Sichuan fishing and culture trip: the plateau another way

This Sichuan trip alternates fly fishing on the Tibetan plateau with cultural travel, for anglers who do not travel alone. It answers a specific problem: ten straight days on a river is a hard sell to a partner who does not fish, and a standard tour is a hard sell to you. Groups of four, systematic release, no foreign permit required.

A mountain temple on the road climbing from Chengdu to the high valleys of Aba prefecture.

Who this trip is for

This itinerary suits the angler travelling as a pair, or one who wants to see more than the water. Half of it fishes, half of it travels: it is neither a pure fishing trip nor a sightseeing circuit with fishing as scenery.

	What the trip covers
Fishing	Guided nymphing sessions on the plateau, Schizothorax and white-spotted char
Culture	Chengdu, Aba prefecture, Tibetan monasteries, Sichuanese food
Rhythm	River days and discovery days alternating, not split into blocks

Over twelve days, expect roughly six fishing days and five discovery days, alternating rather than separated into blocks. A non-fishing companion can follow the group on most river days, or stay on the cultural stops — their choice, day by day.

The cultural side, from Chengdu to the plateau

The route links Chengdu, the Sichuanese capital, to the high Tibetan valleys of Aba prefecture. Between the two: the giant panda research base, Sichuanese cooking, then at altitude the monasteries and villages of Tibetan culture.

The travertine terraces of Huanglong in Aba prefecture, a stop on the cultural side of the trip, between two days on the river.

Points of interest vary with the road taken to the rivers. The through-line is the steady climb to the plateau, from the Chengdu basin up to the high torrents. Low-altitude stops around Chengdu need no acclimatisation; those on the plateau do.

A high-altitude lake on the Tibetan plateau; on the shore, a mani stone carved with a mantra. The Tibetan side of the trip.

What you fish on the plateau

The fishing runs on the same water as our fly fishing trip Sichuan: high-altitude granite torrents, snow trout (Schizothorax) and white-spotted char, tight-line nymphing on a light line. The fish are uneducated.

Around six effective fishing days on this mixed format, on the granite torrents described above. Light tackle, 2- to 4-weight rods for tight-line nymphing; the detail is settled with your guide against the river of the day.

One species is never among the targets, here as on every trip we run: the Sichuan taimen, critically endangered.

No foreign permit, unlike Tibet

Aba and Garzê prefectures are open to foreign travellers without a special permit, unlike the Tibet Autonomous Region. Both the cultural days and the fishing days take place inside that accessible zone.

Local regulation — protected zones, closed periods — is checked for your departure window and confirmed before travel. We fish no protected zone.

How the expedition runs

The trip starts and ends in Chengdu, then runs west to the valleys, alternating fishing and discovery. Groups are capped at four anglers.

Indicative duration: 12 days, Chengdu to Chengdu, alternating fishing and discovery on the climb to the plateau. Accommodation in city hotels and valley guesthouses, with a fly guide and a cultural guide. Maximum four anglers per group, non-fishing companions welcome. Indicative budget: from €6,500 per angler, excluding international flights, to be confirmed against the format and the number of companions. No online booking: access is through the waiting list.