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Teifi-Terrorist
29-05-2008, 12:20
I thought I’d share some photos from the 2008 trip to Argentina and Chile with you. There are a lot, so my apologies if they take ages to load on your computer!

My trip began in Central Patagonia; this was wild brown and rainbow trout paradise! More rivers and lakes than you could cover in a lifetime, and that was just in the small area that I got to see. The weather was hot, 20 Celsius + every day, bliss having come from our winter, and the waters crystal clear.

I did manage to visit some of the Welsh areas, which was totally surreal. I was there on St.David’s day and got invited to a party that evening where a large group of locals had gathered at the ‘Welsh School of the Andes’. It was amazing to be able to speak Welsh so far from home, and great to see the language still strong in the area. I even had a Welsh speaking fishing guide one day!

For those who love their trout fishing I can certainly see the attraction of the area, especially when their peak fishing season fits in-line with our peak winter months. Also, it doesn’t suffer the strong winds experienced down in Tierra Del Fuego, which was definitely a plus. The closest I've come to this type of fishing was in Slovenia, but this was Slovenia on steroids!

As per usual I did get a bit click-happy! Managing to rack up some 30gb in photos! Here’s a few shots from the first leg of the journey (sorry if they look slightly pixelated; they have been resized to allow easier loading):
Ready to go afloat

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0704-01-800.jpg

Drift fishing with my guide who spoke Welsh, with a mountain called ‘Gorsedd-y-cymylau’ (resting place of the clouds) in the background.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0708-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0779-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0769-01-800.jpg

A fish on a ‘fat-albert’, something which I thought a fish would never be stupid enough to take!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0752-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0792-01-800.jpg

Some local scenery:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0853-02-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0857-02-800.jpg

Wild Parrots:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0697-01-800.jpg

Then on to a different area in search of yet more ravenous trout:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0872-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1017-01-800.jpg

On the feed:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1109-01-800.jpg

The river:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1885-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0951-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1136-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_0955-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1080-01-800.jpg

A small tributary:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1883-01-800.jpg

A random lake:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1220-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1327-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1313-01-800.jpg

A small stream where sight-fishing with small nymphs and light leaders was just the ticket:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1664-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1622-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1704-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1648-01-800.jpg

With very acrobatic fish!!!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1707-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1724-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1732-01-800.jpg

An even smaller stream! Deep water, heavy nymphs, light leaders and a catapult cast:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1861-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1779-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1796-01-800.jpg

It was then time to get back to Buenos Aires and meet the gang for the Rio Grande leg of the trip! The following week was a right laugh! With some extremely comic moments. We had some good sport on the lakes and the rivers, even though the Grande was down to her bones, having very little water over the previous 2 months, which made for very challenging fishing – if the wind was up then the fishing was good, but if the sun was out with little or now wind then the river fishing was confined to the early mornings and late evenings/night-time. The following should give you a flavour from that week and a couple from the following week:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1961-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1971-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2060-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2227-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2240-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/SSA41538-800.jpg

A nice resident:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2273-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2625-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2652-01-800.jpg

The Grande showing her bones:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2279-01-800.jpg

Some scenic shots from the lodge:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2297-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2300-01-800.jpg

Down river

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2565-01-800.jpg

A couple from the lakes:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_1990-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2007-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2385-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2019-02-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2092-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2318-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2331-01-800.jpg

A double header of Pacific Sea-trout:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2102-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2119-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2171-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2181-01-800.jpg

Some local ‘wildlife’; a condor and a cara-cara or something similar!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2659-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2689-01-800.jpg


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2748-01-800.jpg

Sorry for the amount of photos! But I hope that you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

TT.
JayP
29-05-2008, 12:44
More photos welcome TT as I'm heading to Chile in 2010......~:.
GORDONC
29-05-2008, 19:31
Absolutely Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
colin
30-05-2008, 00:57
amazing pics, thanks. |\
PB
30-05-2008, 15:06
Fantastic photos and scenery. I hope the area escapes the worst of the Chaiten volcanic eruption.

