Written by Yellow Dog Client Gary Geddes -- Originally Published here: https://issuu.com/austinflyfishers/docs/affjanmar25nlp
At the beginning of the year, I was invited to go trout fishing in Patagonia, Argentina on a trip arranged through Yellow Dog Fly Fishing. They had 5 anglers and needed a sixth to complete the group. Jack Porter, Yellow Dog’s South American contact, had put together a curated itinerary with a variety of lodging and fishing experiences I couldn’t pass up. I was apprehensive at first joining a group of mostly strangers, but for a bunch of lawyers they turned out to be pretty regular guys. I was paired with Gordon who is a master fly fisher, great roommate, and overall true gentleman sportsman. We enjoyed an incredible week of fishing, camaraderie, and an immersion into Argentine ranch culture. It was truly an unforgettable experience.
Buenos Aires
For our in-country arrangements, Yellow Dog connected us with Posta Experiences, a boutique travel and concierge firm in Buenos Aires. Posta handled everything flawlessly from greeting us at the airport, transfers to our hotel, and arranging various activities and experiences in Buenos Aires. As this was my first trip to Argentina, I wanted to take in all that Argentina has to offer. From the moment I arrived I was in their capable hands and had not one worry. I always heard BA was the most European of South American cities and I was not disappointed. It is truly lovely with many parks and plazas, outstanding museums, stunning architecture, and incredible cuisine. My Posta representatives Marina and Massimo Macchiavello treated me like family and ensured every aspect of my time in Buenos Aires was exceptional. I enjoyed three wonderful days exploring the city in advance of the rest of the group arriving, then it was off to Patagonia. Posta got us to the regional airport and ushered us through the controlled chaos of holiday travelers for our 2.5 hour flight to San Martin de Los Andes in the heart of Patagonia ranch country.
San Martin de Los Andes
Upon arrival in San Martin, we were greeted by representatives of Patagonia River Guides who would be our fishing outfitter during our week in Patagonia. PRG has relationships with various lodges and estancias, which provide access to many miles of private and lightly fished water. From spring creeks to rivers to lakes, PRG’s knowledgeable and experienced guides will put you on the best fishing in Patagonia. Everything with PRG was top shelf – Winston rods, Abel reels, meticulously maintained trucks and boats. There is no need to bring any fishing equipment when fishing with PRG, they provide everything. We split our week with PRG between two lodges recommended by Yellow Dog, each with its own distinctive charm.
Quemquemtreu Lodge
At a 1.5 hour drive, Quemquemtreu is the furthest removed lodge from the San Martin area. Once the headquarters of a ranch encompassing over 1 million acres, Quemquemtrue lodge showcases the authenticity of old Patagonia. Wildlife, gauchos, and beautiful landscapes are all part of the experience. From the estancia (now only a modest 200,000 acres), PRG has private access to more than thirty miles of the Collón Cura River, one of the most productive fishing rivers in Argentina. The river is divided into 3 beats – upper, middle, and lower - and with a 12-rod limit, you will have your assigned section all to yourself.
On day 1, Gordon and I were paired with PRG guide Nico Natalucci, a wading and sight casting enthusiast, and a perfect guide for our assigned beat. The upper Collón Cura features crystal clear springfed lagoons where the stealthy angler can stalk huge browns in shallow pools under the shade of tall cottonwoods.
Gordon was up as we quietly approached the first pool. A large brown was sipping what appeared to be spinners at the back edge of the small pool. Nico selected a fly and helped Gordon into a good casting position. With nerves of steel Gordon laid down a perfect first cast, the fly landing gently above the feeding fish…eat, set, fish on! The brown put up a tremendous fight but came to the net for a quick release. An 18” fish on a size 18 fly, now that’s trout fishing!
We spent the rest of the morning pursuing these wily monsters, often making bow and arrow casts under the low hanging branches. I could have stayed all day, but we had to board the drift boat and head down to our takeout. The wind was up and we could hear the buzz of grasshoppers as we embarked. Fishing foam Chubby Chernobyls, we pounded the bank getting steady blow ups and brought many rainbows and browns to the net. At the end of the float, Gordon and I relaxed with a cold Andes beer and enjoyed the view of the sunset across the sere Patagonia landscape. What a great start to the trip!
Over the next two days we floated the middle and lower sections of the river, each offering a diversity of water types from deep, willow-lined pools to endless Madison-like riffles. Whatever the conditions, the PRG guides were adept in helping adjust our techniques to meet the changing environments and kept us in fish. In many ways it was similar to summer fishing in Wyoming or Montana – lots of hopper/dropper fishing with some opportunities to drift smaller dries.
Several of the group were new to trout fishing and even the most novice angler landed plenty of fish. On our final night at Quemquemtreu, the staff threw us an incredible gaucho-style asado cookout with enough meat for an army and enough malbec to float a navy. Sharing the dinner with our guides and lodge staff, it felt like a family reunion. On the morning of day 4, we packed and sadly left Quemquemtreu behind.
Tipiliuke Lodge
We arrived at Tipiliuke Lodge mid-morning, dropped our luggage, and immediately departed with our guides for our next fishing adventure. Right away I could tell that Tipiliuke was a different experience. While located within the 50,000 acre Estancia Cerro de los Pinos, everything about the lodge appeared upscale - from the immaculate grounds, onsite spa, posh furniture, and courteous but formal service.
With its close proximity to San Martin, anglers have access to both the Chimehuin and Quilquihue rivers as well as the mountain lakes high above San Martin. Beyond the fantastic fly fishing, the lodge offers a variety of activities like yoga classes, horseback riding, and guided bird-watching tours. To me, Tipiliuke would be the ideal choice for an angler with a non-fishing companion. But we were here to fish!
