After three
amazing weeks fly fishing two of the hottest fishing destinations In southern
Argentina, my cup is full. Before these action packed recollections fade into
lifelong memories rich on emotion but scant on detail, I am writing to reflect
on what we experienced, consolidate new found knowledge and perhaps help others
inclined to fish these far flung corners of the world.
These are remote,
spiritual places where one slips easily into a hypnotic rhythm. Realisation of
how special they are is not fully reached until after you emerge at the other
end with a photographic reel to die for, a head bursting with memories and a
strong sense that this may be the best fly fishing trip you'll ever
do.
It all started with a 10 hour flight to Santiago from Auckland with a few hours stopover added then a 4hr flight on to Buenos Aires.
After a night observing the mayhem that is BA, Early
the next morning we made our way again through the craziness of Buenos Aires
airport, to only just make our flight on to the next stage or our journey, the 3
hour flight south to Calafate.
We
arrived in Calafate early and had the day and night before our pickup the
following day. Josh and Jimmy took the 80 km side trip to view the second
largest glacial ice sheet in the world, while I took some time to take in the
sights of Calafate.
The
boys came back raving about the glacier heaving and cracking under its on
weight, shimmering and shifting its shape and aura in the late afternoon
sunlight as large shards of ice broke to the sound of rifles cracking,
crashing their way into the turquoise waters of the lake below.
After
a restless nights sleep the day we've been dreaming about and planning for for 6
months is finally here and one of the guides Julian from Solid adventures will
be here to collect us in just a couple of hours. From here, we will hit the
road for a trip that is said to be between 4 and 8 hours depending on who you
talk to.
Forget
what we've read, heard or seen on the Internet and in glossy brochures and
magazines, the real Jurassic awaits us. And it's one heck of a
feeling.....
Yesterday was a day full of new discoveries. We
discovered it took 8 hours to travel the 300 or so kilometres from El Calafate
to Jurassic Lake, not 4 as we had hoped. Whoever tells you it can be completed
in less time, don't believe them.
As one
might expect, the landscape changed many times and this kept us
entertained.....to a point. As Scores of Wild deer and emus roamed the plains in
plain view, we crossed several glacial rivers (all with trout and/or salmon in
them apparently) passed by lakes dotted with pink flamingos, snow capped Andean
mountains and the odd ranch. To say this is wild, open and vast country would be
an under statement.
The
smooth ride didn't last and the
remaining half of the journey was spent inching our 4wd Hilux across seemingly
endless bone jarring rocky terrain where it seems at most a grader has been
pushed over the open plains. A few hours of this and we were well and truly over
it. To make matters worse, Jimmy and Josh were both coming down with colds after
the long international flights and change of environment no doubt.
This
energy sapping journey at the end of an energy sapping journey does make you
feel like your traveling to the end of the earth, or even a bit beyond. It adds
to the aura of fishing Jurassic as you feel you truly earn it.
This
is probably why, in the closing stages of the journey that we felt would never
end, we were so deliriously happy to see a flock of horses in a rare grassy
glade not far from the lake shore. The snow white ones stood out from a
distance, glowing in the afternoon sunlight such that we determined that they
were unicorns and we had indeed reached a magical land where unicorns and double
figure trout roam free.
We
arrived at the campsite soon after. I say campsite but it's really a collection
of permanent dwellings, with flushing toilets, hot showers, gas heating
in the sleeping quarters and pot belly stove. The perfect fishing
camp.
We
were greeted by Sebastian and Agus our Housekeeper and chef with a tray of beers
and fine wines, we couldn't gear up fast enough and throw a Therapeutic line
after the tortuous journey half way across the globe.
What looked to be shadowy dark patches sitting in the current were in fact fish, hundreds of them probably, sitting there plotting there next move up river under the cover of darkness.
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It was about 5.30 pm and we still had hours of daylight ahead of
us. In this part of the world, summer daylight arrives at around 5 am and remains until well after 10 pm at night.
Literally within minutes, everyone was hooked up, on a
variety of patterns, using a variety of techniques. Jimmy, Josh and I had opted
for 7 and 8 weight rods with floating lines and woolly bugger and nymph variants
with rubber legs. It didn't seem to matter much what you used as the fish were
eager to cooperate.
The fish themselves came in all sizes. Yes, there were some real clunkers amongst them. In this regard, Jurassic certainly has lived up to its expectations already, even in the first hour. We landed several fish in excess of ten pounds, some approaching mid teens.