Is there any news from the Welsh Patagonia region that you also visited?

http://this-is-sparta.blogspot.com/2008/05/patagonian-pompeii.html

The prognosis seemed rather bleak, but the link's 2 weeks old and I haven't been able to find out much more.

I understand that many villages have suffered flooding where the ash has set like concerete. :eek:
It's a very worrying time. Viewing the photos reminded me. I hope the situation has improved - "no news and all that".


PB
annanman
02-06-2008, 17:35
Very nice pics

Keep them coming

regards

john
watermole
02-06-2008, 23:26
Stunning photos...just stunning...places which most of us never dare to dream could even exist..

Many thanks for sharing them..

Wm.
Ugie Fisher
16-06-2008, 22:52
TT: i have been told many good thinhg about argentina and its huge trout but i was also told that a lot of the fishing on the rio grande and others that it is all heavy, heavy sinking lines and huge flies, also that most of the fish come in broadside if you know what i mean. Have you heard anything similar because me and my dad want to go some day.
Teifi-Terrorist
17-06-2008, 11:07
Yes, 100%, unfortunately UgieFisher. Where I/We fish/ed is on the middle reaches, and virtually all the fish come to the floating line - I've never had to go below and intermediate on these stretches. This is on the Chilean side of the Rio Grande, where we are also allowed to night-fish.

However, on the lower beats - closer to the estuary - the wind catches the river a lot more, and the banks and riverbed are a lot more silty. When the wind really blows you get waves in the river, which churns up the riverbed and puts a colour in the river. At such times they tend to opt for quicker sinking lines. However, I have heard reports, and the locals are quite open and quick to tell you this fact, that one of the main reasons for using the sinking lines is to guarantee fish. {;

For me there are no guarantees in fishing, especially when fishing for wild fish. I could go for a week up to the Spey tomorrow and catch bugger all, not even seeing a fish. However, understanding that they are wild fish, I could appreciate this, and understand that one week can be good with the next being bad. Any person who expects guarantees when pursuing a wild fish is nothing short of a fool. To resort to such tactics to guarantee a wild fish, words fail me. I've never been to or fished these waters, so can only go on what the locals and the guides on the other beats tell me, but I certainly hope that this isn's a practice that's readily adopted.

The 2009 trip will be organised in the very near future, but I'm not going to take over the group size I had in 2008, limiting this one to 6 people, rather than the 12 I took this year. In addition, I have got access to Maria Behety and Despedida this season, which are great to have on the books.

All the best,

TT.
SJF, Simon
17-06-2008, 12:25
TT: i have been told many good thinhg about argentina and its huge trout but i was also told that a lot of the fishing on the rio grande and others that it is all heavy, heavy sinking lines and huge flies, also that most of the fish come in broadside if you know what i mean. Have you heard anything similar because me and my dad want to go some day.

I was told the same by a guide in Patagonia who used to work on the Grande. apparently the guides are very quick to net ( quite downstream of the angler ) the fish and "swiftly" unhook the fish so they can present them as cleanly caught to their smiling American.

I'm heading down that way again next year to the Rio Gallegos, a bit smaller much more 'Towy like' fishing - but it is not easy.
goldhead
17-06-2008, 17:51
wow imressive photos,fish and scenery -keep them coming steffan i never get tired. Maybe one day i will have a chance to visit-goldhead
Ugie Fisher
17-06-2008, 21:43
Thanks guys. I know that if i went down i would take a floater and a slow intermediate because i think that what they are doing is shocking and if i saw someone doing this when i was there then i would be gone.

TT: i didn't think that you were allowed to fish at night in argentina because i have never heard anyone say otherwise. I think it would be amazing to take some of these monsters at 1 and 2 in the morning. Who do you book through? How did you get on? how much is it for a week? Sorry about all the questions but i would need to know if i was going down.
Teifi-Terrorist
18-06-2008, 10:00
Hi UgieFisher,

no, you are not allowed to night-fish on the Argentinian side. However, more than half of the Rio Grande flows through Chile - from its source through to the middle reaches. Laws are different on the Chilean side, which does allow for night-fishing, if viable, given decent conditions.

I will be organising a group through my business; angling-worldwide.com. I won't make too much reference here to the prices etc. but will do in the near future under the packages section, if that's ok, rather than detracting from this thread. The week that I am going to reserve for 2009 is the 21-28th February, or something close to that.

