Argentina Travel Advice

Patagonia trout, Tierra del Fuego sea-run browns, and a clear-eyed look at Argentina dorado options.

Ahh, Argentina: think succulent steaks, great wines, great people, and wide-open Montana-style country with rivers upon rivers filled with mid-sized trout. If you are after solid American West-style fishing in South America, Argentina is your place. There are also huge sea-run brown trout, so we include them in this Argentina overview as well.

Patagonia

Southern Argentina, especially the Lakes Region South, is where the best trout action lies. Our favorite venues are trips based out of San Martin de los Andes or Neuquen. Both have incredible, uncrowded fishing for rainbows, browns, and brook trout that average 14 to 22 inches in uncrowded conditions.

Generally speaking, the season runs from November through April. For larger fish, the Southern Hemisphere spring and fall are probably your best options. Similar to the American West, higher temperatures can improve hatches, so the best dry-fly times are often January, February, and early March. This trip will not disappoint, but there are more than forty outfitters in the region and fewer than five we would recommend. Please reach out for advice before booking.

Tierra del Fuego and the Santa Cruz River

Tierra del Fuego, the land of fire, has the best sea-run brown trout fishing on the planet. The Rio Grande winds through a desolate grassy landscape filled with alpaca, fox, condors, sheep, and more sheep. It is not the prettiest place we have ever fished, but it may be the windiest, and it has more double-digit brown trout than the rest of the world combined.

Incredible lodges up and down the river set the standard for cuisine, comfort, and well-trained Argentine guides. A normal day means getting up in the dark for a giant breakfast, driving to fish one of many beats for the morning, then returning for a giant lunch, a siesta, and a second fishing session in the afternoon. We have never encountered a more exhausting fishing schedule, but brown trout like low light. We would not hesitate to recommend the Rio Grande. You will get exactly what you pay for: a demanding trophy brown trout fishery that will put ten pounds on your frame and rearrange your hairdo. Go at least once.

As for the Santa Cruz River, because you will ask: it is 500 yards wide, glacial, equally windy, and has a fraction of the action. Pass, unless you are into looking for artifacts, because it has some of the best arrowhead hunting on the planet.

Argentina Dorado

Many jungle clients interested in peacock bass are also interested in dorado. Argentina has some solid options, but in our view none of them stack up to Bolivia. They include La Zona, a tailwater fishery with the largest dorado in the world. Think 30- to 50-pound fish as realistic possibilities. Unfortunately, it is not scenic and is essentially a two-mile stretch of water with blind casting for giants. We would do it for the fish, but you should understand the reality before considering it.

Ibera is scenically impressive, the wildlife is outstanding, and the lodges are first class. The fishery is mostly dorado in the 3- to 7-pound class with moderate action. It is definitely worth a visit to see the marsh and its wildlife, but if you are going to catch a pile of giant dorado, or any giant dorado, you have come to the wrong place. Head to Ibera expecting Amazon-style wildlife on grassy marshlands and let the dorado be a side bonus. The lodges do not disappoint from a food and accommodations perspective.

For Bolivian-style dorado in Argentina, try the Juramento River. It is a very cool fishery that has not yet been fully developed. The fishing program is run from rafts, with clients casting large flies to the banks and stripping them back Beaverhead-style.