LOCATION
Patagonia Region - Esquel, Argentina

SEASON
Late November through mid-April

CAPACITY
Patagonia River Guides has four full time guides and can accommodate a maximum of eight anglers at a time

SPECIES
Wild, pure strains of rainbows, browns and brook trout plus landlocked Atlantic Salmon inhabit the rivers and lakes of Patagonia

GENERAL INFORMATION
Patagonia River Guides is based in the town of Esquel, within striking distance of Los Alerces National Park to the West, the Rio Pico Region to the South, and the amazing waters that surround Esquel.

LENGTH OF STAY
All packages are completely customized, and trips of any length can be arranged.

THE FISHING
A typical day of fishing in Patagonia starts with a healthy breakfast around 7:30 AM at the lodge or cabin in which you are staying. After breakfast, you will be met by your guide and depart to the fishing area of your choice. You will fish one of the magnificent rivers in the area until around 1:30 PM, at which time you will enjoy a gourmet streamside lunch of the finest Argentine wines, meats, cheeses, olives, fruits, and vegetables. After a relaxing lunch, you can grab a quick siesta before starting your afternoon fishing session. The fishing day ends sometime around 7:00 PM when you are transferred back to your cabin at the estancia for a hot shower and cold drinks. At approximately 9:30 PM you will enjoy dinner in-house or at one of the area’s excellent restaurants. Dinner is served late in Argentina, allowing for much longer days on the water. One thing to keep in mind is that all trips are custom designed and structured around your desires, expectations, the time of year, and local fishing conditions. You can leave early or fish late, structuring your schedule however you would like. It’s completely up to you!

These custom trips are unique because every fishing day features a different river, spring creek, or lake. Patagonia River Guides utilizes both private and public waters and they have miles of streams under lease for their guests’ enjoyment. Some waters are floated, some are waded, and some a combination of the two depending on conditions and desires. Dry fly, streamer, and spot nymphing (sight fishing) are the most common techniques used to fish the crystal clear waters. Larger flies and tippet sizes are the norm because of less fishing pressure and large fish. Most Argentine trout are in the 16 to 23-inch range with many exceeding 23 inches. Trout species, size, and numbers vary depending on the watershed fished. Some waters produce numbers, some produce size, and some produce both!

FISHING IN THE ESQUEL REGION
In many ways, the Esquel region resembles fishing in the American West – fifty years ago. The city of Esquel is located in the middle of one of the area’s largest volcanic craters on the eastern front of the Andes Mountains. Esquel has great services for flyfishermen and is the center of some of the best trout fishing on the planet. This is the gateway to Los Alerces National Park and to the Southern Andes Mountains. The area has many creeks, lakes, and rivers, all of which contain excellent numbers of trout. A short drive offers incredible trout fishing on the Rio Grande, the Corcovado, the Nant Y Fall, the Rio Chubut, and the Arroyo Pescado spring creek.

The Rio Grande – A lot like Montana’s Missouri River, the Rio Grande offers a lot of flat water perfect for dry fly fishing and deep pools that hold large fish. It has been a tailwater fishery for over twenty-five years, and the river is maturing more and more each season. This may be one of the best hopper fishing rivers in the world. Boats are used to access the Rio Grande, and fishing from the boat is usually the most effective method. There is also plenty of wading available for those who have to have their feet in the water.

Arroyo Pescado – This is arguably the finest spring creek in the world. It is situated east of Esquel in the desert, and flows for approximately three miles before joining up with the Rio Tecka. It is fished from January 1st through April 15th, and the regulations are strictly enforced by the area’s private estancia. Expect great hatches daily and – depending on the wind – a lot of rising fish. Arroyo Pescado is home to a large variety of wildlife, including pink Chilean flamingos, geese, ducks, swans, ibis, parrots, and condors.

The Corcovado – A fabulous fishery that stretches more than sixty miles through Argentina before crossing the border into Chile. It originates at Lago Vinter, one of the largest lakes in the region, and the river runs cold with consistent flows for most of the season. It offers classic, Western-style trout water and very large fish. If you are willing to fish hard and wait until the end of the season, then the upper Corcovado is perhaps the best place in South America to catch a huge brook trout in a river. The lower stretch of the river fishes well with streamers, hoppers, and large dries throughout the season.

The Nant Y Fall – A lake-fed stream with the character of spring creek. It is best fished in the early season before weeds fill the stream, or in late season when the water begins to cool. Large Rainbows love the Nant Y Fall, and the average fish is more than eighteen inches. The only way to fish this stream is by wading via private access. You can expect spectacular views of the Andes and a large waterfowl habitat home to many of the bird species in Patagonia.

The Rio Chubut – A small willow-lined stream that flows east to the Atlantic Ocean. The only way to fish this water is to float and camp for three days, covering approximately fifty miles. You float through Estancia Leleque, enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Patagonian steppe and volcanic formations. Expect comfortable camping and nightly asados (barbeques) with friends and the personable guides of P.R.G. It is a great river to catch large numbers of rainbows using dries and pancora (fresh water crab) streamers. The best time to fish the Rio Chubut is in the spring and early summer, when the water levels are up.

