First Cast Fly Fishing: December 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia: Walk-Wade Junin de los Andes, Argentina

Affordable Hotels
Best Food Options
Great Fishing Locations
Expert advice on equipment, flies, and tactical presentations.
We charge a fair price for both of our walk-wade services.

In the late afternoon, I met up with Regis for a quick chat and a few photos. He had about an hour to go before the fishing day ended. Before leaving him, I gave him a few tips and told him about a pool just around the corner (see next pic).

It's rare to find a Brook Trout/Fontinalis in the upper Malleo. The Malleo is 99.9% rainbows and browns.

The right way to end the day!

I enjoy being the photographer. As a solo angler, it's hard to get quality shots like this.

Final Word

For thousands of years, man has fished by walking, and depending on the water temperature, wading. Walking and fishing is arguably the most natural form of the sport we call fly-fishing. Why anglers don't do more of it here in Patagonia, is really puzzling to me. However, this angler from Ohio insisted on walking and I am pretty sure he was happy he did so.

Regis, thanks for working with us. It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife. Hope to see you again in Patagonia.

Feliz Ano Nuevo,

Mark

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia, Argentina: US Dollars and Pesos Blue

How to use this blog? Use the blog search engine and type in key words such as Float Trip, Walk-Wade, Float Tube, Lessons, Pesos, Fy Rods, Flies, Best Months, etc. The search engine is located on the right side, just below the weather. FYI, there are over 100 post about fishing Patagonia...the information you are looking for, is probably on this blog. Thanks.

In Junin de los Andes, I work with anglers varying in age, gender and financial health. Regardless of these labels, my job as a host is to quickly share with them the knowledge that I have gained over the past 16 years, while traveling and fishing Patagonia. This may seem simple and straight forward, but it's not. Why? I have a very short amount of time to teach people the Do's and Don'ts of traveling/fishing in Patagonia. Also, when compared to the USA or other countries, I am giving clients life lessons that are unconventional and for the average person, highly questionable (I get some weird looks). The sooner you learn that this is Argentina and normalcy is the un-normalcy, the better your travels and fishing will be. Take for example, the use of your dollars, ATM and credit cards.

You can do as you please, but my strongest recommendation is to bring as much USA dollars as you are comfortable traveling with (per USA laws you can leave America with $10,000 cash). In other words, use your ATM and credit card only as back-up or for emergencies. I make this recommendation to future clients and I sense that some of them think I am trying to set them up for the scam/pinch/theft, etc. This makes me laugh and is far from the truth. Here's why:

Visit this website http://www.dolarblue.net/ to see the current official and 'blue' exchange rate. At the top of the page the 'blue' rate is posted. If you scroll down the page, you'll find the official bank rate. You should notice a HUGE difference between the official bank rate and the 'blue' rate.
If you use your ATM card your losing up to 40% of the value of your dollar, when compared to the 'blue' rate.
If you use your credit card, the same story applies, but you may be dinged international banking fees.
Exchanging dollars for pesos 'blue' is perfectly legal and is done throughout the country.
The best locations to obtain the highest pesos 'blue' rate is Buenos Aires (BsAs). Avenida Florida, a well know tourist/shopping trap, has multiple people willing to exchange dollars. These people can spot you a mile away, so don't be alarmed if they approach you; just don't follow anyone down a dark alley. Do your homework before asking, "Qual es el cambio para peso blue?" Ask two or three people and take the highest.
The other best location is in Bariloche, on Avenida Mitre. This is another tourist street, lined with shops, restaurants and bars. The rate here may be slightly less than the rate posted on-line or in BsAs. Again, a number of people will approach you in the street and may ask you to enter a small store. I favor the store that sells ladies clothing and hats.
For anglers and travelers visiting San Martin de Los Andes, you'll want to visit a small candle shop called La Araucaria, located on 845 Belgrano. The rates here will be better than Junin de los Andes, but perhaps slightly less than BsAs or the website that I have shared.
Be sure to present new, clean, unmarked $100 USA bills. Bills lower than $50 are accepted, but your rate drops significantly.

As of this posting, in BsAs, a Benjamin will get you $1,400 pesos 'blue.' Compare this to the official rate, at $850 pesos. Take Away Message = Cash is KING.