PRG’s program is to rotate their guides through each pair of anglers and to ensure everyone gets to experience the widest variety of fishing opportunities. High on my list was to fish Lago Lolog, a stunning lake rimmed by snow capped Andean peaks.
On our first day at Tipiliuke, Gordon and I did a pleasant float on the Chimehuin while the rest of the group went to the lake. We enjoyed a good day on the river, but back at the lodge the stories from the lake had me green with envy. There was a dragonfly hatch bringing the huge lake fish to the surface and the topwater action was apparently fast and furious! That night I could hardly sleep thinking of those fish.
On day 5, it was finally our turn and with high hopes we set out early for the long drive up to the lake with our guide Federico. We arrived at the little marina by mid-morning, boarded a powered skiff and headed out across the pristine water. I was overwhelmed. The videos I had seen couldn’t begin to capture the raw natural beauty of Lolog. Fortunately for me and Gordon, the hatch was still on. All along the shoreline we saw huge browns and rainbows leaping into the air to catch the escaping dragonflies. It was sight casting heaven. With Federico’s help we could spot the bigger fish in the cold clear water and accurate casts were rewarded with ferocious takes. The well-designed skiff allowed for easy casting from both front and back and we scored many doubles throughout the morning. By midafternoon the action had slowed so we paused for a picnic on a shady beach.
I have to say the daily picnics were exceptional and provided a unique opportunity to converse with the guides, a real high-point throughout the week. After a leisurely lunch we were back in the boat, but it was clear the hatch was over. We spent the rest of the afternoon hunting individual fish that were secreted in their hiding places among the logs and crevices of the rocky shoreline. Casting spinners on light tippet beneath branches and into tight corners we each managed to entice a few these wary fish to eat. It was getting late and after we each landed some nice fish, Federico called it a day. My Lolog dreams were fulfilled!
On our last day we were paired up again with Nico and he had a special day planned for us. He secured us entry to the Mamuil Malal ranch with private access to the Malleo River. In the shadow of the Lanin Volcano, the Malleo is the most remote and lightly fished river in the area. It is walk and wade fishing, stalking individual fish in crystal clear pools and riffles.
We stopped at the rustic ranch house to register and collect the gate keys. The exterior walls, adorned with countless red stag antler mounts, attested to the sporting history of this remote and wild estancia. We passed through the gate on a suggestion of a road above the Malleo canyon and in 4WD slowly motored our way through the brush down to the river. We quietly approached a pool where several smaller fish were rising. I asked if we could catch a few to get us started, but received a definitive “no” from Nico. We were strictly after the big boys.
After some serious bushwacking upstream, Nico spotted a big brown feeding in a current seam along the shady bank. Gordon was up first and was stationed downstream well below the fish. Nico insisted the only way to catch it was to make a cast directly upstream putting the fly just above the fish. Gordon put down a nice cast, but a little too long. The fish saw the fly line and spooked. I was up on the next fish and made the same mistake.
Okay, 0 for 2, not a great start but now we knew the game. Gordon’s next attempt was perfect and he brought a nice brown to the net getting us off the Schneider. We continued to move upstream hunting fish. We came to a deep pool at the head of a side channel holding a large brown and a rainbow. The fish were slowly cruising the pool occasionally eating a bug on the surface. The brown detected us and paused, staring at us for what seemed like an eternity before skulking away. The rainbow continued to feed along a foam line at the top of the pool.
Staying in the shadows we approached as close as I dared. With my heart in a fist, I made a roll cast landing the fly ahead of the approaching fish. The rainbow sees the fly…eat, set, fish on! After a quick lunch break, we had one more section to fish. Gordon picked up another nice rainbow and on my final cast I got my best brown of the trip. We hiked back to the truck with rugged Mt Lanin in the distance. I couldn’t help but marvel at the magnificence of Patagonia and all we experienced. Saturday morning, with our week of trout fishing over, we took our flight back to BA.
For our final night in the city my companions dined at the renowned Parrilla Don Julio. I had had my fill of steak, so joined Posta’s Massimo for dinner at La Mar, an outstanding Peruvian-style seafood house. After dinner we wandered the cobbled streets of the trendy Palermo district stopping for a few craft cocktails before calling it a night.
A Golden Day
We still had a full day on Sunday before our overnight flights back to the states. Yellow Dog arranged us a day of fishing for the redundantly named Golden Dorado with Urban Dorado Anglers. With luggage in tow, the UDA team transported us to the modern Sarthou Marina where we boarded 3 skiffs and set out down the Parana toward the enormous Rio de la Plata delta. This vast riverine system, so close to the city, is a wonderous maze of bayous and flats that is home to exceptional fly fishing for dorado and other exotic species.
We started the day drifting the shallows casting from the boat. The dorado hit with explosive strikes but were very difficult to hook, their sharp teeth requiring steel leaders. With us all in earshot, the whoops and hollers across the water drove a good-humored competition among the boats. I quickly learned that when the fish eats you have to keep hammering strip sets until he jumps, then you know he’s hooked. We missed far more than we landed, but by midday everyone had at least one to the boat.
We had lunch at a beautiful sandy beach on an island within the Republic of Uruguay. After lunch, the UDA guides took us to a huge mud flat where we could wade and sight cast to tailing fish. It was very difficult – huge fles, long casts, heavy wind – but high-voltage excitement! I managed to land two of the amazing monsters and a few of the other guys also brought fish to the net. What an ending to an incredible fishing trip!
