Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: DIY Walk-Wade and Float Trips

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 Come join us and experience the real Patagonia!  

To learn more about our fly fishing packages, please visit the 'Patagonia' tab, on the above header.

Don't Miss Our Next Argentina Slide-Show Presentation 

October

Slide Presentation: Fly Fishing and Traveling Argentina

Date: 10/08/2013
Start Time: Door Opens at 6:00pm.  Presentation Starts at 7:00pm
Host: Hackle & Tackle Fishing Club of Rochester, NH. 
Location: 40 Lilac Dr. off of Old Dover Rd
Information: please call Larry Davis at 603-335-2041

October

Slide Presentation: Fly Fishing and Traveling Argentina

Date: 10/28/2013
Start Time: Door Opens at 6:30pm.  Presentation Starts at 7:30pm
Host: Greater Boston TU
Location: Drumlin Farm, Lincoln MA on Rte 117
Information: www.gbtu.org

November

Slide Presentation: Fly Fishing and Traveling Argentina

Date: 11/13/2013

Start Time: Door Opens at 6:30; Show Starts around 7:45pm

Host: New England Saltwater Fly Rodders

Location: Northern Essex Community College.  Technologies Center/Building.

Information: http://www.neflyrodders.org

November

Slide Presentation: Fly Fishing and Traveling Argentina

Date: 11/19/2013

Start Time: Door Opens at 6:00pm.  

Host: Pemigewasset Chapter Trout Unlimited

Location: Common Man Restaurant, Plymouth New Hampshire

Information: www.pemitu.org

December

Slide Presentation: Fly Fishing and Traveling Argentina

Date: 12/02/2013
Start Time: Door Opens at 5pm.  
Host: Greater Boston TU
Location: McCormick & Schmick's. Quincy Market, Boston.
Information: www.gbtu.org

Argentina Fishing Season: November 1st to May 31st.

Why Fly Fish and Travel Argentina?

Atop Cerro Catedral in Bariloche. Photo by FCFF.

Argentina is the 8th largest country in the world and covers over 1 million square miles. Despite its size, Argentina is only inhabited by 40 million people.  Half of the population lives within ten of the largest metropolitan areas.  The other half of the population is spread throughout rural areas and in some parts of the country, population density is among the lowest in the world.  This affords visitors the opportunity to entertain in a modern city such as Buenos Aires, yet escape to...

• Oceans of open land in Patagonia...equivalent to the America West +100 years ago
• Explore the longest mountain range in the world,  the Andes at 4,400 miles.
• Visit the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, Aconcagua 22,841ft
• Stand on wind swept beaches and view Sea Lions, Penguins and Orcas.
• Drive to the end of the earth and visit the land of fire, Tierra del Fuego.
• Tour Antarctica, it's only a few hundred miles from Tierra del Fuego.
• Watch monkeys and other exotic species while fishing in subtropical forest.
• Feel the power and the spray of the longest waterfall in the word, Iguazu Falls.
• Witness one of the few advancing glaciers in the world, Peritio Mereno. 
• Savor Argentinas famous cuisine (beef) and Malbec wines.
• And of course, wet a line in the immense network of lakes and rivers filled with wild Salmon, Steelhead, Sea Run Brown Trout, Brown-Rainbow-Brook Trout and South America's very own apex predator, the Golden Dorado.

FCFF Home H2O: Northern Patagonia

Bamboo Thickets in Valdivian Rainforest. Photo by FCFF.

Northern Patagonia (Neuquen Province):  In the 1960’s, fly fishing gods such as Joe Brooks and Mel Krieger made the rivers surrounding Junin de los Andes famous. What they discovered back then was a trout fishery unlike any place on Earth. They discovered many of the rivers in the area are attached to large trout producing Andean lakes. As a result, during the spring and fall runs, they targeted monster rainbows and browns moving in and out of the lakes. When the runs slowed down in mid-summer, they discovered an amazing dry-fly fishery second to none. Today, dry fly fishermen have pioneered the use of large attractor dry flies, such as the gypsy king, chernobyl ants, large hopper patterns, and big beetles. Folks, Junin de los Andes is the fly fishing capital of Argentina.  Though vacation towns such as Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes offer more for the average tourist, there is no other place other than Junin that offers more accessible rivers/lakes and modern conveniences for the fly fisherman.  Below is a list of rivers and lakes that we fish in the surrounding Junin de los Andes area. 