Thanks,

TT.
Salmonella
18-06-2008, 11:08
Down river

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b129/jonessteffan/IMG_2565-01-800.jpg




Fantastic photos TT. |\ |\

I hope you don't mind me repeating this one - but would the damage showing on the Patagonian beech trees be down to beavers?
Did you see any? I'd heard they were rife on southern TDF.


Ella
Teifi-Terrorist
18-06-2008, 14:36
Hi Ella,

sorry, missed your original post. Yes, the damage would be down the industrious beaver! they are rife in the area, and you do spot them most days you are fishing. They are also an absolute pain when fishing, as their defence or warning mechanism is to slap their tails on the water' surface, which is extremely loud, and does catch you off-guard.

The damage they cause is extensive, and rarely do they concentrate on one tree i.e. when one has fallen they will move on to the next. They are being hunted, but the levels do remain high. They're bloody big too, much bigger than what I expected.

I have seen them on TDF (Chilean side, as the Argentinean side of the Grande has little/no trees), but not on the mainland.

Best wishes,

TT.
Salmonella
19-06-2008, 16:44
The damage they cause is extensive, and rarely do they concentrate on one tree i.e. when one has fallen they will move on to the next. They are being hunted, but the levels do remain high. They're bloody big too, much bigger than what I expected.

I have seen them on TDF (Chilean side, as the Argentinean side of the Grande has little/no trees), but not on the mainland.

Best wishes,

TT.


TDF beaver info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4490517.stm


Surprised you were scared of beaver 'TT' ~# - only about 60 lb;)


Ushuaïa - the world's southernmost city
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/Llandderfel/Picture0026.jpg?t=1213886763

Also demonstrating how poor my camera is compared to TT's ~#


Ella
woodcockandsewin
19-06-2008, 16:59
TT said

"I did manage to visit some of the Welsh areas, which was totally surreal. I was there on St.David’s day and got invited to a party that evening where a large group of locals had gathered at the ‘Welsh School of the Andes’. It was amazing to be able to speak Welsh so far from home, and great to see the language still strong in the area. I even had a Welsh speaking fishing guide one day!"

This reminds me of Jaws..."just when you thought it was safe to go out"... there's a Yakki waffling on about how many English owned homes he burnt down, before doing a runner half way round the world.

Can we keep this to the S4C thread please?

W&S
Teifi-Terrorist
19-06-2008, 23:37
lol :> yes, sorry W&S, my apologies, it won't happen again sir.

Ella; the first time I flew to the area was into Ushuaia, and I found it to be a lovely town, certainly much nice than the town of Rio Grande......

When were you there? did you like the town? were you there for the fishing? or did you do some polar expedition?

TT.
Salmonella
20-06-2008, 16:04
...the first time I flew to the area was into Ushuaia, and I found it to be a lovely town,.....
(:,

I've been there three times in all; but only stayed there once, which was last year.
The only place in Patagonia where they serve sea food instead of steak. The 'king crab' being delicious.

The other two occassions I couldn't even get off the plane. I'll explain: certain flights from Rio Gallegos to Buenos Aires go via Ushuaia. I think Austral, whilst Aerolineas doesn't anymore.
I met John Gierach ("Trout Bum" author) on that plane - he was going to Kau Taupen; a bit of a snob in real life, not at all like his books.

El Calafate is the nicest Patagonian town; high in the mountains, with great restaurants & even an Irish pub where I celebrated St.Patrick's Day. It's on the shores of Lago Argentino; which is also patrolled by their navy.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/Llandderfel/Picture0171.jpg


Guanaco
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/Llandderfel/Picture0168.jpg

A nice fat rainbow
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/Llandderfel/P3120269.jpg

Gobernador Gregores is the worst Patagonian town I've ever visited; the poverty unbelievable, but good fishing at "Jurassic Lake" which is nearby.
I'll dig out the photos sometime.

We went back a different way.

http://images.realtravel.com/media/lg/64/f5/64f50a8f7135e74dd9e676043c079ae0.jpg


Ella