The Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan is located in eastern Himalaya and has only recently been opened for Westerners to explore. Bhutan has unspoiled vistas, majestic peaks and many uncharted rivers teeming with trout.
"Fly-fishing knowledge in Bhutan is extremely limited," said Sun Valley Outfitters owner and operator Bryant Dunn. "They needed someone to come over and explore and fish a number of the river systems, so I spent a month in 2007 exploring various drainages in the kingdom."
Dunn put together a team of experienced fly fisherman, mostly guides, and brought them to Bhutan to fish. One of the river systems the group explored had never been fly fished.
"Not a single trout I caught had ever seen a fly before," Dunn said. "At one point, an entire village watched me fish. Many Bhutanese people had never seen Westerners or Caucasians before."
Dunn said the people are friendly, unassuming and pleasant and look at success from the perspective of gross national happiness rather than gross national product.
"I was recruited by an American-Bhutanese organization that is building a lodge to cater to road bikers, mountain bikers, trekkers, rafters, kayakers and fly fisherman," Dunn said. "It's an amazing time to be in the kingdom, which has only been open to tourism as recently as five years ago."
Dunn will be presenting his Bhutan fly-fishing expedition, "Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon," at the monthly meeting of Trout Unlimited's Hemingway Chapter at the Roosevelt Grille in Ketchum on Thursday, Jan. 8, 5-7 p.m.
Trout Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Local fisher people are encouraged to attend meetings and join Trout Unlimited to share in fishing experiences and in carrying out that mission.
At the moment, Dunn is the only American leading fly-fishing expeditions to Bhutan. A two-week trip can cost $5,000 without airfare and flights go to Bangkok and into Paro, the only airport in the country.
Dunn is working on a trip for 2010 but said he would take a trip in 2009 if there is enough interest. For details, call 720-6668 or e-mail Dunn at Huntsunvalley@yahoo.com.
"There are no language barriers and the culture is still pure," Dunn said. "There are no crimes or beggars and, unlike Nepal to the west, Bhutan is unspoiled, and it is the quintessential catch-and-release with no strain on the ecosystem."
Bryant Dunn with Carl Mabry and Mike Bordenkircher cross a bridge over the Mangde Chhu River in the Punakha region of Bhutan. Photo by
