Fly Fishing in Patagonia

Fly Fishing in Patagonia

Even after spending a considerable amount of time in Argentine Patagonia, I'm amazed at how
much information is in this book that I wasn't aware of. Any angler visiting this remote and
splendid region with this book in hand will quickly realize that it’s absolutely invaluable for
everyone from the lodge visitor to the wandering trout bum. It’s everything a guidebook should be,

A Trout Bum’s Guide to Argentina

and more. If we’d had a copy of this on our journey, it would have been a different story indeed.
—Ryan Davey, Founding Partner of the Angling Exploration Group, LLC.

T
ighten down your drag and hold
on—you are about to embark
on an epic journey through
one of the last fishing frontiers on
the planet. From sightfishing the gin-
clear streams of the North to speycast-
ing the turbid rivers of the South, this
book covers a staggering variety of
angling opportunities found through-
out the 300,000+ square miles of Ar-
gentine Patagonia. Inside you will
find an extensive collection of first-
hand accounts, logistical information,
tips, techniques, and of course, plenty
of fish pictures to keep things interest-
ing. Best of all, this entire book was re-
searched and written by two real trout
bums who suffered untold hassle and
discomfort to bring you this informa-
tion from an independent and unbi-
ased viewpoint. So whether you plan
on visiting a fancy lodge for a week or
becoming a regular at the local camp-
grounds, this book will help you make
the most of your trip. Sound too good
to be true? We’ll give you a minute to
flip through the pages before you de-
cide... http://www.muchatrucha.com/

Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

In 2006 Barrett Mattison
left the world of finance and
banking in Seattle, WA and
decided to pursue the life of
an unabashed trout bum. His
passion has since taken him
all over the American West,
Alaska, Mexico, Central
America and above all, Ar-
gentina. He currently teaches English in Buenos Aires
and during the fishing season can be found guiding
on the Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego.
Evan first started fishing
in...wait, why are you
even reading this? Surely
the actual content of this
book is more interesting
than the pithy details of
this author’s life. All that
matters is that Evan spent
two years roaming across Patagonia while you were
at work. If you’d really like to know more, or just live
vicariously through fishing photos, please visit http://
www.muchatrucha.com/ or www.uchatrucha.com

ISBN 13: 978-1-57188-435-0 $XX.xx

Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 82112
Portland, Oregon 97282
503.653.8108
www.amatobooks.com
Fly-Fishing in Patagonia

A Trout Bum’s Guide to Argentina

Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

 Contents Contents

Part 1—Introduction to Patagonia Chubut Province 118

Río Grande (or Futaleufú) Drainage and 127
Los Alerces Natl. Park
Preface 10 Lago Cholila and Río Carrileufú 128
Patagonian Basics 14 Lago and Río Rivadavia 130
Patagonian Trout—Past to Present 22 Lago Verde and Río Arrayanes 131
Logistics 28 Lago and Río Menéndez 132
When to Go 34 Lago Futalaufquen and Lago Krüger Area 133
What to Bring 38 Amutui Quimei Reservoir and Río Grande (or Futaleufú) 135
Fishing Regulations 42 Arroyo Pescado (incl. Río Tecka) 137
What to Expect from the Argentines 44 Laguna Wilmanco 140
Río Chubut 141

Part 2—The Waterways

Río Corcovado (or Carrenleufú) 143
Lagunas del Engaño 148
Río Pico Drainage (incl. Lagos 1-5) 149
Río Senguer Drainage (incl. Lagos La Plata and Fontana)153

Neuquén Province 48 Santa Cruz Province 156

Río Aluminé 56 Ruta 40 (Lago Buenos Aires to Lago Pueyrredón) 163

Río Pulmarí 60 Meseta de la Muerte (or Meseta Cascajosa) 169
Río Quillén 62 Lagos San Martín, Viedma & Argentino—The Glacial Greats 171
Río Litran 64 Río Santa Cruz 177
Río Malleo 65 Río Gallegos 183
Río Chimehuin 68 Río Coyle (or Coig) 188

