By John Bleh
Sportsman’s News Pro Staffer
There’s little in fishing to match the sense of anticipation that comes from casting into new water. No expectations and yet, every expectation. If you know anything at all about the water in front of you, you try to match those stories with what you actually see. The wilder the stories, the greater the anticipation. If you’re fishing Flaming Gorge Reservoir, you might think about the Utah state record 26-pound rainbow that Del Canty caught way back in 1979 and hope there just might be another fish that large swimming around. Colorado anglers can’t help but remember that Lee Cox pulled a 19-pound rainbow from the waters of Morrow Point Reservoir in 2003. That 34-inch fish is the current Colorado reigning state record.
I felt pretty much the same as I approached the newly legendary waters of Lago Strobel in Argentina’s southern Patagonia. Better known around the world as Jurassic Lake, Strobel exploded onto the fishing scene in 2008 with wild stories of 20-pound-plus rainbows and 30-fish days. It’s home to just one species of salmonid, rainbow trout. Introduced in 1994, the fish have grown large on the abundant food supply of scuds. Scuds are found in many waters worldwide and everywhere they exist, they provide a rich source of protein for the fish in the same waters. Ironically, trout are not native to South America, but have thrived since their initial introduction in the early 1900’s.
Jurassic Lake. The very name conjures up a place of outsized fish from a bygone era. As I gazed out at the ten mile long lake, I could almost picture giant rainbows cruising the shoreline, just looking for my fly. I had traveled half way around the world for this opportunity and I wasn’t about to waste any time getting right to it. I rigged my rod as guide Juan Pablo asked me what test leaders I had brought. I pulled out a couple of 1x and 2x, expecting to be fully prepared. He just reached into his pack and suggested six feet of straight 20-pound test, explaining that the abrasive volcanic rocks of the lake bottom and shoreline were tough on tippet. “OK” I said, knowing better than to argue with the guide. A size-8, bead head wooly bugger completed the rig and I was pretty much ready to go. Two casts later I was off to a good start with my first fish, a bright chrome female that tore up the bay and reluctantly came to net. JP smiled as he netted an 8-pound rainbow in perfect condition: small head, massive girth and a gorgeous spray of color across her tail.
Landing a big rainbow on Lago Strobel, better known as Jurassic Lake.
Traveling with my good friend and photographer Jim Levison, I was staying at Estancia Laguna Verde, the only lodge on Lago Strobel and the perfect headquarters from which to sample this amazing fishery. Laguna Verde is an oasis in one of the most inhospitable landscapes on earth. Volcanic rock covers the landscape, making travel slow. The southern Patagonian steppe is infamous for its wind which can blow almost unimpeded from thousands of miles away and make you feel that anything not bolted down would disappear over the faraway horizon. However, the lodge offers really comfortable accommodations, great food, superb Argentine wines and high speed internet in the midst of the wilderness. Estancia Laguna Verde is not a huge ranch by Argentine standards, encompassing about 37,000 acres. However, it’s still large enough to encompass five miles of the Barrancoso River, six miles of Lago Strobel shore line and 15 smaller lakes within its boundaries.
Jurassic Lake is perhaps the most fertile rainbow fishery in the world. The rainbows here grow fast and big and average from 8-10 pounds. The ten mile long lake covers about 42 square miles and offers miles of shoreline fishing areas that range from sand bottomed bays to bouldered drop-offs. Wherever you were, the water was crystal clear, with a Caribbean look to it.
The author shows off a hefty 12-pound male taken on the Barracoso River. The same pool held over a half dozen fish.
Fishing the lake was relatively easy. We loaded up with 8-weight rods, floating lines and an assortment of small bead heads and other streamers like wooly buggers. I asked Brian Cavaleri, Laguna Verde’s head guide, which fly to use one day as we explored a section of shoreline known as Monster Bay. “It really doesn’t matter,” he replied. “We haven’t been able to find a fly that doesn’t work. The fish are just on the prowl for food, even though the lake is full of it.” Despite that statement, catching fish wasn’t a complete guarantee. There was even a day during the week when I didn’t catch any fish at all. But most of the time, the lake did fish well and I averaged 8-10 rainbows a day. Some of these fish were incredibly strong and reminded me more of steelhead than rainbows. One took me 50 yards into my backing before I was able to turn him, even with 20-pound tippet. Although fish over twenty pounds are not the norm, plenty of 20-pound-plus fish have been landed in the few years Lago Strobel has been open to fishing.
The author works a run on the lower part of the Barrancoso River, Lago Strobel's only tributary.
Some of the most exciting fishing at Laguna Verde takes place in the only tributary of the lake, the Barrancoso River. This small river tumbles over sharp volcanic rocks on its path to Lago Strobel, but the long runs and deep plunge pools are crammed with monster rainbows at different times of the year. While there is a significant resident population of rainbows up to 18 inches, November and December high water attracts big fish from the lake hoping to spawn in the upper reaches. Fall rains also pull fish into the river and we were the direct beneficiaries of that.
Our third day at the lodge found Brian, Jim and me, exploring the middle reaches of the Barrancoso, looking for fish that had navigated the rock strewn waters. As we hiked down the canyon, Brian would point out likely runs and we’d stop to fish. After catching a few smaller rainbows, it looked unlikely we would find the bigger fish and we were considering a return to the lake. Then, as we eyed the water below us, a dark shape appeared at the tail of a run, then another. There were two fish at the head as well and a half-dozen fish were now visible in the tail of a pool that wasn’t more than 30 feet across.
I eased into position at the head of the pool, well aware that I was being carefully watched by six pairs of eyes behind me and probably a few more in front. After seeing the size of these fish, I was having some second thoughts about my choice of a 5-weight rod. Still, it was all I had. First cast and a rainbow swirled on my fly and just missed as the current sucked it away. Again, I swung the small streamer toward the fish and was rewarded with a solid hookup. Leaning on the fish hard, I kept her close and landed her relatively quickly – a beautiful 8-pound rainbow.
Juan Pablo looks for sight casting opportunities as the author works the shoreline.
Now it was time to work the pod that had gathered at the tail of the pool. With help from the spotters high above the pool, I was able to target a large male holding to one side. Several casts later, the fish took and all hell broke loose in the small pool. Brian quickly scrambled down to help and positioned himself below me in the current. After ten tense minutes of battle, he slid the net under an exhausted, hook jawed, fourteen-pound male, the biggest trout of the trip. The rest of the day was similar as we explored the river toward the lake, spotting big fish in various runs and hooking and landing enough big rainbows to make it a four Advil expedition. As I sank into my bed that night, the Patagonia wind whistling around the lodge, I could only imagine what the spring run must be like when sex-crazed fish filled this small river to overflowing.
The next day we explored a remote part of the ranch with petroglyphs or cave paintings, some of which were nearly 3,500 years old. This was fascinating, and a totally unexpected bonus of a visit to any fishing lodge. On our return trip, we spotted fish in one of the smaller lakes. Swimming a mouse along the shore drew explosive strikes from 18-20 inch rainbows and we caught a couple dozen in an hour or so. Yet I came to realize these were just babies by Jurassic Lake standards.
Brian with a 10-pound male that took the author 50 yards into the backing
If you do go on this trip of a lifetime, expect fabled Argentine hospitality coupled with incredible fishing. The fish at Laguna Verde are big and strong and you can expect to catch more than a few during a week-long stay. Don’t be surprised if the next world record comes from this lake. Just don’t forget to bring a spool of 20-pound test tippet.
