The third and final leg of our trip down to Argentine Patagonia had us heading up into Nahuel Huapi National Park. Fly Fishing Patagonia had us staying in a truly spectacular fishing lodge, the Rio Manso Lodge (http://www.riomansolodge.com)
When our time at the lodge came to an end, we loaded up and headed back to the airport in Bariloche. We had an early flight into Buenos Aires and were able to spend the day exploring BA before our plane back to the states took off. Buenos Aires is an amazing city and one I really want to get back to spend more time in. It is a very culturally diverse city with lots of unique little districts. We walked around the Recoleta district and toured the Recoleta Cemetery. This cemetery is quite an experience as it is the size of a small town. It also holds the grave of Evita Peron so we got a good lesson on a major part of Argentine history.
Recoleta The resting place of Evita Peron
Cheers to a great trip!!!
There are an endless amount of
activities at Rio Manso Lodge. The fishing is obviously the highlight
but they also have whitewater rafting and kayaking, horseback riding,
birding and great hiking. Greg and I along with our guide Alex took a
hike the day we got there up to Segunda Cascada which was an amazing
group of falls on the Manso River.
One of the things we enjoyed the most
about the lodge was the staff, they really made you feel like you were
family. They were always there with helpful tips and suggestions on
different things to try out around the lodge. One night, they prepared a
traditional Argentine Asado, which is a big grill fest of beef, lamb,
pork, chorizo, sweetbreads and puddings. They really wanted us to be a
part of it though so we were out there while it was all cooking,
learning about the history of these traditions. Greg even started
jamming with one of the cooks around the fire which made for great
entertainment. The owner of the lodge was always right there with the
guests as well. He ate dinner with us and the other guests every night
and you could tell, he had a true passion for his little piece of
paradise.
The fishing at Rio Manso offered a
great variety, all within a short drive of the lodge. We fished Lago
Hess right out front multiple times which was a blast. This was a
beautiful lake sitting right beneath a giant glacier, it was really a
stunning setting to fish for trout. Being that it was January, the fish
were honed in on one bug in particular, the dragonfly. Tying on big dragonfly
patterns, tossing them along the banks, and watching big rainbows inhale
them was a sight to see. The lake was so calm some days that you really
had to quietly stalk feeding fish or they would spook, it was kind of
like bonefishing.
One of the days, we floated and fished
the Rio Manso. We really enjoyed the Manso for it's diversity of water,
some stretches were very serene and calm, where as on others, we were
hanging on as we shot rapids. We had pretty good fishing on the Manso as
well with one or two good honker rainbows.
When our time at the lodge came to an end, we loaded up and headed back to the airport in Bariloche. We had an early flight into Buenos Aires and were able to spend the day exploring BA before our plane back to the states took off. Buenos Aires is an amazing city and one I really want to get back to spend more time in. It is a very culturally diverse city with lots of unique little districts. We walked around the Recoleta district and toured the Recoleta Cemetery. This cemetery is quite an experience as it is the size of a small town. It also holds the grave of Evita Peron so we got a good lesson on a major part of Argentine history.
Recoleta The resting place of Evita Peron
Our trip down to Argentina will be
something I remember forever. The food, the wine, the camaraderie and
most of all the fishing, were second to none and I credit that all to
Justi Campa and the guys at Fly Fishing Patagonia. If you are thinking
of heading down to this part of the world, give them a look, you won't
regret it.
