Taimen are legendary.
Taimen are the biggest and baddest of all trout species. They are top-tier predators. They own the river.
These fish attack ducklings, mice, and even gophers swimming in the river. We often see taimen plow across the surface charging trout. A big fish will drive a freaked out trout onto the bank. Then the taimen – jaws snapping – will wildly follow the trout up onto shore trying to eat it.
This river likely has Mongolia’s strongest taimen population.
There’s nothing else like it.
Taimen are by far the largest trout in the world.
They also live a very long time. Taimen don’t even start to spawn until they are seven years old. A giant fifty-five inch fish (1.25m) is very likely over fifty years old.
Most taimen caught on the fly measure between 25 to 40 inches (around 1 m).
This river is loaded with taimen in the 25 – 40 inch bracket. There are lots of taimen in the 40 – 50 inch bracket (around 1.25 m). There are definitely taimen from 50 inches up to 60+ inches (1.5m). However, these extremely big fish are not easy. With the right conditions you may very well see an absolute giant, but hooking and landing one is another matter.
No matter what, every taimen you encounter is going to make your eyes pop. They are impressive fish. Connect with a taimen and you’ll quickly appreciate the strength and beauty of this wonderful species.
Taimen attack surface flies.
Taimen will often explode on a surface fly repeatedly. Both top-water and streamer fishing are highly effective. However, watching a taimen destroy a dry fly is very addicting. Imagine someone standing on a cliff and throwing a boulder at your fly. That’s the ferocity of a crazed taimen strike.
This river is highly productive.
The river has benefited from decades of effective conservation efforts. There are lots of taimen in this river. We catch and safely release hundreds of taimen each season. Anglers may anticipate several taimen encounters daily. However, taimen fishing is not easy. One day, the river may reward with double-digits. The next, the taimen might get very finicky. You might swear all morning there’s not a taimen in the river and then “wham!” your fly disappears in a tidal wave explosion. Herculean casting skills are not required to catch taimen. Persistence and attitude win the day.
Taimen own the river.
These fish are the top of food chain. They do what they want, when they want. A mature taimen will use one-hundred kilometers of river every year for winter habitat, spawning beds, and in search of prey. There are lots of fish and big fish in every stretch of the river and they can be holding anywhere. Taimen are frequently ambush predators, sometimes working in groups of two or three, waiting in places like seams where they can strike unsuspecting prey. Or maybe you’ll find a big one just cruising incredibly shallow water along the willows looking for trout. They own the river.
We record and monitor every taimen we release.
We have years of taimen data. Some of the best data in the world. The head of every taimen has a unique spotting pattern. We measure and photograph the taimen and enter the information into our taimen data-base managed with the Wild Salmon Center. In this way, every taimen our anglers catch and release helps our science team monitor the taimen population.
MRO supplies all the taimen flies.
We will provide you with a comprehensive packing list for your fly fishing adventure. Guest bring suitable fishing clothing and gear. The best taimen rod for this river is a single hand 8 or 9 weight with a floating line and strong leader. You will also want a smaller weight rod for the outstanding trout fishing.
Come prepared for a wonderful challenge, celebrate every fish, and you’ll have the adventure of a lifetime!
