In 1995, at the suggestion of friends leading the Mongolian Biodiversity Project, Jeff Vermillion organized a fall expedition to explore the rivers of Mongolia for trophy taimen.  The results far surpassed his expectations.  During the 1995 exploratory, Jeff and his Mongolian partner, Hubsgul Travel Company, discovered the Aryol and Bator rivers as prime fly fishing destinations.  Unlike the taimen rivers in Siberia and other parts of Mongolia, these rivers allowed Jeff and his fishermen to stalk the banks New Zealand-style and sight fish for taimen in the 50 inch plus range.

    Today, Jeff and his organization have made access to this wild and remote region of Mongolia a reality for Western anglers.   The operators of the Mongolian taimen fishing program have learned much based on three season's of operating experience and Jeff Vermillion's knowledge from his extensive exploratory trips.  There have been many refinements made to the fishing program, but, along with outstading fishing, you will still experience a real adventure in the remote, outer reaches of Mongolia.  The information which follows will help you to prepare with the knowledge and equipment appropriate for the journey.

Location:  Mongolia is located in northern Asia.  It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south.  This precarious political position and its natural isolation - the Altay Mountains to the west and the Gobi Desert to the south - have kept Mongolia out of the Western spotlight for the last 70 years, and it was only in 1990 that the first Western tourists began to trickle in. 
    Mongolia is a mysterious country to foreigners.  To most it is simply recognized as the fabled homeland of the fierce nomad warrior Genghis Khan.  After your fishing journey, we hope you'll remember Mongolia for its wild unbroken countryside, its kind and generous people, and abundant wildlife.  Of course, by then you'll understand that in Mongolia only the sportfish are fierce. 

Political Overview:  In 1990, Mongolia declared its independence from Russia.  This sudden liberation caused an immediate economic collapse.  Like other satellite states, Mongolia had been completely dependent on the Soviet Union's welfare system and unemployment soared as did the price of essential consumer goods.  For the first time, Russians began demanding hard currency for their goods.  The Mongolians were left without the means to keep their cities running.  It soon became apparent that, on its own, Mongolia did not have the infrastructure to survive.  However, the Mongolians are hardy people, well-prepared for difficult times, and they were determined to succeed as an independent country.
    More recently Mongolia elected a former communist to be president.  To the surprise of the rest of the world, Mongolia has kept to a platform of free market reform.  State-owned companies continue to be auctioned off daily to a new breed of Mongolian entrepreneurs.  Coupled with vast foreign aid, Mongolia seems to be approaching a promising new era. 

Terrain:  Roughly the size of Alaska, Mongolia has a very diverse terrain: vast semi-desert and desert plains, extensive grasslands, unbroken larch and pine forest, and high mountains.  Jeff Vermillion's group operates three different camps in the region.  Two of the camps are located in the northern part of the region.  Here, clients can expect a predominance of larch, birch and alder forests and lush ground vegetation.  This combination of wide fertile valleys, thick forests and surrounding mountains provide the fly fisherman with stunning views. 
    The terrain in the region around the southern camp is much drier.  here the rivers remind a fisherman of some of the U.S.'s more famous dry-land waters like the Green River in Utah or Oregon's Deschutes River.  In this area, the valley floor is rarely heavily forested.  Rather it tends to be unfenced grasslands.  Also the mountains are higher than those those in the northern fishery and are forested with heavy stands of birch and larch.  They are inhabited by some of Mongolia's largest elk herds. 

Climate:  Mongolia, again like Montana, is a dry place with great daily and seasonal temperature ranges.  During August, September and early October (the taimen fishing season) the weather in the region to be fished is typically quite good.  Sunny days and cold nights are the norm; however fishermen should come prepared for potential fall weather.  In 1997, clients remarked that they thought the weather would be warmer.  While this can be the case, keep in mind that the camp elevation is 4200 feet and that the camps are located at about the same parallel as the Canadian border.  Also remember that the later your trip, the colder it will be.  In terms of fishing, the taimen seem to get more aggressive as the fall progresses.  As a side note, our southern camp season begins and ends later.  The weather in this area is generally drier and warmer than it is at our other two camps. 

