Back from Patagonia... an incredible fishing trip

Yesterday we arrived from Patagonia... I'm missing it right now, and 18 hours ago I was fishing there, imagine...
We arranged a "scouting trip" to fish 2 Northern rivers the Pulmarí and the Malalco. I never saw more trout before this trip. Over 30' fish taking dries... rainbows, browns and even brooks. But as always, I will start from the beginning and invite you to come with us along the hole trip.

The Team


Sebastián is my big son, my friend and the best fishing partner I ever had. He fish with me from when he was a very little child and learn a lot over the years, he is a great caster and a hunting fish machine.

The car


This time he convinced me to leave my Land Rover and make the trip with his Volswagen Golf Country. Really I must say that was a great choice. We take 14 hour to leave back more than 1600 km. Very comfortable and with great space to charge fishing and camping stuff.

We arrived to Alumine city at 22 PM, the sun was shinning over the mountains because our summer hour change and this gave us time to complete some food buys and to get a place to sleep.
Next morning we drove about one hour to our first destiny, the Pulmarí river.




After we install our camping stuff we run to fish. We made a little research looking for targets and founded a lot of rising trout so we started fishing immediately.





After a few hours of fishing we meet to do a little talk because we were experimenting the same problem with our fishing. Many fish broke our tippets. Pulmarí river owns very strong rainbows and browns but something strange was happening. After a little discussion we arrived at the conclusion that the tippet material that we bought for this trip was outdated. We were using Frog Hair that is a great tippet material so the "outdated" though came strong fish after fish. We need to get our nylon replaced but this must wait to be done in the way to our next destination.








The camp




Our camp organization is always great and very comfortable, we take an airbed, our owns pillows, a fueled Coleman kitchen and a good assortment of chairs, lamps and camping stuff so we were as comfortable as at home.

Our next destination was the Malalco River. We made a little stop at Alunimé city and got new tippet material, but not Frog Hair because it was not available at the flyshop.
This was my first trip to Malalco and I was anxious..., this river runs into a big "estancia" that is owned by an Indian community. The beauty of this place is indescribable... magical... mystic and mysterious.
Everything happens here at different living time, you can breathe the peace of nature in the air.






Yes... all this is real, landscapes that will live with me forever.

Nature






Our first walks at that marvelous river gave us incredible views of big rainbows and browns aligned at the river waiting for food. I promised me to buy a polarized lens to my camera because you will don't believe me if I tell you the size of the fishes we saw. So I promise that pictures for my next trip.
Somebody told me someday that big fishes grow to that size no for coincidence, they done because of their ability to select food and for intelligence, location at the river and for its strong fight for freedom. These big fish don't take any fly tied to a tippet over 6x or 5x, so imagine... 7' #4 bamboo rods and 6x tippet was our selected equipment, and yes we do it well.
Most of the big ones won the fight but we make the connection and that's right with me, after all I think that fish is not the final step of fishing, many other great feelings are involved into any fishing situation and the fish are another part of a dreamed day at the river.

Fishing pictures




















In the third day we decide to make a horseback trip to the upside of the river to a place that the native called "The Dark Lagoon", another "magic" place.

Making the arrangements and the trip.






Ready to go


The trip




The place






The fish




Underwater










Our stuff
We used more of the time along the trip two CF704SSS 7´#4 2/1 Swelled Sealed Series with double tapers floating lines.



I also used a CF765JF 7´6" #5 2/2 Jaguar Flamed Series.


And a CF625 6' 2" #5 2/1 Traditional Flamed Series (The wind fighter)


Another stuff "The Wind" our cloth dry machine.


The future of Malalco River.
Distance and inaccessible of this river help to his future and here also are some testimonials.




A chapter apart...
In our last day we decide to fish down stream from the camp and we found a place that we will never forget for the big fish we saw. Very, very difficult fish. They know many languages and to write also. The weather change in a fast way that day and the temperature goes down many degrees in a few hour, so the fish stop eating, but we made many contacts. I love this kind of fish and perhaps it will be our fishing target for our next trip. Here are some pictures.














NEW!!!
A last comment, if you ever dream with a fishing trip to Argentina perhaps this one is a change that will not want to miss. I decide to make some special "Bamboo Friend Fishing Trips" at very affordable prices, so if you like to get more information about this programs please drop me an email and I will send you all the needed information.
Starting February 2008.