Tierra del Fuego 190

Lagos Huechulafquen and Paimun 73
Río Curruhue Drainage
(incl. Río Verde, Lagos Epulafquen and Carilafquen) 75
Río Quilquihue 76 Río Grande 197
Río Collon Cura 77 Río Menéndez 201
Río Meliquina 79 Río Fuego 202
Ríos Filo Hua Hum Oeste y Este 81 Río Ewan 204
Río Caléufu 82 Río San Pablo 206

Río Negro Province & Nahuel Huapi Natl. Park

Río Irigoyen 208
84
Lago Fagnano (or Khami) and 209
Tributaries along Ruta 3
Río Traful 90 Lago Yehuin Area 211
Ruta de los Siete Lagos—Seven Lakes Route 93 Lagunas Margarita, Bombilla and Palacios 212
(incl. Río Correntoso) Lago Escondido 214
Lago Nahuel Haupi 97 Lagunas Santa Laura and San Ricardo 216
Río Limay 98 Río Olivia 217
Río Pichi Léufu 104 Río Pipo 217
Río Manso 106 Río Lapataia 218
Lakes of the middle Río Manso 113
(incl. Lagos Hess, Fonck, Roca and Steffan)
Lago Guillelmo 116 Appendix I: Buying a Car in Argentina 220
Appendix II: Spanish Fishing Vocabulary 224
Selected Bibliography 226
Index 228
 Contents Contents

Part 1—Introduction to Patagonia Chubut Province 118

Río Grande (or Futaleufú) Drainage and 127
Los Alerces Natl. Park
Preface 10 Lago Cholila and Río Carrileufú 128
Patagonian Basics 14 Lago and Río Rivadavia 130
Patagonian Trout—Past to Present 22 Lago Verde and Río Arrayanes 131
Logistics 28 Lago and Río Menéndez 132
When to Go 34 Lago Futalaufquen and Lago Krüger Area 133
What to Bring 38 Amutui Quimei Reservoir and Río Grande (or Futaleufú) 135
Fishing Regulations 42 Arroyo Pescado (incl. Río Tecka) 137
What to Expect from the Argentines 44 Laguna Wilmanco 140
Río Chubut 141

Part 2—The Waterways

Río Corcovado (or Carrenleufú) 143
Lagunas del Engaño 148
Río Pico Drainage (incl. Lagos 1-5) 149
Río Senguer Drainage (incl. Lagos La Plata and Fontana)153

Neuquén Province 48 Santa Cruz Province 156

Río Aluminé 56 Ruta 40 (Lago Buenos Aires to Lago Pueyrredón) 163

Río Pulmarí 60 Meseta de la Muerte (or Meseta Cascajosa) 169
Río Quillén 62 Lagos San Martín, Viedma & Argentino—The Glacial Greats 171
Río Litran 64 Río Santa Cruz 177
Río Malleo 65 Río Gallegos 183
Río Chimehuin 68 Río Coyle (or Coig) 188

Tierra del Fuego 190

Lagos Huechulafquen and Paimun 73
Río Curruhue Drainage
(incl. Río Verde, Lagos Epulafquen and Carilafquen) 75
Río Quilquihue 76 Río Grande 197
Río Collon Cura 77 Río Menéndez 201
Río Meliquina 79 Río Fuego 202
Ríos Filo Hua Hum Oeste y Este 81 Río Ewan 204
Río Caléufu 82 Río San Pablo 206

