Last January I went fishing in Patagonia and couldn’t believe how great it was. I thought I was prepared—I’d been there a decade earlier—but everything struck me at once. The remarkable landscape, the kind people, the terrific food and, of course, the fishing. I wrote about the trip and a very large trout that I lost and am still recovering from.

While I was there I was already plotting my return. I wanted to share this amazing setting with other anglers who I knew would have the same connection to the place that I did. So I planned a trip with Frontiers, the renowned outfitter, for the end of January 2020. It’s six nights, five full days fishing between the Aluminé River Lodge and the Limay River Lodge. There will be just eight of us. The fishing is from a drift boat, with opportunities to wade. If you’ve fished from a drift boat before then you’ve got enough skills for the trip. 

But it’s a commitment: An overnight flight to Buenos Aires, a domestic flight (from a different airport) to Patagonia, a two-hour drive to the lodge itself, (much of it on a dirt road). That’s what it takes to get to a remote area, which is part of Patagonia’s incredible appeal. You arrive to real Argentinian hospitality, the manager is waiting outside with a glass of Mendoza wine and a warm empanada. It’s that type of situation. The lodges are modern, well-built and very comfortable. You can have a gin and tonic and just watch the river go by, which is something I recommend in the strongest possible terms.

The routine is leisurely. Wake up around 8am, have breakfast, drive to one of the rivers—the Aluminé flows by the lodge, but there are other options, including the Chimehuin and very challenging spring creeks with incredibly large but incredibly spooky fish (it was on one of these that I had my heart thoroughly broken). This is mostly fishing with hoppers and attractor patterns to large, strong wild rainbows and big browns. If the conditions are tougher then it’s nymphs and streamers. Sometimes you get some serious wind—this is Patagonia after all—so keep your casting motion as concise as you can. The fishing is with 5- and 6-weight rods.

There’s a reason every angler dreams of going to Patagonia. It’s one of the great landscapes anywhere. And by any definition it’s a fishing paradise. You’ll catch trout, usually in total isolation (maybe you’ll see one other angler all day). You’ll eat well. Lunch is a real affair, a table cloth, it might be braised beef, boiled potatoes, more of that great wine. A siesta after lunch might be in order. Nobody’s in a rush here. You get back to lodge around 6 or 7pm. And then it’s time for a cocktail and a good grilled asada dinner.

The stars in the southern hemisphere are inverted from what we’re used to. You see them so clearly since your lodge is alone along the riverbank. There are no other lights in any direction. This is an extraordinary place to be, a place every angler should visit. The brilliant fishing is just a bonus. 

The trip is Jan 18-25, 2020. $5730 for food, drinks, lodging and guides. A total of eight anglers. If you have questions or would like more details please email contact@thecontender.co