DIY: Rio Gallegos for Sea Trout
Chasing Sea-Run Brown Trout in Argentina
If you want to fish for one of the world’s most impressive runs of Sea Trout, then either the Rio Gallegos or Rio Grande could feasibly top your bucket list.
We’ve covered the Rio Grande in two previous reports that addressed:
How to fish the Rio Grande
Is it possible to DIY fish the Rio Grande?
I’ll assume you’ve read those articles and are across the broad issues of securing domestic flights via Santiago or Buenos Aires into the deep south of Patagonia, plus the challenges of river access and the techniques to chase these sea-run lunkers.
The question asked in that DIY article on the Rio Grande was … if my travel budget is tight, is it possible to DIY fish some sections of the river and get onto big fish? Well, in this post, we’re asking the same question but this time of the smaller Rio Gallegos.
Our recommendation continues to be that if budget isn’t an absolutely critical issue for you, please use the lodges and local guides, at least for your first week, as you are likely to have a higher quality fishing experience during your stay. Given the expense of flying such a distance, it would be a shame not to maximise your limited time on either river.
Fishing the Rio Gallegos
Your investment in time to get down to the Rio Gallegos deserves making the most of the fishing opportunities and the guide teams at the premier lodges accumulate a vast knowledge of the fishery doing the hard yards every day. They know the best flies, techniques and are determined to maximise your experience.
If the guided lodge offering is simply out of your budget or fully booked for your only available time to visit, the next best option is to find an independent guide for a couple of days and who has some private access. They’ll be able to pick you up from your lodgings and get you into a quiet stretch of the Rio Gallegos that doesn’t compete with the fishing lodges. This will give you a huge headstart, setting you up for the rest of your time here.
Regarding open season, the Rio Gallegos has previously opened on November 1 (same as Rio Grande) and stayed open until the last day in April (Rio Grande closes April 15). Please check the current regulations for this season’s dates.
As per the Rio Grande, there’s a spring run on the smaller Rio Gallegos. It’s very cold fishing in early November and you should expect the river to be busiest with the local anglers through November/December. Most travelling angler activity is scheduled from late January through to the end of March, with some anglers braving bleak conditions in April to fish through to the end of the season.
Image: Las Buitreras Lodge is a practical choice for the one-time visitor with 6 beats of spectacular water available to guests. Credit: Las Buitreras Lodge.