Río Negro Province & Nahuel Huapi Natl. Park

Río Irigoyen 208
84
Lago Fagnano (or Khami) and 209
Tributaries along Ruta 3
Río Traful 90 Lago Yehuin Area 211
Ruta de los Siete Lagos—Seven Lakes Route 93 Lagunas Margarita, Bombilla and Palacios 212
(incl. Río Correntoso) Lago Escondido 214
Lago Nahuel Haupi 97 Lagunas Santa Laura and San Ricardo 216
Río Limay 98 Río Olivia 217
Río Pichi Léufu 104 Río Pipo 217
Río Manso 106 Río Lapataia 218
Lakes of the middle Río Manso 113
(incl. Lagos Hess, Fonck, Roca and Steffan)
Lago Guillelmo 116 Appendix I: Buying a Car in Argentina 220
Appendix II: Spanish Fishing Vocabulary 224
Selected Bibliography 226
Index 228
 Dedicated in loving memory of

Kaylene Jones
(1946-2007)

Acknowledgments

Argentines:

Rodrigo Amadeo, a pro-snowboarder-turned-fishing guide whose steadfast friendship and support

opened countless doors for us; Aldo & Marita Roddino, who made us feel right at home in Junin;
Enzo Schiaverano, a random guy we met in Rio Gallegos who welded our truck back together and
then took us fishing; everyone at hostel 1004 in Bariloche for saving Evan from defeat during his
first trip; everyone at Calafate Fishing for taking us the extra mile; Mario Capovía, who took us
Dorado fishing (maybe next book); Guillermo “Willy” Ricigliano, for teaching us the secrets of the
Limay; Mario Lussich, and Alejandro Lagos from the Quillen Valley; Martín & Daniel Etcheverry,

South America
who took us under their wing in the Meliquina Valley; Mariano Ravizza, the Beale family, Steve &
Antonia Twilegar, Lucas Chiappe and family, Juan at Estancia Monte Leon, Diego Flores, Nico &
Alex Trochine, Juan at Albergue de los Sueños, Daniel at Tolhuin Fly Shop, Raúl Diez at La
Colina, Juan Paritsis, Silvana Buján, Pancho & Dr. Sacco at Outdoor Adventures,
and all the nameless people who stopped when our car broke down.

Yankees:
Frazier Coe, who traveled with us for 90 days and rounded out the A-Team; Joey Lin, for hooking
us up with the Patagonia Fishing Club in Aluminé; Jake Chutz & Shaun Jeszenka, who got us gree

Argentina
access to the Rio Grande and showed us a great time; George Hill Arbaugh III, Ryan Davey, John
& Dawn Hohl, and Shawn Bratt, all of whom teamed up and fished with us at some point; Lindsay

Neuquén
Letts, who has the patience of a saint; Jon Tolbey, who voluntarily proofread every word of this
manuscript; Travis and Rance at Patagonia River Guides, everyone from Creekside Angling
in Seattle, Jon Spiegel at Front Range Anglers in Boulder, Mit Cadden for handing down
El Burro, and countless others for letting us couch surf while writing the book.

Chubut
© 2008 Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

Rio Negro
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written
consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical

Tierra del Fuego

reviews and articles. All inquiries should be addressed to:

Santa Cruz
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 82112, Portland, Oregon 97282
503.653.8108 • www.amatobooks.com
Photographs by the authors unless otherwise noted.
Book and Cover Design: Kathy Johnson
Map Illustrations: Kathy Johnson
Printed in Singapore
Softbound ISBN-13: 978-1-57188-437-4
UPC: 0-81127-00269-6

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
 Dedicated in loving memory of

Kaylene Jones
(1946-2007)

Acknowledgments

Argentines:

Rodrigo Amadeo, a pro-snowboarder-turned-fishing guide whose steadfast friendship and support

opened countless doors for us; Aldo & Marita Roddino, who made us feel right at home in Junin;
Enzo Schiaverano, a random guy we met in Rio Gallegos who welded our truck back together and
then took us fishing; everyone at hostel 1004 in Bariloche for saving Evan from defeat during his
first trip; everyone at Calafate Fishing for taking us the extra mile; Mario Capovía, who took us
Dorado fishing (maybe next book); Guillermo “Willy” Ricigliano, for teaching us the secrets of the
Limay; Mario Lussich, and Alejandro Lagos from the Quillen Valley; Martín & Daniel Etcheverry,

South America
who took us under their wing in the Meliquina Valley; Mariano Ravizza, the Beale family, Steve &
Antonia Twilegar, Lucas Chiappe and family, Juan at Estancia Monte Leon, Diego Flores, Nico &
Alex Trochine, Juan at Albergue de los Sueños, Daniel at Tolhuin Fly Shop, Raúl Diez at La
Colina, Juan Paritsis, Silvana Buján, Pancho & Dr. Sacco at Outdoor Adventures,
and all the nameless people who stopped when our car broke down.

