There were early attempts to introduce trout to Argentina by immigrants who were owners or supervisors of the big estancias in southern Patagonia. One story has it, that a certain ranch boss missed his native land and the fishing. Although he had beautiful waters around him there were no fish in them. So he decided to import eggs and that is how the sea run brown trout got its start in Patagonia. Official records say that it was not until 1904 that the first planting of trout took place with good results.
The first planting were composed of brook, lake trout and landlocked salmon all coming from New York, USA. They were planted in lake Nahuel Huapi, Traful, Espejo and Gutierrez. More importation of fish eggs continued coming from the US, England and Germany with the same species and additionally adding rainbows, browns, Atlantic salmon and some species of Pacific salmon.
Since 1933 this work was supported and controlled by building a fish hatchery that received its water supply from a spring creek close to the now called city of San Carlos De Bariloche. Which at that time was within the boundaries of the Estancia El Condor and was a early pioneer frontier town.
Since these early times much progress has been made to increase the production of eggs to assure future wild fish for the sport of angling. Wild spawning trout are caught in fish traps and used for reproducing and then the ones of the highest quality are returned to the waters of the Argentina. To this day you still can go to areas and catch in the same day all four species of fish originally brought almost a hundred years ago to Argentina, the brook, the brown, the rainbow, and the landlocked salmon.
Fishing in Patagonia
All three areas (the Puelo at the Alto Puelo Lodge, the Rio Yelcho in Chile and Alerces Park in Argentina) have very good fly fishing for trout and the natural surroundings are extremely beautiful. We fish a great deal of diversified waters from rivers and lakes to spring creeks. We also do a great deal of drifting and casting to fish we could see. Most of the time we fish with dries (see fly patterns).. The fish are brown and rainbow trout with the average size 18-21 inches. It is common to catch fish over that that size and up to 30 inches or more. All the fish are wild and very strong.
Last edited by SportFishStaff; 11-10-2010 at 09:52 AM.
"If at first you don't succeed, don't try skydiving"
Join Date
Apr 2006
Location
Eastern Shore
Posts
122
Boat
Topless
Home Port
Greenbackville, VA
Best Catch
8oz Bluegill
I am in Patagonia as I write this. I have been in Punta Arenas Chile (on the banks of Magellan's strait) for 3 weeks now for work and have done a little bit of fishing. I have found a river that is supposed to hold brown trout, its about an hour south of town. I have been twice, the first time nothing and the second I had 3 bites and hooked 1 that came to the top started splashing and it got away. So for now the trout are winning, Im here 12 more days so I will be back after them. Fishing regular spinning gear with a #3 spinner (the tackle supply is very limited here). The countryside is beautiful, the towns kinda dirty. If you come you better be able to handle the wind, it blows hard down here a lot!
here are some pics of the river called "rio san juan"
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