The Tarman Wetlands
The Tarman lake-and-bog complex — a system of lakes and rivers between the Tobol and the Tura, a haven for fishing and birdwatching.
The Tarman lake-and-bog complex is one of the largest wetland systems on the West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Tyumen region, in the interfluve of the Tobol, the Tura, and the Tavda.
The nature
This is not "one bog" but a system: lakes, channels, and oxbows connected by creeks that flood partially in spring and autumn. The water surface is tens of thousands of hectares, ringed by pine and mixed forest.
- Birds — colonies of gulls, common terns, grebes, and ducks; in migration — dozens of species.
- Fish — smelt, pike, rudd, dace; in the tributaries, salmonids.
- Plants — reed, horsetail, water-lily; in the lowlands, both raised and low bogs.
Why go
The Tarmans are not "a sight" but a route: a boat, a tent, a week on the water. The main options:
- fishing — smelt in season, pike on a spoon;
- birdwatching — spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October);
- drifting — short trips along the channels; without gear, it's not doable.
Practical: the Tarmans are best approached by water — from the mouths of the Tobol and the Tura, or by the field roads from Nizhnyaya Tavda. Season: May–August (water), and April–May, September–October (birds). There are no facilities — it is wild territory; bring more food than you need and plan two extra days.