Yankees:
Frazier Coe, who traveled with us for 90 days and rounded out the A-Team; Joey Lin, for hooking
us up with the Patagonia Fishing Club in Aluminé; Jake Chutz & Shaun Jeszenka, who got us gree

Argentina
access to the Rio Grande and showed us a great time; George Hill Arbaugh III, Ryan Davey, John
& Dawn Hohl, and Shawn Bratt, all of whom teamed up and fished with us at some point; Lindsay

Neuquén
Letts, who has the patience of a saint; Jon Tolbey, who voluntarily proofread every word of this
manuscript; Travis and Rance at Patagonia River Guides, everyone from Creekside Angling
in Seattle, Jon Spiegel at Front Range Anglers in Boulder, Mit Cadden for handing down
El Burro, and countless others for letting us couch surf while writing the book.

Chubut
© 2008 Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

Rio Negro
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written
consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical

Tierra del Fuego

reviews and articles. All inquiries should be addressed to:

Santa Cruz
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 82112, Portland, Oregon 97282
503.653.8108 • www.amatobooks.com
Photographs by the authors unless otherwise noted.
Book and Cover Design: Kathy Johnson
Map Illustrations: Kathy Johnson
Printed in Singapore
Softbound ISBN-13: 978-1-57188-437-4
UPC: 0-81127-00269-6

