Baltelis
A 10-ha lake in Aukštaitija National Park by Vaišnoriškės village. The name comes from a Lithuanian baltas, balta, baltajis, meaning“ the white one“. It is situated in the forest, in a trough, opening to Utenykštis lake, which is inflowed by a small rivulet (about 0.1 km). The length of the lake is 0.58 km, average width 0.18 km, coastline 1.3 km.
Local fishermen remember how spawning bleak used to go up the rivulet from Utenykštis to spawn. It used to be a spectacular sight! The band of live silver extended for a few dozen meters. It was used to be said that there were more bleak than the water. They swam at the edge of the river with their bellies touching pebbles. At first silently and quietly. Suddenly started to romp so much that the water started boiling. So much that they even jumped onto the bank. A free feast table attracted eels, pikes, basses which ate to the full. When the Ministry of Environment increased fines, the number of poachers decreased as bleak were also priced. However, earlier it was not considered to be a sin to scoop spawning bleak with a landing net (drag-net, scoop). The caught fishes were cleanly washed with cold water, slightly salted in an enameled dish, pressed with a stone for the night and dried in a hot stove. Ember and ashes were swept off the hearth pad which was covered with reeds and salted bleak were laid in one layer. The fishes crackled and twisted from heat but raw reeds protected them against burning. Bleak which are properly dried bend but do not break apart; meat is of rich amber color, specific smell, skin together with scales goes off very easily. The most delicious bite is dried spawn found inside. The fishes are kept in a linen bag in a cool ventilated room, eaten while drinking beer.
Recently lake Utenas has been stocked with eels, so there are big chances that some of them will travel to Baltelis. Variety of other fishes is the same as in Utenykštis: breams, roach, pikes, tench. The lake is quite remote, so not many fishermen come there and that‘s why it‘s quite fishy. After the first ice covers the lake, one can enjoy fishing for basses.
