The Fly Fishing Program

At Patagonia River Guides we have a straightforward philosophy to fish a different river daily with the best guides at the best times.  Each guide has all of the finest equipment necessary to make your fly fishing experience ideal including: trucks, boats, rods, reels, flies, lines, leaders and tippet. Two anglers fish together with a professional guide and assistant guide to give every angler the finest one-on-one experience possible.

Fishing programs start on your schedule, which is normally an 8:00 to 8:30 am departure after a hearty breakfast and a meeting with your guide.  Our lodge is centrally located and the rivers we fish are normally within less then an hour drive.  The longest drive is one hour and fifteen minutes to the Rio Rivadavia and the shortest is the put-in at our lodge on the Rio Grande.  Most days end around 6:00 to 7:00 pm at which time, you are driven back to the lodge for a hot shower, cocktails in our cocktail lounge, and then a magnificent dinner complimented by a great bottle of Argentine wine served by our chefs.

You will be treated to a blend of floating, wading and a combination of both on area spring creeks, lakes and rivers.  Your options depend on your desires and what is fishing best. Fishing techniques include dry fly, dry-dropper, streamers, and nymphs.  We try to fish dries at all times when the conditions are right and the fish are feeding; however, it is necessary to go under the surface at times. 

Trout of Patagonia Argentina

Trout were planted in Patagonia around the turn of the 20th Century and have flourished in all lakes and streams that they entered.  The primary species of trout in our waters are:  brown trout, rainbow trout, landlocked atlantic salmon and Brook trout.  Salmon (silver salmon, chinook salmon, atlantic salmon) are escaping from fish hatcheries in Chile and making runs into some of the streams of Argentina.  The effects of these fish in the ecosystem are not known quite yet.  Other species of fish in the rivers and lake include: trucha criolla or perca, perjerrey patagonico and puyen.  The salmon and indigenous species of fish are not frequently caught; however, we have guests land a few salmon and more than a few perca each season.  Our primary focus remains the beautiful species of trout.

Trout populations and size depend on watershed.  Most rivers have more rainbows than browns (something like 75% - 25%).  Brook trout and landlocked salmon exist in several watersheds but the rarely in large numbers.  Trout in our area range from 10 to 30 inches.  The average size in most streams is 16 - 20 inches.  We land fish over 20 inches on a daily basis and it is not uncommon for fish to exceed 25 inches.  Most of the larger fish are caught on streamers but some of our largest fish have been caught on dry flies.  Average numbers of fish also depend on which stream you are fishing.  Some rivers are numbers fisheries and some are large but fewer fish fisheries. 

Gear, Tackle and Flies for Fly Fishing in Patagonia Argentina

The gear and tackle we use in Patagonia is similar to what you would use for trout fishing in the American West, so if you already have gear and tackle for trout fishing, likely you will have almost everything you need for your adventure.  If you don’t, we are proud to be a full service outfitting company and are happy to supply you with anything you might need during your trip.  A 6-weight rod is the most practical for Patagonia; however, it is possible to fish your 4 and 5 weights at times when there is low wind and you don’t need to deliver a large dry fly and/or dropper.  New weight forward floating lines work best and shooting head style sinking lines help deliver streamers with ease.  Breathable waders, breathable rain jacket, and comfortable boots are a must because water and air temperatures vary.  We provide all customers with a dry bag upon arrival and also soft rod cases for transporting rods after fishing.

We have a complete selection of new waders and boots in almost every size for guest use.  We a have a large selection of loaner rods and reels lined up with both sinking and floating lines.  We also provide all terminal tackle:  flies, leaders, and tippet.  Please check out the complete gear, tackle and fly list and let us know upon making your reservation if you want to borrow any equipment or have any questions.

Patagonia River Guides Equipment

We are well equipped to handle your fly fishing adventure in Patagonia.  Your comfort and your safety are our highest priority and we take both very seriously.  We are not a duct tape and bailing wire outfitting operation and spare no expense to make sure that you are spending your time on the water and not waiting for a tow truck.  All guides have a new Toyota truck--with new tires—that are kept very well maintained.  We refuse to break down and don’t even like to get a flat tire. 

We use Northwest River Supply self bailing rafts when floating.  These boats are designed for fishing and our frames are designed with the fly fisherman in mind.  All boats have padded swivel seats and ample room for storage.  They are essential for the places we fish here in Patagonia.  Drift boats would work on some rivers but the majority of our access points won’t allow for the use of a boat on a trailer, so we have adapted our equipment for our area and rivers.  We have invented a unique rack for the box of each truck and a fast system to inflate and dismantle our rafts.  Each guide has a personal assistant to move the truck during the day and get the boat ready for fishing in the morning.  Most times, the clients can’t get their waders on and rods ready before the boat is in the water and ready for fishing. 

Apart from self bailing rafts, we also have motor boats to access remote lakes and river systems.  These boats all have new 4-stroke motors that produce low emissions and low noise levels.  Our motor boats are also of high quality and set up for fly fishing.  Each team of guides maintains contact throughout the day with hand-held radios, and satellite phones are used for communication when we are in the most remote locations.  We continuously update our equipment and feel that it is a crucial part of our operation.