Language:  The official language of Mongolia is Khalka Mongol.  Secondary languages include Russian and English.  Language, however, will not be a concern.  When you are in Ulaanbaatar, you will be escorted by an English-speaking guide. 

Ulaanbaatar:  Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia and home to nearly a third of its population.  UB, as it is referred to by the expatriates and tourists, is Mongolia's business and tourism hub.  However, it is still by any standard far behind the rest of the world.  Cows, goats and horses wander through its parks.  The city looks like most other big communist capitals of the continent with the exception that outside of UB there are heavily forested mountains and on the outskirts there are Mongolian gers scattered in every direction.  To its credit, UB feels clean, safe and friendly.

Religion:  The predominant religion in Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism.  Unfortunately most of the Mongolian monasteries were destroyed during the communist rule.  near our camps there are a number of shrines at the sites where the temples were pillaged and destroyed.  Interested clients can enjoy visits to the Gaandan Hiid Monastery in Ulaanbaatar and other more famous Buddhist temples throughout Mongolia.  Religion has made a complete revival since Mongolia's independence.  We would be pleased to organize tours of the capital and/or the countryside. 

Currency:  The national currency of Mongolia is the togrog.  While the currency has stabilized to a certain degree, we urge clients to change only what is immediately necessary.  The inflation rate in 1997 was roughly 50 percent.  Keep in mind that tourist shops in Ulaanbaatar eagerly accept U.S. dollars. 

Flight Information:  Traveling to Mongolia is not nearly as difficult as it would seem.  Ulaanbaatar is just a two-hour flight from Beijing by commercial airline.  We strongly suggest that you let us plan your flight itinerary and issue all tickets.  This allows us to handle and expedite the visa processing as well as the internal flights (Beijing/Ulaanbaatar/Beijing).  We will get the best fares and plan itineraries to meet your objectives.  Please keep in mind that delays and cancellations can occur, and if we have not done your ticketing, there is very little we can do to assist you in the event of a problem. 

Travel Documents:  A valid passport is required for travel to China and Mongolia, plus a single-entry tourist visa for Mongolia.  You will be required to present the visas upon entry and exit.  We will arrange all necessary visas.  In the case of the Mongolian visa, tourists must have an official invitation from Mongolia.  Our Mongolian partner will send these invitations directly to us.  The visa processing cost is in addition to the land package (approximately $200 total). 
    We will ask you to complete the visa application instructions carefully, complete the form, obtain the passport-sized pictures required, and return these to us along with your valid passport.  The visas will be stamped inside your passport, which must have at least two empty pages on which to stamp the visas.
    There is a departure tax from both China and Mongolia of approximately $12 each.  The departure tax for China must be paid in local currency.  The rate at the time of printing is 90REM. Please make sure to have at least this amount of local Chinese currency before checking in for your departure flights. 

Baggage Requirements:  The weight restrictions per traveler varies from airline to airline.  However, you should pack reasonably;  it is suggested that you keep baggage weight under 50 pounds.  Overweight baggage charges will be your responsibility.  Please consider packing essential fishing gear in your carry on.  This will avoid any inconveniences on your fishing trip. 

The Camp:  The camps are strategically positioned on nice stretches of river in the remote outback of Mongolia to enable fishermen to access over 90 combined miles of river by jetboats.  These are isolated wilderness facilities with very limited access to the outside world, enhancing the fishery and the adventure experience.  Our clients have given us glowing reports about the standard of service and level of comfort at the camp.  Each has a dining lodge, bathhouse and shower facility;  110 volt electricity supplied by our on-site generator is available for charging video cameras, etc. 
    Fishermen will stay in traditional Mongolian gers which are felt tents wrapped around a collapsible wooden frame.  They are 9 feet high and 15 feet in diameter, much larger than standard wall tents, and are equipped with framed full-length single beds, ample shelving for storing gear, and an area to sit down and relax by a wood stove.  each ger accommodates two fishermen. 

Cuisine:  Food is prepared by an experienced Mongolian kitchen staff which has accompanied Jeff on past trips and clients have been quite pleased with the food.  Meals include a wide range of traditional Mongolian and American dishes.  After a soup course, grilled lamb, beef, chicken and fish prepared in a variety of ways may accompany side dishes of steamed carrots, beets, cabbage, potatoes and other vegetables.  Mixed salads are served nightly.  On the river, fishermen can enjoy a shore lunch of barbecued steak, venison or pork, and one day a week will dine on lenok, pike or grayling prepared by their American guide.  If fishermen find it impossible to take a break, more simple lunches of soup, sandwiches and desserts are always available.

