Sweetwater Mongolian Taimen Camps

7 night 6.5 day fishing program

$7300 per person per week

$800 per person private charter to the camp

Fishing License: $450

Water conditions in Mongolia are generally quite stable. However, if the headwaters of our rivers do receive a heavy rain, off-color water conditions are possible. Fishing is still possible in off color conditions and that the rivers generally clear quickly. Fishing weeks will not be canceled; refunds will not be offered if muddy water conditions occur during the course of the season. 

Included: Accommodations and breakfast in Ulaanbaatar on arrival and departure day, all transportation within the country, accommodations and all meals including beer and occasionally wine at the camp, guided fishing, fishing license and flies

Not Included: Airfare to/from Ulaanbaatar, other meals and incidentals in Ulaanbaatar, alcohol and gratuities

Taimen are known as the River Wolf in Mongolia and are an especially ferocious fish which has been known to eat prairie dogs, ducklings, squirrels, and other fish half their size. When not devouring their prey, Taimen attack dry flies. The guides in Mongolia have honed dry fly fishing to create effective, castable patterns, and our fishing results have improved with each passing year. It is a strike worth traveling for. The average fish measures 30 inches with 50 plus inch fish hooked every week. The biggest Taimen we have landed measured 60.5 inches and weighed upwards of 80 pounds. There truly is no better place in the world to catch a trophy Taimen. Anglers at the camps have caught the last three world record Taimen on a dry fly.

The rivers are also inhabited by the Asian Trout, the Lenok. The Lenok are most closely related to the Brown Trout and are the oldest Trout species in the world. Lenok feed on nymphs and dry flies on a regular basis. The rivers have very abundant insect hatches and prolific terrestrial insects. This food concentrates in the afternoon, and you will see pods of Lenok feeding on the surface most afternoons. The Lenok on the rivers average around 18 inches, but we catch fish up to 28 inches every season. Taimen are targetted with 8 or 9 weights and Lenok with a 5 or 6 weight. For the Taimen, one can fish both double-handed and single-handed rods. The fish lay in riffles and in deeper runs. Almost all of the fish are caught on the surface, but, when the fish are being tricky, you can go after them with streamers and sinking lines. Once hooked, the bigger fish will jump completely out of the water before bull dogging their way back to their den.

The Lenok are a great way to spend a couple of hours a day. They will remind you of the Browns on the Yellowstone as they sip dries. Do not be surprised if your Lenok start to act like a bonefish being chased by a shark, however, as we lose Lenok to Taimen that are lurking in the deeper water every year. In fact, we have landed Taimen that have refused to let go of a Lenok that they grabbed off a five weight. Mongolia’s fishing offers you the chance to catch the world’s oldest trout on a fly rod and the world’s largest trout on a fly rod. 

There is a spring and fall season for taimin at the camp. The spring season is in May and June and the fall season is in September. 

Sample Itinerary:
Day 1: Depart home (Friday; or possibly Saturday departure depending on departure location)
Day 2: Layover in Hong Kong or Seoul
Day 2: Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, ULN, (Saturday or Sunday). Here you will be met by a representative from the outfitter’s Mongolian travel partner and be taken to your hotel. That evening you will have the opportunity to see a traditional Mongolian performance, which is highly recommended.
Day 3: (Monday) Breakfast at the Hotel. Fly to camp (approximately 3 hours) in on helicopter charter. Fish for half a  day.
Days 4-9: (Tuesday - Sunday) Six full days of fishing.
Day 10: (Monday) Pack and fly back to Ulaanbaatar - overnight at included hotel
Day 11: (Tuesday) Depart Mongolia
Day 12: (Weds) Return US

NOTE - it is possible to depart the US on a Saturday, but we recommend leaving on Friday to build a buffer in case of any flight delays. If the charter flight is missed on Monday it is still possible to get to camp via a long overland drive at added expense

Two camps are strategically positioned to enable fishermen to access over 120 combined miles of river by boat. The camps are isolated wilderness facilities with very limited access to the outside world, which enhances the fishery and the adventure experience. Each camp is equipped with a dining lodge overlooking the river, bathhouse and shower facility, 110 and 220 volt electricity, and are as well equipped as any lodge in Mongolia. We continue to make improvements to our facilities each season. There are satellite phones in camp, but internet service is not an option.

Fishermen stay in traditional Mongolian gers which are felt tents wrapped around a collapsible wooden frame. They are 9 feet high and 18 feet in diameter, much larger than standard wall tents.  They are equipped with framed full-length single beds, ample room for storing gear, and an area to sit down, hot water for washing your hands and face, and a sitting area for relaxing by the wood stove. Each ger accommodates two fishermen.

Travel Itinerary
Saturday - depart US, overnight in Bejing or Seoul (also possible to travel through Moscow or Berlin)
Sunday - arrive in Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar (ULN), transfer to a included hotel
Monday - transfer to airport and fly 2 hours to the river, begin fishing
Tuesday - Sunday

The Mongolian Taimen Camp program operates two camps; the Eg Ur camp which is located near the confluence of the Eg-Ur rivers and Tarialan which is located on the lower Eg River. Between the two camps, anglers fish over 120 miles of water. Access to this amount of water allows anglers to spread out fishing pressure and insures that you will have quality opportunities at fresh water.