Dyachenko Yuriy, a tourist, traveler, and fishing enthusiast, couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hunt for taimen during his trip to Mongolia, as it is widely believed that Northern Mongolia is the land of the taimen. Mongolia is a state in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. Mongolia is among the countries that have no access to the sea. There are few places in the world as wild and untouched, with as many large and small rivers and lakes, as in this country of beautiful natural landscapes. It is here that you can encounter wild, uninhabited areas where meeting another person is a rare event. The animal and plant life is incredibly rich and diverse, and the waters are teeming with fish. Believe me, this is where anglers are in for some extraordinary luck! Anglers from all over the world come to Mongolia to fish. Northern Mongolia is characterized by the largest contrasts in annual and daily temperatures on Earth, with low precipitation and a pronounced summer maximum. The average temperature in the northern regions is approximately 18-19°C, but the maximums can reach nearly 40°C.
Yuriy Kostyantynovych visited the Selenge River, which flows through Mongolia and Russia, empties into Lake Baikal, and forms a wide delta with an area of 700 square kilometers. The Selenge mostly flows through flat terrain; its length in Russia is 370 kilometers, and its total length is 880 kilometers. Along the banks of this mighty river, you can find many rare birds, herds of sheep and horses grazing, and occasionally, yurts surrounded by camps of Bactrian camels. The Selenge generally has a flat profile with alternating narrowings and basin-like expansions. Where the river splits into channels, it forms numerous islands. The banks, mostly forested, are clay-sandy but often have pebbles as well. The river has a fairly fast current and relatively shallow depth. The sharply continental climate keeps the river in an icy embrace from November to April. In September, snow can fall at night and melt during the day.
Here, you can find the largest fish of the salmon family—the taimen, the king of all salmonids, which often exceeds 60 kilograms in weight. You can also encounter Baikal omul, tench, pikeperch, and Siberian grayling. Although the Selenge is not an easy place for fishing, it is incredibly fascinating!
So, the taimen… The largest specimens reach a body length of 1.5-2 meters and weigh 60-80 kilograms. The body of the fish is quite slender but slightly blocky, covered in small silver scales, as is typical for most salmonids. In the area of the head and on the sides, when viewed from above, numerous black spots can be seen, which may take the shape of an “X” or be purely round. The head somewhat resembles that of a pike, being flattened from top to bottom. The taimen has a fairly wide mouth that spans the entire width of its head and opens almost to the gill slits. The upper and lower jaws are lined with rather sharp, inward-curving teeth that grow in several rows. The taimen has strong and broad fins, providing it with high maneuverability and speed in the water.
As Yuriy has repeatedly noted, the taimen is a true fighter, and the process of reeling it in is turbulent and emotional, keeping the angler in a state akin to a coiled spring. Fly fishing for taimen is an art form, and persuading a trophy specimen to bite is something only a true master of the craft can achieve!
