Arthur had his first experience with a fishing rod at the age of 12 when he fished at one of the ponds in Kain, located in the Panfilov district. Since then, he has not stopped fishing and, over the past 18 years, has traveled to many places in Asia in search of big trophies.
Under the pseudonym "Asian Wanderer," Sedov shares his fishing adventures. Recently, he has been sharing his experiences fishing on the Ili River, highlighting its features.
Although Arthur hoped to catch trophy fish, he noted that fishing on the Ili River is not just a leisure activity but a real challenge. This river in Kazakhstan is famous for its variety of fish, including catfish, carp, snakeheads, bream, and pike, but catching them is far from easy.
“We usually spend three days and two nights fishing, traveling in a group of 10-12 people. For successful fishing, we need quality live bait, so we catch crucians in advance. We select sturdy rods, reels, and strong braided lines. The journey to our destination is not short — almost 1000 kilometers, and there are no fishing shops in the Kazakh steppe,” Sedov said.
According to the angler, the places they head to are wild and full of nature: wild boars, jackals, and wolves can be found in the reeds, and billions of mosquitoes fill the air. When the temperature in Kyrgyzstan reaches +37 degrees, it rises to +45 degrees on the Ili River.
“The lack of mobile connection makes fishing even more difficult. The reed thickets are so dense that fishing from the shore is impossible, so we take inflatable boats. Once, my boat even exploded from the heat in the sun. We have to make our way to the river as if through a jungle. But all the difficulties are worth it,” Arthur noted.
This year, he managed to catch a record snakehead weighing 4 kilograms on an artificial frog. Additionally, he pulled out a catfish weighing 20 kilograms, which was a real achievement for him.
