11/21/2013 Preparing for Argentina Photo Album
With the first significant accumulation of snow on the ground in Denver and high temperatures of 20 degrees my thoughts turn increasingly to our scheduled trip to Argentina. Jane and I planned a trip in 2012 but Jane experienced an unfortunate hit and run accident while bicycle commuting to work that forced us to postpone our trip.
The good news is we rescheduled the trip for 2013 and we are less than a week away from boarding a flight to the southern hemisphere. Late November and early December in Argentina represent late spring as the first day of summer south of the equator is December 21. Warm long days lie ahead and the wintry cold snap that hit Denver only increases our yearning for the vacation departure to arrive quickly.
Our trip will include 2.5 days in Buenos Aires and then a seven day stay at Rio Manso Lodge in Patagonia. Rio Manso is a remote luxury fishing lodge located near a national park and in close proximity to rivers and lakes that supposedly represent outstanding fishing. I will spend my time tempting trout in the nearby waters while Jane will sample hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, white water rafting, wine tasting and cooking classes.
Large Streamers and Attractors
In preparation for my highly anticipated trip I conferred with Taylor Edrington, my travel agent and owner of the Royal Gorge Angler in Canon City. Taylor has visited Rio Manso numerous times and I asked him to assemble a fly box with the essential “go to” flies that lead to success. We also discussed equipment requirements and this led to the purchase of a premium sinking tip line and spool that match my Orvis reel for my Scott six weight rod. These items will cover situations where I need to strip the large streamers positioned on the left side of my new fly box.
New Spool and Sink Tip Line for 6 Weight for Streamers
In addition to the purchased flies, I plan to transport an assortment of nymphs in case I need to resort to subsurface offerings. Taylor said that most years large attractors and streamers suffice, but nymphs are good to stock as a safety net. I took an inventory of all of my nymphs and attractors and set aside an allocation for Argentina while at the same time noting my tying requirements in preparation for the 2014 season in Colorado. I stocked mostly nymphs for Argentina but also added some hoppers and large caddis to my Rio Manso fly box.
Flies Tied by Dave Allocated for Argentina Trip
According to Taylor the pinnacle of Rio Manso fly fishing is the dragon fly hatch. The timing can vary from year to year, but the first week of December typically matches the beginning of this fun event. Since I rarely fish with dragonflies I purchased a sampling of dragonfly nymphs and adults. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Stay tuned to this web site for reports on Patagonia fly fishing. I’m getting quite anxious.