Composed By: Michael Caranci, Mongolia River Outfitters
All images by Mongolia River Outfitters
Taimen might technically come from the trout household, however they definitely do not imitate it. You will not discover these fish slackly resting on the bottom awaiting a caddisfly to roll by, or daintily drinking size 22 Tricos from the surface area movie. Taimen are hunters, continuously travelling up and down the river looking for victim, which is mostly made up of other fish, however can consist of anything from birds to snakes to rodents. They are not choosy at all, however that does not indicate any fly will do. On the contrary, taimen flies require to be created in particular methods to finest match this fish’s distinct physiology and habits.
Possibly the most essential part of an excellent taimen fly is the hook. The very best hooks are strong adequate to deal with a fish that might be 5 feet long, and sharp adequate to stick inside the taimen’s infamously difficult mouth, which is more comparable to a tarpon than a trout. All hooks should likewise be barbless, and just one hook is enabled per fly, according to regional policies created to secure this important types. The last factor to consider is hook size: most taimen flies are connected on hooks varying from 1/0 to 5/0. Any smaller sized, and you run the risk of inadequate holding power, while bigger hooks unnecessarily increase the danger of harming these delicate salmonids.
Mentioning hook size, one typical mistaken belief is that big flies are needed to capture big taimen. Yes, a taimen will most definitely consume a 10-inch-long fly, however these opportunistic feeders will simply as most likely consume a 3- to 4-inch-long banner. And casting a smaller sized fly all day is far less most likely to trigger tendonitis. So a total taimen fly box must have a selection of sizes represented, from smaller sized flies, to medium-sized patterns in the 5- to 7-inch variety, to a couple of obnoxious mixtures that extend to even higher lengths, simply for enjoyable.
Lastly, bear in mind that taimen tend to search for and move up when they feed, so there’s no requirement to include much weight– if any– to the majority of your patterns. We utilize drifting lines the majority of the time, and a great deal of surface area flies to get the taimen’s attention. And while ostentatious colors can work, the taimen flies we utilize are either light-colored– to mimic the trout that taimen normally dine on– or dark-colored– to cast a shape as a rodent or other victim animal having a hard time in the present may. Needless to state, the minute when a taimen assaults a surface area fly is not something one quickly forgets.
Michael Caranci is head of visitor services forMongolia River Outfitters To find out more on fishing in Mongolia, CLICK HERE or call Orvis Travel’s Jeremy Kehrein at 1-800-547-4322.
