The Las Buitreras section of Rio Gallegos is an authentic southern Patagonian fly-fishing paradise. Fishing for some of the biggest sea-run brown trout in the world, using mainly floating and intermediate lines makes for spectacular show downs and visual fights. Watching a 20 lbs trout attacking your fly and taking to the air can be borderline frightening, yet highly addictive, and is guaranteed to get your adrenaline flowing.

The area shows off varied terrain ranging from deep pools with steep banks to fast-moving stony runs and flowing streams atop shingle beds. The variety of pools and fishing techniques, in combination with the beautiful scenery around us, makes this part of the Rio Gallegos one of the most spectacular stretches of fly-fishing waters in Patagonia. Since the river is relatively shallow, it’s easy for wading and eliminates the need for fast sinking lines. This location is mainly fished with light double-hand rods or single-handed rods rigged with floating or slow intermediate lines. You don’t need to be an expert caster here in Rio Gallegos, you should focus on fish each cast properly by controlling your line in the water. The fish move and bite all over the river, and strikes by your feet are not unusual. The strikes are really violent and these sea-run browns often go airborne, which makes them awesome to fight!

All guides speak English and have spent several seasons fishing and guiding on the Rio Gallegos, some of them have spent their entire lives fishing the river and they’ll make sure that you’re maximizing your chances of landing a fish during every session.

Sea-Run Brown Trout, Brown Trout

Most of the fishing here requires that you strip your fly to provoke a violent strike. Some of the pools are fished by swinging flies, such as Atlantic Salmon. The fish at this location tend to lie in quieter seams and tails and the motion made by stripping the fly produces some brutal takes. We like to use shooting heads as they allow us to cover distance more effectively for each cast compared to a normal line. During periods of heavier winds, we like to use double-hand rods but most of the fishing can be done with a single-hand rod.

Our most popular lines when fishing Rio Gallegos are float or clear intermediate shooting heads. Since the river is relatively shallow, we can’t stress the importance of being as stealthy as possible when wading and casting not to spook the fish.

If we were to recommend one setup for Las Buitreras it would be a 7wt, 12ft. Double-hand rod rigged with a scandi-style floating body and an intermediate front/tip. Add a line wallet with a variation of interchangeable tips from float to fast sink and you will be able to cover most situations and conditions you are likely to encounter.

Estancia Las Buitreras offers a mix of luxury and rustic living. The cozy lodge is just a 10-minute walk from the river’s edge and offers our guests a haven from the expansive windy plains. The lodge is equipped with six double rooms and two single rooms, all with private bathrooms and showers. On the first floor of the lodge is our indoor winter garden, a perfect place for the post-fish beer or glass of wine. Just outdoors is a spacious courtyard protected from the wind, where we have a large fixed outdoor stone grill and terrace where we host traditional Argentine passados. These amenities ensure that our guests have a comfortable and authentic experience over the duration of their stay.

December – April
Anglers: Maximum anglers per week: 12
Period: 6 fishing days / 7 nights