Later the same week, Bev Holt, of England, cast from the boat toward a particularly suspicious lie with a mouse pattern.  A 50-inch fish exploded on the fly and Bev set the hook.  After fighting the fish for a few minutes, the fish got off.  But taimen are hungry and pain means little to them - on the very next cast, the fish came back.  Thanks to good reflexes, Bev got his fly out of the danger zone in time.  On the next three casts he raised the fish in unreal swirls and out-of-the-water strikes but somehow never got the hook into the fish.  On his next cast, there was no question the fish had it and Bev set the hook like a champ.  The fish raced off, the rod exploded, and the fly popped out.  I looked around the boat for another rod but no luck except for a four weight lenok rod.  So we agreed we might as well try and, on the very next cast, the same fish smashed the mouse and somehow everything held together.  After a long battle, we managed to land it - definitely not a fish I would like to tackle again with a 4-weight rod!
    Our last week of the season, much to husband Bob's dismay, Jean Kendall stood up after an extended fishing break and promptly said to guide, Ron Meek that she would just take a few casts.  One cast later, the water exploded just 30 feet from the boat.  After a long battle, she landed one of our largest fish of the season.  It was 55-inches long and after it was released, we heard Bob muttering something softly which sounded like, "It's just not fair!"  By week's end, Bob had recovered nicely, thanks to a lot of particularly friendly taimen.

The lenok and grayling fishing this year was great - especially during the caddis and mayfly hatches of the late fall.  Our largest lenok of the year was 30 inches, though probably the average was around 18-inches.  Lenok in the 20-24 inch range were a daily occurence.  Grayling averaged around 12-inches - our largest was about 18-inches.  The lenok and grayling fishing was fascinating in many regards.  First, we found that it was difficult to get clients interested in lenok after they caught a glimpse of their first taimen and, second, we found that lenok were either on the bite or off.  When they were biting , the fishing for them was a blast.  When they were turned off, it was difficult to keep fishermen trying for them.  Ron and I agreed that if a client were to go after them for a full day, he might expect between 10-30 lenok a day.

1998 looks to be another exciting year for taimen fishing in Mongolia.  Our October 1997 exploratory revealed an abundance of promising water and wild, unfished territory.  Predictably, the river south of our 1997 camp turned out to be some of the wildest country we have explored yet.  The river runs through a canyon with car-size boulders and some huge taimen pools.  It was here that Jean Kendall caught her big fish.  Below this the river braids out into a valley walled in by 6,000-foot peaks lined with larch, birch and cottonwood forests in full splendor.  The braids provided some very interesting fishing on our exploratory trip.  There is nothing more exciting in the fishing world than sight-fishing a mouse pattern to a 50-plus pound fish in really skinny water.
    Taimen, lenok and grayling counts in this stretch of river were identical to the area around our 1997 camp.  In addition, there were plenty in the trophy 4-5 foot range eager for fat mice (although they were unwilling to eat Russell Thornberry's  patented "beaver" pattern).  We have located the camp well out of range of last season's to ensure an overabundance of water for each individual camp.  With jet boats, each camp can access roughly 75 miles of new territory.....a rare treat in this ever-shrinking world!
    We have built a second camp in this stretch of river to accommodate six fishermen.  Like the upper camp, fishermen will stay in well-furnished gers with two iron spring beds, each with mattress and warm sleeping bag.  These traditional gers proved to be really popular with this season's clients.  They are spacious, 18-feet in diameter, and with a well-serviced stove (thanks to Gandbar, our "fire-guy"); they are quite cozy.  The separate shower building has great water pressure and plenty of hot water.  A nice hot shower, a meal prepared by our professional chef, and a warm ger finish off a day nicely.
    We also explored a totally new area.  The results were outrageous and plans have begun immediately to build a fully-equipped lodge to accommodate nine fishermen.  Unlike the area around our previous camps, this region is much warmer and dryer.  Even in mid-October, the days were warm and nighttime frosts were uncommon.  This area is surrounded by peaks from 6,000-8,000 feet that are heavily forested with larch pine.  The river valley is not nearly as heavily wooded, though willows, cottonwoods and alder line the river banks.

    The rivers accessible from the camp are reminiscent of Oregon's Deschutes River, though smaller.  From the camp we have jet-boat access to 140 miles of fishing water.  Perhaps one of the wildest memories I have from Mongolia is rounding the bend of one of the rivers to see a herd of bactrian camels on the river's edge right in our fishing hole.  Nothing could have seemed stranger to a guide from Montana.
 

FYI  Guided taimen fishing trips in Mongolia are available during September, October. For more information on booking a taimen fishing adventure,  contact:       Paul Reiss at AcuteAngling, in Califon, New Jersey,  (908) 832-2987, E-Mail Paul Reiss, or:  Garry Reiss  (908) 431-1668, E-Mail Garry Reiss

     The rivers in this area potentially hold some of the greatest taimen fishing anywhere.  In one pool near camp, we spotted 15 fish in the 40-60 pound category.  Of course, there were pools without a taimen in sight, but never before have we encountered a concentration of big taimen like this.
    In addition, this region has great lenok and pike fishing.  For 1998, we are planning a number of day exploratories each week to fish local tributaries with prolific numbers of lenok and grayling.  The lenok here average 16-inches, with a number of fish over 20-inches.  They love classic dries or popped mice.  On a small fly rod it should be a blast.  The pike can reach 30 pounds and inhabit backwaters of the river.
    It was a successful season in Mongolia and we are really looking forward to 1998.  Please feel free to inquire about client references from any of our 1997 weeks - at this point our clients are our best endorsement.  Most of them agreed that fly fishing for taimen in Mongolia was their wildest and most enjoyable fishing adventure yet.  After all, where else in the world is it possible to catch a 60-pound salmonid on a dry fly, surrounded by the breath-taking vistas of fall in Mongolia?