As a fly fishing travel service company, we’re used to answering a variety of questions from people around the world, with different fishing skills and travel needs, eager to plan the trip of a lifetime in Patagonia Argentina.
Therefore, we thought it would be helpful to compile the most frequently asked questions and their answers into a single blog post serving as a reference and starting point for many people considering visiting the destination.
1. Where is Patagonia and how do I get there?
We are based in San Martín de los Andes, Neuquen province, Patagonia Argentina.
Patagonia is an Argentine-Chilean region located in the southernmost part of the American continent.
The Argentine area covers more than 800,000 km2 (excluding Antarctica) and includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.
From your convenient international airport at home, you’ll need to take an international flight to Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires (Argentina’s capital city).
Most destinations in Patagonia are reached through a domestic flight from Buenos Aires, which must be made through its domestic airport (Aeroparque Jorge Newbery – AEP). This airport is not in the same location as EZE and requires a ground shuttle that takes approximately 1.5 hours. Therefore, we recommend leaving at least a 4-6 hour gap between international and domestic flights or, as we often suggest to our guests, spend one or two nights in Buenos Aires for a smooth connection. For all the logistics your trip may entail in Buenos Aires, we partnered with Traveldreamers, which offers first-class service to make your stay in Buenos Aires safe and extremely enjoyable. If you want to discover what Buenos Aires city has to offer, check out our blog post about Touring Buenos Aires.
Being San Martín de los Andes your chosen destination in Patagonia, you’ll need to fly to Chapelco Airport (CPC), which takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.
2. When is the fishing season in Patagonia Argentina?
The fishing season in most of the destinations in Patagonia starts in November 1st and ends in April 30th while in the Northern area (which includes many rivers and lakes around San Martín de los Andes) it extends till May 31st.
3. When is the best time to come?
For sure the answer to this question will depend on what are you looking for.
Generally our recomendation is subjet to water levels, usual fishing quality and weather, being Mid Dec – Early Feb and Early March our favourite time frames.
4. What kind of fish we will be chasing?
Rainbow and Brown trout fishing in between 14 – 16″ average size, with certain possibilities to catch some over 18″.
5. Which rivers are usually fished?
World renowned waters such as Alumine, Malleo, Chimehuín, Collón Cura, Caleufu, Filo Hua Hum and Limay Medio Rivers in between others give us the chance to daily fish different stretches and water structures.
6. Does this area provides good opportunities for every angler skills?
Absolutely. This area offers a wide range of water structures where everybody will have certain oportunities to catch fish despite of their fishing skills. But above and beyond catching fish, our main goal, is that each of our guests takes home something new, regardless of their technical level.
7. Why should I think on adding a camp trip during my stay?
Mainly because it opens up a wider range of water options, many of which could not be fished daily due to their section length and lack of intermediate public access to put in and take out. Another advantage is that these areas often have less fishing pressure as they require much more logistics.
8. I’m not much a camper. Can we avoid camping?
Yes. We can tailor made any trip accoding to each customer need.
9. How much driving will each day imply?
On average each way to / from the river to / from San Martín de los Andes downtown will take us 1.5 hours.
10. What should I pack?
You can check out our packing information blog post for detailed information and best tips on what to pack for your fly fishing trip.
11. Is it necessary to bring waders & boots?
It’s kind of mandatory if you are comming during spring time or late summer early fall, but might be optional during summer time.
As a guide, the only issue I found over the years when a client decide not to bring waders and boots, is the lack of flexibility in case we unexpectedly need to face an all-day wading trip or a sudden weather change. But over the boat you could be fine with a waterproof light pant during warm weather times.
12. Which rod, reel and line will be basically used?
We usually suggest to bring 2 rods per angler, finding a 9′ #6 fast action rod provided with a short tapered head floating line and a 24′ sinking tip line the most versatile rig for each rod.
13. Will non-fishing guests find something interesting to do in the area?
Non-fishing guests as well as those anglers who want to have some day/s off from fishing, will find very interesting outdoors activities programs or conventional tours as well, carried out by experienced and English speaking guides.
Some non-fishing activities we can arrange for you are (Half day and full day programs are available):
- Conventional touring will let you know San Martín and Junín de los Andes main touristic attractions as well as its inhabitant’s idiosyncrasy.
- Exciting mountain bike riding through great paths.
- All skill level of trekking and hiking.
- Kayaking through the Lacar, Nonthue or Machónico lakes.
- Horse-back riding among mind-bending sceneries and unreachable paths.
- Rafting over grade I up to IV+ rapids are some of the options among others.
- Spa & Relax for those requiring some time to recover, enjoying a relaxation program based on water systems and different types of massage.
For sure everybody will find a great way to spend a different day or a whole non-fishing week program. Lots of options… lots of fun!
Do you have any question not listed above? We would love to hear you. Send us an email at info@southernloops.com and we will be happy to answer it to you and add it in this blog post!
