Each year
about this time as I look at the trophy Argentine trout mounted
above my work desk, I start thinking about the southern part
of Argentina. On several occasions, it has been this time
of the year that I started preparation for travel to the “land
of ice and fire.”
It is true that I have never been to the far south tip of
Argentina … that “ends of the earth area called
Tierra del Fuego.” I almost made it once to this strange
treeless, barren land, of of one hundred mile per hour winds
(never much less than forty miles per hour) that blow the
sheep over and make fly fishing the most challenging in the
world. Due to a sickness in my fly fishing friend’s family,
we had to change plans at the last minute. Of course, the
reason for going was to fly fish the Rio Gallegos (gah-ZHE-gohs),
the Rio Grande, and surrounding tributaries. Trout here average
about 9 pounds, and the large ones are over twenty pounds.
There are less than a dozen places to stay in this remote
part of the world, and some days planes can’t land due
to the high winds keeping them from ascending onto the landing
field. Perhaps some day another friend will offer to go with
me and I’ll agree.
I have fished the Patagonia area of Argentina, and roamed
the Andes Mountains there several times in the past years.
It is beautiful beyond words. I have been into the Alps, covered
the Rockies with fly rod in hand, as well as numerous other
mountains, and none are more beautiful than the Andes of Patagonia.
There is a hard cover book by William C. Leitch,A Fly Fisherman’s
Guide to Patagonia (Argentine Trout Fishing). In the section
of the book about the Bariloche area, one tripwe
took is covered by an entire paragraph describing the number
of fish caught, and even what they were caught on. This work
is considered the “final authority” in fly fishing
Argentina.
This part of the world is reverse seasons to us here in the
states. In November (when I usually arrived after trekking
through the Amazon Jungle for about ten days each time), it
is actually the starting of Spring there. At this time of
the year there can still be light snows, and certainly there
are plenty of ice cold rivers to wade. Can you imagine coming
out of 100 per cent humidity, 100 degree (or greater) temperatures
into the snows of the Andes in less than 24 hours of air travel?
It was actually 130 degrees and 100 per cent humidity when
I was in the Amazon on one trip. Dramatic climatic switch
in 24 hours!
Hundreds
of fly fishermen come into Argentina every week during fishing
season (It starts in November in most places). The highest
percentage are Americans. I had the opportunity to stay in
an old hotel where the famed Joe Brooks used to come to fish.
His pictures were still on the Hosteria Chimehuin wall showing
trophy trout from the Chimehuin boca (mouth of a river entering
a lake). Casting a fly in the waters of the Rio Limay, the
boca of the Correntoso, the famed Chimehuin, the Lago Huechulafquen,
or the famed Malleo river is what men dream of. I have done
that on several trips. And, as the nights get cooler and the
trees began to turn each year, my mind wanders to Spring in
Argentina, and big trout beginning to feed after a long, cold,
winter. I once again feel the tug of energy trying to take
a rod completely out of my hand as a monster trout fights
for his life at the other end of my line.
I would not trade the memories of camp fires in Africa, and
of the amazing Amazon Jungle of Brazil, the deserts of Jordan,
the Great Wall of China as it snakes over the hills and mountains,
the clear waters of Fiji, the beauty of the countries of Belize,
Costa Rico, Guatemala, and South America… but best of
all is still the good old U.S. of A! Take time to enjoy this
great world of ours.
Happy
Traveling.
“To The Ends Of The Earth And Then Some.”
E-mail jones@photoandtravel.com
You may e-mail travel questions to me free of charge.
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