Rual San Martin's Ghia de Pescas
Chubut Providence, Argentina • Patagonia

Fishing program

A Typical Day of Fishing with Raul San Martin:

Fishing usually starts after a fairly early breakfast served at approximately 7:00 a.m. Your guides will be ready to load the vehicles and head off to the waters before 8:00 a.m. The longest drive is one hour and fifteen minutes and the shortest a 15 minute jaunt. Lunch is usually taken in the field and in typical Argentine fashion, an event. Expect tables, chairs table clothes, glass wear, silver wear an open fire for cooking, different cuts of beef, sausages, wine, beer, cheeses, fresh fruit, homemade breads, etc. A short post lunch siesta is usually in order before heading back out to the water. You are usually back to your lodging late in the evening, with enough time to shower, enjoy a cocktail or two before dinner is served usually around 11:00 p.m. Dinners are delicious, prepared freshly by talented chefs and use the finest local meats, vegetables and fruits available and accompanied by some terrific Argentine wines. The Argentines are masters of squeezing two days into one.

This region offers a wide variety of quality fly fishing opportunities. Here, in Esquel, we sit on the edge of a transition zone. To the West, you will see the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. And to the East, the high desert. Driving from Esquel, in any direction, will take you through dramatically different fishing and climate zones - from tall forest laden steppes kissed with moist mountain air, to barren scrub grass plains and dry desert conditions. The snow pack in the Andes provides the entire region with a consistent supply of clean, fresh, cold water. No other area in the world, as far as we are aware, offers so many distinctly different quality fly fishing experiences than the West Chubut Region.

The National Park of "Los Alerces" is home to some of the most beautiful rivers in the region. The park encloses an area of 263,000 hectares and was created in 1937 to protect one of the oldest trees on Earth: the alerce or lahuan.

One such River is the Rio Rivadavia which supports an incredible population of wild trout. The Rio Rivadavia is about 10 kilometers long, and full of fat, healthy, rainbows and browns. The river changes in character from a narrow, deep channel to long, broad flats, often looking more like a hatchery full of fish than a wild river nestled between Lago Rivadavia and Lago Verde. It's a nymph fisherman's paradise, full of unsophisticated, yet naturally selective fish which can make the experience as frustrating as it can be fantastic.

These waters are restricted by Park Regulations solely to fly fishing catch-and-release. Only the very upper portion can be comfortably reached on foot, and only the most skilled, experienced boatman is able to navigate its fish-filled passages.

A wonderful spring creek, “El Canal,” flows into the Rivadavia. El Canal's slow, clear current is perfect for spotting & casting to holding trout that look more like submarines than fish. It has to be experienced to be believed.

Absolutely beautiful and chuck full of trout is the Rio Arrayanes. A big wide, flat river less than 3 miles in total length, it connects Lago Futalaufquen with Lago Verde. Easy to wade and fish, the best spots on the river are reached only by boat, and anglers can look forward to terrific dry fly fishing. Lago Verde is a small stillwater fishermen's dream- come-true loaded with trout. Its banks and shoreline are surrounded by weeds, offering the perfect habitat and protection for patrolling trout. Nymph fishing is the key here. Anglers can either fish from behind the weeds, float tube, or be rowed in a boat along the perimeters.

In addition, the lake has 2 very important bocas "river mouths" harboring giant size trout. Lago Verde is a wonderful day of fishing and a great diversion from moving water.

The only way to reach the Rio Frey is by a 30 minute boat ride bringing us to a channel which is the union river between Lake Futalafquen and Lake Kruger, called "Estrecho de los monstruos." On the bottom of this channel, reside some of the largest trout in all South America, real "monsters!" Still in the boat, we cross Lake Kruger to the Rio Frey. The Rio Frey has heavy, fast, deep water; similar to that of the Deschutes River in Oregon, but in contrast to the Deschutes its pools, riffles, and runs are easily fished and waded. It's a river between a lake system of connected Argentine versions of Lake Tahoe in the Los Alerces National Park that harbor large Rainbows and Browns. The Rio Frey is typical nymphing water, although you will see fish rising to dries in the fast water stretches. Casting a big attractor dry fly over these rising fish will usually result in a bend in your rod and a fish on. It's a wonderful river, but you must be in the right place at the right time with the right skills. Regardless, it’s a heady river to fish and well worth the trek!

Other waters we access include: -Laguna Larga which holds large brown trout, -El Martillo, -Rio Menendez, and –Rio Desaguadero. All these waters flow out of the park, through the big river Futaleufu', an indian word meaning Rio Grande or "Big River."

The Rio Grande is known for countless pools, runs, riffles, flats & channels, with a sand and gravel bottom for easy wading. It supports great populations of trout and strong king salmon Chinook runs. This magnificent tailwater fishery below the Lago Menendez' dam is shallow, cold, and full of fish. It begins with a 3 mile, fly fishing only section easily wadeable, and incredibly productive. Twelve (12) inch juveniles feed side-by-side with 12 lb. monsters. Hook-ups are constant and it is rare to share the water with anglers other than those in your group. There is nearly 30 miles of water on the upper Rio Grande, all of it flowing in the shadow of the Andean peak, "La Throna de Numbas" (The Throne of the Clouds) - most of it is seldom seen by fly fishermen. Small Crystal Buggers provide non-stop, subsurface action during the rare times the terrestrials, caddis and mayflies aren't on the surface. Flowing out from the big mountains to the West, the Rio Grande winds its way through the flat lands of the Trevelin Valley, then turns back Westward, again, negotiating a narrow valley through rugged mountains, and finally spills into the Pacific.

Located 45 miles East of Esquel is the Arroyo Pescado. It is the most prolific and magnificent desert spring creek in Argentina and is home to more than legendary fish. It is here, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid clubbed an unarmed Welsh settler to death after first setting his home afire. The Arroyo Pescado is private, accessible only by invitation; and used frequently by Raul San Martin and his clients. This wide-open spring creek is less than 5 ft deep in most places, and harbors more respectable (3 - 6 lb) trout than any other piece of water in South America. The trout are veracious feeders, and rise to any type of dry fly casted, but it's the hopper fishing that really drives them nuts.
Lastly, is the Lago Willmanco, a 15 minute drive from downtown Esquel. This is a private water fishery that holds the best rainbow trout of the region - big, fat ‘bows ranging in size from 20 - 26 inches.
Raul San Martin has a very diverse and comprehensive fishing program, combining the best of 2 completely different regions. We know of no other operator who knows his local waters better than Raul. He is a gentleman, and a professional fly fisherman with a lot of heart. His culinary skills, knowledge of the local flora & fauna, along with an uncanny aptitude at making one feel welcome and warm, are simply amazing. He is the quintessential outdoor host. A week spent with Raul and his guides is a week that will, undoubtedly, go down as one of your most memorable fishing experiences. Trust your instincts, and trust us -- it is one of the best trips we know of anywhere in the world.