The tourism office in Junin de los Andes will gladly offer you pesos 'blue.' The current rate, as of this posting, is $11.50. The take away message = if your in BsAs or Bariloche, get more pesos 'blue.'

The ATM/bank, located in Junin de los Andes. During high tourist season, there always seems to be a line here and the wait can be up to 30 minutes.

Final Word

So, why is a guide/outfitter (First Cast) sharing information about the Argentine Peso? I am supposed to be slinging poetic prose and value added statements; all designed to capture your attention and convince you to work with us. More importantly, why don't lodges or other guides share this information? Well, let's summarize reality/facts and do some math.

If you fish with us, compared to lodges and other outfitters, you'll save up to 50%. How is this possible? The answer is quite simple; lodges and local outfitters base their business model entirely upon the US dollar.
Our platform is built upon the peso 'blue' and the US dollar. This is how we provide what the industry calls real VALUE, not perceived value.

Folks, it's simple math, all based on facts (dollar vs. peso blue). That being said, I am convinced that we do offer the best value in all of Patagonia.

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in Patagonia.

As always, keeping it real,

Mark

Monday, December 29, 2014

DIY Fly Fishing Argentina: Trout, Dorados, Float Trips and Walk-Wade

How to use this blog? Use the blog search engine and type in key words such as Float Trip, Walk-Wade, Float Tube, Lessons, Pesos, Fy Rods, Flies, Best Months, etc. The search engine is located on the right side, just below the weather. FYI, there are over 100 post about fishing Patagonia...the information you are looking for, is probably on this blog. Thanks.

We host anglers from all over the world, and very much enjoy doing so. One country that seems to be a regular with us is Canada. More specifically, our Canadian clients have all come from the Calgary area. Not that there is anything wrong with our friends from Calgary, but I wonder what's up with the rest of Canada; are there any traveling anglers in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal? Anyway, Mark Dailey and family (wife, 3 very young kids and an infant) are on an extended family vacation, touring Argentina for 4 months. On this family tour, the boss gave Mark the 'permission slip' to take a family break and go fishing with us.

Mark chose to work with us because at the end of the day, he probably could afford a lodge stay, but he really just wanted to go fishing, and pay a reasonable price. He also wanted to try a little bit of everything and not commit to a lengthy fishing program. Specifically, Mark took advantage of the following programs that we offer:

Buenos Aires Golden Dorado single and multi day trips.
Junin de los Andes DIY float fishing for Rainbow and Brown Trout.
Junin de los Andes DIY walk-wade for trout.

We have two DIY float trip options for our clients.

We float the same waters as the $6,000 USD per week lodge, but our DIY floats offer more value because we do one thing much differently than any other lodge or outfitter. Sorry, we don't publish our secrets, but we'll tell you when you arrive to Junin de los Andes.

Two days of floating and one day of walk-wade. At the end of the third day, we had Mark back in San Martin de los Andes for dinner with his family.

Solo Angler

Many of our solo anglers would love to float more days, but some have a hard time paying the full fair all by themselves. I don't blame them; as competitive as our pricing is, for the solo angler, the final bill can kill your travel budget. Plus, a lot of anglers simply do not like floating by themselves. In recognition of this issue, we do everything we can to pair solo anglers together. For example, Mark was paired with Erik, a previous client from Wisconsin. In the end, Mark enjoyed the company and Erik was able to add two float trips to his DIY walk-wade program. It all worked out perfectly.

Final Word

If you are traveling through Argentina, experiencing a little bit of everything, our DIY programs offer the best class of service for you. In other words, if you only have a few days to fish with us, no problem. Our services are designed to meet your personal travel and fishing needs.

Thank you Mark for working us and we hope to see you again in the future.

Abrazos,

Mark

Thursday, December 25, 2014

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Drift Boats, Float Tubes and Wading

The Swedes are back in Junin de los Andes. Once again, their drive to fish Patagonia hard was unyielding and very productive. Sture and Mikael planned a 30 day fishing vacation and here's a brief summary of how they did it.