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
 Fly Fishing in Patagonia: A Trout Bum’s Guide to Argentian
Preface
10
“Patagonia is the farthest place to which man walked from his
place of origins. It is therefore a symbol of his restlessness. From its
discovery it had an effect on the imagination something like the
Moon, but in my opinion more powerful.”
P ATAgONIA IS mORE THAN
just a spot on the map. The
mere mention of the word “Pa-
tagonia” captivates the imagination,
invoking thoughts of adventure and
exploration in a fabled far-off corner
of the world. Since magellan first set
foot on its barren shores near present
day San Julián in 1520, Patagonia’s
mystique and raw beauty has irresist-
ibly drawn explorers, mountaineers,
prospectors, naturalists and wander-
ers alike. With the wildly successful
introduction of trout at the turn of
th
the 20 century, a new frontier was
opened, adding fly fishermen to that
rarefied list.
Aesthetically speaking, Patago-
nia and the North American West
share many parallels: immense tracts
of unpopulated wilderness, grandiose
mountain ranges and endless prairies,
intemperate climates, a frontier his-
tory of rough-and-tumble lawlessness
complete with cowboys and Indians,
homesteading and cattle ranching;
and perhaps most important to fly
fishermen, pristine streams swimming
with large, eager trout. In some ways,
Patagonia is also like stepping back
into the American West of generations
past—a past where horses and oxcarts
are still standard modes of transporta-
tion, where rickety old trucks bounce
down unpaved roads, and where many
of its uncrowded rivers still flow free-
ly, untamed by dams.
Bruce Chatwin
But Patagonia is much more than
simply a South American reflection
of our American West. The distinct
Latin culture; an exotic austral sky;
the seemingly incongruous mix of
immense glaciers encircled by bam-
boo rainforests; curious native fauna
such as guanacos, pigmy deer, and
rheas; or fishing under the watchful
eyes of Andean condors in a trout
stream ringed by parakeets and fla-
mingos—all are uniquely Patagonian
experiences.
Patagonia is also a land of awe-in-
spiring immensity as vast as it is var-
ied, and offers every conceivable type
of fly water and scenery. Character-
ized by dramatic contrasts, Patagonia
offers everything from turquoise riv-
ers cutting through temperate rain-
forests to tea-stained chalk streams
meandering over desolate steppe,
and from sight-fishing in a technical
spring creek to spey casting in a mas-
sive glacial river. It is also one of the
last remaining fly fishing frontiers on
earth, and in its more remote areas
is still a sparsely inhabited frontier
land as trackless and wild as it was
centuries ago, where many lakes and
rivers remain relatively unknown and
unexplored by fishermen.
While the trout may technically
be the same species as their Northern
Hemispheric cousins, 100 years of
uninterrupted adaptation within dis-
tinct environments has resulted in
Part I: Preface
11
The Cholila Valley in Chubut Province (once home to famous outlaws Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) is strikingly similar to the American West.
Photo Credit ? ? ??
some exotic trout fishing unlike any- (albeit slowly at times) the entire
where else in the world. Oversized length of Argentine Patagonia from
trout chasing down equally oversized Aluminé to Ushuaia, and most places
dry flies frantically skittered across in-between. Although Patagonia is
the surface, explosive 20lb sea-run roughly defined as the southernmost
browns, or a unique run of Atlantic portions of both Argentina and Chile,
steelhead are just a few examples of we chose to focus solely on Argentine
the unparalleled fishing that Patago- Patagonia. Excellent fishing certainly
nia can offer. exists on both sides of the border, but
Hearing of the incredible fishing from a fishermen’s perspective, Ar-
and hoping to quench our appetites gentina is generally more accessible,
for big trout and a little adventure, affordable, and practical than neigh-
we too were irresistibly drawn to the boring Chile.
exotic remoteness of Patagonia. Trad- Fishing mostly independently
ing in cubicles and neckties for rivers and entirely self-funded, we camped
and waders, we left our stable jobs in most of the time, ate almost nothing
exchange for the uncertainty of trout but pasta, got punished by weather,
bumming for extended periods of went on countless grueling marches,
time in a foreign land. First in a 1984 and got stranded in the middle of
Renault station wagon and again the nowhere more than once—all in the
following season with a 1974 Ford search for salmonids. Our hope is that
Ranchero, we extensively covered we can use our experiences to inform
 Fly Fishing in Patagonia: A Trout Bum’s Guide to Argentian
Preface
10
“Patagonia is the farthest place to which man walked from his
place of origins. It is therefore a symbol of his restlessness. From its
discovery it had an effect on the imagination something like the
Moon, but in my opinion more powerful.”
P ATAgONIA IS mORE THAN
just a spot on the map. The
mere mention of the word “Pa-
tagonia” captivates the imagination,
invoking thoughts of adventure and
exploration in a fabled far-off corner
of the world. Since magellan first set
foot on its barren shores near present
day San Julián in 1520, Patagonia’s
mystique and raw beauty has irresist-
ibly drawn explorers, mountaineers,
prospectors, naturalists and wander-
ers alike. With the wildly successful
introduction of trout at the turn of
th
the 20 century, a new frontier was
opened, adding fly fishermen to that
rarefied list.
Aesthetically speaking, Patago-
nia and the North American West
share many parallels: immense tracts
of unpopulated wilderness, grandiose
mountain ranges and endless prairies,
intemperate climates, a frontier his-
tory of rough-and-tumble lawlessness
complete with cowboys and Indians,
homesteading and cattle ranching;
and perhaps most important to fly
fishermen, pristine streams swimming
with large, eager trout. In some ways,
Patagonia is also like stepping back
into the American West of generations
past—a past where horses and oxcarts
are still standard modes of transporta-
tion, where rickety old trucks bounce
down unpaved roads, and where many
of its uncrowded rivers still flow free-
ly, untamed by dams.
Bruce Chatwin
But Patagonia is much more than
simply a South American reflection
of our American West. The distinct
Latin culture; an exotic austral sky;
the seemingly incongruous mix of
