After an 11-year hiatus from working in the Taimen mine, I’d recently been missing all my old friends and the amazing countryside of Northern Mongolia. That’s when Tom Darga called to see if I was interested in doing a one-week guiding cameo back in the old squirrel-chugging fields. I jumped at the opportunity. It was a sweet and emotional tour, and I savored every moment of the journey. Now home and back in the rower’s seat on the local waters, here is a quick window into yet another trip of a lifetime.

After years of deferring the invitation from my old friend, Manuel Ramon Doe, I finally decided this was the year to join him for his annual visit to his personal Shangri-La. Never having caught a roosterfish or a dorado, it was time to experience the fabled trophy waters of Baja’s Sea of Cortez for myself.

We had an incredible week, with countless opportunities to connect with the fish of a lifetime. What more could a big-game fly angler ask for? Although I never landed a “Papa Gallo,” there were trophy class fish landed by someone in camp every day of the week. The crew of captains were the A-team of the area fly guides and knew how and when to make the most of every day.

Now as we get back to trout fishing on the local rivers, I’m thankful to Ramone and Gui for their generosity and guidance. My trip was made on the first day to be on the boat as Ramone landed his personal best rooster on his 11th visit to this incredible fishery.

Here are a few images from yet another trip of a lifetime. Let me know if you ever want to knock this one off your bucket list. It’s the real deal.

Before all the chaos of Covid 19 upended our world, I spent a final month of calm in the sweltering equatorial heat of the Amazon Rainforest. Fishing was unbelievably good this season on the Rio Agua Boa. Low clear water and plenty of trophy peacock bass made for day after day after day of world-class sight fishing. . . and lots of happy clients!

Now home in Eugene, with the new reality of social distancing and the shadow of the virus coloring everything, it’s worth taking a moment to look back at some images from a time that now feels like another lifetime ago. I hope these pictures give you hope for the future and the return to a world where you can just hop on a plane and in a couple of days find yourself waist deep in the jungle cradling the fish of a lifetime. Enjoy!

Thanks to Brookings Anglers Fly Shop’s Matt Canter for letting me poach a couple of his photos again this year (they’re the good ones!). And special thanks to Lance, Carlos, Dan, and all the crew at the Greatest Jungle Fly Fishing Lodge in the world!

Just returned from another amazing trip to the Equatorial Amazon. Great fishing this season! Here, in no particular order, are some of the highlights. This trip is as incredible as it looks! When you’re ready to sweat for your fishing, we can show you the way.

Just returned from another few weeks in the Equatorial Amazon Rainforest chasing Peacock Bass with the crew from Agua Boa Amazon Lodge.  Conditions this season were ideal for sight fishing with low clear water and healthy fish populations.  Last season’s high water made for some tougher fishing, but the fish sure seemed to like it!  Agua Boa Anglers this year found plenty of big hungry peacock bass around when the waters receded for the dry season.

Here’s a photographic slice of the action for your perusal.  Enjoy!

Just home from another adventure in the Equatorial Amazon Jungle.  This season featured unusually high water conditions, with the river up in the trees throughout the last couple of months.  It’s definitely frustrating to be fishing the open water while listening to gangs of peacock bass crashing baitfish 100 yards deep in the forest.

The silver lining to the rain clouds, however, is the reboot to the system that all this water provides.  After the last two seasons of El Nino-drought conditions, this season’s high water means that the fish got a nice long jump start on the wet season.  That can only mean one thing:  you want to be there the next time the river comes down!

Here’s a selection of images from the recent season.  Enjoy!

Another amazing adventure in the Brazilian Amazon, this year over the holidays.  It turns out, Santa Claus can find you even at the Equator!  The best present this year was a cameo by my family for the last two weeks in the jungle. Obrigado, Papai Noel!

Here, in no particular order are some images for your consideration.  Enjoy!

Another season in  Sweetwater Travel Company’s Mongolian Taimen Camps is in the books.  After last season’s high water and tougher fishing, this year the taimen population on the Eg river proved to be healthy and resilient.  With perfect river conditions and stable weather, the 2014 Fall season reminded us why this truly is the world’s best taimen fly fishery.

