Results - Taimen Spring Fishing-Season 2013 Mongolia

The opening of the fishing season in Mongolia was unpredictable this spring. Due to the very long winter and following melting of snow in the finally arriving sunny springtime, the rivers were swollen and flooded the banks. By mid June we still had rising water at our rivers, which we use to fish regularly in northern Mongolia.  But the stony ground was still visible and the water full of Taimen and large Lenok trout, who were running upstream in the torrents of spring, looking for shallower, clear water of the lesser streams and creeks.

Mature Giant Taimen in northern Mongolia

At our fishing camp Tengis we had numerous mature fish just at the house pool, hungry Taimen hunting in the river have been spotted every day. A fishing client from South Africa was able to hook two massive Taimen on fly in succession, until the third Taimen broke his double-handed rod in four pieces, when the angler striked too hard in the attempt to hook the fish properly. While testing with a powerful spinning rod, more than 10 pulls could be achieved within an hour, but only the smallest Taimen laying at the tail of the pool, could be finally landed. This fish measured 4 feet or 128 cm in length. A much bigger fish, however, bumbed into one of our fishermen in just knee-deep water, when the visibility was limited by whirling sand. - "If this would happen in Africa", he said, "I would have walked on the water", after the client had witnessed the massive head of this mature Taimen ...

Hatching Sedges and Stoneflies at Taimen Rivers

Young Taimen around 1 meter in length could be landed typically even with lighter double-handed rods. In shallower pools and at the mouths of lesser creeks with clear water, the lays of Taimen could be found, which were feeding on hatching sedges and large stoneflies selectively, ignoring all other mouse-flies or large lures, which were presented to them.  The hatches of caddies and stoneflies were truly spectacular in the evenings at the Shishkid River, swarming across the stream like clouds of invading grasshoppers. An athletic young Taimen of 96 cm was landed by the use of a light 6-weight Switch rod for Lenok trout, on a dry fly and with a mere 12 pound tippet. The strikingly colorful Lenok brown trout in prime condition were up to 2 ½ feet or 75 cm in length, caught on dry flies and nymphs,  and weighted in at 7 to 10 pounds. Our wilderness camp Chanagai at the Shishkid produced just a little less than 20 Taimen in the trophy class this spring, due to the difficult water conditions, within 10 fishing days by a small group of 4 experienced fishermen, the largest fish scaled at just 130 cm.

Fly Fishing for Hucho Taimen with dry Mouse Flies

The fly fishing from our camp at the upper Delger Moron River was marked by higher water levels as well, and the river could not be crossed by wading, but the water was crystal clear. The Taimen were very aggressive, like every spring, and they were concentrating at the lesser contributaries and shallower stretches of the river, outside the deep pools or fast running water with large boulders and rocks. Skillfully presented mouse-flies were snatched from the surface in a very impressive way. The really big Taimen usually open or break the single-hook or the tippet, or they simply spit out the fly again. But after a few disappointing attempts, specimen in the class of 90 to 120 cm can be landed even by less experienced fishermen, lacking the practice and confidence in handling heavy and strong game fish.

Wilderness Expedition for Hucho Taimen in Mongolia

Our recent Taimen-Expedition across the National Park at the headwaters of the Delger Moron, along the Russian-Mongolian borders, was very demanding and adventurous in particular this spring. The small expedition team was formed by selected sportsmen from the Czech Republic. During an extraordinary good day and best stretch of the wild river, more than 25 mature Taimen were landed by just 3 fishermen, without exception caught on large mouse-flies or similar lures. The largest fish, however, a specimen of estimated well over 140 cm, escaped close to the bank, as always. While on horseback during the long trek with native guides and horsemen across snow-covered mountains, and while floating down the river through dramatic canyons and wild highlands, - wolves, wild boars, deer, Maral elk, moose, eagles and vultures have been spotted every day in a virgin land, which is still covered with morning dew,  - but this wilderness tour is part of another story now ...

J. Haman