Some catches from Golden Dorado River Cruiser Season 2016-17

Here are some catches from the recently finished 2016/7 season at the Golden Dorado River Cruiser

John Childress Article on Estancia Laguna Verde and Lago Strobel

Estancia Laguna Verde and Lago Strobel

by John R Childess

When you travel over 8,000 miles to go flyfishing for a week, and it’s your major fishing trip of the year, you hope and pray that everything goes smoothly. But there are as many uncertainties in adventure travel for flyfishing as there are flies in your overstuffed fly boxes. Gale force winds and driving rain, delayed flights, lost or damaged luggage, broken rods, loud, obnoxious heavy drinking guests at the lodge, surly or bored guides, and the inevitable “you really should have been here last week, the fishing was great”.

 For the second time in four years I traveled from London, England to Patagonia, Argentina to spend time with Luciano Alba, his father Roberto, the guides and staff at Estancia Laguna Verde to fish the monster rainbows of Lago Strobel, affectionately known as Jurassic Lake. But with this magical place in the middle of the high Patagonia lava plateau, you can be certain of the most important requirements for a flyfishing holiday in a faraway place. No matter what the weather, the fishing is outstanding. The guides are well trained, knowledgeable, and great fishing companions. The food and wine at the lodge are first class. And the owners, Luciano and Roberto, are always in residence and ready to accommodate any request. But most importantly, you will definitely catch the trophy trout of your life!

When someone tells you the weather in Patagonia is gale force most of the time and casting is a bitch, that is true, but even in the midst of a downpour and 70 mph winds, the fishing is still superb. In fact, in my experience, the fishing is better on rough days than calm, mainly because the turbulence in the water kicks the massive numbers of scuds off the bottom and up into the water column, where the monster Rainbow trout act like piscatorial vacuum cleaners, gorging on great clumps of greenish-black floating scuds. And they will greedily suck up your scud pattern as well.

I have been fortunate enough to fish with Jack Hemingway in Iceland and other great flyfishing friends in such adventurous places as the Amazon for Peacock Bass, the Ponoi Peninsula in Russia for salmon, the virgin Kamchatka rivers for trout and sea-run Arctic Char, the Rio Grande River in Tierra del Fuego for large sea-run brown trout, and various rivers in the Western US and Alaska for salmon and trout. All great experiences. But when I think about an all-around positive flyfishing adventure, my mind always returns to Estancia Laguna Verde and Lago Strobel.

My first trip:
In mid-March, 2013 my flyfishing buddy Bruce West and I met in Buenos Aires, he coming from California and me from London. I love Buenos Aires; the food, the European atmosphere, the people and of course the Tango shows. After a great meal of Argentine steak and mega-Martinis on steroids, early the next morning we boarded an Aerolineas Argentinas flight to El Calafate, the jumping off point for tourists visiting the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park.

After being met by one of the lodge guides and collecting our gear, instead of heading towards the towering, snow-capped Andes, we headed East on Highway 40 out onto the dry and desolate Patagonia lava plateau. During the Miocene and early Pliocene Eras (between 6 and 20 million years ago) this 40,000 square mile plateau was a solid flat sheet of lava, which over time has been weathered into valleys and high plains with only scrub vegetation. Not a likely haven for monster trout.

But the large accumulations of gases that form under the slowly hardening molten lava flows often explode outward, leaving lake-sized depressions in the lava fields, which then fill with water from ice age melts, underground streams and springs. Lago Strobel, a 40 sq mile lake, has a spring creek inlet, but no outlet and a high concentration of calcium and other encrusting minerals, leaving the shoreline looking like a moonscape. And by some strange quirk of nature, this combination is magic for the growth of small greenish scuds and the waters of Lago Strobel and the other small lakes are absolutely teaming with them.

Then in the early part of the 20th century a few land owners bought rainbow trout fry and seeded Lago Strobel and other lakes in this part of Patagonia, then for the next 30 years forgot about them. When they started finding 10 to 20 pound rainbow trout with girths like rugby balls in great numbers, a new destination fishery was born.