Week 1:  Arrival

This season, I was joined in the lower camp by Oregon homey and second-year taimen guide, Matt Carter, South African Seychelles veteran, James (Jame-o) Topham, Big Fish Bayaraa, and Ganzorig.  Matt, Jame-o, Bayaraa, and I decided to take Bayaraa’s jeep for the 13-hour drive out to camp from Ulaan Baatar.

Along the way, Bayaraa shared his local knowledge of safe potable water sources.

Once into the countryside, we climbed into the mountains and bounced our way over several increasingly “rural” passes.

Which is not to say that there wasn’t any traffic.

As we finally rolled into camp, the boys shook off the long drive by flexing their tenkara rods (newly acquired from the “black market” in U.B.) in front of camp.  It was great to see that the river was in prime shape and that the grayling and lenok were abundant.

After a few days of fluffing the camp and boats, we were ready for the arrival of the first group of guests.

Week 2:  The Dries Have It!

Our first group was composed of the original six Texans who had diverted their trip last season when they learned of the blown-out river conditions.  Literally pulled from the airplane, they had audibled to a fall-back adventure in Alaska.  That trip had been a success, and now they were stoked to finally be wetting lines in the Land of the Giants.

These guys were all solid fly fishermen, and they wasted little time in getting stuck into some great fish.

Even the pike were biting dry flies.

Back at International Guide H.Q., beer-fueled fly tying sessions lasted each night until the generator shut down.

The Cyclops was an early-season favorite.

As the week progressed, we had some amazing fishing.  One day, however was unforgettable:  I was guiding Kerry Hagen from Portland, OR, a single angler that had joined the Texans for the week.  Kerry had so far experienced less spectacular fishing than the others and wondered aloud if he was doing something wrong.  I advised him to hang in there (what else can you say?), that his day was coming.

The day was cloudy and overcast.  One of the Texans had reported finding a dozen dead mice in a weedbed near one of our favorite log-jam pools downriver the day before. Hmmm. . .  Additionally, the nightly dance-party of rodents (and the morning’s casualties) in the cabin suggested that this might be a big rodent year.

Tying on a fresh mutant mouse pattern, Kerry and I headed down to the aforementioned log jam and waded in.  What happened next still defies description.  Kerry quickly rose, hooked and landed a nice fish in the 3-foot range, his best of the week so far.  And then, it happened: taimen began rolling and porpoising in the pool.  Kerry cast again and immediately hooked and landed another 3-footer.  In the course of the next 30 minutes, Kerry rose 7 more taimen including a couple pretty big ones, landing 5 more, all around 3-feet long. The taimen were clearly interested in the mutant mouse fly.

Finally, the pool quieted, and we moved on, both of us shaken and shaking from the experience.  Kerry went on to raise several more fish throughout the afternoon landing so many that I was popping three-footers off the fly like they were McKenzie planter trout.  By the end of the day, Kerry had raised 20, hooked 16 and landed 12 taimen.  The mutant mouse was a little chewed up after the experience, and it had earned a new name: the “Hairy Kerry.”

By the end of the week, the group’s official tally was an astounding 119 taimen landed.  Even though everyone landed trophy-class fish for the week, the true giants risen and lost haunted our nightly debriefing sessions in the cabin.  Truly a historic week!

Week 3:  Elvis is in the Building

Jame-o left us after the first week to head back to Norway to return to his regular job guiding for huge Atlantic salmon.  Matt, Bayaraa, Ganzorig and I remained in camp to handle the smaller group of four anglers for the week.  No matter what you are expecting when you come to Mongolia, it is still a bit disorienting when your guide ties on the first taimen fly for the afternoon session.

This week the fishing remained strong.  One angler landed a 42″ trophy in the Home Pool in front of camp on the first afternoon.  While several very big fish rose to flies during the week, none made it to the bottom of the net.  Matt and I were co-guiding when we both witnessed the rise of a giant taimen (well north of 50 inches) to a dead drifted Hairy Kerry.  Despite our combined “fervent encouragement,” the fish was not hooked.  This was the theme of the week, with the guides lamenting the “one(s) that got away,” every evening.

