Because I feel justifiably protective of each and every taimen in the river, I don't always take the time to shoot photos or video with my own cameras, preferring to get the fish back on their way as soon as possible. But we were lucky enough to watch angler Ryan Wilcox and guide Fabian Mendez release this 50-incher on an overcast day in mid-September, just before lunch.
The taimen had two lampreys, which are native to this watershed, on its pectoral fin. (If you look closely, you can see the scar that remained after the lampreys' removal.)
