Onon River Fishing Expedition

^{12 Days / 11 Nights}

Itinerary (Ulaanbaatar - Onon River - Ulaanbaatar)

Genghis Khan himself was born at the Onon River and near a mountain called Burkhan Khaldun. This fishing expedition brings you sports fishing near this northern frontier zone with Siberia. We will airlift by helicopter into the remote upper stretches of the Onon River and its tributaries. We will be fully equipped for a self-contained raft float expedition, with tents, a professional cook and with all necessary provisions etc. For a couple of days we will float down this river. The region we fish is sparsely populated. It is a wilderness" defined by forested mountains, open meadows, and clear running streams. Brown bears, moose, wolves, red deer and other fauna abound, but hard to see. Our fishing area lies in the taiga life zone, and it has pristine aquatic habitats devoid of any introduced species. Hundreds and hundreds of miles of rivers...none of which has ever been seriously fished.

The support structure for our fishing expedition will be three to four catamaran type rafts, on which our entire luggage can be loaded. You will be given a paddle, and the current will assist carrying us down river. One local Mongolian fishing guide (no English spoken), one interpreter and a cook. All provisions, tents etceteras will be brought along from Ulaanbaatar in the helicopter. Meat and milk products will be bought from nomadic herdsmen of the area.

DAY 1 Sat : Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar from Beijing or Moscow by air. Transfer. Meet with the fishing expedition staff and briefing of the journey. Overnight in a hotel.

DAY 2 Sun : To Onon River
Depart by helicopter for a couple of hour's flight across the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area. Picnic lunch will be brought for the day.
On arrival at the Onon River all equipment including the rafts need to be unloaded. We will pitch camp and get organized. You will be able to fish the same afternoon. Overnights in tents.

DAY 3-8 : Onon River
Six full days of exploring this beautiful and fascinating river, with the full support of staffs, rafts and camping equipment. The Onon River is a major watershed for Asia. The river begins on the eastern slope of the Hentii Mountains just south of Russian Siberia and within the immense Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area (National Park), which is totally devoid of people. The river eventually joins the Herlen and Amur Rivers before entering the Pacific Ocean at the Sea of Okhotsk. Further down river we will reach the first inhabited areas. The majority of the locals are "Buryats", a Mongolian ethnic minority, whose ancestors migrated over the border from Siberia early 1900s. Most families herd livestock. The primary form of transportation is still a horse. We will move further down river every day, pitching a new camp each night. A cook will prepare your meals, and perhaps, just a picnic lunch will be prepared for midday. We expect to make use of morning and late afternoon fishing, and moving during midday, provided this method is suitable for fishing. Angling is for wild fish in an inspiring alpine landscape. You fish in a variety of locations from tight spring creeks to the large main river. Eventually you will meet our support vehicles near Batshireet village, situated on the Eg River, a tributary of the Onon.

Day 9-10 : To Ulaanbaatar
Two days of return drive to Ulaanbaatar, with camping on the way. You will now travel overland, across the treeless steppes, making contact also with Mongolian nomads. You will reach your hotel in Ulaanbaatar in the early afternoon the second day.

DAY 11 Tue : Departure
In time for your flight, transfer to the airport and fly out to your next destination.

PRACTICALITIES
PERIOD : This Fishing Expedition is best 10 Sep-25 Oct when the Mongolian dry season have started and rivers are likely to be clear and the fishes feed in preparation for the winter period. Fishing is still good and possible during July and August, while there is a risk of rains, which will make the angling more challenging.

CLIMATE : Please note that you need to be prepared for winter conditions due to the variations in temperature during the September and October period. In the daytime, sunny and warm weather is likely, however during the early morning hours you are equally likely having subzero temperatures! Even the daytime can bring winter conditions. You need to bring your own winter sleeping bag with you.

MEALS : Our expert cook will prepare the meals. We pride ourselves in having cooks adapt with both western and Mongolian cooking on our trips. Fresh food will be cooked everyday. Vegetables are available. For breakfast we can usually buy fresh yogurt if there are herdsmen in the area.