Mongolia

mongolia

TARGET SPECIES: Taimen, pike, Arctic grayling and lenok MAJOR AIR HUBS: Ulaanbaatar (ULN) DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: Valid passport. No visa required for citizens of most countries. SEASON: June through October LANGUAGE: Mongolian CAPITAL: Ulaanbaatar

Ajourney to Mongolia is without a doubt one of the world’s great fly fishing adventures. The culture is ancient, the landscape is infinite, the people are incredibly friendly, and the rivers are home to some of the largest freshwater fish on the planet. This is the land of the Hucho Hucho Taimen — a massive creature known to Mongolians as the “River Wolf.” Taimen are exceptionally fierce and notoriously ferocious hunters that are famous for feeding on ducks, mice, other gamefish and even hefty prairie dogs that occasionally find their way into the river. If you enjoy hunting large, predatory fish and value the quality of the catch over quantity, then fishing the rivers of Mongolia is something that we highly recommend. The size of these fish, their aggressive behavior, and their heart-stopping eats have made Taimen a favorite with every angler lucky enough to have experienced this trip.

More than two and a half times the size of Texas, Mongolia is a mysterious and ancient country. It is best known as the fabled homeland of the fierce nomadic warrior Genghis Khan. Located in northern Asia, Mongolia is bordered to the north by Russia and to the south by China — a precarious political position and naturally isolated location that has, for the most part, kept Mongolia out of the Western spotlight for the past 100 years. It was only in the 1990s that the first Western tourists began to trickle into the country to begin exploring all that Mongolia has to offer. And while the capital city of Ulaanbaatar has experienced a large amount of growth over the past 20 years, most of the rural and wilderness areas outside of the main city remain exactly the same as they’ve always been.

On Mongolian rivers, the average Taimen caught is around 32 inches and roughly 10 pounds. There is always the possibility for larger fish in the 40- to 50-inch range as well, and each week of the season usually produces a number of trophy fish. Much like traditional steelhead fishing, Taimen fishing in Mongolia is rarely a numbers game, but when a three-, four- or even five-foot river monster violently smashes your fly and your line comes tight, you’ll quickly understand the draw of fishing Mongolia. While Taimen are the primary species, Arctic grayling and Amur pike are also found in the area.

Depending on which operation you fish with in Mongolia, accommodations vary between fixed-location Mongolia “Ger” operations and mobile on-river float camps. Anglers often stay in traditional felt Gers (small, low-ceilinged round tents) that are hard-sided and incredibly warm and comfortable. Mongolian culture reveres hospitality, and the camp staffs and guides that work with these operations are no exception. Anglers who enjoy fishing and swinging flies for steelhead or musky will love Taimen fishing in Mongolia.

MONGOLIA LODGE OPTIONS

EG-UR RIVER CAMPS

The comfortable and well-established Mongolian river camps in the Eg-Ur Watershed have been operating since 1995 – the first established Taimen fishing programs in the country. While basing out of these fixed-location camps, anglers stay in Gers (small, low-ceilinged round tents) that are hard-sided and incredibly warm and comfortable inside. The upper camp is located on the banks of the Ur River, while the lower camp is situated further downstream on the Eg River (below the confluence of the Eg and the Ur). With a combination of wading and fishing from 18-foot aluminum jet boats, anglers can expect long days on the water and access to some of the largest Taimen found in the region. The season runs from early August through mid-October, with a maximum of eight anglers per week in each camp.

MONGOLIA RIVER OUTFITTERS

With these multi-day wilderness camping trips, anglers will explore a new stretch of water each day, camping each night beneath the Mongolian skies. Trip options include one, two or three week itineraries, access to over 300 kilometers of protected river, and fresh stretches of water to explore every day via drift boat. When you arrive in camp after a full day of drifting and fishing the river, your bags are unloaded and waiting for you, your bed is made and the fire is lit. This is the perfect blend of comfort, adventure, remote waters and long days of fishing. There are four trips and locations from which to choose from, and we can tell you from personal experience that every one of these programs is first-rate.

UPPER RIVER ADVENTURE

During a week of adventure floating through the upper stretch of the world’s first Taimen sanctuary, anglers fish two-to-a-boat from ClackaCraft drift boats – a dry and comfortable way to cover the distance between the network of six on-river ger camps.

LOWER RIVER ADVENTURE

As with the upper section, each day’s float covers 10 to 15 miles of water with different camp locations each night. This trip can also be combined with the upper river float trip to create an extended, 14-day float.

CLASSIC CANYON TRIPS

Seven full days covering nearly 160 kilometers of epic Taimen and trout water with the use of inflatable NRS drift boats. This section of the Delger River is remote and difficult to access, offering pristine and secluded angling that can only be accessed by boat.

HEADWATERS EXPEDITION TRIPS

This is the most adventurous trip in our Mongolian line-up, and one that is ideally suited for those that love to hike, walk and wade. Each adventure begins by hiking or riding into the backcountry to reach the headwaters, as the entire camp – boats and all – are packed in on camels.