE FISH'
Summer: hot and hot again! One thinks, "Yeah come on, I'll just go fishing and put myself in the shade of some plants, maybe it's a bit of a breezy day and it will pass." But then where do you go, that with this anticyclone (20 years ago we didn't even know what it was) there's no danger of hearing the warnings go off? I don't know what you think, but in the hot season I go fishing for amur, because it is precisely in summer that it is easier to catch them.
- Features.The amur is a large fish, with an elongated and robust body: it can reach a length of almost 1.2 metres and a weight of about 75 kg! Its colouration varies from olive green to yellowish brown, with the belly generally white. Its mouth is terminal and slightly oblique, without barbels, and has pharyngeal teeth arranged in two rows that allow it to cut and chop up aquatic vegetation.
- Feeding. The amur loves to eat: it consumes up to its own weight in food every day! In particular, it loves plants such as water lentil, watercress and water celery, and the amur eats less tasty plants such as water lilies and filamentous algae when its favourites are in short supply: it cannot risk an empty stomach! This exclusively plant-based diet makes it a unique fish among cyprinids, and it is no coincidence that it is often compared to aaquatic cow. Behaviour. Particularly active during the hot summer temperatures, the amur is a fish that adores warm waters - if they are above 25 degrees, even better. It is a very hardy fish and can adapt to a wide range of freshwater habitats, including rivers, lakes and ponds with abundant vegetation. During the cold months, the amur reduces its activity considerably, seeking refuge in deep, sheltered waters, moving and feeding as little as possible.
HOW TO FISH FOR AMUR? THE PLACE
First of all, you have to locate a canal, a reclamation or a quarry where the amur are present.
Once you have located the place, you have to study it to understand where our prey roam: if the lake is populated byamur, in the morning you will certainly see them (a jump by one of them certainly does not go unnoticed). I recommend an early morning inspection, very early in fact, around 5 a.m. when there is first light.
The amur are particularly active from early in the morning until 9-10 a.m., and in the late afternoon, from 6-9 p.m.: these are the best times to spot and catch these voracious fish!
Now we can look for fishing spots. Usually the same rules apply as forcarpa fishing: reed beds, under-banks near some submerged plants or even any plateau in the middle of the lake are good, especially if you have a seaweed-rich bottom.
What is the best bait for amur?
Well, we have the water and the spots, now we can set up a longer or shorter baiting campaign. Rule number one: stock up on grits, which are the best bait for amur. For those who are unable to cook their own grits at home, the fishing market offers various alternatives, such as practical vacuum-packed bags with many variations: from simple corn to mixed with hemp, from tiger nuts to broad beans. If you prefer to prepare your own grits at home, you will need a good-sized outdoor cooker with a propane cylinder, an aluminium pot and, of course, raw grits.
But which grits should you choose for amur fishing? Everyone has their own taste: for years I have been taking a half bag of domestic corn, a half bag of pigeon mix, a 5 kg of hemp and 5 kg of tiger nuts. I mix everything and my mix is done. After trial after trial, I opted for the simplicity of this mix and have not changed since.
But which grits to choose foramur fishing? Every fisherman has his own taste: after several trials, I opted for simplicity and haven't changed since. For years I've been taking a half bag of corn, a half bag of pigeon mix, 5 kg of hemp and 5 kg of tiger nuts, mix everything together and my mix is ready!
Now let's prepare the grits! Use the quantities and ingredients I listed above:
- Pour 2/3 of the mix into a large pot.
- Add 3-4 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda to soften the grits more quickly and speed up the fermentation process.
- Pour in a jar of fructose.
- Add half a cup of fine salt.
- Fill the pot almost completely with water.
- Cover the pot with a lid.
- Let it stand for3 days in the cold season and for2 days in the summer.
- After the waiting days, bring the water to the boil.
- Stir often and wait 45 minutes.
During the 45-minute cooking time, prepare buckets by pouring a sessola ofmixed flake into each one: mixed flake is a steamed and pressed product that is very popular with carp and amur.
After cooking, mix a little water with a sessola of flake for every 2/3 of the cooked grits: the grits will continue to release attractive nutrients that will be absorbed by the flake, playing a very important role inamur fishing.
BAITING FOR AMUR FISHING
I usually make at least 3 pre-pastures with grains and a few with boilies, perhaps fruit-flavored, before the fishing session. The amounts will vary depending on the size of the body of water and its fish fauna. Triggers will generally be cairn or pop up with the bait adjacent to the bend of the hook, because of the feeding mode of the amur, which unlike the carp bites, not sucks.
A little tip is that, given the voracity of our opponent, a flashy presentation (perhaps with a stick mix or method) can help. Bait dips, both liquid and powdered, are also great.
THE CAPTURE OF THE AMUR
Amur bites are often different from carp bites: we will almost always be dealing with aswinger or a swift cast, so we need to make sure we have the line taut before we hook. The fight with the amur will also be a little different: the fish tends to offer little resistance until it reaches the sub-shore, and then takes off again at full speed. This is a tenacious adversary capable of developing acceleration in a very short space of time: many a carp angler, myself included, has at least once found himself with the net of his wading net broken by one of thesesilvered darlings.
A little tip: don't try to get an amur into your wading net at the first attempt, let it tire you out first. A little trick (although it may be daring for some) is to wiggle the top of the wade a little in the water to scare the fish away, that way if it is still going strong it will go right away and not damage your equipment.
THE SAFETY OF AMUR FISHING
One thing I would like to remember and emphasise is tonot neglect the safety of the fish: remember that it is hot for us and even hotter for them! Keep your mat in the shade, pour a bucket of cool water over it before you lay each catch on it, get a weighing bag for the release and take any photos with speed. If you are alone, a simple trophy photo on the mat will do. Beforereleasing the amur make sure it has a stable buoyancy in the water, sothat you can avoid seeing it belly-up moments after release.
