Patagonia Flies ~ An Argentina Fly Fishing Resource

The Photo of the week was taken by Noel Pollak while fly fishing for Dorado. This photo captures the intensity of the Dorado and its strength and capacity to leave the water with such massive force to take out various waterfowl,snakes, small mammals, and any creature that gets in its path; hopefully your fly. Dorado are the kings of their domain calling home to the massive river systems in South America , specifically the Plata and the Amazonian waterways, and are still really being discovered in small canal systems in the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Bolivia and probably many more. They are a very unique fish in the ways they hunt for their prey , in that they stalk it out like lions and are known for vicious strikes. Depending on the waterway and time of year you are fishing for Dorado they can be caught with bug muddler flies and floating lines using a steel leader. The biggest Dorado known to be caught is 68 lbs although it is much more common around 5-20 lbs with the bigger fish usually caught in the month of October down deep with sinking lines from a boat.

Manero restaurant just opened this past week and is the Patagoniaflies June restaurant recommendation. It is a short cab ride from downtown and absolutely worth it in all respects. Having one of the best double entry wood burning stoves (hornos de barro) we have ever seen, which creates masterpiece dishes such as their Bondiola and Cordero to mention only a few, not to forget one of the best pizzas I have tried in all of Argentina we know it is going to stay. Created by the incredible Executive Chef Federico Desseno who is no stranger to the business also owner of the very successful Marismo restaurant in Punta del Este, Uruguay one will leave the restaurant only dreaming of coming back. Exceptional service and an extensive wine list. Street: Monroe 899 Phone# 4787-4848 Hours 8:30pm-on www.manerorestaurant.com

The Photo of the week is of a beautiful resident brown trout from the Limay River. There are two forms of Brown trout that live in this river, migratory and resident. The migratory browns enter into the river around April from lake Nahuel Huapi to spawn. They generally stay close to the mouth and then make a run to find spawning grounds down stream and return back to the lake around August and September. These fish have a very platinum color when they enter into the river and slowly change color for survival by taking the color of the bottom of the river. They will later grow teeth to fight for position in the pools for food, and eventually change even more dramatically with with large dots of orange and red for attracting mates during the spawning season. Then they return to the lake where they will once again change back to a dime bright silver represnting the backdrop of the white sand beaches. Whereas the resident browns which are much rarer on the Limay keep the colors of the Limay all year round changing only with deeper pigmintation during the spawning season. They live in den like structures usually big boulders providing shelter and protection from predators, such as birds of prey, otters, and anglers.

In order to fish in Argentina a personal fishing license is required by law in continental Patagonia, however in some providences in Argentina the rivers and Atlantic Ocean are still widely unregulated much like the salt water is in the United States. In Patagonia one can purchase a license at the airport in Bariloche, or at many local fly shops. They vary in price depending on whether you are resident or non-resident. There is no fishing after dark which is one important rule to remember also specific additional licenses are required for well knowm access spots such as the mouth of the Correntoso river and the mouth of the Chimehuín river and all access to Rio Grande to name a few. It is also important to pay close attention to the fly fishing only zones which are marked with big blue signs throughout the zone. It is also a good idea to clean and disinfect your waders and wading boots before coming overseas to not introduce exotic species which could harm the ecological balance and biodiversity to the stream systems. For all regulations and local restrictions be sure to consult your local fly shop, or go to this website www.aapm.org.ar and Patagonia will reward you.

Puerto Madryn, Patagonia Argentina whale watching season has begun with arrival of the Southern Right Whales. Each year from early June until late November these extraordinary animals visit our waters of the Gulf in New Valdes Peninsula, in order to procreate and raise offspring in the calm waters of the Gulf. They are incredibly peaceful and sociable, and sightings can be made from Puerto Piramides, a town in the peninsula. Here are two companies we highly reccomend www.hydrosport.com.ar and www.whalesargentina.com.ar they are people with great experience and we assure you will be amazed.

Amigos, desde Puerto Madryn Patagonia Argentina, les cuento que ya comenzó la temporada de ballenas (la especie “Franca Austral”). Todos los años desde principios de junio y hasta fines de noviembre, estos animales extraordinarios nos visitan en las aguas del Golfo Nuevo en Península de Valdés, con la finalidad de procrear y de tener las crías en la tranquilidad del golfo, son increíblemente pacíficas y sociables, y se pueden hacer avistajes desde Puerto Pirámides, (un pueblo dentro de la península) las empresas mas recomendables son www.hydrosport.com.ar www.whalesargentina.com.ar gente con mucha experiencia y les aseguro que volverán maravillados. Saludos Wilfredo.

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The photo of the week was sent to us from our friend Guillermo Vázquez who is a incredible fly fishing guide in Villa La Angustora. If you ever get the chance to visit this beautiful Patagonian town nesteled in the heart of the Andes mountains we highly recommend you to contact Guillerrmo for all your fly fishing needs at www.limayriver.com

Many long days and nights fly fishing on the river can diminish ones cigar supply very quickly. However, just a short drive into the city of Bariloche there is one of the greatest selection of fine cigars at Vuelta Abajo located Quaglia 242 loc.6 phone# 02944-434785

On May 25th 1810 Argentina declares a revolution against Spain (el Día de la Revolución de Mayo). Now this day is a national holiday generally celebrated with family and friends eating a traditional food dish called locro. In the fly fishing world it also signals that within six days the lower stretches of the Rio Limay are closed for the season, meaning last chance to catch a big brown until November first.

Here’s the the photo of the week sent to me from Gustavo Parra from Neuquén, Argentina. We met Gustavo while fishing the Rividavia this past summer and he recommended us to fish some incredible waters that led us to catch some beautiful landlocked salmon and brook trout. This is Gustavo fighting a huge Brown trout on the lower stretch of the Rio Limay.

We thought it would be of great help for all fly fisherman and travelers visiting Buenos Aires to have some recommendations for restaurants that are just a quick cab ride outside of downtown, and not so touristy to get a real flavor for Argentine cuisine. What we will do each month is feature one restaurant. For May we will start out with Sucre which is an outstanding restaurant with innovative cuisine and an impressive wine list. Featuring the incredible chefs Fernando Trocca and Gonzalo Sacot one will be nothing but overwhelmed with the service and quality of gourmet dishes that Sucre has to ofter. Street: Sucre 676 ~ Phone #: 4782-9082 ~Hours: 8PM-2AM www.sucrerestaurant.com.ar