Hello from Jim Brungardt. Winter here in Jackson is a special time of year. I look forward to the change of seasons and cannot wait for the ski season to begin. But I have to be honest, I also love to fish. Therefore, every winter I plan at least a couple of trips south to get away from the cold and try and catch a fish or two. I recently returned from the Patagonia region of Argentina. I have hosted groups to this area in the past, but it had been a few years since my last visit.
My buddies who own and operate Esquel Outfitters suggested I come down and fish some of the new water they had found over the past couple of years. The Patagonia region of Argentina is a two-and-a-half-hour flight southwest of Buenos Aires. I arrived in Bariloche where my guide, Marcos Jaeger, picked me up and drove me another two hours south to his family owned Hosteria El Trebol. This charming inn would be the jumping off point for all my fishing excursions over the next eight days.
The first day we floated a large river adjacent to Los Alerces National Park. The river was in perfect shape and the fishing was pretty good. The next morning we headed farther south and began a 3 day/2night float through a huge estancia on the Chubut River. For the next 3 days we did not see another person. The weather was in the mid 80s and the fishing was amazing. We did not catch many big fish, but 100-fish-per-person days were the norm. The gear boat was sent down early each morning and made sure camp was all set up and ready at the end of each day. We ate like kings and had big tents and cots to keep us warm and comfortable at night. They even brought along a portable propane shower so we could knock the dirt off at the end of the day.
The 3-day float trip was amazing and from there we headed even farther south to another estancia and one of the most outstanding trout streams in the world. A couple of years ago Esquel Outfitters arranged a lease and now have private access to about 15 miles of water on this estancia. The day I fished this stream is one of the most memorable I've had on the water. The fishing was flat out spectacular. Most of the fish we caught were 10-16" rainbows, but we did catch a few bigger browns pushing 20". I'm not going to tell you how many fish I caught because I don't think you would believe me, let's just say it was a VERY big number. The next morning we headed back north to the Hosteria El Trebol. The next couple of days we floated a couple of the other large rivers in the area with good success. I ended up taking the last day off spending part of the day reading and then taking a hike in the afternoon.
The scenery is fantastic, with a new great view around every corner of every river. Home Owners at 3 Creek Ranch who want to see the real Argentine Patagonia should plan to set aside a few days and head down next winter. I am arranging another trip for January 2008. If you are interested in coming along, give me a call and I'll provide you with more details. The group size will not exceed 6, so please let me know soon. I am confident you will enjoy this trip. I hope we get a chance to fish these amazing rivers and streams together in the future.
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