Fish Mongolia – Classic Canyons Float Trip

The Fish Mongolia Classic Canyon trips focus on a beautiful river flowing through western Mongolia, a large freestone river shadowed by limestone and granite cliffs rising hundreds of feet. Extremely large taimen lie in wait within the easily negotiated rapids and rock gardens. Banks covered with willows give way to deep pools, sparkling braids and wide gravel bars. Numerous lenok trout lie in wait for a big dry fly to float by and offer tremendous light tackle sport.

Hunting the river wolf

The upper 150 miles of the beautiful freestone river is run by Fish Mongolia and their excellent team. This area is bordered by limestone and granite cliffs rising hundreds of feet above the river. Steep gorges filled with larch and birch forests cascade towards the valley floor, and banks  covered with willows give way to deep pools, sparkling braids and wide gravel bars.

Taimen can live for nearly 50 years and reach over 60 inches (1.5 metres) in length. Several giant taimen are landed every season, but most taimen caught here on the fly are generally between 30 to 40 inches. They are giant predators, renowned for a ferocious appetite and explosive strike. Their main diet is “small” fish and they do take well-presented streamers. However, taimen often feed on the surface, searching out small mammals and even ducklings. This means taimen aggressively take skated or gurgling surface flies.

Fly fishing for taimen is the big draw on the Fish Mongolia Classic Canyon Float Trip, however, the same pristine and productive water which holds this ancient species also produces phenomenal numbers of lenok trout and grayling. Lenok are an ancient and beautiful Siberian trout that aggressively feed on the surface throughout the season. The grayling are the main food source for the taimen but they too offer some wonderful light tackle fishing.

The transport along the river is by drift boat as this is the most effective way to cover the distances between camps and fish at the same time. The river is floated at a leisurely pace, taking plenty of time to fish the best pools and runs. The boats are state of the art NRS manufactured drift boats, they are stable, comfortable and offer a great platform from which to fish.

Comfortable Ger Camps

In Ulaanbaatar you will be based at the Bayangol Hotel, a standard tourist hotel but one of the best on offer. Whilst on the Delger, the accommodation will be at ger camps situated along the river and currently there are eight in place.

The float trip offers you an incredible experience as you raft down and cover new water each day. Each night you are based in comfortable ger camps, two guests sharing a tent, set up in different locations along the river. All camps have the amenities one would expect to find in a comfortable African tented safari. There is a central dining ger and a shared shower ger with outside loo.

All meals are prepared in camp by well trained local Mongolian chefs. The food is a good balance of traditional Mongolian dishes and western flavours and ingredients. The quality of food produced in camp is quite astonishing and there is also a good selection of soft and alcoholic beverages available in camp and included in the trip cost.

The Mongolian Steppe

The Fish Mongolia Classic Canyon Float Trips operate in the Khövsgöl region of northern Mongolia. It is a unique fly fishing destination surrounded by snow-capped mountains, vast forests, meadows filled with wild flowers and thousands of rivers and lakes. 

Interacting with traditional Mongolian herders is a very unique part of this angling experience. The few families who live in the area all year round help to guard and protect the river, furthermore these families provide the a lot of the camp staff that help make the trips run smoothly.