River Delger
The mighty taimen
River Delger
Mongolia is a fascinating country; still best known for the Gobi desert and for its old name "Outer Mongolia". Both conjure up a stark dry landscape, but Mongolia is blessed with many rivers and lakes; particularly in the north of the country. In recent years there has been an increase in interest in fishing in this distant land. I was definitely one of the interested ones, for two reasons.
The first was the taimen, a huge salmonid, that lives in the bigger rivers and feeds -- well anything it can get in its vast mouth. It is known to eat ducklings and voles, but the most common prey is probably grayling. Mongolia is home to several species of grayling: it may be as many as 4 or 5.Descriptions of one of which had me most excited and puzzled. A grayling found in the far north was portrayed as yellow and blue with a pink blush. Not the way I'd describe any grayling I'd ever seen!
It turned out to be an accurate description and a new species. In addition to grayling and taimen, the country boasts lenok trout, possibly 2 species, and the Amur pike, a very beautiful and rare relative of our toothy monster. All in all a country well worth visiting.
River Delger
The mighty taimen