Fly Fishing Mongolia on a shoestring

Mongolia is an inspirational destination for many anglers who dream of hooking into a five foot long taimen on a dry fly.  But is it possible to fish Mongolia on a budget, un-guided, on a DIY trip?  The short answer is no; the permit system is such that effectively all foreign anglers have to go through licensed outfitters that hold contracts for the specific rivers where they operate.  This leaves the choice of booking an expensive guided trip through reputable international outfitters, or taking a chance on booking a cheaper trip direct with a local company that may or may not know much about fishing, and may or may not get you the appropriate licenses.

Now there is a third choice; well established, British-Mongolian outfitter, Fish Mongolia has teamed up with IF Adventures to offer more affordable and flexible Mongolian fly fishing opportunities.  IF Adventures are the company that introduced cutting edge self drive fly fishing options for New Zealand and Montana, while Fish Mongolia have been operating exceptionally outfitted float trips and more adventurous expeditions in Mongolia since 2003.

Lets face it, Mongolia is never going to be a cheap fly fishing destination considering the cost of logistics, but prices are based on a ‘what you pay is what you get’ principle. At the very least you’ll need a Russian van, driver, translator, and a fishing permit, so small groups of four or more anglers will get the best deal.

Mongolia is big, rivers are remote, many are still pristine, but some are heavily poached, taimen are elusive and a challenge on the fly, you need good local knowledge.  Options range from ‘no frills’ drive out trips in Russian vans, to horse packing into remote catchments, and logistical support and raft rental for DIY float trips.

Optimum conditions and best fishing are usually found in June, which is early summer, and the fall season in September when temperatures start dropping.  On some rivers fishing can continue well into October before it gets too cold, while in the summer months of July and August good fishing can still be found in the headwaters; this is the time to horse pack into the mountains. Be ready for an adventure.

For more information check out the trips section of this site, where you can find a selection of fly-fishing packages with local guides and outfitters available for groups of three or four, or more.  We also offer an ‘a la carte’ trip planning service for no-frills and custom trip options.

www.fishmongolia.com

www.ifadventures.com

This Is Fly Issue 18, see page 101

Mongolian Triple Crown, article by Nathan Ward in This is Fly, Issue 18.  Starts on page 101.

“The cool thing about fishing in Mongolia is that any cast you make could be the cast that hooks you up with the biggest fish of your lifetime.”

“With all the great fishing it would be easy to forget we were in one of the world’s most culturally fascinating countries.  It is necessary to take time out from fishing to experience Mongolia’s rich nomadic culture.  This is a land where iron-tough horsemen ride the steppes like banshee warriors.  This is where stoic herder families endure the globes’s harshest winters in nothing more than sturdy tents.  Here is a way of life that seems like living history.”

Features Fish Mongolia’s Delger River Camp.

The March 2009 edition of Fly Rod and Reel has an excellent article on Taimen fishing in Mongolia “Taimen in the Land of Khan” by Peter Fong.

“If you’ve seen the pictures, then you might already be lost. The angler kneeling in bewildered devotion, smiling with an awkward joy, behind a fish so impossibly large that two hands provide an insufficient cradle. Because as soon as you can imagine it, the dream begins. Your boots in that unfettered river, your eyes blinking in the boreal sun, your hands reaching into cool water, your arms bearing that implausible weight. It’s a wonderful dream, infused with just the right blend of beauty and impracticality, and alternately enhanced and encumbered by facts. Because like Paris in the spring, a taimen’s heart-rending strike exists in a specific time and a far-off place, a location so remote that the experience requires (for most people) a week’s leave and a month’s salary.”

The article sets realistic expectations of Taimen fishing in Mongolia, and explores what it is like to guide on these remarkable rivers:

“If you float 10 miles of river, casting with diligence and precision, you are likely to raise a half-dozen taimen and release one or two.  I don’t want to call this an ordinary day because drifting through Mongolia’s remarkable landscape isn’t ordinary…”

Peter guides for Mongolia River Outfitters. More thoughtful posts on his Mongolia taimen fishing experiences can be found on his blog:

Of Taimen and The River

Catch and Release in the Home of Khan

Meditation and metaphor

Dan Vermillion fighting a 60 inch Taimen on the first pioneering Taimen fly fishing expedition. Photo: www.SweetwaterTravel.com

Sweetwater Travel and the Vermillion brothers can lay claim to being the pioneers of taimen fly fishing operations in Mongolia.  This photo of Dan Vermillion fighting a 60 inch taimen on their first exploratory trip is the image that launched both Sweetwater Travel as a fly fishing travel company, and Mongolia as a fly fishing destination. Sweetwater Travel with their Mongolian partners Hovsgol Travel continue to operate high end professional taimen fishing trips and jet-boat camps on Mongolia’s Eg-Uur river, and initiatiated the Eg Uur Watershed Taimen Conservation Project implemented though the Taimen Conservation Fund.

Other companies including Fish Mongolia and Mongolia River Outfitters now also offer equally professional guided fly fishing for taimen on float trips in Mongolia, and are equally commited to their own taimen conservation initiatives.  These trips all come with an appropriate price tag, especially considering the logistics that go into them and the outfitters’ commitments to conservation.  Several companies now offer cheaper trips but it is worth reading what Sweetwater travel have to say about some of the alternative trips.

Fishing in Mongolia has attracted an increasing amount of attention over the past several years. Today, there are several outfitters that can host you on a Taimen expedition to Mongolia. Unfortunately, most Mongolian outfitters do not practice catch and release and spend most of their time catering to European and American hardware fishermen who, although they may intend to release fish, end up killing large numbers of fish with their treble hooks.  If you decide to fish with someone else, do not use outfitters whose website shows fish which are mishandled or are clearly dead.

Taimen.mn now offers a legitimate and more affordable alternative selection of  Mongolia fly fishing options, simpler trips with basic services, yet still fully licenced and professionally organised fishing on good waters, using local camps and outfitters who have a strong conservation ethic.  See our trip listings on this site for more details.

Confluence of Mongolia's Chuluut and Ider Rivers. Photo: JeffCurrier.com

Excerpt:

Our main quarry were taimen, basically the worlds largest trout.  These beauties don’t come easy and we as a 6 person group landed about 45 of them in 3 weeks.  Many of  them topped 40″!  Mikey Weir landed one of 50″!  Being one that loves to catch ALL  species, I also enjoyed fishing for lenok, grayling and pike.  I managed a pike that  measured nearly 40″ and weighed 16lb!  An awesome fly rod pike from a river!

Our group was as good as the fishing itself.  Mikey Wier, producer of the well loved fly fishing movie “Soul Fish”, Brent Dawson, talented creator of War Path Flys Co, and Peter Mullet of Mongofly, our trip host, leader and Mongolian fly fishing expert (10 trips to Mongolia!), were key to the trips success.  They navigated us through this foreign land and provided tools of fly’s and knowledge to catch a taimen.  Genevieve Villimizar and my great college pal and partner, Paul Cavanaugh, added to the group.  Add in the Mongolian camp staff and Chinbat, and we couldn’t go wrong!

Mikey Wier releases a Taimen somewhere in Mongolia. Photo: JeffCurrier.com