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Others
we caught were smaller and as one might expect for a spawning river, we seemed
to catch fish spanning the generations - from 6 inches to well over 30. All were
in miraculously fat condition, in a variety of colourations and patterns. Just
beyond the river mouth in the lake itself, unbelievably fat silver torpedo's
were just as cooperative. We all
experimented and discovered our own preferred methods.
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Retiring to the camp for lunch, another outstanding meal was ready for us. The quality of the food really has been a highlight, with complements to a young trained chef that clearly takes pride in what he produces. Handmade ravioli filled with trout (the one trout we kept) with a cream sauce followed by crème caramel and dulce de leche for dessert, all washed down with again the Argentina's justifiably famous Malbec wines.
I was raising fish to the
fly literally every cast and about every third or so cast would end in a fish
smashing it and powering off into the lake. The average size of fish was rising
too as I nailed fish after fish in double figure range. The others were having
similar success as the 'guides' milled between us netting fish, taking photos,
making suggestions on to increase the catch rate even further or how to fish
other methods.
With wrist already aching, I was happy to change up and welcomed the opportunity for a bit of a slowdown, fish were still rushing the fly on almost every cast and there was nothing craceful about my technique or the drift I was acheiving.
Perhaps my 6 foot 15lb leader Connected to the dry fly
was part of the problem? There was nothing graceful about this but with the size
and power of these fish, and the presence of s sharp coral like Rocky bottom, it
was the safety first option that prevailed in this first get-to-know you
session.
The
power of Jurassic fish needs no further explanation for those who have read
anything about the lake. Stinging runs punctuated by a acrobatic leaps and
lunging dives makes them a powerful adversary, although with the heavy tippets
being used as insurance for fish that can run well into double figures, the odds
are stacked in the anglers favour especially in the lake.
Another weird feeling arose in me after the largest
fish I hooked into ( probably 15 lbs or better) unfortunately came unstuck in
the closing stages after a pretty surreal battle. I felt a pang of regret but
laughed at how differently I'd feel had I hooked and lost such a fish of a
lifetime in NZ, Jurassic skews reality quite a bit it seems but I know there
will be others.
As we approached evening, the guides suggested we change to large dry flies and these worked a treat, its something else watching a 16 lb bow come up and smash your size 12 PMX
By
10
pm,
with still 45 mins or so of daylight, we were done and I, along with most of us
I think was in two minds. Yes,
there were a lot of big fish to catch in this lake.....almost too many. I'd
found myself intentionally man handling fish in the 4-7lb range using my extra
strength tippet, just so I could maximize my chances of getting amongst bigger
ones. And as the fish rose in size, so did our expectations. Next one I want is
over 15 lbs to beat the last one. How can I induce a twenty pounder to
take?
The Patagonian wind would
continue unabated through out the week, ripping across the lake forming rolling
white caps across the entire lake surface and 3 foot breakers along the exposed
rocky shores. If anything, they only intensified.
After a solid egg and
bacon breakfast, we started off our mornings fishing the deep rocky shoreline of
Conchinos Bay. This iconic bay was fishable only sporadically the week we were
there due to the prevailing winds and we took full advantage landing
several gleaming lake
beauties before the wind would blow us back to relative shelter of the river
mouth.
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A lunch bell would go off at 1pm everyday, lunch would last about a hour or so and the mornings fishing session would be discussed in detail. Siesta was taken soon after and should be had as the days are long, and without you could easily burnout.
During the afternoon session hot coffee, Beer or wine
was always delivered to us by the river mouth (a much appreciated perk of paying
to fish Jurassic) Drinking beers and catching double figured
fish......bliss.
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With darkness
approaching another day was complete, we left the fish still biting and retired for pizzas and beer. The
bad news is that the wind is forecast to continue until the day after we leave,
when as Murphy's law would have it, calm sunny conditions are finally forecast
to arrive. As our guide Julian says, the good news is this weather system should
place us in good stead down at Rio Gallegos where the fishing can be tough and
the wind a major factor. At Jurassic, it may limit
your options and frustrate at times, but the fish don't mind and may be caught
regardless.
Be prepared
for some serious wind (120km) it is savage but still
fishable.
Between the
three of us we caught 1100 fish in 6 days, average size 6-10 lbs. We all had a
personal best within the first hour of being there. Three fish were landed for
the week that went over 20 lbs, many were lost at the
net.
