River Ay - "Moon Beauty" of the Southern Urals

The South Ural is famous for its picturesque nature, and its amazing rivers, surrounded by rocky shores, deserve special attention. Our present story is about the beautiful river Ai, "Moon Beauty" (this is how its name is translated from the Bashkir language).

basic information

So, the river Ai originates between the ridges of the Southern Urals - on the slope of Elauda in the Cranberry marsh at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level, not far from Zlatoust.

Conditionally it can be divided into two parts: mountain - from the source to the village of Lakly, and the flat one - from Lakla to the mouth. Ai falls into the Ufa river.

The total length is about 540 kilometers, half of which the Ai River flows through the Chelyabinsk region, and half of it is in the Republic of Bashkiria. The average depth is only 1 meter.

Its main tributaries are the rivers Ik, Kigi, Melekess, Kusa, Lemazy, Bolshaya Arsh and Bolshaya Satka. But still, it receives its main food from the melting of snows.

The river Ay is always muddy for some reason. Perhaps, the solution lies in its marsh origin or in the special rocks of the coastal soil.

Another interesting feature is the frequent change of the water level. So, with a strong heat, the river is very shallow, and during the rains its level rises rapidly, and the water becomes even more turbid.

Rafting on the Ai River

Fans of extreme sports will surely appreciate this unforgettable adventure - rafting over dangerous mountain rapids, stunning coastal views, rocks and caves that will meet along the way. By the way, along the course of Ai's current there are 38 unique caves, of which the most famous are Laklinskaya and Kurgazanskaya.

Another attraction is the Karst Arch - a 15-meter rocky ledge on the right bank of the river near the village of Novaya Pristan. Scientists believe that this is the remnant of a very ancient cave that was destroyed by water and time.

The Ai River is also a meeting with the past, it is not for nothing that archeologists of the whole world are striving for it. The right bank is literally strewn with various historical monuments. For example, a few kilometers from the village of Vanyashkino there is the famous "Korotaevsky Stone", on which are visible ancient hieroglyphs - images of the Sun, running people and animals.

Fans of mountaineering will also find here what to do. The most popular place they have - 80-meter rock "Devil's finger", sheer and very dangerous. It is located one kilometer from the village of Petropavlovskoye.

Fishing on the Ai River

Fusing along the river, you can entertain yourself with good fishing. Here are found pike, chub, bleak, minnows, perch, less often - zheiri.

And the river Ay is famous for its unique fish - grayling, which you can not catch anywhere else in the Urals. Occurs this species infrequently due to unfavorable ecology and dry years.

The main catch of fishermen is small chubs with a weight of up to a kilogram. You can catch something bigger, but for this you need to experiment with bait and the way you catch it.

The fish in Ae constantly migrates, so it is difficult to choose a permanent place for a successful bite. It happens that one day brings a rich catch, and on the other in the same place you can stay empty-handed.

Spinning here is caught by perch, asp, chub, and the perch is well bitten by perch and grayling.