Patagonia Flies ~ An Argentina Fly Fishing Resource

Basic equipment for fly fishing the Rio Grande from my humble point of view. If fishing single handed fly rods (only recommended for very low wind to calm days) a #8  9’ to 10 ft would do the job. Casting distances are not big, but the fish are! I recommend single handed for easy days because when I fish with single handed rods on windy days, the good cast + accuracy ratio falls dramatically behind the easy casting of double handed rods. For double handed friends,  a rod between 12 ft #8 to 14ft #9-10 is enough for most of the situations. I found rods from 15ft and above, uncomfortable to hold in windy conditions and an overkill from the power point of view. Best is if you have a light double handed like 11’6” to 12’6”  #7-8 rigged with a floating or with light sink tip for nymphing or skating a nice green machine and a 13 to 14 ft  #9-10 for heavier stuff, windier situations or for delivering a heafty leech at dusk for the most thrilling fishing in Rio Grande. Lines? Lots of options, but the Rio Windcutter with its VersiTip version is a real workhorse. For high water conditions, a shooting system seems more suitable. Be ready to use 550 grains (or more!) sinking heads if waters turns murky after a heavy rain. Reels? Nothing special, just one big enough to hold the bulk of a double handed line. Tippet choice is very important for some. I think a clear winner among most of the  guides is Maxima Ultragreen. Extremely good for that kind of fishing. Carry from 8 to 15 pounds. Best those 220yards spools…Flies? Aside from the classical rio grande nymphs and rubber legs patterns, there are 2 flies I would add. First a big and nice streamer for fishing the magic hour. Leeches and Sunray Shadow-style tubes and among my best. Very difficult that I don’t start or end with one of those. Atlantic Salmon patterns like the classic Blue Charm to the more modern and exotic patterns like the icelandic Snaelda works well according the water conditions. If you have them, give them a try in the proper places. If you want to have fun, try to skate a fly on the surface! Warning! Not every pool is suitable for that, but your guide will let you know. Smaller Green Machine (#10 or so) or a riffle hitch tube (1 inch or so) gave me very happy memories. Bigger flies skated may move more fish to the surface but the fish seems to just follow or hit the fly. If you have been in that situation, try a smaller fly the next time. Clothing? The usual for cold weather. Heres a beautiful photo of the author Alejandro Martello with a monster sea run brown, he was a guide in Tierra del Fuego on the Rio Grande for many years and also Iceland. 

The photo of the week is of Patagonia Flies Wilfredo (Homero) Yaconis with his impressive giant rainbow caught in Southern Patagonia. Nice work on bringing that beast to hand for the team.

Some really incredible Dorado fly fishing is located in the province of Salta, northern Argentina in the Juramento river. With lush tropical rainforest landscapes and beautiful warm weather, and huge Dorado one should jump on a plane and go tommorow. For more info contact alex@patagoniaflies.com

The Photo of the week was sent to us from Carlos Mora, a dear friend of Patagonia Flies whom we got to fish with a few years back at the boca of the Rio Correntoso. Last week he fished the Rio Corcovado and Lago Vintter in the beautiful province of Chubut in southern Patagonia. Here is one of the many fresh rainbows he brought to hand, not to forget he also caught some immense brook trout. Spring time in Patagonia is one of the best times to catch red hot rainbows at many of the river mouths because of the immense amount of food pouring into the big lakes from recent snow melt. The use of natural color wooly bugger patterns such as brown, black, and olive can prove to be deadly.

Spring time is a wonderful time to be in Patagonia with the opening of the fishing season starting back up November first. One can expect raging streams filled with fresh snowmelt water from the mountains merging into the lakes and rivers, and it is here that the fly fishing can really be great.  Here is a video from Patagonia Flies of last years spring trip.

Here is a recent video from Patagonia Flies about the Fall run on the Rio Limay. Also, amazing float tube fly fishing in mountain lakes for beautiful big brown trout and brook trout. The song was written and sung by jeremy Cameron.

Still one of the better kept secrets for pursuing big sea run brown trout is the Gallegos river located in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina. The Gallegos starts it’s journey in the Andes mountain range in southern Chile at the merging of the Rubens and Penitente rivers. From there it flows 112 miles east through wide glacial created canyons and ending up in the Atlantic ocean. On its way it is joined by several tributaries; the Turbio, Roble, Zurdo, and Gallegos Chico. It’s landscape is still extremely desolate with only a handful of sheep ranches and lodges one will feel as if they are in the middle of nowhere until their drag starts screaming with the sound of a fresh chrome sea run ripping off line. The Gallegos then turns into an estuary on the banks of the city Rio Gallegos where the moon and the tide become very important factors. Spey rods are a very effective tool to have on this river due to the incessant winds that come with the climate. Therefore, Patagonia flies highly recommends the use of Loop Tackle with their amazing selection of Spey rods, lines, and reels for this big river. For more information contact alex@patagoniaflies.com

The guys from Patagonia Flies recently went to some lakes in Southern Patagonia and caught some monster rainbows. Here is the photo of the week of one of the many triple ups they had on their last trip. They were all caught using single handed rods, shooting heads, and big nasty streamers and safely released to fight another day. Video to come some time soon on www.fliesandfins.com

With the omnipresent conical volcano Lanín dominating the breathtaking views in all directions it is definitely the centerpiece for this spectacular national park. Located in the province of Neuquén, Argentina with its native patagonian forests and many lakes and rivers it becomes another fly fisherman’s dream playground. Some of the lakes and rivers located in the park are Huechulafquen the parks biggest lake, and the headwaters of the famous Chimehuín river. Also in its borders are the Aluminé, Paimún, Lolog, Lácar, Meliquina, Quillén, Hermoso, Tromen, Escondido, Machónico. It is here that one can have the possibilitiy of connecting with very selective wild rainbows, browns, and brook trout, also the occasional landlocked salmon. Still extremely untouched by development if possible one should really try to camp to take in the whole effect of this magnificent national park. Although, very close by are the three towns; San Martín de los Andes, Junín de los Andes, and Aluminé with wonderful lodges and cabanas. If you have the chance Patagonia Flies highly recommends a float trip down the majestic Aluminé river with Diego Buzzurro’s guide service. www.achalaexperience.com.ar

If you happen to be in the city and don’t have time to travel way up north your in luck with some amazing fly fishing for Dorado just an hour and half away from downtown Buenos Aires. In the small town of San Pedro Patagonia Flies brings clients out to some really unknown waterway canals to fly fish for the noble Dorado. Not known for the huge Dorado like the north, yet the possibility always exists. This is a very visual trip using six weight rods and floating lines with big muddler pattern flies, and you can usually see all of the strikes. The best months tend to be from January to March as the water warms up the Dorado move to the canals in search of food. So if you are in the city and have a day free one can leave early in the morning fly fish all day and return by a reasonable time to be at work the next day. Contact alex@patagoniaflies.com for more information. Photo taken by Noel pollak