Chimehuin River – is a large freestone river (similar to the Madison River) and offers the trophy hunter a chance to wet the fly in the world famous 'Boca.' In addition, it’s the picture perfect fishery for float and sight fishing while prospecting with streamers, nymphs, and large attractor dry flies. The river fishes best from early December to to then end of February. March tends to be a transition month.  In April and May, when the rains and cold weather come, the 'Boca' can produce large migratory brown's.

Collon Cura River – is known as the most prolific trout fishery in all of Patagonia! The trout are wickedly wild and average in the chunky 14” to 20” range and fall browns can come close to 30”. As you float this large river, the willows and high sandstone cliffs will remind you of Wyoming’s Snake River. During low water levels, its mild gradient and broad gravel riffles make for easy wading. Minnows are an important food source in this river, so you’ll find streamers are effective throughout the season (particularly in January, April and May). Like other local rivers, dry fly fishing with large attractors will produce action throughout the day.

Alumine River – is a slower river for the dry fly purest who loves to match hatches for large sipping trout. The river is often compared to Montana’s Missouri River and anglers often take rainbows between 16" and >20". The river fishes best during peak summer months when the caddis and mayfly hatches occur.  During the months of April and May, the brown trout fishing ranks with the Collon Cura and other rivers.

Malleo River – like the Alumine, this river is a spectacular fishery for the dry fly enthusiast. Known for its spectacular caddis and mayfly hatches, anglers will delight with wild, hard fighting fish.  This is a wade only fishery and for those who like to walk-wade for trophy wild fish, this is your river.

Caleufu River – Due to the proximity to the Piedra del Aguila reservoir, this river fishes extremely well early and late in the season. In fact, late in the season there is what locals call the minnow hatch.  If the minnow hatch is on, and if you have a small minnow like pattern, fishing for large rainbows and browns can be amazing!  Warning, your minnow fly and presentation must be exact or these fish will not take it. Overall, this river is a medium-size tributary of the Collon Cura and can be floated till the end of January, beginning or February.

Tromen, Huechulafquen, Epulafquen, Verde, and Curruhe Lakes – a trip to Patagonia would not be complete without fishing one of these magnificent trophy trout filled lakes! The combination of crystal clear waters, breath taking views and water filled with rainbows, browns, brookies and land locked salmon makes for an unforgettable day. You’ll be stripping streamers, tossing dries and sight fishing with a chance to land all four species in one day!

Final Word

We hope you enjoyed reading this post.  If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact us. Many thanks, and hope to see you in Patagonia.

Gone Fishing,

Mark

PS. Our business is 100% by referrals (word of mouth).  Please feel free to share this amongst friends. Also, you can follow our blog via email, Facebook or Google Connect.

PS. To read more about Patagonia, simply use the First Cast Search Engine.  For Example: type in Malleo River or scroll archived post.

Fly Fishing Lessons in New Hampshire: University of New Hampshire Fly Fishing Collection

A Must See... The Douglas M. and Helena McElwain Milne Angling Collection

http://www.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/milne-angling-collection

The Special Collections Department maintains one of the largest collections of angling literature in the United States. In the 1960s, Helena & Douglas Milne donated their collection of fishing books, periodicals, artwork and ephemera to the University of New Hampshire. Books and periodicals purchased from an endowment established by Mrs. Milne have doubled this original gift.

The collection, which now numbers over 3,500 volumes, is particularly rich in materials relating to fly fishing for trout and Atlantic salmon with special emphasis on fishing in New England and eastern Canada. Beyond containing the classics of angling literature – such as numerous editions of Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler – the collection boasts a vast array of books on fly tying, rod making, and stream tactics.

Over 3,000 volumes of the Milne Collection are cataloged and appear in the UNH Library online catalog. These books and periodicals may be searched by author, title, subject, and keyword.

Search the Milne Angling Collection in the Library Catalog.

Highlights from the Milne Angling Collections

Woodcut from Dame Juliana Berners’ A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle (1496). A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle

The Milne Angling Collection includes a large number of volumes that represent the very beginnings of angling literature. Dame Juliana Berners’ A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle (1496) is considered the first book on the subject printed in England. Although some question her authorship, Berners, who was prioress of the Benedictine abbey of Sopwell, occupies a similar place in angling literature to that accorded Chaucer in English literature. The Milne Collection contains several editions of Berners’ work dating from the 1827 William Pickering edition to modern versions, such as the one published in John McDonald’s Quill Gordon (1972).