Yes it is
along drive be warned, but so worth it. They are at present making improvements
to the road which will cut up to 1.5 hrs off the
drive.
Cost for a
week at Jurassic will be around $5000, Includes lodging, meals, beer, wine and
non Alcoholic beverages, guided fishing and ground transportation. Fishing
licenses all so included. This price does not include Flights and
gratuities.
Buitreras estancia on the Rio Gallegos river.
The river winds it's way
across Patagonian plains that are as starkly beautiful as they are vast and wind
swept, around beautiful rock formations, beneath caves previously inhabited by
native Indians, through vast estancias like Las Buitreras. You could fit a small
country within this estancia, but the inhabitants are of the non-human variety,
reminding you just how far away from home you really are - Rheas. , foxes, armadillos, skunks, hares, hundreds of
species of birds including birds of prey, flamingos, ibis, ducks, geese, gulls,
pipers and plovers.
Farming of
the extensive rather than intensive variety where a respectful and obviously
mutually beneficial relationship has been struck between the landowners, gauchos
who work the land and the guides and fishermen in search of the silver that
swims in the river. As such, you'll at times find yourself sharing the riverbank
with sheep, horses as well as the wildlife that coexist in this diverse
animalean paradise.
It appears that Solid Adventures have secured exclusive
access rights. That is not to say that you couldn't just by your ticket to Rio
Gallegos city and make your own way as the lands are private but river itself is public. You could
in theory follow the locals lead and fish it yourself (public access points are
placed between estancias) but the practical realities (distances to walk, lack
of local knowledge, logistics, risk of run ins with angry gauchos) will prevent
this for all but the most adventurous.
Its like this river was
designed by a fly fisherman, with lush weed lines, grassy edges, pools, riffles
and runs, pools, holes, boulders and gravel bars. At the levels we fished it, many pools were concealed
under broad water, making the guides intimate knowledge of the substrate
invaluable. Despite this, its easy wading and there are few obstructions, other than the wind that can
humble the most confident angler and is demanding of improvised casting
techniques coupled with a 'whatever it takes' attitude at times.
The pools are
all named, with larger holding pools a prominent feature, along with cut away
banks, trenches and seams where sea run browns on a long journey to mate like to
hide or conserve energy.
Sensitive to seasonal climatic changes including
rain, wind, snow melt and air temperatures, the Rio
Gallegos seems ever changing. We felt like we fished a different river every
day. Rain prior to our arrival had added volume and colour. Unseasonably warm
and stable weather throughout our stay set the stage for something special.
Waters receded and cleared further each day, except on the final day when rains
further upriver, or snow melt perhaps, began reversing this cycle.
As luck would
have it, along with perfect river conditions, the weather we experienced was
warm with mostly light to moderate winds, which by all accounts is rare. Rio
Gallegos, along with the rest of Patagonia is infamously known for its gale
force winds (which we had experienced first hand at Lago Strobel the week
before) but it by the time we arrived at Las Buitreras, it had temporarily blown
itself out.
Satisfyingly, the sea trout themselves stand (swim?)
above all the other natural wonders in this enchanted place. They are
big - average size probably 8-10lbs - super chromed beauties with snow white bellies, fresh from
the ocean. Long and sleek yet broad backed, muscle bound and powerful - Rio
Gallegos sea trout have a tough yet refined look. Most carry few spots, though some carry battle scars - Seal encounters? Sea birds? Net
marks? Line marks sustained during dogged battles with
anglers?
They move in pods and move around - migrating from zone
to zone through the course of a week, giving away their presence at times by breaching or 'rolling',
making a statement hard to mistake on account of their size.
Like sea
trout around the world, the Rio Gallegos variety are unpredictable with a
frustrating tendency to switch on and off - tentative in how they attack the fly
one minute, then super aggressive the next. Suicidal, then untouchable (some
strike the same fly twice with gusto, while others lie 'doggo' while you swing
flies right past their noses).
They fight
hard with powerful, dogged runs and spectacular jumps. They also fight dirty,
instinctively seeking out weed and burying themselves deeply underneath it,
making them all but impossible to dislodge.
Sea trout
share the river with boldly coloured and prettily marked resident brown trout.
These fish typically 1-2lbs but same much larger specimens are also taken.
