 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
IMPORTANT
SITE UPDATE:
Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com
Argentina - Part 1
Our October 2004 contribution from Eduardo Marino
 |
|
Western Patagonia: Dawn at |
What images does the name of Argentina evoke in your mind?
Hmmm, let's play word association a little: Argentina, South America, tropical forests, palm trees, banana groves, trout fishing, glaciers, skiing... Hey, hey! trout, snow, glaciers? Yes, you find them in southern Argentina. As well as tropical forests, banana groves, and palm trees in the north of the country. And also wheat, maize, grasslands and cattle in between.
In fact Argentina is 3,600 km long (2,200 miles) from its northern end at a latitude of 22°S to Tierra del Fuego in its southern tip at a latitude of 55°S. This is roughly equivalent to the distance from Copenhagen to Southern Algeria in Europe and Africa, or from Edmonton (Canada) to San Luis Potosí (México) in North America. It is the fourth largest country in America, after Canada, the USA, and Brazil. Its area is 2,791,810 sq. km (1,078,000 sq. mi.), nearly twice the area of France, Spain, and Germany added, or 30 per cent of the area of the US.
 |
|
Argentina and the five |
There is another name that brings to mind pictures of remote lands, huge sheep ranches, dry and windy plains, cold winters, adventure, unspoiled wilderness, pristine forests, clear waters, and –yes- trout fishing: the name is Patagonia. Patagonia is a region of Argentina that comprises its five southernmost provinces: Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.
From the geographical point of view Patagonia is not a uniform region. As we travel east to west from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes mountain range we can identify three different areas for trout fishing: Eastern, or Atlantic, or coastal; Central; and Western or Andean.
The eastern shore or Atlantic Patagonia, dry and windy, with scarce vegetation offers very few though famous trout fishing areas in the southernmost provinces Chubut and Tierra del Fuego. The Gallegos and Grande rivers are famed for their trophy-sized steelhead and sea-run browns. An extra challenge is provided quite often by the gale-force winds that a fly angler must face on this treeless and flat terrain.
 |
|
Southeastern Patagonia: |
Central Patagonia is an endless plateau sparsely covered with shrubs and hard grasses, barely enough for supporting sheep farming. Very few trout waters are found here, mainly small spring creeks that hold not larger than “platter size” fish. Fishing these waters is very entertaining except for the long distances one has to travel.
On the western side the higher peaks of the Andes, with their perennial snow caps, mark the international boundary with Chile. Here, in Andean Patagonia, is the area where most of the trout fishing is done, in rivers and lakes. In this densely forested area ancient glaciers carved valleys and formed scores of lakes and rivers.
 |
|
Central Patagonia: A creek in |
These waters now hold different species of trout that were introduced from Europe and North America early in the 20th century: Brown trout (Salmo trutta), Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Brook trout (Salvellinus fontinalis), Lake trout (S. namaycush), and landlocked Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar sebago). The first three are the most widespread and sought after. Nowadays, despite having been re-stocked many times and after so many generations of living on their own the trout behave like regular wild trout and, for the angler, they are wild in all senses especially those of larger size.
|
|
Monthly temperatures in |
The climate of Patagonia is rather tough. Winters are not too cold, considering the latitude of this region, but being very windy at times, the wind chill factor tends to be low. Summers are rather cool and the nights can be chilly. As shown in the charts there is not much difference in temperature averages between Bariloche, Andean Patagonia, at latitude 41° and 894m over sea level (2,900 feet) and Río Gallegos, Eastern Patagonia, at 51° and only 6m over sea level (20 feet). The great difference is precipitation -rain and snowfall- again as shown in the chart: while in Coastal Patagonia it rains just 247mm per year (10 inches) in Bariloche it is 805mm (32 inches). This explains the profusion of vegetation, forests, rivers, and lakes, and - yes, again - trout in this area.
When looking at these charts, bear in mind that in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed: Spring starts in September, summer in December, autumn in March, and winter in June.
One common factor for all Patagonia is the wind, especially in the plains of Central and Eastern Patagonia thus in many cases one has to use heavier tackle than the size of the river would suggest.
 |
|
Monthly rainfall in |
This western area is also the land of some of the largest National Parks of Argentina. Take a few of them for example: N.P. Lago Puelo 23,700 hectares (58,600 acres); Lanín 379,000 ha (937,000 ac); Los Alerces 263,000 ha (650,000 ac); Los Glaciares 600,000 ha (1,490,000 ac) and Nahuel Huapí 705,000 ha (1,740,000 ac). The figures might not represent much by themselves, but for the fact that all this is public land where many fishing sites - including good and famous ones - like the rivers Chimehuín or Correntoso, are of public access, meaning that the angler needs just a permit and his fishing tackle; there are no other charges but a small entrance fee when you access a National Park.
 |
|
Western Patagonia: The |
Some ranches, mainly off the National Parks, that have trout rivers running through them charge a day ticket for fishing and they usually offer good lodging and very professional guides.
The prime advantage of well-managed private waters is that they enforce a strict catch-and-release policy and, having less anglers and a lower fishing pressure, the fish populations tend to be greater.
A regular feature of practically all these waters is the quality of the water itself. Quite frequently English-speaking anglers describe it, depending on their individual predilection, as “crystal-clear”, “gin-clear”, and “martini-clear”, and they are right. It gives fly-fishing an increased difficulty because the trout can easily see the anglers and run for cover, especially in smaller waters and calm days.
 |
|
Central Patagonia: Arroyo |
The density of human population in all of Patagonia - including the areas off the National Parks- is very low, thus helping to keep the water clean. Most of the trout waters are originated in higher altitudes, either from rain, melting snow, springs, and -in some cases- from glaciers. The water at the start of the season is really cool, some 7 or 8°C (about 45-46°F) therefore calling for well-insulated neoprene waders or fleece liner pants for breathable ones.
The trout season starts in early November and ends in April, thus offering northern hemisphere anglers a good opportunity to fish in their off-season. Some areas many open and/or close at slightly different dates, according to the peculiarities of their trout population dynamics.
A permit issued by Parques Nacionales (National Parks) is mandatory, and it is good for all fishing areas in Patagonia. The cost for foreigners is as follows:
Daily: $30 (approx. £6 or €9); Weekly: $150 (approx. £32 or €46); Season: $200 (approx. £43 or €62). Please note that the symbol “$” represents the Argentine Peso - the country’s currency unit - and not the US dollar.
These permits are sold by Parques Nacionales, Game and Fish Wardens,
hotels, fishing guides, and fly shops or other outfitters.
You can contact Eduardo Marino at: e_a_marino@yahoo.com.ar