Week 6 at Estancia Las Buitreras brought together a lot of familiar faces as we welcomed the Sportquest hosted group from the UK. Due to flight changes the group arrived early to the lodge, and after a light lunch and short briefing, they were all ready to hit the water.
We started the week with a rather low river, sitting at -40 cm and very clear water. This presented a perfect opportunity for our more experienced guests to show off their skills and knowledge in how to approach the river in situations like these. As the week progressed, an expected push of cold water arrived after last week’s rains and raised the river level to -5 cm. Despite this change, the water remained clear and the fish were moving quickly into the holding pools. Fishing improved steadily throughout the week, and by Friday, the last day of fishing for this group, conditions were nearly perfect.
Our guests approached these shifting conditions with a variety of successful fly patterns. Peacock and Olive flashback nymphs in sizes 6-10 were our go-to choices during the week, proving their effectiveness in the clear waters. Hare’s ear patterns became the preferred option during bright days, while the evenings saw success with Sunray shadows and snake flies.
The week had its own challenges with a full day of easterly upstream wind on Tuesday, creating tricky conditions for fishing. Despite these conditions, Steve R. and Michael had a “Bonanza” session in Zone 1 where the famous “Ochenta” and “Kitchen” pools are located. Seasoned anglers at Las Buitreras will know that during conditions like these, fishing Zone 1 is like winning the lottery since both Kitchen and Ochenta are rested during normal conditions.
Starting their session in Kitchen, Michael and Steve managed to land 4 Sea Trout, the biggest one being 16 lbs for Steve, in one sweep. They then moved on to Ochenta where they landed two more, highlighting a magnificent 13 lbs hen that took 100 yds of backing off Michael’s reel. On top of that they also lost three more fish which made it 9 fish in total hooked between them. It definitely was a session to remember!
As the week progressed, Andrew R. managed to land an impressive 16.4 lbs sea-run brown Trout at the renowned “Turning Bank” run. Under the careful sight of his guide he pulled out this fantastic fish using a size 6 girdle bug. Andrew at some point didn’t know what to do when the fish kept on peeling line off his reel and suddenly he was staring deep into his backing. Realizing something had to be done Andrew got out of the water and on to the bank, running side by side with his guide until they eventually managed to guide the fish to the bank and land this beautiful sea-run Brown Trout. Congratulations Andrew!
This week wouldn’t be the same without John and Neil who brought along a big group of longtime friends with them. Seeing old friends sharing special moments on the water down here at Las Buitreras is truly special and we are glad that we could host all of them here. John, perhaps one of the biggest proponents of this fishery you’ll ever meet, has been coming here for the last 6 years and absolutely loves it, shared this funny nugget one night in the lodge: “you know, usually you say that you should count sheep hopping over a fence when you can’t fall asleep. I imagine making cast after cast at Las Buitreras and this makes me happy and calm.” Fishing wise they all did very well this week, and to mention some highlights, John landed 3 fish in pool 75, Steve W. who landed another 3 fish in Zone 3 in one session, all above 10 lbs. Steve also landed the biggest fish of the week, a beautiful 17 pounder in Tiura.
As the week draws closer to the end, echoes of shared laughter, challenging casts, and triumphant catches linger along the riverbanks. Each angler leaves with memories etched in the clear waters of the Gallegos, eagerly awaiting the next chapter of adventures that the Patagonian landscape promises to unfold. Until then, tight lines and a fond farewell to a week filled with the spirit of the Gallegos at Estancia Las Buitreras.
Stats of the week
Biggest sea-run Brown Trout landed: 17 lbs by Steve W. from UK
Fish over 10 lbs: 30
Average size: 9.5 lbs
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.
