Whether time was not, whether the place was not quite right, only the eel didn’t want to bite on our made by all the rules, bottom fishing rods.
Finally, once in the morning rang a welcome bell, fishing line taut and Mikhalych washed ashore writhing like a snake, fish. Ljubomir Ivanovic smoked fatty eel in foil on the coals, sprinkling with spices. Lunch was a luxury: only one fish fed three burly men and still have some. On the other forms of fishing we are not distracted, and bottom fishing rods, baited a large Nightcrawlers, and doesn’t bite.
All five days we spent on the Peninsula, we were on the boat from Selucia came Oleg – local, anywhere not working inhabitant. He was hunted by the fact that supplied out-of-towners anglers on worms, mushrooms, young potatoes. He loved the evening around the fire to talk about their fishing adventures, such as he fished pound tench on a lake or as Small according to the latest ice compete for the large yellow minnow burbot near the reeds right in the village. He strongly advised me to catch the little frog, claimed that it takes any fish, and he once even caught him a five-pound bream.
All was the guy nothing, but he had one drawback – loved Oleg to drink. Often with him to us at the light came in his military friend Luban. Her haggard, sallow face and the bags under her eyes showed that she was in good friendship with a green snake. But in the first few minutes visit the home of a camp Luban pretended to be coy. She has appeared at a fire immediately. Long stood in the shadow of the pines, while Oleg did not shout to her, “Well what are you waiting for, Luban, come on.” And she came up to us shyly and as if sideways.
At first, she refused her proposed dose of vodka, said drink it later, and before that nice if it offered a cigarette and amused by the conversation. I note that Oleg was a quiet humble guy. However, after an hour or two, going on business is still to some tourists, this couple was already in a state of intoxication, which usually fell asleep somewhere in the bushes on the ground. And in the morning, with a hangover, he and she were trying to guess who they yesterday had to leave the boat.
Between the other fishing stories told Oleg about the fishing success of his nonagenarian grandmother. If she still catches fish most primitive fishing rod and never comes home without a catch.
– While you are here a week slacking, it is near the old bakery during this time, it managed to catch two decent eels, he argued.
We laughed at the talkative guy and another called him a storyteller, and Ljubomir Ivanovic found him with his face in a rare bushy beard is reminiscent of the great Andersen.
Soon we were out of groceries and I on the boat went in zaluchchya. Sailing past the wooden structure, which looks like a hut without Windows, I thought, “it Must be this is an old bakery.” And here on the edge of the forest I noticed the old fisherman. Wiry, dressed in a white handkerchief and white apron on a gray dress, I immediately saw her leaning beside the water birch.
“What she catches? Maybe this is the grandmother of Oleg?” I thought and decided to approach. I have waded through pitted by the hoofs of cows Bank, and an elderly woman was fighting with some big fish. He waited until the old lady’ll put Gorbachev perch on the outside, I’m envious exclaimed with a greeting:
– Good bass!
– What are you, Milan is a good baby and a good today do not take.
– Only one caught? – I asked.
– Why one? No. I do a lot of catch.
– And where are they, grandma?
– KKH – old girl he grunted and hobbled on the shore. Stopping near a moss-covered decks, she beckoned:
– What are you standing there? To watch?
I was surprised, but quickly went after her. The old woman grabbed a thick line and pulled a heavy bass. But no! Almost five polukilogrammovy slabs. They were wriggling black spin and is widely and angrily fanned gills! As they flicked, zaplesnula splashes on the rocks! I noticed that the big bass across the ridge is cut by a deep dent like a scar. Apparently this bum has been at one time in a dangerous alteration. Maybe he had felt the grip of a big pike, and maybe hurt, having been in the networking poacher.
– Whence here such dip, next to the cow’s watering hole? – I was surprised.
– Uh, poor thing, exactly here they belong, smiled a toothless grandma. – Cows muddy the water, and after they fry turns to horror. Perch here for him.
– And catch You a frog?
– No, on small fish. On laguku huzhee will. Yes byada – fry all came out. Granddaughter for perched on the stream was sent, but he got lost somewhere.
I glanced at the clock. I got up to hurry to catch the store before closing. I said goodbye to the old lady, without even having to meet her.
In the evening, when my friends and I sat near the fire and admired the beautiful sunset dying, we were approached by Oleg.
– You’re without a boat? – I was surprised.
– I the neighbors left. There, he showed, came a new group of tourists.
Oleg opened a heavy plastic bag and asked:
The fish I did not buy?
– Wow, nice bass, and envy Mikhalych, weighing slabs on hand, and looked at us:
– Maybe take ear? Ear will be notable.
Lyubomir Ivanovich refused. Like, a shame we, the fishermen, your fish to cook. The final word was for me. Everyone was waiting for what I say. I sighed too:
Good!
And then I noticed the large slabs scar on the back, just like I saw on the perch, caught by the old lady.
– What caught? – I asked.
– Toad. I told toad the biggest perch take. Take? Four of only twenty rubles new please. Actually, I have to take them your new neighbors, but they require to be cleaned. And I’d rather you sell you guys their, easier, and, after a pause, he added. – Of course, the new Russians, what they are fishermen! But fishing rods they have, what can I say, beautiful. I would like that!
At this time, changing his modest habit at first, to hide, to the fire came Luban.
– Good evening, gentlemen, ‘ she said quietly and loudly hiccupped. – Oh, sorry, something today, attack me, she smiled a drunken smile, and he hiccupped again. – Excuse me, for God’s sake, Oleg, you’ve got a minute.
They departed, but in silence, broken only by the crackling of the fire clearly came to us she said, “Captain…”, “…vodka”, “go…”
Finally, Oleg came back to the fire.
– So, take a perch? he asked.
– No, thank you, but we somehow do catch, ‘ I said dryly.
– You’re better than us Bank tomorrow Nightcrawlers bring a tenner, ‘ said Ljubomir Ivanovic.
Oleg left. Mikhalych soon realized that he had run out of cigarettes. He sent me as a Junior of the seniors to the newcomers to the neighbors to borrow a pack tomorrow Mikhalych go to the store and return.
These tourists overseas was a big tent. There was an expensive Japanese SUV. High broad-shouldered man, dressed in a sports outfit, Smoking, leaning on a pine tree, and Oleg, hunched over a tree stump, cleaning his perches…