Fishing Trip 2015--short report!

Finally...with My Love...in Mongolia. 

After being on the ground not even 48 hours in Mongolia, we headed off to the north for a week-long fishing adventure. In some ways, I would recommend this as a speedy way to adjust to a new time zone. Sleeping in a tent in the fresh air of the countryside was blissful. I slept well each and every night (but confess I missed a daily shower immensely!). While I am happy to be living in Ulaanbaatar, I know that living with the pollution will be one of my greatest challenges in this new life. That said, I spent my first week in the north of Mongolia. Dad, Zorig, and I flew to Murun on the Fourth of July, late in the afternoon (flight delayed because of "winds"), and then proceeded to drive through the night towards the junction of the Shishged and Tengis rivers. We did stop around 4:30 AM and threw some sleeping bags out under the stars and slept for 2-3 hours before beginning to drive again. 

After a flight and an overnight drive, we arrived and then were off on rafts on the Shishged river in pursuit of the taimen (pronounced time-in). Part of me wants to say the taimen is what brought dad and I to Mongolia last summer. But that would only be partially true. I wanted to visit Mongolia because of a picture from Dad's 2009 trip to the country. It spoke to me and I felt it was THE most exotic place on the planet. If I went no where else, Mongolia was the land I wanted to see. I had NO idea what it had in store for me. But you already know that part of the story.

My Lenok

I'm happy to report, if you didn't already see our facebook posts, that Dad caught two taimen. What we came hunting for last summer simply took a little more time and energy to accomplish. But then...isn't that true of most good things? I did not catch a taimen, but did catch a good-sized lenok (worthy of becoming lunch) and a number of grayling. I will post some pictures here of me with the fish.....as you can see, I may be a "tomboy" ....but I'm still working on being okay with slimy, freaky fish. I really do NOT like to touch them. But I sucked it up to try and hold this darn lenok... they are STRONG suckers.....one big muscle it felt like! :)

One of my Grayling

I liked catching the lenok, but the grayling were a lot more fun. I used a surface fly to catch them, which means I could see them strike the line and was more engaged in the "setting of the hook," so to speak. I missed as many, or more, than I actually landed. We threw all of them back...except the one that I snagged too harshly. He was added to the dinner menu for the guys. (I don't like grayling....but the lenok was TASTY!)

Zorig cooking my Lenok for lunch

There is MUCH to write and share about already....but Dad and I are busy with meeting the family and making it through these lovely days together. I have many things to share...have had my moments of fear and doubt....but they are washed away with a clear sense of knowing that I am where I belong. 

This is my new home and I am overwhelmingly happy to be here.