FISHING IN THE LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK REGION
Los Alerces National Park was established to protect one the last stands of giant redwood trees in South America. It encompasses more than 500,000 acres and is home to over two dozen rivers and lakes. Most of the national park is never touched, due to the fact that no roads exist except on the eastern edge. The ecosystem is best described as a temperate rainforest, making it different than most of Argentine Patagonia (which is generally dry.) To access the national park, you will most likely stay in Esquel on the western entrance or in Cholila on the northern entrance. Fortunately, someone with insight planted trout in this area about one hundred years ago and today they are flourishing. You can catch rainbows, browns, brook trout, and landlocked salmon in the area’s emerald waters, and will no-doubt enjoy the park as much for the scenery as the fishing. The Los Alerces region offers access to the Carrileufu, the Rivadavia, the Arraynes, and the Frey.

The Carrileufu (kar-a-la-a-fu) – Begins just outside the National Park and is best known for early season landlocked Atlantic salmon. It also holds hard-fighting browns and rainbows. The river flows from Lago Cholila through the dry Cholila Valley, once home to Butch Cassidy. November through February is the best time to fish this river, and floating is the best way to access the prime spots.

The Rivadavia – One of the most beautiful rivers in the world, it flows for five miles, from Lago Rivadavia to Lago Verde. It is a challenging fishery, with gin-clear water and banks lined with logs that at times can make the casting a challenge. Wading and sight fishing with small nymphs is a great way to fish the Rivadavia. Other great methods include fishing large dries over the logs or throwing streamers against the tree-lined banks to entice the huge browns. There are also two fishable spring creeks flowing into the Rivadavia that offer great wade fishing. This river is a favorite of many experienced anglers due in large part to the challenge, the beauty, and the rewards.

The Arraynes (air-a-zhanaes) – Named for the area’s strange trees that feature orange bark and snarled branches, this river connects Lago Verde to Lago Futalaufquen, flowing slow and deep for four miles. The most exciting way to fish the Arraynes is to sight-cast dry flies to cruising rainbows holding just beneath the surface. You won’t believe the distance a fish will move to take a fly and how gently they eat! This river can be great when the conditions are right.

The Frey – The largest river in the national park and one of the most remote. Since you have to cross two lakes to get there, the river receives much less pressure than anything else in the region. The river is slightly difficult to access from shore, and float trips are the way to go depending on river levels and conditions.

FISHING IN THE RIO PICO REGION
The Rio Pico Area is located three hours south of Esquel and offers anglers the chance to explore a remote and untouched fishery. This region offers you an opportunity to catch large fish and enjoy a part of Patagonia that sees very little tourism. Nightly barbecues, fine wines, and stories told around the fire make for an amazing experience. The Rio Pico is mostly know for its high desert lakes stacked full of large rainbows and browns. This type of stillwater fishing is exciting because of the size of the trout and the opportunity to sight fish. There are also several rivers and spring creeks in the area which provide plenty of action. If you plan on fishing the Rio Pico region, make sure that you enjoy wild country and are prepared to live like a Gaucho – in style of course!

The Rio Pico – A willow-lined stream that is entirely spring fed. Access is challenging and fishing these waters requires some hiking and walking. Most of the fish are rainbows and browns with smaller numbers of brookies and a hybrid brook/brown trout (strange but true.) Walking the banks is the only way to fish the upper river. Near the Chilean border, it picks up additional tributaries and becomes large enough to float.

Lago Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro, and Cinco – High desert lakes full of large rainbows and browns. These lakes offer the angler legitimate shots at fish up to ten pounds. The best way to fish these lakes is by sight fishing with small nymphs. On windy days, when sight fishing is tough, streamer fishing also produces. Even if you don’t consider yourself a lake fisherman, spend a few days here and you’ll become a believer! It is worth the time and effort to fish for these trophy trout, some as large as 20 pounds.

Upper Corcovado, Lago Vinter, and Lago Gaucho – These fisheries provide the best chance at a trophy brook trout outside of Labrador and the best time to find them is in the Argentine fall (March and April.) The upper Corcovado also has huge rainbows in the early season during their spawning season. Later in the summer, the rainbows are average size and fairly easy to catch. Trips to these areas in the past have provided both large fish and incredible numbers of fish.

Rio Neilson, Rio Las Pampas, and The Condor Creeks – Smaller fisheries that provide consistent dry fly action. These aren’t the only ones in the area, but they are some of the better ones. You’ll enjoy wading and enjoying these small streams for large browns and rainbows.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT OFFERED
Patagonia River Guides utilizes a large "fleet" of Northwest River Supply self-bailing rafts with swivel seats, anchor systems, and dry storage in each boat. These rafts were designed specifically for fly fishing and are a pleasure to fish from. Four door Toyota trucks, all in excellent condition, are used to transfer anglers to the fishing areas. Patagonia River Guides also has plenty of back up rods, reels, lines, waders, boots, etc. for loaner or demo use. They also boast a generous selection of professionally-tied local patterns to ensure that you will always have the right pattern for the right time.