Each day dawned foggy and cool with gorgeous afternoons and some amazing sunsets.  And the week settled in to its own rhythm.

This was a mellow week, with days off for each of the guides, and trips to town and visiting local families for one of the more adventurous guests.  I got to go out one afternoon with Ganzorig and our chef, Sahknaa, looking for pike up one of the sloughs near camp.

Fly tying sessions every night led to overstocked boxes in anticipation of the next week in the “taimen mines.”

Week 4: How good is your Portuguese?

The next week’s guests hailed from Sao Paolo, Brazil, and most spoke almost no English.  I foolishly said I knew Spanish, leading many of the guys to speak nothing but Portuguese and Spanish with me, while the other guides got to speak English.  These were great guys.  Four of them were serious anglers, good fly casters with lots of experience chasing big fish in cool places around the world.  The other three guys (the “three amigos”) were total novices in all things fishing (let alone, fly fishing).

Fishing this week was tougher. While the serious guys got after it, enduring the punishment and emotional challenge of taimen fishing, the “three amigos,” had it dialed: trips to town and the inscription rock, visiting local families, riding horses, some days fishing a run or two in the morning, followed by lunch and a nap back in camp, maybe fishing another run in the evening, or wandering the gravel bar looking for cool rocks.  They rose a surprising number of taimen despite not really working that hard.

The other guys put in their time. . .

And ultimately they were rewarded with taimen encounters that will stay with them the rest of their lives. On the second-to-last day out, group leader, Jose “Big Plum” Godiano had a great afternoon, landing a pair of trophies on surface flies, one of which was the best of the season.

At the end of the Brazilians’ week, I packed my gear and hopped on the chopper to head home.  Leaving the boys in camp for one last week of guests, I turned my attention to family, friends and fall fishing in the Valley.

Coming through Incheon Airport in South Korea, I was reminded that our economic society has become increasingly specialized.  What do you get for friends who already have everything?  Look for a store that caters to their specific needs.

Once again, the 2014 Fall Taimen Fishing Season in Mongolia affirmed my faith in the fish, the fishery, and the future.  Conservation efforts implemented by Sweetwater Travel Company and  Hovsgol Travel Company, and carried today with religious zeal by Charlie Conn at the Taimen Fund, are working.  The long-held dream of establishing a fly-fishing-only taimen sanctuary on this great river system may actually be in reach.

The Taimen of Outer Monglia are settling in for another winter under the ice.  May we all be fortunate enough to meet again.

My father Fred and I recently returned from an adventure to Mangrove Cay Club in the Bahamas.  We had planned the trip for over a year in hopes of getting him into his first-ever bonefish.  For me, it was a return to the flats after an absence of about 20 years.

Coming as it did on the heels of my trip to Brazil, I had spent the two weeks leading up to that trip wrapping up a box of sure-fire bonecrushers.After a reasonably uncomfortable red-eye, cross-country flight, we arrived in Nassau dazed and excited.  A short hop followed over to South Andros Island, and Mangrove Cay where we were to spend the next 5 days.Dawn broke with clear calm conditions and not a ripple on the water of the Middle Bight out in front of the lodge.In other words, conditions were perfect for good bonefishing!  We were paired with veteran Mangrove Cay guide, Kiki Adderley, for a crash course in the finer points of angling for the elusive “ghosts of the flats.”Fred and I took turns on the deck at the front of the boat. Kiki called out the incoming targets, and we each landed several nice fish from 3-4 lbs through the course of the morning.No matter how good of an angler you think you are, this fishing is challenging.  Fish are hard to spot (Fred admitted on day 2 that, even though he had landed a half dozen bones, he had only seen one before it was hooked).  Success was often only possible by the skill of the guides in directing the cast and retrieve when the fish were in range.

The next day, we woke to less-than-optimal weather conditions.After the morning rain squalls passed, we were left with a freshening wind from the southwest and intermittent clouds, making for much more difficult fishing than the first day.  Fred got a couple from the boat with Kiki, while I opted to wade some promising areas, leading to several shots at cruising fish and one landed.  We hoped for better weather the next day.We woke the next day to gusting winds and heavy rain buffeting the cabin.