immense glaciers encircled by bam-
boo rainforests; curious native fauna
such as guanacos, pigmy deer, and
rheas; or fishing under the watchful
eyes of Andean condors in a trout
stream ringed by parakeets and fla-
mingos—all are uniquely Patagonian
experiences.
Patagonia is also a land of awe-in-
spiring immensity as vast as it is var-
ied, and offers every conceivable type
of fly water and scenery. Character-
ized by dramatic contrasts, Patagonia
offers everything from turquoise riv-
ers cutting through temperate rain-
forests to tea-stained chalk streams
meandering over desolate steppe,
and from sight-fishing in a technical
spring creek to spey casting in a mas-
sive glacial river. It is also one of the
last remaining fly fishing frontiers on
earth, and in its more remote areas
is still a sparsely inhabited frontier
land as trackless and wild as it was
centuries ago, where many lakes and
rivers remain relatively unknown and
unexplored by fishermen.
While the trout may technically
be the same species as their Northern
Hemispheric cousins, 100 years of
uninterrupted adaptation within dis-
tinct environments has resulted in
Part I: Preface
some exotic trout fishing unlike any-
where else in the world. Oversized
trout chasing down equally oversized
dry flies frantically skittered across
the surface, explosive 20lb sea-run
browns, or a unique run of Atlantic
steelhead are just a few examples of
the unparalleled fishing that Patago-
nia can offer.
Hearing of the incredible fishing
and hoping to quench our appetites
for big trout and a little adventure,
we too were irresistibly drawn to the
exotic remoteness of Patagonia. Trad-
ing in cubicles and neckties for rivers
and waders, we left our stable jobs in
exchange for the uncertainty of trout
bumming for extended periods of
time in a foreign land. First in a 1984
Renault station wagon and again the
following season with a 1974 Ford
Ranchero, we extensively covered
11
(albeit slowly at times) the entire
length of Argentine Patagonia from
Aluminé to Ushuaia, and most places
in-between. Although Patagonia is
roughly defined as the southernmost
portions of both Argentina and Chile,
we chose to focus solely on Argentine
Patagonia. Excellent fishing certainly
exists on both sides of the border, but
from a fishermen’s perspective, Ar-
gentina is generally more accessible,
affordable, and practical than neigh-
boring Chile.
Fishing mostly independently
and entirely self-funded, we camped
most of the time, ate almost nothing
but pasta, got punished by weather,
went on countless grueling marches,
and got stranded in the middle of
nowhere more than once—all in the
search for salmonids. Our hope is that
we can use our experiences to inform
12 Fly Fishing in Patagonia: A Trout Bum’s Guide to Argentian
others of the realities of Argentine
fly fishing, while helping to avoid the
many pitfalls that we had to learn the
hard way.
Roderick Haig-Brown once said,
rather self-deprecatingly, “I am a
writer who happens to fish, not a
fisherman who happens to write.” It
might already be apparent that we
are the exact opposite. Patagonia,
and fly fishing in general, has a rich
history of writers infinitely more el-
oquent and talented than ourselves,
and we have no illusions to the con-
trary. What we lack in literary prose,
however, we strive to make up for
with pragmatic information for fish-
ermen conveyed in a straightforward
manner. Having fished the major-
ity of Argentine Patagonia, we feel
we have a solid background from
which to provide an objective view
on how its various regions and wa-
terways differ, and what each has to
offer. While absolute objectivity is
obviously impossible, operating in-
dependently has freed us from the
obligation to promote any one area
simply because a lodge or outfitter
catered to us (something you won’t
find in most magazine articles or TV
shows).
Even though this book may be
written from the perspective of un-
abashed trout bums, we realize that
most anglers considering a trip to Pa-
tagonia don’t have the luxury of stay-
ing for six months at a time or the
desire to sleep in a tent every night
and will therefore go through a lodge
or outfitter. Only on a few occasions
did we use these types of resources,
so while we have chosen to recom-
mend a handful of those with whom
we had an excellent personal experi-
ence, this book cannot address which
are “the best,” only what to expect
Frazier Coe Photo
Part I: Preface 13
from the fishing when you get there.
There are many other resources to
help you with the more commercial
aspects of a trip.
At the same time, this book is not
meant to be an exhaustive treatise on
Patagonian fly fishing. Not in many
lifetimes could one fish every section
of its myriad fisheries, not to mention
covering them sufficiently to claim ex-
pertise. We make no such claim. Nev-
ertheless, we have tried our best to
fill the large gap of information that
hangs over much of Patagonia. Given
the sheer amount of fishable water
available in Argentina, it was impos-
sible for us to personally gain season-
long, day-in, day-out experience on
any single river or lake. To overcome
this, we relentlessly sought out and
questioned the most k nowledgeable
fishermen and guides we could find in
each area, thereby supplementing our
comparatively brief experience with a
more holistic and comprehensive per-
spective—something we are in turn
passing on to you. In sum, this book
is a mixture of extensive first and
second-hand research, personal anec-
dotes and observations, and practical
tips on how to navigate this uttermost
corner of the world.
Most fly fishermen traveling
to Patagonia should bring a gen-
eral guidebook on the region, such
as Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. We
have therefore tried our best not to
duplicate information already provid-
ed in those books. Subjects such as
history, culture, flora, fauna, tourism
and generally all things superfluous
to fly fishing are not included or are
mentioned only in passing. Our hope
is that this information will help fish-
ermen decide when and where to go
based on their personal preferences.
See you there…
 Fly Fishing in Patagonia
Fly Fishing in Patagonia
Even after spending a considerable amount of time in Argentine Patagonia, I'm amazed at how
much information is in this book that I wasn't aware of. Any angler visiting this remote and
splendid region with this book in hand will quickly realize that it’s absolutely invaluable for
everyone from the lodge visitor to the wandering trout bum. It’s everything a guidebook should be,

