Taimen.mn

International Catch & Release Guidelines*
These are international catch & release guidelines that when followed will give fish of all species a greater chance of survival.  We’ve added some additional tips and advice for fishing in Mongolia.
Use barbless hooks, or pinch the barb flat with pliers. If you use a net, use one made of cotton mesh or rubber. It is less harmful to fish scales, gills and eyes. Only net your fish if it is the only way to control it.
Wet your hands when handling fish. Dry hands and gloves will remove its protective mucous (slime) coating and scales. These protective layers help prevent infection by waterborne disease. Do not beach a fish or let it flop around the deck of the boat.
Try not to remove the fish from the water. If you must, be quick and gentle, do not squeeze the fish. Do not hold the fish near the gills or eyes.  Needle nose pliers, forceps, de-hookers etc., will speed up the removal of a deep set hook.
To revive the fish, hold it under the belly and by the tail, keep it in an upright position underwater, do not move the fish back and forth (this is also a good time to get a measurement and take a photo). If you are fishing in a river or stream, hold the fish facing the current. Be patient and give the fish as much time as it needs to recover and swim away on its own.
The most important survival factors are:
Line test – Always use the heaviest line possible for each species of fish. Again: the longer you fight a fish, the more lactic acid is built up, the more exhausted it becomes, the greater the chance it will not survive.
Hook Location – It would be ideal if all fish were hooked in either the upper or lower lip, unfortunately, this is not always the case. When fishing with small lures the chance for hooking a fish deep in the gullet or in the gills is very high. Try to back the hook out the way it went in. Never pull on the line when the hook is lodged deep in the gullet. Cutting the line and returning the fish to the water as quickly as possible will give it the greatest chance for survival. The longer a fish is out of water and the more you practice your surgical techniques, the less the fish has a chance to live.
Water Temperature – Playing a fish for an extended period of time in warm water increases its chance of dying. When the water temperature is high fish tire much more rapidly due to the increase of lactic acid that builds in their system. When fishing warm water get the fish to you as soon as possible, use a heavier line test than usual.
* Adapted from The Catch and Release Foundation www.catchandreleasefound.org
Taimen Catch-and-Release
Notes for Guides and Anglers in Mongolia
Nets
Consider whether you actually need a landing net.  If the fish is lip hooked there is often no need to net it; you can bring the fish into the shallows, keep tension on the line, grab the hook with your pliers, and release the fish without even touching it.  Taimen can twist and roll in the net and get the line wrapped around their gills, especially if you net it before it’s played out.  Do not use knotted nets.  Netting may be necessary when fishing from a boat, or collecting scientific data; tagging, measuring and weighing fish.
Pliers
Always carry at least two tools for unhooking fish, e.g. artery forceps and needle-nose pliers.  Never go on the water without the means to un-hook.
Unhooking
Always try to unhook the fish in the water.  Never haul the fish out on to the bank, especially rough gravel, sand or dirt; use an unhooking mat or your coat and wet it first if you have to.
Handling
Don’t haul heavy Taimen up by the gills – keep its body supported, other wise you will damage the fish.   To handle a Taimen, grasp the fish by the tail while you unhook and revive it; a soft glove or piece of soft cloth will help you grip the tail – wet your hands or glove before handling the fish.  Then to get a photo you can briefly lift the fish out of the water, using your other hand to support the head.
Gloves
If you use gloves to handle the fish – make sure these are soft.  Some protective fishing handling gloves have a rough finish which will damage the fish’s scales, don’t use these to tail a fish. Protective fishing handling gloves can be useful to grasp a fish by the jaw when removing deeply hooked lures.
Photography
The urge to get a trophy photo can lead to unnecessary stress on the fish.  Concentrate on unhooking the fish first.  Try not to keep the fish out of the water for too long, just to get that perfect shot.  If the guide has handled and unhooked the fish, resist the temptation to pass the fish around to get a photo of you with your catch; get a buddy to take a photo of you standing next to the guide, or just settle for the photo with your guide holding the fish.  The best time to take a photo is when you are reviving the fish; briefly lift it just out of the water – for the perfect catch and release shot.
Line test
-    Minimum 16 to 20 lb test tippet is recommended for taimen fishing.
-    Don’t try to be a hero and catch an IGFA record Taimen in the lower line test categories – use an appropriate tippet for the size of fish you are targeting.
-    Even when targeting lenok, choose heavier tippet in case you hook into a Taimen, Mongolian fish are generally not leader shy.
-    Know your knots, otherwise get your guide to tie on your flies and make up your leaders.
Tackle, lure and bait restrictions.
The following tackle, lure and bait guidelines are recommended to minimize stress on the fish:
-    No dead bait; i.e. rodents or fish
-    No treble or double hooks
-    No lures rigged with multiple or trailing hooks
-    No Rapalas, Bombers, crank-baits, jerk-baits or other assorted iron-mongery.
-    Use single hook barb-less flies only.
-    Where spinning is permitted [or conducted for scientific data collection]: use single hook lures only and pinch the barbs (i.e. single hook Mepps, or soft plastic baits with a single hook, e.g. Storm Lures)
-    Don’t use hooks bigger than 4/0  [1/0 to 4/0 hooks are recommended - the wider gape hooks generally result in the taimen being lip hooked leading to easier release]