My Argentina Trip - November 2008

Thanks to Alex for creating this blog for me.

I'm heading for Argentina next Thursday (13th) and will hopefully (dependent on internet availability) be able to record my fishing adventures there.

For those I haven't already told (could there be anyone?), I'm headed there to fish for both golden dorado (N. Argentina) and trout (Patagonia) on behalf of The Angling Report, a flyfishing/travel newsletter I subscribe to. In return for writing a report for the newsletter, I get 7 days of guided fishing, meals and accommodation as the guest of the lodge I'll be fishing with (Andes Outfitters).

Here's the plan: I leave about 1:00pm on Thursday, fly to Toronto, arriving about 10pm. I then leave for Buenos Aires just before midnight, arriving late Friday (14th) afternoon. Long flight in economy... not looking forward to that but what can you do... I overnight in B.A. and fly out early the next morning for Salta in northern Argentina. The guide will pick me up there on arrival at about 9:15am and we'll fish the 15th, 16th and 17th (Sat., Sun., Mon.) for golden dorado in the Juramento River. I then fly back to B.A. late Monday evening, arriving about 11:30pm. The next morning I fly south to Bariloche in Patagonia. I'll be picked up and driven north to San Martin de los Andes (about 3 hrs). Then I'll fish for trout (rainbow and browns) for four days. I fly back to B.A. from San Martin on Saturday afternoon and have two full days to try to sample the wonders of Buenos Aires. I begin the long journey home at 6:00pm on Monday afternoon (24th), arriving in Toronto early on the 25th, with connections through Vancouver and home before noon.

Sounds like fun, yes? Golden dorado are a new species for me but the word is they go 4 to +30 lbs and fight "like steelhead on steroids" which sounds good to me. Lots of aerials... All this in a river that is apparently only 150 ft. wide. Wild!!! And of course trout fishing in Patagonia is legendary, though I might be a tad early for the best of the dry fly fishing. We'll see.

Anyway, only time will tell... hopefully at the very least I won't come home skunked...