Luciano Alba and his father bought the struggling Estancia Laguna Verde fishing lodge about 10 years ago and through hard work and savvy marketing have built it into one of the finest adventure fishing destinations on the planet. They have devoted time and energy to training the guides, almost all local Argentinians, traveled to Mendoza to purchase some of the best Malbec wines, and established a lodge atmosphere where courtesy to others and respect for the love of flyfishing are the only rules.

A word of warning, if this is your first time flyfishing, go somewhere else. This place quickly breaks the rods and spirits of novice anglers. The wind is harsh, the terrain difficult to walk and wading is very slippery. Last trip I fell three times, dislocating my ring finger in the process (but I yanked it back into place and kept on fishing, of course). But if you are up for a 360-degree, all around adventure, with some luxury and good wine thrown in, then Estancia Laguna Verde is for you.

Let me describe as best I can the fishing experience. There is no need for big spey rods, but a small double hander, say 12’6”, 6wt rod is perfect, as are single hand 7/8wt rods. No real need for heavy sinking lines as the monster fish cruise the shoreline scooping up clumps of scuds. In many cases the best approach is sight fishing for a single cruiser or a small pod of moving fish.

And the good news is you don’t need to cast 100ft as the fish are pretty close to shore. And that’s very good since the wind is almost always directly in your face, and it’s not a breeze, but mostly just below gale strength. At the end of the week, you will be pretty good as casting into the wind, and your arm will be sore for a week after!

Like an Alaskan summer, at Jurassic Lake you can regularly enjoy all four seasons in one day, from blazing sum to snow flurries, so bring clothing for all eventualities. But you can count on two things, wind and rain. No, three things. Catching huge trout as well.

And these trout have been practicing with Cirque d’Soliel as they are areal acrobats of the highest order. And being between 10-20 lbs makes them difficult to land. My average is about one in three landed. The others either found a weak knot or broke me off on the jagged volcanic rocks.

So, I will return again and in fact my brother and I are heading down in January, 2017 to catch the early part of the Lago Strobel season when the Barrancoso spring creek is high and the trout are moving in from the lake. So if you go early in the season you get both great creek fishing and outstanding lake shore fishing. And I tossed out my old felt wading boots and bought some new Vibram bottom boots with studs, hoping to avoid any bent fingers and bruised hips this trip.

A few pictures to whet your appetite in case you are interested:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! // FELICES FIESTAS!!

Introducing the First Mother Ship fishing program for Golden Dorado in Argentina

Introducing the First Mother Ship fishing program for Golden Dorado in Argentina!

Estancia Laguna Verde is proud to announce the start of the fishing season for its new amazing fishing program, the Golden Dorado River Cruiser.
        Book this exclusive fishing program for the aggressive Golden Dorado, as well as several other outstanding game fish at the Parana River waters and its unique system of deltas, tributaries, side channels, marshlands and lagoons.

Secure your spot for the opening season.

Why book a trip in the

 GOLDEN DORADO RIVER CRUISER?

-Location, location, location … mobility is the key!!! The mother ship moves along the best parts of the Parana River system according to the fishing season, water level, fishing conditions, bait fish and migrations, etc.

-Exclusive lodging and service at the Golden Dorado River Cruiser, for much more than just a fishing trip.

-Each day is a new day: A different view from your room every morning. Lunch could be at a small island in the river. Dinner at a sand bar, side channel, etc, where you will be surrounded by no one else, enjoying the starts and wildlife, from a magnificent setting.

-Amazing flora and fauna, with the chance to witness many unique spectacles of nature

-World class gastronomy by its chef.

 -Top professional fishing guides, born and raised at the Parana River, with a twist of Patagonia, for the perfect combination of skills and service-oriented mentality.

-Brand new north Carolina skiffs, Yamaha 90 hp 4 stroke engines, double casting platforms, electric Minkota engine (remote operated by the guide), built especially for fishing.

