Dan Cook Fly Fishing Around the Globe

AEG's Fish Bum's weren't our only special guests last season. In June Dan Cook and Heidi visited us at our spring Taimen camp on the Delger.


Here's what Dan had to say:

"The fishing has been great, by the way. We have set up camp along a picturesque section of the Delgermoron. This river rivals any of the famous blue ribbon rivers in the U.S. in both productivity and beauty. Every mile or so lies an ideal pool with Yosemite-like cliffs hovering over it. In one such pool I landed a beautiful Taimen. It was definitely one of the highlights of my fishing career (as if it can even be called a “career!”). These fish are so powerful and elegant. Their coloration is marvelous.... even after you’ve seen it before. It is truly amazing to think that such a large, aggressive fish inhabits these rivers. Almost as astounding is the Lenok..... or should I say the insistent nature of the Lenok. While they certainly don’t rival trout in terms of aesthetics, these fish don’t want to take a backseat to anyone. I’ve caught at least a dozen big Lenok that have attacked the mouse imitations intended for the Taimen. It has gotten to the point that if a Lenok takes the mouse (there is a BIG difference between a Lenok and Taimen take), I just leave it be and hope the fish doesn’t hook itself. I reckon this is a pretty good problem to have."

"Fishing in Mongolia is not a straight-forward affair of purchasing a license and then going off to find a good spot along a lake or river. The country is only now recovering from the hangover effects of nearly 70 years of communism. Subsequently, the government is beginning to realize it is sitting upon a goldmine of natural resources; pristine lakes and rivers, towering mountains, unspoiled valleys and of course, the Gobi Desert. However, until the authorities get a handle on how to protect and administer these resources, the responsibility to do so falls with under-funded local provinces and people like Andy Parkinson of Fish Mongolia (www.fishmongolia.com). In exchange for a concession to run a tourism-based fishing operation along certain sections of the Delgermoron, Andy and his company protect the section from poachers and limit the environmental impact of visiting fishermen. In essence, Fish Mongolia acts as steward of the river and surrounding lands so that Mongolians and foreign travelers alike can enjoy this wondrous land. Heidi and I would like to thank Andy for allowing us access to amazingly beautiful areas along the Delgermoron and for integrating us into his operations. We can wholeheartedly recommend Fish Mongolia to anyone interested in visiting Mongolia. They can provide custom-designed fishing, rafting and hiking packages as well as many other services to visiting outdoor enthusiasts."

For the full post on Dan's blog click here: Dan Cook -Taimen on the fly in Mongolia. Thanks to Dan and Heidi for the photos, and for the wholehearted recommendation, we all enjoyed hanging out with you at camp, and wish you luck on the rest of your round the world fly-fishing adventure.

More on Dan's trip at Fly Fishing Around The Globe