Not good.  A couple boats from a neighboring lodge braved the conditions, the guests looking miserable in full rain suits and taking a beating from the chop.  Alton Bain, one of the owners of Mangrove Cay Club, and the guides huddled and finally decided (after several false starts), that there would be no fishing that day.  Ouch!  I took some solace in remembering being weathered out on a bonefish trip to the Florida Keys 20 years before.  That experience taught me that bones are fair-weather friends: on days like this, bonefish action would not be good.  So we had a day in the lodge.  There are worse places to ride out a storm.The next day, the wind shifted to the east, and the rain abated.  Fred and I went for a long run to the cays of the western end of the Middle Bight with guide, Percy King.  On this day, I had several shots at bigger single and paired bonefish, but the clouds and chop, along with murk in the water often made it hard to see them before they were too close to the boat for a good presentation.  Even Percy had trouble picking them up.  So most shots were like, “2:00 – 20 feet!”  And when I did get a fish to respond to the fly, the unsettled weather had them even more wary than usual.  Lots of refusals. In the end, although we were on fish all day, including some very nice sized ones, we only got one to hand.

On the last morning, Fred and I opted to fish before our afternoon flight out of Mangrove Cay.  The weather was finally clearing, but the steady wind persisted.We fished this day in closer range of camp.  Our guide, Prince Moxey, was all-in on my desire to target larger fish.  Fred graciously let me have the front of the boat for the entire session.  Perhaps too, he didn’t relish the prospect of trying to cast in the steady 20-knot wind.

This turned out to be my favorite session of the trip.  Prince encouraged me to dig into my fly box for something meatier than the standard redhead Gotcha that most of the guides favor.  On the premise that big bones like big flies, I tied on Gumby’s Big Bone, a fly Scott had tied and given me for the trip.  It worked!  Bigger singles and fish from pairs ate it with confidence.  Soon I had landed 4 and lost a couple others, although none cracked the 5 lbs+ mark.We ended the session by poling a few passes on a giant flat in mid-channel of the Bight.  Prince said this area is rarely fished, and that the deepwater bones that are found here are bigger and stronger than elsewhere in the region.  I was on high alert at all times.On our last pass, I saw a big green-backed bone meandering along the edge of the drop-off at a good distance to get the cast to him.  Looked to be maybe 6 pounds and clearly would have been the best of the trip.  Alas, the wind and the whims of fishy discretion were not in my favor.  The big fly landed a little too close, the fish noted its presence, made a pulse-quickening feint in the direction of the sinking morsel, and then broke my heart by turning and bolting off the flat to the deep water.

Back at the lodge, Fred and I packed up and readied for the return to everyday reality.  Although the weather had made it tough for us, the trip was a success by any metric.  But as we left the beautiful lodge and the warm and attentive staff, heading for the airport,  I couldn’t help but feel that I had left some great opportunities on the table.  Hopefully it won’t take another 20 years to get my next shot.Two Dudes Fly Fishing is your resource for adventure travel off the beaten track.  Give us a call for information on hosted trips and details for adventures of your own.

The end of August 2012, found me once again, pulling the tarp over the drift boat, kissing the family goodbye, and strapping in for the long flight over the Pacific to my home away from home at Sweetwater Travel Company’s Taimen Camps.  By now, fifteen seasons in, it almost feels routine: catch up on a few movies I’ve missed, grab some z’s. . . land at Incheon in South Korea.  Waiting for my connection to UlaanBataar, an approaching typhoon lent an eerie beauty to the airfield.

Arriving in “U.B.”, disoriented and jet lagged, I was stoked to see a new sign prominently located at the exit from the baggage claim. Signs of progress on the taimen conservation front make for a warm welcome indeed.

The next day, I was met by my good friend, and ace Taimen guide, “Big Fish” Bayaraa Bataar, who drove us out to the banks of the nearby Tuul River where we were to give a fly fishing demonstration to members of the newly formed Mongolian Fly Fishing Association.