If Berners is the Chaucer of angling literature, then Izaak Walton must be its Shakespeare. And as with Shakespeare, critics have accused Walton of shameless “borrowing” (one writer referred to him as the “miserable old plagiarist”). Yes, in producing The Compleat Angler, Walton borrowed and added wisely from the good work of others, but the sum of the parts is a treasure trove of early angling literature. The classic status of Walton’s opus is evidenced in the more than 460 editions published since 1653. The Milne Collection includes about one-fifth of that total, the earliest being a bound copy of Charles Cotton’s chapter from the fifth edition (1676), which is entitled: Being Instructions How to Angle for a Trout or Grayling in a Clear Stream.

William W. Ryland woodcut (after P. Lely) of Charles Cotton from the first Hawkins edition of The Compleat Angler (London, 1760). The Compleat Angler

Although it contains many books on angling’s British roots, the Milne Angling Collection is particularly rich in the angling literature of the United States. It is to the pulpit of a Kingston, N.H. parson, Joseph Seccombe, that American angling literature can trace its in origins. In 1739, Seccombe went against established religious teachings and spoke in defense of fishing on the sabbath. Appropriately enough, Seccombe gave his sermon at a meeting house adjacent to Amoskeag Falls, where he and some of his better-heeled parishioners fished for salmon, herring, alewives, and eels. His sermon, published as Business and Diversion inoffensive to God (Boston, 1743) is considered to be the rarest and most valuable of American angling books. The Milne Collection contains a first edition, an 1892 reprint, and two 1971 limited edition reprints of Seccombe’s sermon.

Among other notable classics in the collection are John J. Brown’s American Angler’s Guide (1845), the first book-length guide for angling published in the United States; Rev. George Washington Bethune’s edition of The Complete Angler (1847), the first edition of Walton’s classic edited, published, and printed outside of Great Britain;Frank Forester’s Fish and Fishing (1849), which was written by Henry William Herbert, the English-born author who as “Frank Forester” became widely regarded as the father of sport fiction; and Thaddeus Norris’ The American Angler’s Book (1864), which many consider the greatest of the 19th century American angling books. Other 19th century classics include the works of Englishmen G. P. R. Pulman, Frederic M. Halford, and Francis Francis, as well as those of the American angling man of letters, Henry Van Dyke.

Henry Van Dyke, Little Rivers (New York: Scribner’s, 1895). Little Rivers

The 20th century is well-represented with some of the modern “classics” of angling, both British and American. Overshadowed by many of the hefty and richly illustrated angling works is Emlyn Gill’s modest Practical Dry Fly Fishing (1912), the first book on dry fly fishing published in the United States. The Milne Collection also features the works of Eugene Connett, both as author and as founder and publisher of the original Derrydale Press imprint. Other modern notables include, but are certainly not limited to: John Atherton’s The Fly and the Fish (1951); Ray Bergman’s Trout (1938); Charles K. Fox’s Rising Trout (1963); Arnold Gingrich’s The Joys of Trout (1973) and The Fishing in Print (1974); Vincent Marinaro’s A Modern Dry Fly Fishing Code (1950); McClane’s Standard Fishing Encyclopedia (1965) by A. J. McClane; John McDonald’s The Complete Fly Fisherman: The Notes and Letters of Theodore Gordon (1947); Lee Wulff’s The Atlantic Salmon (1958); Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It (1976); and just about anything written by Roderick Haig-Brown.

Besides these classics of angling literature, the Milne Collection boasts a vast array of modern books on fly tying, rod making, and stream tactics. So, whether you are trying to find a salmon fly pattern from one of Joe Bates’ sumptious volumes or simply want to read the latest mutterings and musings of John Gierach, there is certainly something for you in the Milne Angling Collection.

Fly Fishing Lessons in New Hampshire: Reel leesons, Exeter man teaches fly fishing

When I am home in the U.S.A. I spend much of my time teaching fly casting.  Most, if not all of my beginner classes are taught in historic downtown Exeter.  Specifically, my E.I. Fly 1X beginner casting classes are held along the Squamscott River (Swasey Parkway).  On the parkway, directly across from the bandstand, there is a grassy area that offers plenty of room for casting instruction.  When classes are in session, passersby stop and watch.  I'll wave to them and say hello.  Many of these people tell me that they have seen me before, and people around town are talking about a guy who teaches fly fishing. As a result, I was eventually was introduced to Lara Bricker.  Lara works at the local newspaper, and asked me if she could do a story about me and First Cast Fly Fishing.  I said sure.  The story is below. Enjoy!      

