ARTICLE 9

Fly Fishing in Mongolia

When it comes to fly fishing, what easily come to mind are coastal countries. Many may be surprised to know that one of the best fly fishing sites is in Mongolia. Yes, it is not just an ordinary fly fishing experience, it is an exotic experience!

Although Mongolia’s topography consists mainly a plateau between about 900 and 1,500 m (about 3,000 and 5,000 ft) in elevation, there are many lakes and rivers that are perfect fishing grounds.

Large rivers that stretch out over three drainage systems are complemented by the picturesque view of vast plains and rolling hills, a paradise of nature lovers and environmentalists. There are over 3500 rivers and more than 35 lakes in Mongolia all barely touched by modern civilization. These bodies of water are home to a wide array of fish like Tiamen, Lenok, Grayling, Pike and Sturgeon.

The taimen is the top attraction of fly fishers in Mongolia. These fish are ferocious predators that can grow to humongous proportions, even bigger than king salmon and can weigh as much as 200 pounds.

The tiamen is fished mainly with surface flies on floating lines but streamers fished with a sinking line are also effective.

The Lenok (Brachymstax lenok) is Mongolia’s equivalent of a trout. The Lenok is found only in North Aisa. It commonly grows to as long as 18 inches and weights from 2-3 pounds. In Mongolia, some Lenoks grow to over 30 inches. Much of the time, Lenok’s stay in shallow waters making them easy for fly fishers to catch using dry and terrestrial flies.

The Grayling (Thymallus thymallus) is a fish species from the Salmonidae family. They are very abundant in Mongolia. In fact, there are three sub-species found there, the largest of which is Arctic Grayling which can grow to a maximum length of 76 centimeters and can weigh as much as 3.8 kilos.

A 9’ rod for 8 or 9 wt lines is generally recommended for Taimen fishing A 5 or 6 weight rod with floating line is recommended for fishing Lenok and Grayling.

The Chuluut and Soumin rivers are famous fly fishing spots in Mongolia. Chuluut means rocky. It drains into Lake Baikal and home to many large taimen fish. Some of the famous fly fishing rivers in Mongolia are Onon, Herlen, Amur, Barkh, Balj, Kherlen, Khanui, Tamir, Orkhon, Eg, Selenge, Bugsey, Delgermoron and Ider.

The best time to go fly fishing in Mongolia is between May and June when the winter is over and the rivers at their lowest level. For those who take picturesque backdrop into consideration, fly fishing in early spring is a perfect time because the hillside is filled with carpets of alpine flowers.

Spring fishing season begins in end of May and end of June when the winter is over and rivers are at their lowest. Early spring is an idyllic time of year when the fishing is excellent and the hillsides are carpeted with alpine flowers.

When not fly fishing, other activities to be involved in includes trekking, taking beautiful photography, bird watching and horseback riding.