    All food is prepared with properly filtered water, so there is no need to pack bottled water.

Alcoholic Beverages:  Beer and soft drinks are provided at camp and are included in the land package cost.  However, due to the difficulty of finding quality liquors, fishermen should bring a supply of the drink of their choice; none will be available at camp.  Bringing liquor into China and Mongolia is not a problem.

Insects:  Mongolia is a dry country with remarkably few bugs, but mosquitos and white socks are present in some of the wetter areas.  Take insect repellant just in case.

The Guiding Staff:  Our guiding staff at the camps consists of highly experienced guides, who are professionals and well respected in the fly-fishing world.  More importantly, though, they are very personable and will do everything possible to make your fishing vacation in Mongolia a memorable one.

Gratuities:  Gratuities are not included in the package cost and are left to the client's discretion.  The camp manager will be happy to give you tipping guidelines;  for planning purposes fishermen can expect a range of $350-$425 per person per week.  All tips will be pooled and distributed among the entire Mongolian and American camp staff.
 

The Fishery:  The rivers in the region to be fished are a fly fisherman's dream - they are clear and easy to wade (even the banks are easy walking) and range in size from 40 - 120 feet wide.  It is hard to imagine that a fish as large as the taimen can live in these waters.  In fact, our largest taimen yet, a 62-inch fish, was taken on a mouse pattern in a particularly narrow stretch of river.

Boats and Equipment:  Fishermen will fish from 18-ft aluminum semi-V Lowe boats powered by 40-hp Yamaha jet units with three fishermen to a boat.  The majority of the fishing will be wading.  However, atlantic salmon-style drops are possible for those who enjoy a break from wading.  Boats are equipped with life vests, an emergency kit and a cooler for food and drinks.
 

The Fish:  Taimen (Hucho hucho taimen) are an especially ferocious fish that can attain weights of well over 100
pounds.  In Russia there are reports of taimen up to 200 pounds.  On the rivers to be fished in Mongolia, the average taimen is around 32 inches and roughly 10 pounds.  However, almost every day there will be multiple chances on fish over 50 inches.  Taimen are an aggressive fish that will eat anything they can fit in their mouth.  During the 1996 exploratory, one of the guides demonstrated how Mongolians fish for taimen with prairie dogs.  After shooting a prairie dog and rigging the bait, the guide cast out his prairie dog and reeled it back as fast as possible.  The result was incredible.  A 45-inch taimen came out of the water and slammed the bait.  Fortunately for fly fishermen, a simple mousepattern will suffice in bringing these huge fish to the surface.  Streamer patterns on either a sink tip or floating line also work well.  In the past, fishermen have resorted to wets after multiple refusals on mice, poppers, etc. 
    Lenok (Brachymstax lenok) are the Mongolian equivalent of a trout.  In appearance they look like a rainbow trout with the mouth of a tarpon.  These fish rely on the prolific caddis and mayfly hatches, and terrestrials such as grasshoppers and crickets.  Lenok average 18-20 inches long and are truly a blast on lighter fly rods.  Larger lenok will dine on mice patterns and streamers.  As one fisherman, later dubbed "Lord lenok", put it: "Why on earth would you cast gerbil flies for a fish like taimen that are so huge and difficult to bring in when you can sight cast normal dries to 20-28 inch lenok?"
    Amur pike are present in Mongolian rivers and lakes.  In fact they are reported to reach well into the 30-pound range.  From our experience, though, we have not had great success on this species.  Perhaps with more exploring we'll find good fishing for these European giants.

