Fly Water Travel Hosted Travel - Las Buitreras Lodge - Argentina

Just north of the Straits of Magellan, in southeastern-most Argentina flows the incomparable Rio Gallegos. For many a seasoned rod, this lovely, low-gradient system and the charming Las Buitreras Lodge that serves it represent the pinnacle sea trout experience. The beauty of the Gallegos watershed is otherworldly, and it’s likely for guests to find themselves fishing alongside silver foxes, guanacos, rheas, flamingos, and wild horses. Fishing for the mighty sea-run browns of the Rio Gallegos can be very challenging, and as a result, incredibly rewarding. Here, with highly skilled guides, the warm charm of the Argentinean culture and the extreme beauty of this pristine and unpressured system, guests find themselves having the trip of a lifetime year after year.

Dates: January 21 - 28, 2023

Availability: 3 spots

Itinerary:

• Thursday, January 19: Depart home
• Friday, January 20: Arrive Buenos Aires and overnight
• Saturday, January 21: Fly from Buenos Aires to Rio Gallegos and transfer to the lodge
• Sunday, January 22 - Friday, January 27: Six full days of guided fishing on the Rio Gallegos
• Saturday, January 28: Depart the lodge. Fly to Buenos Aires and connect with your return overnight flight to the States.

Rate: $7,490 per person for a 7 night/6 day package based on double occupancy

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Destination Fly - Rio Pico, Argentina

Somewhere in Rio Pico, Argentina

What happens when anglers meet face to face off the river?

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Destination Fly - Las Pampas Lodge

Las Pampas Lodge – Rio Pico, Argentina

Where is the lodge and how do I get there?
The Lodge is located in the Chubut Province of central Patagonia within the heart of the Rio Pico area. It’s located approximately 150 miles south (a 3 hour drive) of Esquel.

Las Pampas is in a remote and beautiful corner of central Patagonia.

Where do they fish?
Las Pampas has nearly two dozen fishing accesses that cover a large variety of water types including lakes, small to medium sized freestone rivers and spring creeks. This provides anglers with opportunities to sample multiple different types of water or concentrate solely on those they most prefer.

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Destination Fly - Rio Pico, Argentina

"When it comes to available water types, fishing styles and trout species, Las Pampas Lodge may be unbeatable."

 In many ways Las Pampas Lodge offers the ultimate Argentine trout fishing experience. Their remote location, their diversity of waters, and there 100% Argentine staff makes this a complete package that is hard to improve upon.

Rio Pico, Argentina

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South America Adventures - Morrison Files

Limay River

Hi Lyndsey,

Hope all is well.

I wanted to get these to you earlier but just didn’t have a chance. This was one of those trips that after twenty one days we did not want to come home. It’s the longest I’ve been away from home since I was in the service (50 years ago). The trip started on the Alumine River in the northern Patagonia region with eight of us, seven guys and Jeanette. We have fished with all but three, we met two on the trip to Christmas Island and another one on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. After the first 9 days two of them went home and we were down to six. We got in a van and went southwest to the Limay River and what a river it was. It’s about the size of the Snake, quite a bit shallower and crystal clear, a deep spot might be 20 feet or so. A couple of the pictures show how clear the water is, at 10 feet deep you could still see all the colors of the rocks. In April the big browns are in this system and get up to 30+ pounds.

 Every fish Jeanette caught was on a dry and she caught a bunch. We camped on the Limay for three nights and fished it a total of four days. Then back in the van, we went on a sightseeing road trip back north, we went the equivalent of Eugene to Vancouver Canada. The scenery was unbelievable, it was an area they call the Seven Lakes Region. If you google seven lakes region, Argentina click on images and you’ll get an idea of what we saw. Anyway next year we want to find a way to spend at least three weeks there, that’s how good it was.

Good Friends...Good Times

The good news is I did not break a fly rod, that’s just about a first. In some areas we used the 8wts especially if we were fishing deep and with streamers. On the big browns you strip set the hook or they’ll get off. In one picture there are four of us, the other couple are friends from Emmet, Idaho and were working as guides for Diego the outfitter. That was another thing that made the trip, having good friends along. They also guide for Jeff Helfrich on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and the Rogue. April 7th to the 14th we’re going to Petersburg, Alaska with Dino, Seda, Jeff and another friend from Vida (upper McKenzie) steelhead fishing. That should be a good time too. That’s when we get to try our luck with the switch rods.

So there you have it, take care,

Art

Argentina: From one end to the other!

Golden Dorado

Argentina, January 2014: 

In January, I was fortunate to fish the extreme north and south of Argentina at lodges that are over 2000 miles apart. The weather ranged from lows in the 30’s with winds of 20-50 mph in Tierra Del Fuego to temps in the 90’s at the Ibera Marsh. Packing was crazy. Below is a brief description of each location. If you would like to know more about either trip feel free to email or call.

Tierra del Fuego - Kau Tapen Lodge

Sea Run Brown Trout

The best Sea Run Brown Trout fishing in the world is on the Rio Grande in Tierra Del Fuego. I had the pleasure of fishing there with Kau Tapen Lodge in early January. It was their opening week and the 30th year in operation. They have miles of water and each two anglers are assigned multiple runs each morning and evening session. We never covered all of that water, there was such a bounty—no low-holers, poachers or racing up or down stream to get at the water first. A diversity of types of water keeps you engaged in the fishing and solving the puzzle. This is truly world-class fishing with a lodge and staff to match. The food, wine and hospitality are as good as it gets, without any formality or pretentiousness. The fishing ranged that week from one to six fish a day and in size from 3-4 lb (one salt) to 19 pounds. The record on the river is 33 pounds!

All of the anglers fished with Spey rods during the week, with various tips ranging from intermediate to MOW tips of T-11 and T-14. My favorite rods were the Sage Method 6126 (it’s no 6 wt!) and the ONE 7126. These fish really move to the fly this time of year. Flies range from skaters to swung nymphs to traditional steelhead and salmon flies to leeches at dusk. 

We fished until 11:30 PM each night, ate dinner at 12:30 AM and went to sleep about 2:30 AM.

Ibera Marsh – Pira Lodge

Fly Fish Argentina from one end to the other.

Golden Dorado are bad-ass predators! Their strike is meant to kill, and the softer “steelhead grab” is not too common. This fishing took place in the Ibera Marsh, which is over two times the size of the Everglades, host to over 300 species of birds and various mammals etc. This is a magical tropical place to swing streamers. Pira Lodge is an oasis in the midst of all this. The spacious rooms, generous and warm hospitality, comfortable lodge, delicious food and a pool (yes! a swimming pool) make for the perfect place to experience the Ibera Marsh.

Bad-Ass Golden Dorado!

RODS USED

Sage One's!

Single handed 8 to 10 wt. The Sage 990 ONE was best all around rod, throwing the four- to six inch flies with relative ease. Lines range from floating, intermediate head to sinking 24’ head such as the Rio Leviathan. The leaders have wire tippet as Dorado have teeth. Most all of the fishing is done from the Hells Bay flats skiffs because there is little dry ground, and wading with freshwater stingrays and piranha is not a good idea. Streamside friends are capybara and black cayman. Both have teeth and are faster than us anglers. The larger fish we caught ranged up to 17 pounds. They grow to over 30 lbs!


Jerry Swanson
Fish Head Expeditions, LLC
jerry@fishheadexpeditions.com
503-539-1451