As Mongolia’s economy has grown over the last decade, so has interest in leisure pursuits like fishing among members of the middle and upper classes.  Sensing an opportunity, Bayaraa set up a Facebook page for people interested in fly fishing, and the MFFA was born.  These guys range in experience from expert to total beginner, but all share a passion for fly fishing, fly tying, and conservation.  It is heartening in the face of so many new challenges facing taimen in Mongolia (mining, overfishing, climate change), to find a group of like-minded anglers ready to take up the torch of advocacy.

The next day, I jumped in the jeep with Bayaraa, his son, Tamir, and first-year guide, Jako Lucas, for the drive to camp.  I had never made the trip overland from U.B. before and was excited to see this section of the countryside.  U.B. is now plagued by constant traffic jams and air pollution on par with the worst cities in the developing world.  On our way out of town we came upon no fewer than 4 accidents.  Bayaraa got a ticket for driving on a day when vehicles with certain license plate numbers were forbidden to drive (a recently implemented band-aid measure intended to reduce the gridlock).

The drive to the Tarialen Camp took just over 12 hours.  When Bayaraa got sleepy, I took the wheel and enjoyed bouncing everyone around for a few hours of rallying.  The views along the route were awesome, and sometimes kinda weird.

Arriving in camp, we settled in to getting things open.  Jako and I noticed a bunch of fish rising right in front of camp.  Jako raced to set up a 5 weight in hopes of catching his first Mongolian fish.  Now you should know, at this point, that Jako is kind of a big deal in the guiding world.  At just south of 30 years old, South African “Golden Boy” Jako Lucas’ resume includes Head Guide status for a major outfitter in the Seychelles as well as 5 seasons guiding for monster Atlantic salmon in Norway.  Jako’s video of giant trevally fishing in the Seychelles recently won the prestigious Drake Magazine Fishing Video of the Year award.  His hard drive runneth over with giant fish porn that would make any angler’s knees tremble.  And so it was that Jako hunted down and landed his first Mongolian trophy.  Stoked!

Bayaraa and I spent the next few days, showing Jako around and training him in the lower beat.  Then came the first guests, a crew of Aussies led by none other than Charles Barrett Jr. who you’ll remember from the 2009 and 2010 reports.  He had skipped Mongolia in 2011 to chase steelhead in B.C.,but was now back with his friends and family for another week of his favorite freshwater challenge:  giant taimen on the fly.  His crew got comfortable with the fishing and the scene.

At midweek, the weather changed from bright and sunny to cloudy and cooler.  Fish went on the bite, and Charles Jr. found his biggest taimen to date in one of the runs down river with Jako.  The chorus of swearing and hollering could be heard for miles.  And no wonder.

The day closed with a perfect sunset over camp, and drunken revelry ensued.  Aussies can put away the piss, when the occasion warrants.

Throughout the first three weeks, the lenok and grayling fishing was excellent, and most anglers enjoyed a break from toiling with the big rods in the taimen mines.

This year I found myself taking many photos from a drawn-back perspective.  Maybe I was trying to capture a sense of wide open and often epic grandeur of this fishery.

Meanwhile, as Bayaraa and I brought in some good numbers of fish, Jako continued to land big ones in his beat.  He got at least one 4-footer each week.  His enthusiasm for the pursuit was inspiring to all.  Here’s one landed by David Snyder from Connecticut.

In Mongolia, the days and weeks become a rhythm. Each day, each cast: a fresh chance to land the fish of a lifetime.  On how many fishing trips can you really say that?  At the end of the day, no matter the outcome, a hot shower, a gourmet meal, and a good night’s sleep await before the next day’s mission.

The last week of the season, the weather finally turned from the glow of Indian summer to the sting of the coming winter.

Anyone who dreams of one day living an encounter with one of the daughters of the river gods, can help to ensure that they swim in these waters forever.  Contact veteran taimen guide and tireless advocate for taimen conservation, Charlie Conn of the Tributary Fund and lend your support to the cause.   You can email him at conncharlie@gmail.com.

The taimen are still there.  Under the ice they will lurk, awaiting the coming of spring and the chance to spawn and to hunt the denizens of their watery world.  And they will continue to haunt the dreams of the anglers who have met them in this special place.