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131015-NEWS-310150332

By Lara Bricker

newsletter@seacoastonline.com

October 15, 2013 2:00 AM

EXETER — Mark Foley caught his first fish with a traditional fishing pole when he was just five-years-old.

It would take him 18 years to catch his first fish using a fly fishing rod. But when he did he was hooked.

"My first thought to myself was I get it. I know why people are passionate about this," Foley said. "Mentally it's as technical as chess. Spiritually it helps you relax and physically it helps you de-stress."

Foley, 45, of Exeter became so passionate about fly fishing that he founded First Cast Fly Fishing, with a commitment toward making the sport accessible to everyone who wants to learn, regardless of age or income. First Cast Fly Fishing offers community classes, private classes and occasional youth programs through area recreation departments and operates as a non-profit. There are no set rates for community classes and he asks people to pay what they can afford.

"I love to teach," he said. "I have a strong desire to share this with the community."

Foley's philosophy and approach to teaching and learning fly fishing is based on what he calls emotional intelligence.

"It's connecting the mind, the body and the spirit," he said. "And being kind to yourself because fly fishing is challenging, it is difficult, it is not something you can pick up immediately and be an expert."

Foley explains his concept of emotional intelligence as the student's ability to facilitate knowledge from their past experiences while managing their future expectations so that they can enjoy the intellectual process and experience of fly fishing in the present.

"It's just not about who catches the biggest fish," he said. "Sometimes it's about the day you spend on the water and how you feel."

One of Foley's students Keith Tode, of Exeter, said he found the mentor and instructor he'd been searching for when he connected with him. Tode took his first fly fishing class about 15 years ago through a traditional school program but that approach just didn't click for him. In the years that followed, he fished on his own, learning through experimentation and repetition, until he managed to find Foley.

"There is something special about learning from Exeter's local expert. Mark is obviously a world class fisherman that has guided around the globe, but what sets him apart is how he incorporates that experience into age and skill appropriate lessons and drills both on and off the water," Tode said. "He's the Pied Piper of New Hampshire fly fishing."

The Tode family arranged a family class with Foley that included Keith, his wife Jennifer and their 7-year-old daughter Merrill.

"He was able to explain things for the kids one minute, using fly swatters and a paint brush dipped in water, to get the way the casting arm movements should feel, and then turn towards the adults and explain it in a way where you weren't being talked down to," Jennifer Tode said. "I learned a tremendous amount in a short period of time. Mark is a funny and fantastic guy who obviously loves what he does and that is very contagious."

Foley feels that fly fishing can provide a way for people to be present and reconnect in the midst of the hectic pace of their daily lives.

"People are desperate to get back in touch with something," Foley said. "We're busy and we have to choose how to use the free time we have."

Jennifer Tode agreed.

"There was just something about the rhythm that is very calming," she said. "Even if I never catch a fish it is worth it to get out there and try."

Foley spends about four months each winter in Patagonia, a region located at the southern end of South America, where he leads fly fishing trips, teaches lessons and helps those interested with arranging fly fishing vacations. While in Exeter, he also acts as the advisor to the Phillips Exeter Academy Fly Fishing Club and serves as a board member for the Three River Stocking Association and Great Bay Trout Unlimited program.

Through the Great Bay Trout Unlimited program, he works to bring live trout into the classrooms of the elementary schools in Exeter. The program provides a cold water tank where students are able to observe eggs grow into trout, which they eventually release into area waters.

Foley is also teaching an introduction to fly tying class at Exeter Adult Education starting on Oct. 21.

Foley spends most of his time locally teaching though he does find time to fish for his own enjoyment. But he says that his desire to share the joy of fly fishing with others is what drives him.

"I don't do this to get rich. I'm not doing this for fame or Hollywood," he said. "I'm doing this because I really believe the world would be a better place if everyone could take a little bit of time to go fly fishing or learn how to fly fish."

For more information on First Cast Fly Fishing call 603-315-8800 or go to www.firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com or firstcastflyfishing@yahoo.com.