They spent $35.00 USD per night, for lodging. There's cheaper lodging options in town, but for the quality they received, this is a good price. Their quant cabana, complete with kitchen and dining area, was more than adequate for two fishing buddies.
They rented a Volkswagon Gol, out of Bariloche, and paid $38.00 per day. This is a good price, but expect prices to be a bit higher during the tourist season (after December 25th and unttil early March). In San Martin de los Andes, during the high season, for a small compact car, you can expect to pay between $45 and $60 USD, per day. Either in Bariloche or San Martin de los Andes, I recommend shopping for the best competitive price. There's plenty of information on the internet.
They took advantage of our discounted float trip pricing. If you float 4 consecutive days or more, we offer a healthy cost savings. We believe in rewarding customers.
They chose to do a few days of DIY walk-wade with us. We took them to some places that have not been fished this season. The fishing was fantastic and on almost every cast, fish were eager to strike their flies.
They are repeat customers and veterans of the surrounding waters. In other words, they asked to do something new. The answer? We took them on a few adventures with our Water-Master float boats.

Day 01 and he catches this; time to pack your bags and call it a trip!

We all love to walk-wade and float rivers, there's no argument here. But, experiencing something new and wonderful, in the heart of the longest mountain range in the world, in our opinion, is worth it.

Time to target large Brown Trout feeding in the reeds. When I say large, I am talking about 2-5lbs fish! Folks, for all you die-hard dry fly fisherman, this is an experience worth exploring. Be ready to get thrashed amongst the vegetation and lose a few flies in epic battles.

Ever wonder what it's like to float down a river and work the oars? We can put you on beginner, class 0.5 waters and let you enjoy the freedom of floating and fishing. The benefit of this program = you stop where you want to fish and you fish the water exactly how you want to. This is one of the most fun and relaxing fishing experiences you can have in Patagonia.

Looks like a GREAT place to stop and target large Rainbow Trout, but we missed a spooky 30" Brown Trout. This program is 50% float and 50%, stop, walk-wade. Given the utility of these they offer the greatest flexibility for a DIY walk-wade angler. Each boat is rated up to 750lbs and class 4 rapids. The design offers maximum stability and maneuverability is amazing.

Christmas Eve colors in Patagonia.

Final Word

We take great pride knowing that we offer unique fishing programs that allows us to meet your personal fishing needs. For example, if we need to leave Junin de los Andes at 5:00 A.M., to put you in the right spot and the right time, we'll do it. If you want to combine our services, floating-walking-tubing; no problem. This is one of many reason why we see the same customers return year after year.

When we get repeat customers, it always provides us feelings of pride and self-worth. It's a statement that tells us that we do a great job working with our clients. More importantly, in the extremely competitive world of destination fly fishing, we are simply grateful that we continue to earn their respect and business. We thank the Swedes and we hope to see you again...you and your friends are always welcome in Patagonia.

Muchas Gracias Amigos,

Mark

Friday, December 19, 2014

Fly Fishing Patagonia: The DIY Experience

I am about to do something that no fly fishing guide would ever do/say. As I evolve, I must say, my desire to post fish porn wanes dramatically. For instance, I continue to take photos for clients, but personally, I find myself taking less photos each season. If I take a photo of a fish, I no longer care to see my face in the pic. I am also easily offended by the amount of beastly, and in my opinion, un-ethical photos taken of fish. Regarding this subject, I continue to ask myself the following:

How many photos of fish does the world need to see?
How much e-data/storage is currently committed to fish pics?
What did anglers do before cameras?
What if every angler in the world stopped taking pics of fish?

With these thoughts in mind, I am going to take a break from the fish porn. I am going to post Patagonia desert flowers, and one claw, from a dead raptor. I know nothing about these flowers, other than they are teeny-tiny and beautiful (some are smaller than a penny). I took these photos with my new Olympus Tough TG-3. This digital camera has a microscope mode that allows me to take high quality images, only centimeters away.

Hope you enjoy the flower porn.

Wild rose bush. By the end of the season this plant produces a red olive size bulb that can be made into a jelly/jam.

Found this while walking-wading the rio Chimehuin. Hard to say what type of bird, but it was the size of a small dog.

About the size of a quarter.

Inside these pea sized flowers is the true, mind boggling beauty.

About the size of a penny.

So delicate yet is survives in such a harsh environment.

One of my favorites, smaller than a penny.

Final Word

We fish hard, but we also stop to smell the desert flowers. Enough said. Thanks for reading and hope to see you in Patagonia.