Taimen fishing in Mongolia is a lot like fly fishing for oversized Atlantic salmon or steelhead on a dry fly.  It is similar because you are fishing for taimen in the current and, consequently, you need to keep your fly riding high in the water.  By riffle hitching a mouse, large muddler or streamer, fishermen can keep their fly twitching through the surface film.  Taimen have a true weakness for flies presented in this fashion.
    For fly fishermen, though, getting your fly to ride properly is the least of your problems.  Keep in mind that some of these fish are 4-6 feet long.  Now imagine a fish that large visibly chasing down your fly.  In some cases taimen will come completely out of the water and hit your fly on their way back into the water.  Other times taimen will simply follow it slowly with their tail out of the water some four feet behind the fly and attempt to gulp it slowly like a Montana cutthroat.  Whatever the case, more often than not it is a spectacle that will bewilder even the most experienced, and the result is that the fisherman will pull the fly away from the fish before an actual take.
    Remember, like Atlantic salmon and steelhead fishing, it is crucial that you let the fish take down the fly before striking.  If you get that far, once the fish is hooked up try to keep calm (because the fish won't!).  Don't run down the shoreline trying to get below the fish.  It is far more crucial to keep control on a fish this large and by running you may stumble and break a rod.  Once the fish has made its initial run, then walk down trying to get even with the fish keeping good tension.
    Landing taimen is an extremely tricky matter.  They simply don't make nets large enough.  Consequently it is important to pull the fish into the shallows until just the eyes are out of the water.  At this point, hold it tight until the fish relaxes and allows you to approach.  Then, believe it or not, you can slide a hand under the gill without damaging the fish.  Do not try to hoist a huge taimen with one hand.  They will twist your hand and make you quite sorry.  This all sounds fairly complicated, but in reality it is simple - let your guide take care of it.  Keep in mind that all taimen are released, so please treat them with great care!  Do not pull them onto the shore under any circumstances.

Suggested Clothing

Hiking boots (waterproof)

Polypropylene long underwear - recommended layer beneath neoprene waders

Poly/cotton and chamois flannel or fleece shirts

Fleece or down vest or "down shirt"

Fishing jacket/windbreaker

Fishing and camp trousers - jeans, cotton chinos, canvas, corduroy, or wool

Rain gear, waterproof (Gore-Tex) and to use as extra layer:  Note: Fishing jacket or rain jacket with tackle pockets and warming pockets and snap on hood is desirable.

Wool or poly fingerless gloves

Shorts for warm weather

Short-sleeve shirts

Cotton and wool socks

Warm sweater

Knitted stocking cap

Visored fishing hat

Warm-up suit for walking between your tent and shower facility

• Warm coat (down-filled) for later Sept./Oct. weeks; for helicopter rides and morning and evening runs to and from camp

• Camera and plenty of film (film is not available at camps)
• Insect repellent
• Personal medications (the camp has an extensive first-aid kit)
• Face cloth, toilet kit, bath towel
• Sunscreen
• A battery-operated razor is probably best; otherwise, blade razor
• Snacks - Some are available at camp but you may want to take some personal favorites such as crackers, candy bars, dried fruit, etc.
• A day pack or gear bag - You need a small waterproof bag to take "stuff" out each day including camera gear, extra tackle, clothing and snacks.  can also double as a piece of carry-on luggage.
• Flashlight
• Liquor of choice

• 3 - 5 weight for lenok (take floating line only)
• 8, 9, or 10 weight for taimen, take floating, sink-tip and sinking lines (t-200, t-300)
• Simms Gore-Tex waders for August trips
• Simms 3mm neoprene waders for September/October trips
• 1 pair felt-soled wading boots
• 2 pairs of polarized glasses
• Needlenose pliers (important for de-barbing hooks and releasing taimen)
• Hook file (taimen have hard mouths so this is a crucial item)
• Line nippers
• Dry fly flotant
• Split shot
• Indicator yarn/strike indicator
• Leader material, 15-lb minimum for taimen, 4-lb minimum for lenok

• Dave's hoppers size 6, 8, 10
• Cricket patterns size 6, 8, 10
• Caddis 12, 14
• Assorted attractor dries 12, 14
• A basic selection of attractor nymphs 10, 12, 14 - (In 1997 we used very few nymphs because fish loved dries.)
• Lefty's Deceiver size 2/0-4/0
• Large wooly buggers (jointed patterns worked well) 2/0-4/0
• Lead eye bunny patterns 2/0-4/0
• Wooly buggers size 2-6
• Mice patterns 1/0, 2/0 - get creative on these