Relegated as by-catch by most guides/anglers chasing chrome, these may not be
the designated target but we considered them a welcome distraction nonetheless.
The People &
Culture
The Las Buitreras
operation employs passionate fisherman who are also skilled instructors as
guides. Most of the local contingent speak reasonable English and have few
troubles communicating instructions to their eager sports. Supplementing the local contingent, were guides from
Europe (Germany), creating an international mix amongst the guides,
complementing the mixed clientele.
Most guides have served regular seasons at Las Buitreras
spanning several years and know the river intimately. Some have fished it from a
young age. To top this off, they are expert casting instructors especially in the use of double
handed rods. Some moonlight as rod designers for LOOP and as competition casting
champions. On top of this some, several we're accomplished photographers and
videographers.
All staff were punctual and
courteous, exuding warmth and personality as they executed their jobs. It was
their genuine enthusiasm to go above and beyond their jobs that stood out for
me. This extends to the entire support crew - guides, lodge manager,
housekeeping staff and chefs.
One story my fishing
companion told me sums it all up for me. “After teaching me to cast a double
hander during the first siesta break, an enthusiastic guide dropped me by the
Bridge Pool for some further self practise. He left me with a radio transmitter
and clear instructions to call him if I hooked a fish, so he could come and help
me land it. Sure enough, Within the hour I was into my first fish of the week
and my first ever on a double hander. I radioed the guide and within two
minutes, his 4wd drive sped into view and next he was in the river, waders
barely on and hair a mess, helping to steer the fish out of the weeds and into
the net. In this way, my first Rio Gallegos sea run trout, a superlative 15lb
chrome hen was landed and My confidence with the double hander was sky high for
the rest of the week. I am forever thankful to Stephan for this”. All the guides
shared a similar ethos to do whatever it takes.
Its hard not to attribute this
in part to the Argentine culture, which struck us as being genuinely hospitable,
warm and inviting, right across Patagonia (Buenos Aires was understandably more
of a mixed bag). Men kiss other men (on the cheeks) in welcome, people talk
warmly to others, even strangers and very few people seem in a rush. (other than
on the road).
One downside of the friendly
service in Argentina is that it can be frustratingly slow. Our record wait was
45 minutes for a cup of coffee in Rio Gallegos city. The lodge seems acutely
aware that it is serving an international clientele not accustomed to waiting
and paying a considerable sum of money to be there. Staff pre-empted our needs
at every stage both on the river and off it. This included hot coffee and
sandwiches on the river and drinks and meals served on arrival back at the lodge
after each and every fishing session. This is a wonderful part of the overall
experience that I am not previously accustomed, but could become so quite
easily.
The Fishing - Gear &
Techniques
Anglers in our group fished
both single and double handed rods. Although to use singles effectively you need
to have your distance casting arm well sorted. Some struggled on the first
morning to get the required distance to hit the right seams, using 7 weight
single handed rods. Other anglers had less trouble.
In addition to long
casts, accuracy is important to land flies into the right holding spots,
following the guides intimate knowledge which is quite extraordinary.
Then mending, twitching and stripping techniques come into play. For us,
presentation became more important throughout the week as
the river lowered and cleared.
In the fly department, the guides follow similar script for good reason - it works. Generally this consists of small flies in the morning (size 8-12 nymphs such as Copper Johns, Vitamin C's and Bitch Creeks ), with some preferring to trade up to bulkier flies (woolly buggers, yuk bugs, girdle bugs in sizes 4-8) in the late afternoon. All opted for long, slim profiled black flies (size 2-6) heading into dark.
My personal preference was to fish smaller black leech flies at night (size 6) and this was rewarded well in calm conditions. Yellow woolly buggers (yellow yummies) worked well in the first few days when the river was coloured. Basically, think rubber legs. Nearly every fly used has them and there were many familiar patterns in the box, such as the ubiquitous olive green woolly bugger, that had rubber legs tied in.
There is scope to experiment but this needs to be a balancing act between you and the guide. Changing of flies can be rewarded with hook ups in water already fished so its definitely worth trying different things if the guide's suggestion isn't working.
6-8 fish landed per
angler per week seems a good result for this river. Owing to the favourable
conditions, we got lucky and doubled this tally. But over 6 days fishing, that's
only about 1-2 fish per day, which gives you some idea of the challenge
involved. The most fish taken by an angler in a single session was 5
fish, 3 was taken several times, and there were even some double hook ups.