THE LODGING
Patagonia River Guides utilizes two exclusive fishing lodges. The first lodge is located in the Esquel - Los Alerces National Park region and other in the Rio Pico fishing region. Having two exclusive and unique locations available at all times gives a huge advantage for extended trips by making countless rivers, streams and lakes available. The variety of waters and fishing opportunities available in these two locations is second to none.

Estancia La Paz (Esquel and Los Alerces Area)
Up to twelve guests per week can enjoy all the comforts of PRG's exclusive first-class fishing lodge located in a stunning mountain valley on the banks of the Rio Grande. The lodge borders the southern margin of Los Alerces National Park and has unbeatable access to both Los Alerces and Esquel-area rivers. This main lodge features six beautiful cabins, each accommodating two anglers. Four of the cabins have two bedrooms with queen size beds, a large sitting room and a shared bathroom. The fifth is the “honeymoon suite” that features one king bed and an oversized bathroom. The sixth cabin (the “party cabin”) is a three-bedroom, four bathroom cabin with a large sitting room and bar. Estancia La Paz also includes a cocktail lounge where guests gather after fishing and share stories while enjoying the fully-open bar. The cocktail lounge includes a large deck and an outdoor fireplace as well as an indoor fireplace, bar and lounge. If you like you can also tie flies, play cards or play pool. Estancia La Paz is completed by a beautiful dining room where you’ll enjoy a healthy breakfast in the morning and gourmet food (some of the best in Patagonia) prepared by a very talented chef in the evening.

Tres Rios Ranch (Rio Pico Area)
When fishing in the Rio Pico region, guests stay at Tres Rios Ranch, which offers the best accommodations and food in the entire Rio Pico area. Accommodations are in four double rooms with private baths (and the best showers in Patagonia!) The main lodge features a large sitting room, a central fireplace where guests gather for story-telling and cocktails, and a nice main dining room. All guest rooms open to a covered porch with a spectacular view of Cerro Desnudo. Meals are home-cooked and simpler than at the main La Paz lodge; however, you will enjoy a hearty breakfast before your fishing departure, streamside lunch, great Argentine wine, and then a fine dinner prepared by a gourmet chef.

RATES & DETAILS 2009

$650 per day per night based on double occupancy
$650 per night non-fishing guest with guided activities
$300 per night single angler supplement charge
$75 per person ($300.00 per van / $150.00 per car) for airport shuttle to and from Bariloche (estimate).

WHAT’S INCLUDED
Accommodations, food, wine and beer, local (Esquel) transportation, local airport shuttle, professional guided fishing, fishing license, private water fees, supplemental flies, leaders, and tippet.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Transfers, hotel, and food in Buenos Aires, ground transfer to and from Bariloche Airport if applicable, gratuity for guides and staff, phone calls, and personal shopping.

DEPOSIT INFORMATION
A 50% deposit (per angler) of the total package cost for each trip is due within 10 days of booking to secure the reservation. Guides and dates cannot be held or reserved without a deposit. YDFA reserves the right to charge a handling fee of $100 per person for date changes after the initial reservation has been made. Full payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Because deposits and final payments are non-refundable on this trip, we highly recommends purchasing trip insurance with this package!

HOW TO GET THERE
Getting to Patagonia is not difficult. Take an easy overnight flight to Buenos Aires from one of several major cities in the U.S, get a good night’s rest, and awake in Argentina. You will be met by a Patagonia River Guides agent at the airport and transferred to your hotel or to the domestic airport for immediate departure to Esquel. The agent in Buenos Aires will re-confirm flights, make dinner reservations, share a cocktail, and take you on a city tour if you wish. From Buenos Aires, it takes about two hours to fly to Esquel on direct jet service (Boeing 737). After landing at the Esquel airport, you will be met by your Patagonia River Guide hosts and guides. You can then enjoy a cold drink, glass of wine, siesta, afternoon fishing trip, or all of the above.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain, Ireland and other Western European nations do not need a visa for tourist trips of up to ninety days. You will need a valid passport and will have to fill in a landing card on arrival and you will be given a stamp for stays of thirty, sixty or ninety days. Staple your duplicate of the landing card into your passport, next to your entrance stamp, as you'll need it to leave the country. If you do lose it, it's rarely a serious problem, but you'll have to fill in a new form at the border control. On entering the country, you will also be given a customs declaration form. Duty is not charged on used personal effects, books, and other articles for non-commercial purposes, up to the value of $300. Make sure you declare any valuable electronic items such as laptop computers, as customs officers can be suspicious that you may be bringing them into the country to sell.

NON-ANGLING ACTIVITIES
Patagonia has much to offer the non-angler, and there is a great deal more to explore than just the trout streams. Their bi-lingual guides offer fun filled and interesting activities and experiences for the non-fishing angler. Some of the many activities include flora and fauna tours, horseback riding, hiking, and scenic raft trips. More relaxing pursuits include as wine-tasting, bird-watching, local shopping, massage, cultural tours, and photography safaris.

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