Taimen are a fish that are well worth the journey (and the effort to save them). Such a journey is documented in the new film, “One Path.”
From the IF4:
“Taimen live for decades and have a reputation as the largest Salmonids on the planet. The problem is that overharvest, toxic mining practices, and roads, dams, and other encroachments have eliminated them from much of their historic habitats. When Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell heard about a pristine river valley in northern Mongolia that was roadless and undeveloped, he knew it would be no ordinary fishing trip. Nomadic herdsmen call it “The Temple” and due to the sacred nature of the valley, no motorized vehicle access is permitted. To get there, it would take a two-day journey by camel and horseback to reach the river. Then, a 100-mile 2-week float trip through a river valley that a few Mongolian families have used as their summer pasture for centuries. The goal was to find a place so remote, and so pristine, that the truly old fish might still be there. What Purnell found was truly legendary.”
To check out more from the International Fly Fishing Film Festival, please click here.