Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country between Russia and China and is called the “Land of Blue
Skies” by the native Mongolians. This blue sky country is also one of the best fishing
destinations in the world. I was in Mongolia several times as I searched for trout in the Far East.
It became a favorite place. The country has a fantastic fishery that seems out of place in a land
of dry steppes and desert. A good part of Mongolia is one of the driest regions in the world and
the Gobi Desert in the southern part of the country is mostly sand. There is grass on the
steppes of the middle region but it is still dry. All of the rivers and most of the water are in the
north. Three of the largest rivers in the world begin in northern Mongolia and it is these river
systems that spawn a world class fishery.
The Ob, Yenisei, and Amur all begin in
northern Mongolian and it was these
river systems where I spent my time
searching for Mongolia trout.
That search led me to places I never
imagined and into situations that don't
exist in other parts of the world. Most of
my time in Mongolia was spent living in a
ger (the round tent of nomads) and
eating local food. There were few areas
with power and the staple of the diet
was mutton or sheep. That was really
too bad because I hate mutton. The
There are occasionally a few trees on the steppes.
weather was warm in the day and chilly
at night no matter what the season. The Arctic Circle is not far and the country is bitterly cold
in the winter.
Mongolia has an interesting history and I learned much about the country as I talked with new
Mongolians friends during my travels. Mongolians consider Chinggis Khaan (English is Ghingus
Khan) to be the founder of the country and many Khaan's have ruled the country over the
years. It has been occupied by both the Chinese and the Russians. The Chinese were in the
country for about two hundred years and the Russians about seventy. The Russians ousted the
Chinese in the early twentieth century and changed many things. One of the biggest changes
was the elimination of Buddhism. Before the Russians came into Mongolia it was a Buddhist
country with many temples and monks. During my travels in the country I saw only one
ancient Buddhist temple and no monks. I later found out that most were temples were
destroyed when the Russian communist took over the country and all of the monks killed. Over
the span of seventy years of occupation the Russians built most of the countries modern
infrastructure. When they left in 1990 most of the buildings they built were abandoned and
left to deteriorate. Those buildings are everywhere. I talked with many Mongolians about
what it was like when the Russians were in the country. Most said that it was brutal in the
beginning but over the years Mongolia developed a close relationship with Russia. Most of the
people I talked with thought highly of Russia and the Russian people.
Russian used to be the second language in the country but since the Russians left English is
slowly taking its place. Ulaanbaatar (English spelling is Ulan Bator) is the capital and like the
rest of the country has an interesting past. The present location is the final resting place of a
nomadic community that has known many names over several hundred years. The most
notable and longest was Urga. This was the name of the Mongolian capital until Russian
occupation in the 1920’s. In 1924 the city was renamed Ulaanbaatar by the Soviet
representative to Mongolia. The
translation of the name means
“Red Hero”. The identification of
the red hero in the name of the
capital is unknown. Almost half of
the country's population lives in
Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia is a
developing democracy with
abundant natural resources and
few people. It is the second largest
country in the world without ocean
access. Its neighbor to the west,
Kazakhstan is the largest.
Mongolia covers a lot of territory
and I had to do a lot of planning to
The Onon River was where Chinggis Khaan was made King.
travel around the country.
My fishing approach to Mongolia was different and required putting trips together that covered
most of the northern region. I did want to catch the massive Taimen but there were other fish
that I had to see. My Far East adventure was about catching all of the trout in these mysterious
lands and Mongolia may have been the most mysterious of all. My travels in this county gave
me an opportunity to see out of the way places and fish that few have ever seen. It was
something I will never forget. The northern region of Mongolia is home to some of the most
magnificent trout and grayling in the world. There are many rivers with the most aggressive
trout that I have run across the massive "River Wolf". Taimen over 200 pounds have been
recorded in Mongolia and many large Taimen are caught each year. The country has developed
regulations to protect Taimen and all Taimen must be released. There is also a limit on the
number of Taimen that may be caught and released each season. Mongolia has developed
these regulations to ensure that Taimen and Taimen fishing will continue to be a part of
Mongolian culture.
There are many great Taimen rivers in Mongolia but these and other rivers contain a mix of
species. Mongolia Grayling are the largest grayling in the world with fish up to five pounds
common. These large grayling are one of four different types of grayling native to Mongolia
and there are several color variations that makes grayling fishing interesting. Lenok became a
favorite and Amur Trout are a rare species that I was fortunate to catch. These two trout are
similar and yet different. It was good to see both fish up close. I fished the Onon River as well
as several tributaries in the Selenge River drainage. These different rivers gave me an
opportunity to fish river systems that emptied into both the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. I chose
these different drainages so I would be able to catch fish that were native to both watersheds.
There are more grayling subspecies in the Arctic watershed and more Lenok subspecies in the
Pacific Watershed. Taimen are common in the river systems of both watersheds.
The topography and climate helped me determine were to fish. The Gobi Desert is one of the
largest in the world and covers most of the southern part of the country. Gobi is a Mongolian
word that means desert steppe. Between the desert steppe and the mountains are the
Mongolian steppes that get a little more water. This grassy plains region does get more water
than the desert but not enough to grow trees. There are no rivers in the south and few rivers in
the middle of the country. I studied the northern rivers a long time before I decided where to
fish and travel. There were lots of options but I wanted to fish the best rivers the country had
to offer. The rivers flow from the mountains in all directions but south. The Great Lakes Valley
is an exception. The rivers in this part of western Mongolia flow from north to south and
terminate in several lakes in or
near the mountains. Some of the
lakes on the fringe of the desert go
dry in the summer. Others do have
water year round but are not
considered great fisheries. Maybe
it is best to say that they do not
produce the quality of fishing as
rivers and lakes in other parts of
the country. The largest western
lake that retains water is Uus Nuur.
All of the rivers in the Great Lakes
Valley have grayling and several
have the largest grayling in the
world the Mongolian Grayling. I
Lake Khovsgol was the most beautiful lake I have seen.
did make a grayling trip but went to
an area that also had Lenok and Taimen. I wanted a greater variety of grayling than the rivers
in eastern Mongolia and still wanted to catch Lenok and Taimen. It was a great trip as I
searched northern and western Mongolia for great rivers and big fish. I did find more types of
grayling than I expected and caught the largest Lenok of my Far Eastern journey. Taimen were
not as common in this region of the country as in the Onon but I was able to hook several.
Mongolia is one of the best places I have fished and is the best place for grayling.