A Trout Bum’s Guide to Argentina

and more. If we’d had a copy of this on our journey, it would have been a different story indeed.
—Ryan Davey, Founding Partner of the Angling Exploration Group, LLC.

T
ighten down your drag and hold
on—you are about to embark
on an epic journey through
one of the last fishing frontiers on
the planet. From sightfishing the gin-
clear streams of the North to speycast-
ing the turbid rivers of the South, this
book covers a staggering variety of
angling opportunities found through-
out the 300,000+ square miles of Ar-
gentine Patagonia. Inside you will
find an extensive collection of first-
hand accounts, logistical information,
tips, techniques, and of course, plenty
of fish pictures to keep things interest-
ing. Best of all, this entire book was re-
searched and written by two real trout
bums who suffered untold hassle and
discomfort to bring you this informa-
tion from an independent and unbi-
ased viewpoint. So whether you plan
on visiting a fancy lodge for a week or
becoming a regular at the local camp-
grounds, this book will help you make
the most of your trip. Sound too good
to be true? We’ll give you a minute to
flip through the pages before you de-
cide... http://www.muchatrucha.com/

Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

Barrett Mattison & Evan Jones

In 2006 Barrett Mattison
left the world of finance and
banking in Seattle, WA and
decided to pursue the life of
an unabashed trout bum. His
passion has since taken him
all over the American West,
Alaska, Mexico, Central
America and above all, Ar-
gentina. He currently teaches English in Buenos Aires
and during the fishing season can be found guiding
on the Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego.
Evan first started fishing
in...wait, why are you
even reading this? Surely
the actual content of this
book is more interesting
than the pithy details of
this author’s life. All that
matters is that Evan spent
two years roaming across Patagonia while you were
at work. If you’d really like to know more, or just live

ISBN 13: 978-1-57188-435-0 $XX.xx

Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
P.O. Box 82112
Portland, Oregon 97282
503.653.8108
www.amatobooks.com