Eg, Uur, Selenge Rivers, Mongolia
Taimen, Lenok and cultural photos
All images are by Dave McCoy unless otherwise noted and are all under copyright protection.


Mark Weeks of Japan fishing the Camp Pool at end of day.


Reflection.


Moonrise illumates camp on the upper Uur River prior to dinner.


Kevin Hughes working a run while Mongolian guide Gana admires the fall colors across the river.


New flies drying for the next day. While fishing subsurface is an option, most prefer to fish on the surface and it only takes one strike to understand why.


Spectacular rainbow on the return to camp.


Dave McCoy with his first fish (39 inches) of the trip ten minutes after hitting the water on day 1. Don't expect this to happen. Photo Kevin Hughes


Zeb Hogan, head scientist for the Megafishes Project spends a few minutes exercising the local Grayling and Lenok.


Taimen Conservation Fund and Megafishes run a science camp on the Eg and Uur Rivers to help provide statistics on Taimen migratory patterns, growth and population.


Mark Weeks and Nancy Sanders watch as the first couple of boats leave in the morning.


The new monestary in the Uur Valley built with help from Sweetwater Travel and the Taimen Conservation Fund to name a few.


A prayer wheel at the new monestary.


Kevin Hughes sticks a nice Lenok while hunting for his first Taimen.


Stunning colors of fall, we hit it perfectly this trip.


A quick view of the lower Uur River camp as we land in the helicopter to drop off and pick up new anglers.


A quick look at the Selenge River valley as we fly overhead on our way to camp.


Kevin Hughes forms a D.


Finally!! Kevin gets a nice 37" Taimen, we can now relax.


A fogless fall morning in the front of the ger.


Umm, yes, this is a huge one, not trick photography. 54" Taimen taken on a Jay Paulson fly appropriately named Titanic. Photo Kevin Hughes


Quick shot of the Titanic. Despite what many say, spey casting works quite well here and the Titanic comes off the water just fine after anchoring.


Titanic again, missing some of its hull this time.


Another look at this enormous fish, check out its teeth. Photo Kevin Hughes


Sunrise over the Ur River after a cold night in camp.


A local girl greets us from her yard as we arrive at the upper camp.


A last shot, full side view. While these fish can reach over 70 inches, this is the fish of a lifetime for most who come here. Photo Kevin Hughes


After your first night in the ger, you quickly realize why this pattern might be a good choice. Most important thing about flies for these fish, they need to have strong hooks or they will simply break or straighten out. This one didn't pass the test!


Dan Vermillion leaving camp first.


Sun begining to show through the fog.


Taimen resting after its release. They tend to sit pretty still afterwards giving you some last few moments with them before bidding adieu.


Final leg of air travel, Russian heli awaiting its passengers to head for camp.


Gana puts on a "how to hold a Taimen" clinic.


Debating whether to return the favor and bite you, or just leave.


Exhibit A. Hucho Taimen.


Frosty fall morning at the upper camp.


Alejandro, head guide at Villa Maria in Tierra del Fuego keeps client company as the sun drops behind the mountains.


Kevin Hughes, Gana and Dan Vermillion trying to dump me from the boat enroute to camp.


Angler waiting for the guides about an hour early.


A beautiful sunset brewing over camp before dinner.


A look at a common suburb in Ulaan Baatar, the capitol of Mongolia. Very tightly constructed and very small, these homes mixed with gers will house families of up to 8 or 10 people.


A great prespective on Ulaan Batuur. Modern townhomes front the new skyline of condos and business buldings with the scattered suburbs of gers and cinderblock homes dotting the hills around the city.


Don't fret though as there were over 70 construction cranes in the city of about a million people building mega complexes like this one which will have over 5000 condo units.


Young boy scatteres the pigeons outside the oldest monestary in Mongolia.


An arrangement of wildflowers in the Gobi Desert. Gobi means, simply enough, "desert", in Mongolian. Meanwhile a herd of camels watches us like we are freaks.


The stark dunes of the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia are impressive.


A walk in the desert here is a truly humbling experience.


The wind blown texture of the dunes is almost repetative but just off enough to play tricks with your eyes.


Remnants of recent rains qualify this as an oasis out here as there is virtually no water for hundreds of miles in any direction.


While camels are quite docile most of the time, if one is doing this, don't approach it, much less get on to ride it. While meant for chewing grass, their bite still hurts.


Zeb Hogan looking over a matte of petroglyphs found high in the hills surrounding the Gobi.


The view from the gers at 3 Camel Lodge seems endless.


Many places here in the Gobi, you are at least 5 hours from real help should you find this attached to your leg, so look down occassionally.


Our group takes a stroll though the very scenic and windy Gurvansaikhan National Park.


Moon trying to break through the clouds at 3 Camel Lodge.


The inside of a very traditional nomadic family ger in Mongolia. They will live here until October and then move to a more sheltered place as temps here will reach -50F for much of the winter. Also, Kevin Hughes learns it is customary to finish a bottle of Mare's Milk vodka once it has been opened. Uh oh, better eat something!


Comparatively, the inside of a guest ger at the 3 Camel Lodge. Nearly 2 times as large for only 2 rather than 5 people.


Sunset on the Flaming Cliffs. Quite beautiful.


A small viewpoint for those wishing to take in the stunning sunsets each evening. Even on a non sunset night, views are magnificent.


Camels one day, giant goat herd the next. When in nomadic lands, be prepared for any of the resident herds to pay camp a visit, at any time.



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