A guide to fly fishing in Argentina

Argentina offers some of the undisputed best fly fishing in the world, for beginners or experienced anglers alike. Whether you are looking to fish in lakes or rivers (of all sizes), for salmon, trout, or Dorado, wading, from a boat or from the shore, staying in five star lodges and Estancias, or camping and cooking your catch over a fire beneath the stars, Argentina has it all, and with the added advantage of the fishing season running during the European and North American winter, from mid-November until mid-April.

Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires province contains the easiest fly fishing to access, with day trips possible from the capital (catch a motor boat for an hour up the River Plate, you can also stay there overnight). The best fly fishing though is from a boat for the Golden Dorado on the Parana River Delta. This large (from 5-25 pounds), native, yellow-tinged, salmon-like freshwater fish has a powerful jaw and large teeth and is known as the Tigre del Rio (River Tiger) because of the aggression and vigour of its fight when hooked. The Parana Delta is enormous, covering around 6000 square miles, so you will certainly need a guide. Try Argentina's Anglers, Tel +5411 4794 7306.

Corrientes
Further north in Corrientes province, the Ibera Marshes National Reserve provides stunning sub-tropical boat fishing, again for the Golden Dorado, which in the reserve must be returned to the river after having been caught. That's no detraction from the sport though, as the lively, spirited fish leaps madly out of the water once hooked, between ferocious runs away from the boat. In smaller brooks and channels there are also the smaller Surubi and Pac, the latter feeding from the fruit and seeds that fall from the trees by the river, giving its flesh a natural infusion of flavour. Contact the Hambare Lodge, Tel +54911 6618 3883.

Northern Patagonia
Northen Patagonia is the real hub of Argentine angling, having a variety of environments and breathtaking locations to keep the most seasoned angler happy for years. Accessible from Barriloche, which is a two hour flight (or twenty horur bus ride) from Buenos Aires, the region can be subdivided into three distinct zones, the northern zone around Junin de los Andes, the central zone around San Martin de los Andes and Barriloche, and the southern zone around Esquel. Rainbow and Brown trout, introduced by Britons in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, abound in numerous lakes, rivers and streams, most all but deserted, and providing also the stunning backdrop of the Andes to enjoy. The principal rivers of the northern zone are the Aluminé, Quillén, Malleo, the Chimehuín and Pulmarí, while the central zone offers the idyllic Queñi, Escondido, Filo Hua Hum and Traful lakes (the last also contains land-locked salmon). In the southern zone, the quietest of the three in terms of other anglers if not in terms of salmon, a cluster of lakes and rivers in the foothills of the mountains allows for world class wading, and the cold clear waters arriving from snow melting above provide a perfect environment for the fish to breed, grow and thrive. In terms of getting around the region, you'll either need to book a trip with one of the numerous agencies in any of the towns mentioned above, or hire your own transport and set off yourself (armed with good maps and tips), as the distances are large. Many of the rivers pass through large private farms that offer high class accommodation to Anglers, so that is another option for those with a generous budget.

Southern Patagonia
Further south, in the barren landscape and harsh climate at the tip of the continent near Rio Gallegos and Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, the salmon and trout introduced from Scotland in what was once a centre for British expat sheep farmers have grown to sometimes shockingly large sizes as a result of the abundant, nutritious food supply available where the local rivers flow into the icy waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean. The Rio Gallegos near the city of the same name contains trout and salmon, while the Rio Grande (again near the city of the same name) further south contains sea run trout, which like salmon migrate from the ocean up river to spawn. Flights run from Buenos Aires to both cities and take a couple of hours.

Practical matters
A license is required to fish in Patagonia, available at Barriloche airport or at most fishing shops, and for non-Argentine residents it costs AR$10 (around £1.50) for a day or AR$100 (around £15) for the season. The various legal requirements for anglers can be found on Esquel Outfitters' website, along with a wealth of other information. Generally speaking, guided fishing including accommodation in Argentina costs from US$500 to US$2000 a day. Citizens from countries in the European Union can receive a 90 day tourist visa on arrival in the country without cost, whereas those from the US and Australia currently pay a reciprocal visa processing fee for the same visa. The currency in Argentina is the Argentine Peso, which is currently worth around US$4 and £6.50. The climate in Northern Patagonia is warm, dry and pleasant throughout the fishing season, in Southern Patagonia it is sunny and warm though windy, and in Buenos Aires and Corrientes it's hot and humid.

Hugo Lesser is an Anglo-Chilean-Peruvian based in Salta in north west Argentina. He is the founder of Estados, which sells beautiful leather goods handmade in Argentina. (www.estados.co.uk)