Taimen fishing in Mongolia is a lot like fly fishing for oversized Atlantic salmon or steelhead on a dry fly. It is similar because you are fishing for Taimen in the current and, consequently, need to keep your fly riding high in the water. By riffle hitching a mouse, large muddler or streamer, fishermen can keep their fly twitching through the surface film. Taimen have a true weakness for flies presented in this fashion. For fly fishermen, though, getting your fly to ride properly is the least of your problems. Keep in mind that some of these fish are 4 – 5 feet long. Now imagine a fish that large visibly chasing down your fly. In some cases Taimen will come completely out of the water and hit your fly on their way back into the water. Other times Taimen will simply follow it slowly with their tail out of the water some
four feet behind the fly and attempt to gulp it in slowly like a Montana cutthroat. Whatever the case, more often than not it is a spectacle that will bewilder even the most experienced, and the result is that the fisherman will pull the fly away from the fish before an actual take.

Taimen, Lenok and Arctic Grayling are all present in the region to be fished. At the camp, all anglers use single, barbless hooks and it is all fly fishing- catch and release only. The average Taimen is around 32 inches and roughly 10 pounds. However, almost every week, fishermen will have chances on fish over 50 inches.

Lenok (Brachymstax lenok) are the Mongolian equivalent of a trout. In appearance they look like a rainbow trout with the mouth of a tarpon. These fish rely on the prolific caddis and mayfly hatches, and terrestrials such as grasshoppers and crickets. Lenok average 18-20 inches long and are very entertaining on lighter fly rods. Larger Lenok will dine on mice patterns and streamers.