All sections of the river could fire at once, while more typically some would work for certain periods and then be dead during others. The final hour of daylight, reached during January at about 10 pm at night, is the witching hour when the fish are moving and taking - this is a much anticipated climactic period but you can't rely on it happening for you every night as we discovered.
I don't want to overplay the
skill involved in fishing Rio Gallegos because my limited experience tells me
equal measures of skill, luck and dogged persistence come into play on this
river - it tests you physically, mentally, technically and emotionally. Expect
to see, hook, lose and watch others catch more fish than you during a particular
session. It's all part of it.
The
Schedule
With around 8 anglers fishing
the river in any given week, the fishing schedule needs to be well organised and
structured and it is.
Las Buitreras's 40km stretch of river is broken into zones. We fished zones 1-4 during our stay. There is also a zone 0 and zone 5.
Each angler is paired up with another and allocated a guide and a zone for the session. The anglers rotate through each zone after each session but the guides stick to their allocated zone for the entire week, getting to know it intimately.
This way, all anglers get to fish all zones both morning and evening. The morning session is 8.30 am to 1 pm and then evening session is 5.30- 11.00 pm, with afternoons given to taking siestas. Based on this schedule, you end up on the river for about 9-10 hours a day depending on travel times which varies by zone from 5 Min's to 30 Min's each way. This may stretch to 11 hours depending on the fishing. You are delivered right to the edge of the pool by 4WD and advised of how to fish the hot spots. You tend to move from pool to pool fairly quickly.
This arrangement may not appeal to all as
there is some scope for frustration. If your group consists of an odd number of
anglers, one of you may be paired up with someone else, with whom you may not
fish well together. Some zones are further away than others, have greater travel
times between pools, require different abilities to fish and may fire at
different times. You don't get a say in which zones you fish when unless you can
trade with somebody. |
| Manager, Head Guide, and All Black fan. |
During the siesta break,
you can fish at the Bridge Pool only, which is a productive holding water. You
cannot roam the rest of the river by yourself as you may end up 'poaching' in
other people's zones. The whole concept of siesta was foreign to us and we were
there to fish. So we fished, and caught sea trout, in the Bridge Pool. However,
given the length of the days and the fact that you need your wits about you for
'happy hour', the last hour of the day, most ended up yielding to siestas and
even came to look forward to them. Other activities that can occupy you during this time
includes casting practise on lawn, horse riding, or continuous drinking as some
of us chose at various stages.
The Costs
Be prepared to pay about $6500
for a week at Las Buitreras.
The meals are all chef prepared and first rate (the beef
is outstanding) and the drinks are free flowing all week. Local Argentinian
Malbec red wine is particularly easy on the palette. For the experience we had, we all felt it was excellent value and it was incredible to experience
fishing in comfort like this, at least once.
Time to
go,
We fished the Rio Gallegos
during the third week of January, which is pretty much the third week of the
season, which runs through to April. The group before us had good fishing too,
but the one before that (in the first week) had mixed fishing - slow in the
first half of the week and a much better second half. This season was a record
for big fish.
Final Reflections on fishing
the Rio Gallegos at Las Buitreras
1. It's the real deal. Where
else do you have a real shot at 20lb+ sea run trout on single handed or light
double handed rods with floating lines?
2. It's a complete experience -
great culture, fishing, scenery, history, service, food, wine, people, wildlife
all combine. This is one of the best lodges in the world according to many
anglers in the know.
3. May be a once in a life time
for many due to cost and distance. But if you have the opportunity, go! Those
that know about it and can afford it go year after year.
4. Impossible to predict and
get your timing perfect as so many factors come into play. Be prepared to accept
what the environment, river and the sea trout throw at you
5. Count on receiving
expert and professional service and instruction but being friendly,
open to knowledge, instruction and accepting of (your) failures etc will assist
you in getting the most out of your Guides who are only human at the end of the
day.
6. You can go overboard and
take all the gear in the world (we did) but it boils down to a well matched
double handed and single handed rod (I always carried both), waders,
intermediate and sinking lines, a box of flies and leaders with tippet in
12-20lb range.
7. Think about another trip
while you are there, given the effort it takes to get there, you may as well. We
did Jurassic which is a great experience to tick off. Other options include
Brook trout, Santa Cruz steel head or dorado.
I will be hosting trips here in
the future.
For more information and
details please contact me.
M 0276060106
