Summer Break Part 2: Patagonia

We have some more photos from our last South American summer break. After leaving Brazil, I met my brother in Asunción and we embarked on a second leg of my travels, a return fishing trip to Patagonia. We had planned to drive my car to Bariloche and meet my dad there. However after evaluating the amount of gear, people, and the size of my car, we wisely decided to bus it and rent a larger car after we arrived.

We had a lot of bus hours! It was about 80 each by the time everything was all wrapped up.

Once off the bus, we spent about three weeks fishing beautiful lakes and rivers between Bariloche and Aluminé in northern Patagonia. This included two amazing float trips and mostly a lot of walk and wade fishing. It was a remarkable experience to return to some special places we had experienced two years ago, as well as to explore some new waters.

We stumbled across one drainage that had absolutely phenomenal hopper fishing. Simply walking through the grass would send clouds of hoppers flying and those that landed in the water were taken down by some good sized brown and rainbow trout.

Ben explores a freestone section of the fantastic Neuquén river.

Dad lifts up a nice rainbow during one of our float trips.

We fished streamers, nymphs, and drys. All caught fish in different situations. The most common dry flies around seemed to be mayflies and parachute style mayfly imitations were usually effective. 

Ben and Dad day drinking in San Martín.

Ben sets off in his float tube.

Rainbow

Stream side nap time

Stream side camping

Good looking truck in Buenos Aries.

Underwater Rainbow

Brown

Rainbow

Ben hiking home after a day on a phenomenal spring creek.

Setting off for a three day fishing adventure.

Ben, many hours into the return trip, enjoying what could easily be Argentina's favorite food: the ham and cheese sandwich.