This week, we welcomed guests from Ireland, the UK, Sweden, and the USA. Among them was host Glenda P. A cherished friend of Solid Adventures, Glenda has hosted numerous groups over the years in both Argentina and Greenland.
This week, Glenda brought along a fantastic group of guests, including first-time visitors Scott from the USA, and Simon and Kim from Ireland. The rest of the group were all familiar faces, having visited Las Buitreras many times before: Bruce and Warren (aka Randy) from the USA, Graham, Stephen, and Martin from England, Neal and Paul from Ireland, and our longtime Swedish friend, Göran, who has been a regular visitor for over a decade.
Following a short briefing, we sat down for our traditional welcome dinner. Excitement was in the air, not only for the week ahead but also for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations the group had planned. With a strong Irish contingent, there was no doubt that the night would be filled with singing, a few drinks, and storytelling!
River Conditions
The river conditions this week were very favorable. A slight push of water on Saturday ensured relatively stable conditions throughout the week. Water levels ranged between -5 cm to -10 cm, which we consider near perfect. The clarity was excellent – clear with a slight ‘tea color’, just the way we like it – ideal for daytime nymph fishing.
The weather, however, was quite unpredictable. Daytime temperatures fluctuated between 9°C and 20°C, while nighttime temperatures dropped to 4°C–8°C. Wind conditions varied significantly, with moderate northeast winds on Sunday and Tuesday (a particularly tricky direction), a westerly wind on Monday, and a powerful northwesterly wind on Wednesday, reaching speeds of over 100 km/h. Fortunately, by Thursday, the wind settled into a more manageable west-to-southwest direction at a much more comfortable speed.
Skies also changed frequently, from dark overcast conditions to bright sunshine and everything in between.
Tactics & Fly Selection
We began the week with our go-to setups: a floating head, looped to intermediate tips or polyleaders, with medium-to-long leaders (9–15 ft) in diameters of 0.30–0.33mm (15–20 lb breaking strain). Fly selection varied, but we started with medium-sized (sizes 6–8) patterns, including Girdle Bugs, I-Bugs, Sunray Shadows, and bead-head nymphs such as Copper Johns, Flashbacks, and, of course, our Marianne nymph.
By Wednesday, the fierce northwesterly winds (exceeding 100 km/h) stirred up the riverbed, reducing water clarity and prompting a shift in tactics. We shortened our leaders to 5–8 ft and switched to larger, brighter flies, favoring Wooly Bugger patterns like Yellow Yummy, Green Lantern, and Poison (sizes 4–6). Thankfully, by Thursday morning, the wind eased, and water clarity returned, allowing us to revert to our initial setup with long leaders and smaller nymphs and bugs.
Fishing Highlights
Day 1: The week started with a challenging northeasterly wind, making casting and fly presentation difficult. Nevertheless, our guests adapted well, with many landing fish.
Scott got off to a flying start, landing three fish. He began in Zone 5, where he used nymph tactics to hook two chrome fish up to 8 lbs. Later, in the evening session, he landed a beautiful 13 lb fish from Zone 2, pool “Goat”.
On Zone 1, Neal and Glenda also had a strong start. Neal hooked two fish in pool “Ochenta”, the largest weighing 14 lbs, both on Marianne nymphs. Meanwhile, Glenda used Sunray Shadow tactics to land two slightly smaller fish from Kitchen pool.
Day 2: With the wind shifting to a westerly direction, fishing conditions improved significantly. Over 20 fish were hooked and landed. Martin had a fantastic start, landing three fish, including a 12 lb beauty from Zone 1, pools “75” and “Seniors”. Stephen also landed three fish in Zone 3, pools “Bridge” and “Heavyweight”.
Glenda continued her success on Zone 5, pool “Barranca Blanca”, using her signature Sunray Shadow tactics to land two fresh fish. Later, she backed it up with two more from Zone 2, pool “Little Corner”. Neal, her Zone buddy, landed three fish from pools “Barranca Negra” and “Zoller” and another that evening from Zone 2, pool “Cogedero”.
The evening saw a spirited St. Patrick’s Day celebration—complete with traditional songs, whisky, and stories well into the night. Needless to say, some guests felt the effects the next morning..
Day 3 & 4: The tricky northeasterly wind returned on Day 3, but that didn’t stop our guests from landing plenty of fish. Martin had a memorable session in Zone 2, “Old Bridge” pool, landing a beautifully colored 16 lb fish – a new PB! Congrats, buddy!
Day 4 brought intense northwesterly winds, peaking at over 100 km/h. Despite the challenge, Bruce landed two fish in Zone 1, pools “Kitchen” and “Turning Bank”, using both nymph and streamer tactics. Göran hooked a 12 lb fresh fish in Zone 3, “Outer Limits”, while Graham braved the gusts to land a stunning 15 lb fish from Zone 2, “Little Corner”.
Final Days: The last two days were incredibly productive, with nearly 30 fish landed on the final day alone, we again cracked the mark of 100 landed fish by far. Simon landed a new PB of 14 lbs from Zone 5, pool “Barranca Negra” using a small rubber-legged nymph. Martin matched his achievement, landing a 14 lb fish from the same pool, plus an 8 lb fish from Barranca Blanca.
Scott ended his week in style, netting three fish, including a 15 lb and a 10 lb beauty from Zone 1, pools “Molino” and “Turning Bank”.
Closing Thoughts As we wrap up another fantastic week at Las Buitreras, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to our incredible guests. A special thanks to our dear friend Glenda, who comes the same week every year so her guests can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with us.
A huge thank you to our hardworking team at the lodge – your dedication is truly appreciated.
See you all for the Week 12 report. Tight lines, everyone!
Stats of the week
Biggest sea-run brown trout landed: 16 lbs by Martin
Average size: 6,7 lb
