Week ten saw the return of host Glenda, a well-known personality in the international fly fishing community. She is regularly seen at events demonstrating her casting skills and providing expert tuition. This season, her group consisted mostly of regulars, with a sprinkling of first-time guests. Some arrived with a wealth of experience, while others were earlier in the learning curve.
Many members of this group visit us on an annual basis. Martin, Stephen (UK), Warren and Bruce (USA), Paul and Neal (Ireland) as well as Göran (Sweden) have graced Las Buitreras more times than we can count. Joining them this year were Mike T, Peter and Heather (UK), Robert, Anthony, and finally Rodger (USA), all new additions to the group.
This is always a special week in our calendar. Tuesday marked St Patrick’s Day — a celebration our Irish guests (and many others!) are more than familiar with. Each season we decorate the lodge in orange, white and green, and for one night everyone — staff included — becomes Irish. We sing, drink, eat, tell stories and share jokes until the last man is standing.
Unsurprisingly, breakfast the following morning is a quieter affair, with the effects of the previous night still lingering. The sound of blister packs popping becomes a familiar one, as guests seek remedies for the after-effects of all that Irish whisky!
The weather this week was fairly kind — at least for the most part — with temperatures typical for mid-autumn.
Daytime highs ranged between 14–16°C, with Tuesday being the exception, when the temperature struggled to exceed 10°C. Night-time temperatures dropped significantly, reaching lows between 3–6°C — again, very typical for this stage of the season.
The wind was also relatively forgiving. The prevailing west to south-westerly dominated for most of the week. The only exceptions were Friday, when we experienced a very light northerly, and Thursday evening, when the wind dropped away completely.
Light levels were generally very good, with a mix of sunshine and cloud cover. A couple of days brought short spells of rain.
River conditions were excellent.
We began the week with a level of -10 cm and outstanding clarity. As the week progressed, there was very little change — small, regular pulses of water helped stabilize the river, as is often the case at this time of year.
However, mid-week we received a report from our upstream operation, Glencross, informing us that a substantial push of water was on its way.
During the early hours of Friday morning, it arrived.
By the start of the morning session, the rise was in full swing. The water level continued to climb throughout the day, eventually peaking at +30 cm.
Visibility dropped to around 30–50 cm — reduced, but still perfectly fishable. Under these conditions, larger, brighter flies remained effective. Our guests, supported by our guides, adapted quickly to the changing conditions and still managed to land more than ten fish that day.
As you might expect, our tactics varied throughout the week.
We used both single- and double-handed rods in the 7# and 8# line classes, rigged with floating (Scandi-style) heads or lines, combined with a range of tips or polyleaders.
At the start of the week, we used intermediate tips, paired with medium to long tapered leaders with a point diameter of 0.33–0.35 mm. Fly selection included rubber-legged nymphs, “Girdle Bugs”, tubes and small streamers in sizes 6–8. This setup proved effective for most of the week.
Following Friday’s rise in water level and reduction in clarity, adjustments were necessary. We switched to higher-density tips — typically 3 IPS, and in certain pools, up to 5 IPS.
Fly choice changed significantly. Smaller nymphs were replaced with much larger, highly visible patterns. Our go-to flies in these conditions included bright yellow or chartreuse rubber-legged “Woolly Buggers”, such as the “Yummy” or “Poison”, in sizes 4–6. Their movement and visibility make them particularly effective when clarity is reduced.
Fishing this week was excellent, with over 120 fish recorded.
The river was full of fast-moving, medium-sized fish. And we say fast for a reason — their speed and aggression often meant they intercepted flies before the larger specimens had a chance.
As mentioned earlier, this week’s group included a mix of experienced anglers, first-timers and even a complete beginner.
We have to start with Anthony.
This was not a trip he had originally planned. After a last-minute cancellation, a friend alerted him to the opportunity — and he jumped at it.
A bold decision indeed — especially for someone who had never held a fly rod before!
What followed was nothing short of remarkable.
After a short introduction session, Anthony headed to Zone 1 — the perfect place to begin. Under the guidance of his instructor, he quickly picked up the basics of Spey casting.
