"My teacher Benya Zho..."

Back in 1995, after escaping from work "to negotiate with a client" I was sitting in the shop Equipment center Academy, his fellow fishermen If Shaytan (is the name),and we worked together to solve a very important and burning question - where do we go fishing for a week of my holiday. Coffee moved from Karelia to near the Lower Volga. Here opens the door to Colin's office and bursts a gang of "Dialogues about fishing" in the old legendary line-up (Dmitry Vasyukov, Pasha Polyantsev, Alex Legeza, Alex Tsesarskaya and Gia Saralidze). Grab a Cup, pour myself a Cup of tea and are actively involved in the discussion... And Dmitry Vasyukov throws the idea - "Go to Barmino to Baranov. We recently filmed the fish, all cool. Instead, for fishing get away." Barmino is on the Volga river in Nizhny Novgorod region. We with Kolya became very interesting. After a small explanation and story about, "where? how? what?" you take the contacts of the host - Eugene Baranov. After the phone to prinimaya side for directions and living conditions, decision - 're going to Barmino!

It is in this trip and took my acquaintance with Eugene Baranov... Uncle Jack, "benny Jo" has become over time my good friend and teacher in mastering the intricacies of catching predatory fish from boats. He was already a local guru, one of the pioneers of trophy fishing with a spinning rod in the Nizhny Novgorod Volga. Dry, lean, smokes cigarette, talks so that you can listen to and "learn" day by day. And this is no boast... Rubber galoshes, wool socks, sweater samovary, jacket "from a dead Kraut". A typical outfit uncle Zhenya in those days. But the tackle is very good, not cheap. And spinning, and the reel and the cord ( it was one of the first to catch the braided cords on the Nizhny Novgorod land). That he is now equipped in the most modern fishing clothing and footwear. And is an expert one of the leading Russian fishing companies. And then..."Gabriel - Gabriel is..." )))

When I first arrived looked at each other. He didn't impose, I'm not particularly bothered with questions. Head was spinning after the suburban ponds and streams of the Volga-mother-and-fishing boat. But a couple of points uncle Jack still suggested. Even went to one of them with us for the evening dawn. Closer to the end of the trip on this place I was able to catch their first trophy of the Volga pike under 6 pounds.

Uncle Jack then shook my hand, congratulated with a trophy, saying that not all of the time a fish is given, and asked - "When will come again?". I liked it so much in Barmino that I confidently replied, "a month later, in September, will come".

And with this second trip in September I began my training with uncle Zhenya. Immediately upon arrival, he said - "Will you walk with me."
The boat was very simple. Uncle Eugene was the 5th Kazanka under the motor 30 HP of power. Neither of which the sounder was out of the question. All only by reading the river and tactile sensations after casting of the lure. At what places was made one cast, and all...the Anchor was removed and we moved on. And what the boat was delayed, and it is here that the most often caught fish. Uncle Jack told me about the terrain, the hardness of the bottom, the preferences in the choice of habitats for pike and Zander, the harvest of complex snags and piles of logs ( for this part of the Volga used to be administered alloy rafts of logs, timber and some of the logs sank). It was all literally at the touch, remembered, coastal landmarks, and the approximate depth setting of the boat (navigation, then also I have not).
My head popped from the flow of new knowledge that is daily absorbed my brain. It was in those first few trips to visit uncle's Wife has laid a strong Foundation of knowledge of the fisherman-boater, which now serves me faithfully.

Since then, many years have passed. There was a powerful boat, crazy fish-search systems and modern fishing lures. I have over the years visited Barmeno probably more hundreds of times. Uncle Jack fished together each of my visits at least one day. Fish with him caught, do not count! ))

Of course, his boat has a depth sounder)). But he still prefers to walk along the river, not looking at the screen of the device, and shaking the head in all directions, noticing the breaks in the coastline, pagkrati of eddies over the holes, small stains of water on the shoals. And only by finding , from his point of view, interesting place, includes a sounder, to see what hides the river there, where can't see his eyes...
This year we have already planned to go fishing together in September. And I am sure that once again I am finding out something new and interesting from uncle Eugene, "Benya Zho", my teacher, Eugene Baranov...

(C) And here he is...))

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