Abrazos Amigos,

Mark

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: From Virginia to Junin de los Andes

At the age of fourteen, David's father introduced him to fly fishing. He told me that he only fished for one day with his dad, but he remembered it vividly. Add that one day to three days with us, and the total time he has ever spent fly-fishing is four days. All I can say is that David is a natural. His ability to listen to our guides and immediately put into action the instruction given, was amazing. He's a natural, but needs to fix a slight tailing loop issue (patience and slower tempo will fix that). I have no doubt that he and his father will now spend more time together on the water and begin a new chapter in their lives. For this, we are grateful to be part of this life experience.

Our bi-lingual guides are college educated and are great instructors. FCFF only works with guides/people who show a tremendous amount of human dignity and passion for their work. Plus, our guides know exactly where to put beginner anglers so that may enjoy their day catching fish!

The natural, doing what he does best; catching wild fish and holding them naturally to get the best photo. Nice fish David. It was a pleasure watching you and our guide work this pool.

The smile says it all. What a great place to learn how to fly fish.

Final Word

Our DIY programs are completely dedicated to meeting your personal needs. Immediately, upon greeting you in Junin de los Andes, we make every effort to establish an open, honest communicative relationship. We feel this is critical because you are here for short period of time and you have invested a whole lot of time and money in your fishing vacation. Anything less, in our opinion, would be a horrible way of doing business.

David, thanks for working with us. Good luck at University of North Carolina; I predict you will go far in life and on the water!

Abrazos Amigos,

Mark

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Floating, Walking and Wading

The 2015 Patagonia fishing season has begun. We hosted an angler from the USA, who lives in a state known for cheese, milk, beer, and football. Yup, you guessed it, Wisconsin (go Packers...just not against the Patriots). I have spent plenty of time in Wisconsin and I find it, and the people, to be great. Who would not like a state that has all you can eat Friday night fish fries...nothing like a fried Walleye sandwich!

Erik is one interesting dude. At age fifteen he became the bat boy for the Milwaukee Brewers (can you imagine). At age twenty-eight, Erik is no longer the bat boy. Currently, he is in charge of player and family food services. Initially, I had no idea what this meant. I thought it meant box lunches, etc. After spending a week with Erik and learning what he does for work, all I can say is HOLY COW! For nine months out of the year, Erik spends every working hour his with the players and their families. He caters to all their food needs and then some. So, his role with the Brewer's is pretty darn important. Honestly, I never knew such a job existed.

We are grateful to have such interesting people visit us in Patagonia. In return, we hope our DIY walk-wade and float trip services have been equally interesting.

Lots of healthy rainbows on our walk-wade river.

The Lupine are not around for long, but when they are, the colors are great to see.

Another one of our secret location pays off.

The cage, as we call it, never fails to show us who wants it the most.

Combining float trips with our walk-wade service is a great Patagonia experience.

Final Word

Erik stayed in one of our low budget preferred hostels. He paid $12.17 USD per night. For this amount you think he would have slept outside with the dogs (nope). He had a private room with his own bath, and access to a public kitchen. Erik also ate at our local preferred eateries. He paid $2.18 USD per meal and he loved it!

Folks, we believe our programs offer the best value and the greatest Patagonian experience. We look forward to hosting your fishing vacation and please feel free to contact us for more information.

Saludos y Abrazos,

Mark

Sunday, December 7, 2014

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Are you the 1%

How to use this blog? Use the blog search engine and type in key words such as Float Trip, Walk-Wade, Float Tube, Lessons, Pesos, Fy Rods, Flies, Best Months, etc. The search engine is located on the right side, just below the weather. FYI, there are over 100 post about fishing Patagonia...the information you are looking for, is probably on this blog. Thanks.

In the Junin de los Andes, located in northern Patagonia, 99% of anglers fish and drift big water rivers. Why? These folks are staying at one of seven lodges in the Junin area. The other 1%, like fishing/drifting big rivers, but they truly love walking-wading small, dream like streams. The problem? If you stay at a lodge, you'll never get to fish one these Patagonia jewels. Part of me wants to say it's a shame that lodge anglers will miss the opportunity to fish streams seen in the below photos, but the other part of me says, my clients and myself, love having these streams all to ourselves!