-Perfectly suited program for both the hardcore angler, as well as for the more relaxed fisherman who’s ready to chill out too and enjoy a nice siesta with a/c, after a nice lunch at the mother ship.

-Easy connection from Buenos Aires.

-Perfect as a program in itself, as well as an add-on to any other fishing trip in Argentina or Brazil.

What else can you ask for? 

Plan your next fishing trip at the Golden Dorado River Cruiser with your friends or with your couple or family?

What are you waiting for?

Contact us and book your new great fishing adventure!!!

Contact us at: info@estancialagunaverde.com

Or give us a call at:+ 1 850 253 7192

GOLDEN DORADO RIVER CRUISER, nuevo programa de Estancia Laguna Verde

 GOLDEN DORADO RIVER CRUISER

por Estancia Laguna Verde

Estancia Laguna Verde está orgullo de presentarles su nuevo programa de pesca, el Golden Dorado River Cruiser. 

Único programa en Argentina de pesca desde un formato de “nave madre” alojados en el exclusivo Paraná Gipsy, en donde su movilidad permite acceder a remotos lugares de pesca, reduciendo la navegación, y posibilitando todo tipo de programas. 

SERVICIOS 
-Exclusivo alojamiento en el Paraná Gipsy, en 4 habitaciones dobles con baño en suite, todas con A/C 

-Servicio all inclusive 
-Transfer in-out al barco 
-Gastronomía de alto nivel a cargo de nuestro chef. 
-Vinos seleccionados, open bar, y bebidas. 

LA PESCA 
-Pesca en NORTH CAROLINA SKIFFS con DOBLE PLATAFORMA de CASTEO y MOTOR ELÉCTRICO A CONTROL REMOTO. 

-Un GUIA de pesca con mosca cada DOS PESCADORES. 

-LA POSIBILIDAD DE PESCAR AGUAS NUEVAS CADA DÍA, SIN NECESIDAD DE NAVEGAR POR MUCHAS HORAS PARA LLEGAR A LA PESCA.

  NOVIEMBRE y DICIEMBRE 2016

tarifas especiales por lanzamiento!!

 Envianos tu consulta a: info@estancialagunaverde.com

KILLING TIME IN THE OFF-SEASON: TYING INSTRUCTIONS

KILLING TIME IN THE OFF-SEASON: 

TYING INSTRUCTIONS

CADDIS PUPA

© Dr W. Andy Snedden 2016

Used by Permission 

This is a very simple fly to tie. It has proven very successful over a number of seasons at Lago Strobel.

Materials:
Thread – 6/0 to match body colour.
Hook – your favorite extra strong nymph hook (such as Daiichi 1760) size 6-10. 

Body – dubbing brush or dubbing. You can mix dubbing to obtain the colour you like. I mostly use Arizona Simi Seal in Amber Olive, Canadian Olive and,
Canadian Brown.
Wing – pheasant tail fibers. Head – peacock herl.

This fly can be tied with a lead under-wrap. You should have both weighted and un-weighted versions.

Step 1:
De-barb the hook and wrap the shank with thread to just behind the hook point.

Step 2:
If you are using a lead under-wrap tie in the lead wire just behind the hook point and wrap forward and secure with thread. I like to pinch the lead at the posterior of the fly to help make a tapered body.

If you are tying an un-weighted version, tie in the dubbing brush just forward of the hook bend. Or, form a dubbing loop just forward of the hook bend, wax the thread, dub the loop.

Step 3:

Wrap the thread forward to just behind the hook eye. Wrap the brush / loop forward to just behind the hook eye making sure to leave room to tie in the wings and form the head. Secure the body with several wraps of thread. Trim any dubbing sticking out from the body. The body should be fairly smooth and not‘bushy’.
Ideally the body should taper slightly toward the hook eye but this isn’t critical.

Step 4
Tie in a small bunch of pheasant tail fibers on each side of the hook. They should extend to about the end of the body.

Step 5:
Tie in 2 or 3 stands of herl and wrap these around the thread (this helps protect the herl from breakage). Wrap the herl head, tie it off and, add head cement.