# fly fishing argentina



## Alumacraftbassin (Nov 13, 2012)

Anybody have any experience DIY fishing patagonia? I will be down there in December and plan on going on some floats with a guide or two but would also like to fish on my own. Will likely drive by car from Bariloche to Calafete. 15 days.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

take the alumacraft and then go where the guide took you the day before. and bring lots of beer and condoms.

that's my advice.


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## Malbec (Jul 12, 2009)

Wow. Sounds like fun!

DIY fishing in Patagonia can be done, and in some ways, I guess, it could be more rewarding than taking guides.

There's a pretty good book out there by William C. Leitch, "Argentine Trout Fishing", but it was published about 25 years ago, and he skips much of the area you're talking about.

Joey Lin, from the Austin Angler fly shop went down there on his own and hitch-hiked all around Patagonia in the late Ninety's and did nothing but DIY flyfishing without a boat. He still lives in B.A. and arranges guided trips.

I've fished from Bariloche down to Rio Pico (with guides) so I don't know much about the area on down to Calafete. We've stopped a few times at Lago Vittner to fish the mouth of the Corcavado river. This is where Highway 44 crosses the river. The guides usually target this spot, though, in the Fall when the big Brook Trout are spawning.

December is going to be early in their season and you're going to be pretty far south, so it will be like fishing Montana in June. It depends upon how much snow they get this winter, but, the rivers could be running fast and high. Make sure you bring streamers and sinking tips along with your 5-wt floating lines.

Don't be too quick to leave the area around Esquel on your way south. They've got lots of rivers available for wade fishermen with cars. 

Also, even though, technically speaking, all fly fishing in Patagonia is catch-and-release, without a boat you'll be fishing a lot of places that are heavily fished by local residents. Most local residents consider fish to be food, and these areas do get "fished out". A 28-year-old should be able to hike far enough away to have some solitude. 

I hope you like beef and red wine! Good luck and have fun.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Excellent post Malbec.

There is a place I've had my eye on for awhile now called Jurassic Lake...biggest rainbows in the world.

http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/index.php/fly-fishing-travel/jurassic-lake-argentina-huge-rainbows

Its pricey, but if you are going to be there in country anyway, it might be a chance to do the trip of a lifetime....and you will be there at about the right time.

Not DIY, but just possibly trout nirvana.


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## Alumacraftbassin (Nov 13, 2012)

Thanks for the recommendations malbec and meadowlark. I might have to check out that William C Leitch book. My itinerary has changed somewhat since my original posting. I will now be flying from bariloche to el calafate after the first 8 days. Turns out its really expensive to rent a car one way in Argentina (about an extra 2k). I should have probably mentioned in my original posting that I am an avid hiker and will be doing as much hiking as fishing. I am going to el Calafate to hike the W trek in Torres del Paine Chile, and will also be doing some hiking out of el Chalten to see the fitz roy range. As such I don't think ill have time to make Jurassic lake, although it truly does look like fishing nirvana. I honestly probably won't have much time to fish at all down south and will be limited to fishing the first part of the trip while im in the "lakes region". As I am still a novice fly fisherman Im actually ok with not catching absolute monster fish, and am happy just to catch a few trout which seem to be in abundance down there. With my extra time up north I am now staying in Villa la Angostura for a few days, there seems to be an awful lot of lakes around there, some of which are hike in and will hopefully have at least reasonably good fishing.


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