Dr. Marc Richman, I owe you a huge thanks for linking us up to Mark. That was invaluable. The trip was amazing and I am getting wistful thinking about it again.
Brief Recap:
So, on the same day that you and Anna left to go home, I went to Coyhaique, Chile to meet up with my boyfriend, Jeffers. From there, we traveled by bus to Futaleufu, and then, since no buses were going over the Argentine border for 2 days, we paid a guy with a chicken coop truck to drive us to Esquel. In Esquel, we rented a car and drove to the Rio Rivadavia in Los Alerces national park. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been-- the water was so clear, and we could see the fish just sitting there. Jeffers said it was very "technical fishing," which possibly explains why we caught nothing. Put this one on your list! Also, there is a famous tributary right there that apparently contains massive fish, but it was dried up when we were there.
From there we went to Bariloche and fished the Pichileufu, Traful and Limay, all on our own. For a novice like myself, it was not fruitful. Even for Jeffers, who knows what he's doing, it was pretty tough. But he managed to catch a land locked Atlantic salmon in the Traful; after some struggle. I think I didn't catch anything, but I still enjoyed the scenery.
We saved the best for last and spent a full week in San Martin de los Andes, which is where we hooked up with Mark. He took us out wading the Malleo on our first day, and we caught tons of fish. We did the Malleo on our own the next day (less successful). The following day, Jeffers and Mark went out alone and hiked up to some canyon on the Malleo, where Jeffers caught a ~ 28" brown trout. After realizing that we were faring MUCH better under guided supervision, we ponied up and booked Gustavou for our final day. We floated the Alumine and it was just the best day ever. You were right about Gustavou being such a good guide. He was great-- very patient and knowledgeable and calm. We caught tons of fish, and I nabbed the perca/rainbow/brown trifecta (the "grand slam"), as well as a 20" brown on the last cast of the day (also the biggest catch of the day). That was a really good way to end our trip!
I am really glad I got the intel on Mark Foley from you. He is running a very user-friendly operation down there, and for people like Jeffers and me who are on a budget, it was crucial in making our trip considerably more successful. I felt like we got away with a very good deal! If we had to do it again, I think we would stay in Junin, like you did. Also, it was nice to be down there at the very beginning of April because it was between tourist seasons and things were cheaper and less crowded. Overall, it was probably the best trip of my life and definitely an adventure.
J. DeCiantis. NYC, USA
To read more and view photos about Jeffers and Julia's adventure:
http://firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com/2013/04/patagonia-fly-fishing-from-new-york.html
It's amazing to receive such positive testimonials. We are eternally grateful to Marc Richman, Julia and Jeffers. Thank you so much!
http://firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com/2013/04/patagonia-fly-fishing-from-new-york.html
It's amazing to receive such positive testimonials. We are eternally grateful to Marc Richman, Julia and Jeffers. Thank you so much!
We hope you enjoyed reading this post. If you have questions or comments about FCFF, please feel free to contact us. Many thanks and hope to see you next season in Patagonia.
Gone Fishing,
Mark
Gone Fishing,
Mark
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