Within an hour, he had his first take — unfortunately missed — but it was only a matter of time.
His moment came in “Peca Pool”, a narrow, easy-to-cover channel ideal for beginners. As he worked through the pool, his fly was suddenly intercepted by an aggressive fish.
Hooked firmly, it didn’t take long before his first-ever sea trout was safely in the net — a stunning 10lb fish.
An incredible achievement… but he wasn’t done yet.
He followed it up with another fish of 7 lbs from “Seventy-Five” — all in the same session.
From there, Anthony went from strength to strength. By the end of the week, he had landed eleven fish — a great result for an experienced angler, but spectacular when considering this was his first week of fly fishing.
Huge congratulations, Anthony — a truly impressive performance!
Göran, one of our long-standing regulars, once again joined us for his annual two-week stay — something he has done for many years.
For his final week, he was paired with Stephen, another returning guest. Together, they made an excellent team.
Between them, they landed nearly forty fish, with Göran accounting for twenty-two. While they didn’t quite connect with the very largest specimens, they had plenty of chances and still managed several fish in the double-digit range.
Göran’s best came from Zone U1’s “Basural”, while Stephen’s top fish was taken from “Old Bridge” in Zone 2.
Martin and Neal are another familiar duo, returning each year with the same group.
Their approach is wonderfully relaxed — plenty of laughter, endless banter, and, of course, Neal’s now-traditional Irish folk songs during St Patrick’s celebrations (and yes… he really is that good!).
Despite their laid-back style, they produced excellent results.
Martin edged Neal in the size category, landing a fish just over 14 lbs from “Barranca Negra”, along with additional doubles from “Old Bridge” and “La Curva”.
Neal’s best weighed just over 12 lbs, caught at “Seventy-Five”, with another solid fish from “Kitchen”.
While Martin took the honours for size, Neal quietly dominated the numbers game, finishing the week with an impressive 24 fish landed.
Warren and Bruce — long-time friends and fishing partners — also returned once again.
They matched each other fish for fish throughout the week, finishing with identical numbers. However, when it came to size, Bruce took the honours — not only between the pair, but for the entire week.
Fishing “Orilla Ripio” in Zone U1, he connected with a powerful fish on the ever-reliable “LB Marianne”.
After a tense battle — complete with powerful runs, violent head shakes and spectacular jumps — Bruce kept his composure and executed the fight perfectly.
The result: a beautifully conditioned fish weighing just under 17 lbs.
Outstanding effort, Bruce — congratulations!
Most guests enjoyed strong results throughout the week.
Paul, a highly experienced angler, once again demonstrated his consistency, landing seventeen fish, including a couple just into double figures.
Peter and Heather, visiting Patagonia for the first time, had a fantastic experience. Peter adapted quickly and landed nine fish, while Heather showed great determination, focusing on improving her casting.
Her efforts paid off with a beautiful 7-lb fish, along with several smaller ones — a well-earned reward.
A recurring theme this week was the number of big fish lost during the fight — something that will be familiar to anyone who has fished the Río Gallegos.
These sea trout are notoriously difficult, and that challenge is exactly what makes them so special. Landing one of the true giants is a bucket-list achievement and you will have that chance every week.
Before we wrap up another memorable week, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our guests.
A huge thank you to Glenda Powell and her fantastic group — year after year you bring incredible energy, laughter and unforgettable moments to Las Buitreras.
And of course, a special mention for our St Patrick’s celebrations — so many over the years that we’ve almost lost count.
From everyone at Solid Adventures — thank you!
See you next time!
Stats of the week
Biggest sea-run brown trout landed: 16 lbs by Bruce
Average size: 6.71 lbs
Best fly: LB Marianne, Sunray Shadow, Poison, Yummy.
Contact Us
Our fly fishing specialist Peter Collingsworth has been over to Las Buitreras, fishing the banks of the famous Rio Gallegos many times, so if there’s anything you would like to know about the fishing or if you have any questions you’d like to ask him, you can contact him on 01603 407596 or email at peter@sportquestholidays.com he would be delighted to speak to you.
