MONGOLIA
Patagonia Outfitters International Program
Fly fishing for taimen in Mongolia is an incredible fly fishing experience. Taimen are a pre-historic mega-fish, and the largest member of the salmonid family. They are giant predators, renowned for a ferocious appetite and explosive strike.
Mongolia is an excellent trout-fishing destination, too. While taimen are often the big draw, the same pristine and productive water that holds monster taimen also produces hard-fighting lenok and grayling, and at times rare and elusive amur trout and pike as well.
Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world. Outside of the main capital city of Ulaanbaatar the remainder of this vast wilderness is sparsely populated by nomads who live off the land tending their herds of cows, sheep, goats, yaks, and camels. There are no fences, very few roads, and what people you encounter once you leave the city will likely be upon horseback.
Fish Mongolia and Mongolia River Outfitters are situated five hundred miles (800 kilometers) apart. Although both river drainages offer very unique and quite different fishing experiences, they share a commonality of great service, productive fisheries, spectacular scenery, and waters exceptionally well suited to the fly angler.
Fish Mongolia operates on western Mongolia’s most awe-inspiring taimen and trout stream. This beautiful freestone river flows for over two hundred miles through a magnificent canyon. The limestone and granite cliffs rise hundreds of feet above the river. Steep gorges filled with larch and birch forests cascade towards the valley floor. Extremely large taimen lie in wait within the easily negotiated rapids and rock gardens. Banks covered with willows give way to deep pools, sparkling braids, and wide gravel bars. The scenery and fishing are both world class.
Mongolia River Outfitters is responsible for all angling and fisheries conservation for the best Pacific watershed river, coursing through a vast landscape of grassy steppes and rugged mountains. These remote eastern steppes border the Khentii Mountain Range to the west, the mystic birthplace Chinggis Khaan. This stream flows over two hundred and fifty miles through a lush and productive landscape and holds fantastic numbers of taimen, lenok, Amur trout, and Amur pike. The landscape is pastoral; rolling hills are punctuated by tall cliffs, forests of larch and Siberian pine, and extremely healthy grasslands. The stream is constantly changing with a variety of shallow runs, deep pools, quick riffles, and long braids, providing fly anglers with endless opportunities to encounter big fish.
