Who has Fished Patagonia? Headed there in Feb/March

[Brandon]

Hi Gang

I was wondering if anyone here has fished Patagonia. My friend Tom and I have always wanted to go there and have been talking about if for a few years. Late last year we were fishing on the Henry's Fork and I had invited my friend Ryan Davey to come down and fish a few days with us at the Ranch. Ryan was the original founder of AEG media and did the first and second video of Trout Bum Diaries which you might have seen. One night over a few beers and grub at the lodge we started talking about destination locations, conservation projects, and Patagonia came up. Ryan spent about 8 months there to shoot the film and was talking about it and all the issues that the river systems in Argentina and Chile are facing. I mentioned Tom and I had been talking about it and wanting to go and he said, well let's go. Ryan agreed to tag along with us and we are now planning the trip. The mission is the see and experience the fisheries and research some conservation projects that we might be able to support. We have a three week trip planned, leaving the end of Feb. We are starting in Bariloche, renting a rig and will drive and fish our way south and west into Chile.

If anyone knows any contacts, projects, or interesting information that might be useful I would appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance!

Brandon

[Wild Bill]

Brandon-

Give Simon a call. He may have some helpful information and contacts for you.

[Brandon]

Hey Bill

Thanks. I plan on it. I know you have fished for Durado there. We were going to fish the marsh for a few days on the way down, but have decided not to because while the fishery sounds fun, we would probably not fund anything with it given we ar really focusing on cold water trout stuff. If you had to make a suggestion is that fishery something that you would fish again? I think you or Simon mentioned to me at one time that it can be iffy depending on water levels?

Thanks

Brandon

[Salmo trutta]

I've been to southern Chile and fished the Río Petrohué and stayed in the town of Puerto Mont and even camped river side a couple nights. It was a great experience and my best friend/ best man at my wedding is Chilean so that helped. But neither of us had ever gone to the south.
We rented the biggest POS car you could find that could probably fit in your pocket. We set off for known rivers without a clue. This was 6 or 7 years ago. We didn't have the money for a guide but bribed some drunk local to take us down the river on a boat that was missing chunks out of the bow, no life jackets and oars that looked like they were constructed out of tennis rackets. We had to hitch a ride so someone could tow us 5 miles up river with our "guide" who stunk horribly of booze. So did we, so we didn't care.

The car we got a ride from had smoke coming from the transmission and got stuck on a side channel of the main river when we launched the drift boat. It took us over and hour to push it out. But we were off on our only float trip of the week and caught some decent fish floating the lowest section.

Sinking line is the way to go there because the rivers are insanely deep, large and fast moving. The smaller tributaries are decent but mostly only have small fish, with a few exceptions. One day I was messing with a 5 wt and #16 caddis were all over the place and I was content with catching 10" browns. Then all of a sudden a submarine porpoised in front of me. It was the largest salmonoid I'd ever seen. Quick change up to 8 pound tippet and a large wooly bugger and the first cast he took it. I fought the fish for what seemed like an eternity. Somehow steered the fish out of numbers log jams and was trying to beach it when my tippet popped. It was either a fresh from the ocean Brown or king salmon pushing 25-30 pounds. Unbelievable.

So... bring 5-7wts with sinking line.

Whooly buggers with long white legs

Bug netting because there are GIANT horse flies there. But the one comforting thing about getting bitten by one is that they are slow so you can often kill them and feel some satisfaction that what just bit you is dead. The bite is very painful but the pain doesn't last. Any fly that looks like a giant horse fly about the size of a quarter should work but we only caught small fish on dries.
Come to think of it, bug netting wouldn't work, these things were biting through our T shirts.

Stay away from fish farms. I was out fished 10-0 by guys with "Cuban yoyos" catching 10 pound Atlantic Salmon one after another on cut bait while my state of the art G Loomis fly rod couldn't catch a cold. They were right next to us fishing just out side of a restricted fish farm area. They caught fish, we didn't. I think they were using cut bait on a hand line.

Sin Gas means water with no bubbles. You'll want some fresh spring water without carbinantion when baking in the sun all day.

You'll never look at hand lines the same way again. Those guys down there can fish those things better than many pros can fish G Loomis, St Croix, Sage, you name it. I think they could out cast a 11' Heaver in the surf.

Hire a guide. Have fun. The scenery, the fish and the women are stunningly beautiful.

[TAILWALKER]

Brandon,

Call my friend Harry Robertson in Hanover, Virginia. Harry has been guiding trips down there for at least 20 years and has probably forgotten more about that area then most of us could possibly hope to know.

You can reach him at 804-537-5036 or email him at harry@hanoverfly.com.

[Wild Bill]

Brandon-

The Ibera Marsh is a great place to fly fish with a nine wt. The accommodations, guides and other people were great. We just hit it at a time of low water and could not reach some of the best fishing locations. We caught fish to 16 pounds but the potential for larger ones exists. We did eat and drink like kings. If you could go at a time when water levels were normal, it could be very exciting. It was probably a once in a lifetime trip for me. Simon and Don may return some day. You and Tom should definitely fish for Golden Dorado at some point. They are beautiful fish, great jumpers and strong fighters.

Simon and Don P have fished below the LaZona damn and caught Golden Dorado over 30 pounds, but the current is strong like at the base of the Conowingo Dam. You have to use really heavy tackle and lose many of the fish. Many guys use big swimming plugs and heavy spinning or casting tackle. It does not interest me.

[Barracuda48]

Brandon

Do a google search for "jurassic lake" and take a look at the video of the rainbow trout they catch. Up to 20 pounds. I'm going to Tierra Del Fuego in mid March to fish for the giant sea run brown trout myself. I'll be staying at Estancia Maria Behety. Good luck maybe you can find the location of Jurassic Lake and visit for a couple of days. Everyone has been real hush, hush about its location. Seems to be in the middle of no where.

Barracuda

[Brandon]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

ST, sounds like a good time. I am looking forward to seeing Chile for sure!

Tailwalker, thanks I will call your friend for sure!

Bill, thanks. We are going to skip the durado this time I think, but we will be back so we will definitely do the marsh at some point. I have read and heard about the dam,but not too keen on fishing the same area every day in that current.

Baracudda, Ryan knows about Jurassic Lake and has fished there. We are considering it. As you have suggested it is in fact in the middle of nowhere and requires a very serious journey to get there and only a few people actually know how to navigate the area. We are working on a possible charter, we'll see how it goes. Its about another 1500+ miles from where we will be, but hey are are already going thousands of miles to get there so whats another 1500....lol

Thanks for all the help guys, I greatly appreciate it!

Brandon