Our DIY fishing programs provide our clients the opportunity to experience Patagonia in more ways imaginable. We have 100% flexibility with our daily fishing programs, and we are here to meet your needs; not ours! We offer DIY walk-wade and DIY float programs, in all waters in the Junin area. We also offer DIY one man float boat/tubes and over night camping trips. We never guaranty the fishing will be epic (that industry BS), but we guaranty that we'll put you in places that will make your jaw drop (don't worry, you'll catch plenty of fish!).

The final catch...compared to Junin lodges or outfitters, our clients save up to 50%! How is this possible? Bottom line, we are not greedy. When you fish with FCFF, you are only charged for our guiding fee's and you are treated like a fishing buddy/friend.

Just a few more miles east, and you are in Chile. Because we work for ourselves and we focus on small groups, we can bring clients ANY WHERE they want.

Mind Blowing Scenery.

It looks small, but there are a few brown whales in this river.

Do you like tight-line nymphing? How about a dry-dropper combo?

Final Words

If you're not part of the herd (99%), or if you are tired of the herd, give us a shout.

Thanks for reading,

Gone Fishing (on a small Patagonia stream)

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: DIY Food Options

Do you come to Patagonia to fish, or be wined and dined? Our Patagonia DIY walk-wade and DIY float services tend to attract those who want to fish. As a result, we have created several fishing programs that allow our clients to freely choose their own food and beverage. The purpose of this post is to give you a heads up about your DIY food options in Junin de los Andes.

DIY Food Option #1

Many of DIY clients come to Junin del los Andes thinking they will prepare their own food and save a few dollars. Guess what? You can do just that, or I will bring you to one of my secret/favorite local Ma & Pa eateries. Here you can buy high quality pre-made food and stay well below your budget. In fact, 99% of of DIY clients end up eating here 24/7!

I admit, this place does not look attractive, but as the saying goes, don't judge a book by it's cover.

I have been eating here for more years than I can remember. I have never gotten sick. You won't find this place on the internet or any guide books. The chef (seen in photo) makes food for the local jail, schools and hospitals. He makes extra meals each day and sells them to the public. I purchased this meal (steak, fries, potato frittata) for a grand total of $3.85 USD. Add a fantastic Malbec for <$10.00 USD, and you and your fishing partner have a great meal.

DIY Food Option #2

If you don't rent a car, I advise all of our clients to stay in town. Why? You will have foot access to multiple food options, including the all important ice cream parlor's (there are now 4 shops). But, most importantly, you can easily walk to several grocery stores and fruit/veggie stands. Lastly, by staying close to the center of town, you'll see what life is like in Patagonia and you might see a festival such as Carnival.

Junin has two super markets. Plenty of food and beverage options.

DIY Food Option #3

In Junin, there are a few bars and restaurants that serve traditional Argentine BBQ, sandwich and pizza's. One of the more popular spots in town is the take-out service offered at Ruca.

Sometimes it's nice to grab take-out and a bottle of wine.

Final Word

We understand our DIY fishing programs are unique; perhaps even odd, when compared to the industry norm. Truth be told, we prefer to be unique because our DIY programs allows our clients the opportunity to eat and drink whatever pleases them (we believe this is important). Plus, our clients are exposed to the local scene (i.e. cultural, holidays, festivals, families, friends, artist, music, etc). In the fly-fishing industry, it's an over-used cliche, but we truly believe that we offer the real Patagonia experience.

Thanks for reading. Bottom line, we fish hard, and eat and drink well! Please feel free to contact me for pricing and availability.

Gone Fishing,

Mark

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: DIY Float Programs

Day #01: We are very fortunate to have repeat customers. Mikael traveled all the way from Sweden to catch this beautiful wild brown trout.

Why Visit and Fly Fish Argentina?

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 modern cities 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.

Introducing New DIY Floating Service

Looking for a new DIY Patagonia Adventure?

We offer 2-man traditional floats with standard drift boats. But, we also offer the opportunity to fish Patagonia like its never been fished before. We can easily float mountain ponds filled with HUGE, untouched fish. And, we can float and camp all the rivers surrounding Junin de los Andes. This is truly a unique life experience, one that you will cherish forever.