Fish Mongolia

How do I book?

You can book directly with us in Mongolia, and pay by bank wire transfer, or you can book through one of our agents in the UK, France or USA. Please submit an enquiry and we will guide you through the booking process.

Can I extend the trip to do some trekking or sightseeing in Mongolia?

Yes, we have our own travel office in Ulaanbaatar and we specialize in designing custom tours of Mongolia. You can extend your fishing trip, with some sightseeing, perhaps to the Gobi, or visit the monasteries of the steppes. You can even combine fly-fishing with horse riding or mountain walking treks in the northern wilderness areas. Just let us know you interests and we will makes some suggestions for you to choose from.

Do we need to fly in old Russian helicopters?

We can access our camps by domestic flight and a few hours jeep drive. By taking helicopters out of the equation we are able make this unique fishing experience more affordable, and remove the risk of you being stranded at camp in case of bad weather grounding the helicopters – unlike many Kamchatka camps. The downside is a few hours by jeep travelling over rough tracks from the regional airport to the camp – but you get to see the steppes and stop at some interesting sights on the way.

What are the extra costs? Are there any hidden costs?

All the costs, what’s included and excluded from the price, are clearly stated in the detailed itinerary. If you complete our registration form, you’ll get access to all our detailed itineraries and additional resources.
You will want to budget for things that aren’t included such as sightseeing and meals in Ulaanbaatar, and tips for the camp crew. Bring some spending money for souvenirs and cashmere shopping. On some trips we ask for a local payment to cover domestic flights, transfers, and excess baggage.

How does your trip compare with others?

There are many Mongolia travel companies that can arrange a tour, providing a jeep, driver, and translator, booking you into the tourist ger camp network around the country. Many now offer Taimen fishing tours, but unfortunately standards are variable.

By all means compare trips, but read between the lines and ask questions; how many hours a day will you be bounced around in a jeep? What will the food be like? What is the standard of accommodation? Do they have good equipment? Do they have permission to fish there? Will you even have a fishing licence? At that bargain price what have they cut out? What are the extra costs?

If the details are important to you then we suggest you travel with a professional fly-fishing outfitter, like us, or other members of the Association of Mongolia Angling guides www.taimen.mn.

Can you arrange a custom fishing trip?

Yes, we specialize in custom trips. Please contact us to discuss your requirements and we will prepare some tour and camp suggestions for you.

Will you guarantee a ‘trophy’ taimen?

There are no guarantees in fishing; that’s why its called ‘fishing’ and not ‘catching’! We aim to provide you with a remarkable all-round Mongolian fishing experience. Our camps are located to give you the opportunity to catch good numbers of taimen, and the chance of trophy fish over one metre.

How many taimen will I catch?

Its difficult to say how many fish you will catch; it depends on the river, the season, weather, water levels, your skill and effort. We generally catch between 10 and 40 taimen per trip.

When’s the best time to fish in Mongolia?

The best times to fish in Mongolia are spring and autumn- our main season is June through to mid July and then again in September. Exact times vary from river to river.

The official season begins on June 15th; and on many rivers the fishing is good through to mid-July. From mid-July to the end of August there is a greater risk of flooding and if the weather is warm the taimen are be less active. Through September the weather gets progressively cooler and the taimen become more aggressive, making this the most popular fishing season.

Good fishing actually continues through October, but it is often too cold to fish comfortably. Some camps at lower altitudes can extend their season to early October, but late season fishing is only advised for the hardiest of anglers

Can I fish independently in Mongolia?

Only foreigners who are permanent or temporary residents have a right to fish for ‘house-hold’ purposes, and can purchase their permits locally from the village administration or ranger. Tourists must have a special permit authorized by the Ministry of Nature and Environment. In practice this means that only companies who have fishing rights agreements with the local administration can get permits to fish specific rivers.

If you fish without a permit you can be fined, have your fishing rods and tackle confiscated and your vehicle impounded. On some rivers enforcement teams are becoming much more active – so beware! Fish with an outfitter that has all the necessary agreements and permits; there are some companies that cut corners and don’t get the right permits.

How does the community benefit?

We aim to work with local communities to protect the fishery. Statements that Mongolians don’t fish are out-dated; many townsfolk and city-dwellers, and some local herders like to fish, and this is mostly for the table and mostly without a permit. There is also now some commercial poaching. We need to demonstrate to the local community that fly-fishing can be a sustainable alternative to poaching.

What is the weather like?

The summer weather in Mongolia can be mixed, generally with warm sunny days and some rain; occasional low pressure weather systems can bring more prolonged rain and overcast weather. Keeping in mind that we will at elevations of 1500m to 2000m you should come prepared for all weathers: there can be frost at night, and we have experienced snow in August.

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