When a trout species measures 30 inches or longer does it really matter if you hooked it while fishing from a boat or while fishing on foot? Taimen is the largest of the salmonid family, with many Mongolian fish living up to fifty years and reaching sixty inches. Because of their age and predatory instinct, these fish are big, old, and smart. The Mongolian government has recognized the treasure of the taimen and created sanctuaries on the Eg, Ur Onon, and Delger Rivers.
In Mongolia, anglers can enjoy a base-camp experience using a jet boat each day to access the best sections, stalking and head-hunting large taimen, or enjoy a multi-day camping and float-fishing trip through beautiful canyons and open plains.
Yellow Dog offers floating and camping trips on the Onon and Delger and a jet boat trip out of base camps on the Eg and Ur. The staff and residents tend to follow a traditional nomadic lifestyle, often using camels to transport goods, and they possess deep Tibetan Buddhist roots and serious respect for nature, so these trips are one-of-a-kind.
Float Fishing Trips via Drift Boat
Trips on the Onon and Delger are both exciting taimen fly fishing trips. They offer slightly different experiences, but both offer the exhilaration of standing in a drift boat casting to the world’s largest trout. An Onon River drift boat trip is a special backcountry experience as there are no generators, stereos, or TVs: only the sounds of the running river and the wind in the trees. The only lights are candles, lanterns, and the stars that fill the sky. A Delger River trip is divided into two sections—the canyon trip and the headwaters trip. The headwaters trip is ideal for someone who wants to mix some hiking and horseback riding to even more remote fishing spots with guided float fishing, while the canyon trip is a multi-day float fishing trip.
Our float fishing trips offer four uniquely different fishing experiences on the Onon and Delger Rivers, yet all provide beautiful landscapes, fascinating culture, comfortable accommodations in a traditional Mongolian ger (similar to a yurt), excellent food and service, and professional guides who would be considered great guides anywhere in the world.
Float fishing trips via jet boat
Unlike a float trip covering many miles of the river while camping en route, trips on the Eg and Ur are more akin to traditional Atlantic salmon-style fishing. The guide uses a jet boat to travel to the best runs and sections, then methodically maneuvers the boat downstream using an anchor. This allows for two anglers to fish simultaneously and very effectively. Skating and swinging big flies have proven highly effective for these large wolfish fish.
On the Eg and Ur each guide has a specific section or “beat” of the river and clients rotate through different guides throughout the week. Days are long and guides will be excited to fish throughout the day, returning to comfortable gers each evening in time for a quick sit in the river-rock sauna. The upper camp is located on the banks of the Ur River, and the lower camp is situated further downstream on the Eg River below the confluence of the Eg and the Ur.
Whether casting to taimen from the bow of a drift boat or wading knee-deep and swinging them up, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures has a Mongolia fly fishing for taimen trip to suit your angling taste.
In the remote and majestic backcountry of the land of taimen, this landscape is fitting for a fish this large.
+ Listen to this WAYPOINTS Podcast: CHARLIE CONN - Taimen Fishing and the Draw of Mongolia
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