Strobel (Jurassic) Lake ELV
26th Oct: Gastro-free.
Red-eye flights from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Brazil, Buenos Aires, then from Brazil into Argentina, Calafate.
Encountered big problems at Bolivian airport as I had no flights or proof of intention to leave Argentina within 90 days (unaware this was an entry requirement).
With the help of my ground staff from the fishing outfitter who luckily hung around, we were able to convince her that, yes, I would leave Argentina and enter Chile within the required period.
As I had some original paperwork of a hotel that was fraudulently booked and canceled to attain my Chile Visa, Linda’s great training and brainwashing paid off. She’s always saying, “Have you got hard copies of this and that? Have you got your referral, blah, blah, blah?” (Thanks, darl).
The chick and her supervisor stamped my passport after an hour or so, and we were on the way to customs, Brazil, and Argentina.
27th Oct Some great sightseeing in El Calafate, El Chalten for a full day.
28th Oct Depart hotel 7:30 to road trip into Estancia Lago Verde & the renowned Strobel Lake.
After 5 hours on the road, a change halfway to multiple 4×4 Hilux, we continue on Route 40.
We hit the farm (Estancia) gates then for another 1-hour rocky 1st gear drive into the huts (lodge), not dissimilar to Tassie Great Lake shacks or NZ batches from the outside.
We drop our gear, meet all the staff, have a cooked lunch, and kit up to have an afternoon fish in a small lagoon in front of the lodge that holds bows, browns, and a few brookies also.
Yes, the wind’s howling as they do here. I have my boots and waders on then out of the blue massive gastro attack again. It stayed with me for about 5 hours.
The others had a session till about 6:30 pm.
A good number of small fish were landed, both bows and browns, no brooks.
10:30 pm feeling good so I hope it was just a passing thing and tomorrow will see me into the fish.
29th Oct. Estanica Laguna Verde
Unreal fishing today more than 15 fish biggest just over 6kg , most fish between 4 & 5 kg unreal!
Awoke to heavy snow covering and continuing to snow until nearly lunchtime.
Two of us fished the bottom section of the river; the number of large bows moving through the river was insane.
With snow and some fresh rains a few days back, the silver bows were moving into the rivers. Heavy snow was falling, ice continually forming through the guides, short-distance casting, the reel was also freezing from disuse.
Fishing a small copper john was the go; it took many unbelievably sized fish. Pocket fishing upstream into some pools produced results; at times, you’d take 2 or 3 fish in a small run.
The river speed was fast and uncrossable, as always, the grass looks greener on the other side. To see the large fish moving in the tannin rapids was a sight to see.
Though the fish were large and heavy, they did not fight very hard and just needed some muscling into a spot for Marco, our guide, to net.
Some wonderful vision of big fish coming up and engulfing the weighted nymph.
Lunchtime rolled around quickly; with freezing weather conditions all morning, it was very bearable being rugged up with many layers and thermals, gloves, and fleecies.
Ironic from the temps 40+ and over during the past 5 weeks to snow and thermals today.
We drove toward the lake surrounded by moonscape vista of rock; they suggest the lake is 200 meters below the lodge level, which is around the 1000-meter mark.
We arrive at a great shelter shed where a gas BBQ, seating tables, benches are set up and have a great BBQ lunch and salads.
Marco says we will do the lake now; just out in front is Monster Bay. We head around to the west side and fish off some steep rock banks. Marco sets me up with a leader of about 15ft to a huge, huge strike indicator down about 4 ft to a #14 blanched leech of black & green.
With strong right-hand winds, it was backhand casting and drifting the huge indicators. It wasn’t long before the strike indicator gets dragged down; strike, the rod buckles and loads up.
Out about 50 ft, the fish heads to the deep, non-stop. I start to get some on the fish; then I see the huge silver flash as it hits the surface. Man, this is a cracker.
Marco sees the action and runs down with the net. After a couple of minutes, the fish is in netting range, but it hadn’t finished and had another little spurt.
Safely in the net, it was weighed just on 6 kg hen some happy snaps, and she’s released.
The day continued to produce some more good fish. We make another move into Monster Bay; when we arrive, a stiff wind was blowing onshore.
Within minutes, good numbers of fish are spotted cruising along the shallows. I couldn’t entice a strike, with different flies from leech to nymph to streamers.
Joseph, my fishing partner, headed into the end of the bay and where the wind blows were finishing, he’s into 1 fish, then another, then another.
He hit the honey hole; he must have landed 7 or 8 fish.
I fished around him and started to pick up a couple more fish around 4 & 5 kg size, with multiple fish cruising past me on the steep drop-off.
The fishing slowed, so we drove out to another location with the standard rock shoreline.
We fished for probably another 30 minutes with no fish. We called it a day and headed back.
Man, what a day, so many quality fish between us. The huge winds were not around today, though windy, it was very manageable.
Blue skies were nice, though the snowy icy conditions rolled in about 6 pm and sprinkled some more snow.
Back at the lodge, we enjoyed a sensational 3-course meal, sensational.
30th Oct
The early morning was full moonlight over the little lagoon below the cabins, clear sky with very heavy frost and ice, and zero winds.
Again, we left the huts after a solid breakfast, ready for the day en route to our new area of the lake.
A young fox was sighted, and we got some great pics of her; perhaps this is why the camp dog was barking well into the early hours of the morning. Also, another group of guanacos (lama).
The morning was slow with clear skies and very little breeze, and quiet mild conditions, no freezing winds or gloves required.
For me, I landed 4 nice bows up to 3 kg, mainly again on the balanced leech or copper John. Joseph took a couple more but some larger models.
The lunch was a large group lunch at the shelter, with a great beefy casserole and rice, wines if you wanted or other drinks.
After lunch, a short drive, we headed to a bay not far away. We arrived at the location and immediately spotted large bows cruising in the deep clear waters.
Fishing a drop-off wasn’t long before setting into some sweet bows. I wandered further to the west and found a lot of fish in very shallow waters.
The ground where they were moving and laying was, I’d describe as huge cauliflower-like calcified rocks with many channels weaving through. It’s the same white rock coral structures that are on dry land, except it’s black in color as it’s not bleached from the sun.
Many fish were sighted, their backs out of the water as they lay or moved slowly. The water depth ranged from shin deep over the coral to thigh deep.
Rerigging to a straight copper john and plastic bead, I made a few casts blindly into the black.
You cannot see the fish over the black bottoms except for their backs; in some cases, I took a couple of fish on long strips continually moving the fly over the shallow waters.
I got smashed off by a fish. Meanwhile, Joseph was still at the location where we started and was very busy catching some large fish; his rod was continually bending.
I wandered back to see what was happening and to see what he was using.
A small size 14 March brown dry fly on 3x was the secret. He had tied up a lot and gave me.
A few casts later at the fish that were sighted saw me lay into some healthy bows up to just on 3 kg, landing 2 more fish before straightening the hook, but it was a great fun session.
Joseph had taken 16 fish, the largest being a great 6 kg silver. Wow, what a day.
The Hawaiian boys were mainly using their Tenkara rods on this trip; their largest rod was 30 ft.
Most rods were around the 20 ft length. It was interesting to talk and have a demonstration from them over our lunch.
The previous day, we were having lunch and they had broken 2 rods, just smashed up on the solid bows on the river and in the lake.
They have caught many large fish on the Tenkara on other world travels including Mongolia.
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