This week, we opened our doors to warmly welcome another group of enthusiastic international guests. This second week of the new season marked the first of a two-week stay for one of our regular hosts and treasured friends, John Bilotta.
John’s guests for the week included French-Canadian couples Marc and Isabelle, accompanied by their good friends and fellow Canadian residents Jonathan and Catherine, all of whom were making their maiden visit to Las Buitreras. Joining the group from the USA were Tom and Roy, also visiting the famous Rio Gallegos for the first time.
The roster was completed by our very good friends and frequent guests Klaus and Christina from Austria—both accomplished anglers and fantastic company. Finally, we had the pleasure of welcoming Swedish duo Lars and Christer from LOC Waders, along with our shared friend Antonio from France.
After settling into their accommodations, our guests enjoyed the traditional welcome dinner featuring Argentinian Bife de Lomo, accompanied by a glass or two of Malbec. This is always a special time at the lodge; you can feel the palpable sense of excitement and anticipation for the week ahead.
The weather throughout the week remained quite hot, particularly during the day, with air temperatures soaring to highs of 26°C. Coupled with bright blue skies and a total lack of cloud cover, these conditions promised to make the fishing a bit more technical than usual.
The blazing sunshine had a direct effect on water temperatures, which rose significantly during daylight hours, often reaching a tepid 17–19°C. Conversely, clear night skies caused the water to plunge to a chilly 6–7°C. This created a temperature graph that closely resembled a roller coaster ride.
Fortunately, wind direction and mean speeds were a significant improvement over the previous week. For the most part, the wind stabilized into a prevailing west-to-southwest direction, averaging a manageable 30–50 km/h. This breeze was a vital ally in contradicting the bright skies and strong sun.
River Levels and Strategy
We began the week with the river at -15cm and “gin-clear” clarity. By week’s end, the level had dropped a further 15–20cm. While this level is normal for the time of year, the bright conditions meant stealth was paramount.
Our approach was as low-profile as possible. We parked trucks well back from the water’s edge to avoid spooking fish and paid meticulous attention to wading and line delivery to minimize surface disturbance.
Tactics and Gear
Tactics remained largely identical to the previous week. We rigged floating heads and lines on both single and double-handed rods, typically paired with intermediate tips or polyleaders. In certain pools, we opted for full floating lines to stay high in the water column.
Tapered leaders were extended to a length of 16–20ft, ending with fine tippets between 0.26mm and 0.32mm. While we usually recommend staying above 0.30mm, the bright conditions forced us toward these more extreme measures. Small, weighted bead-head nymphs (sizes 10–12) or very small “Salmon” doubles (sizes 14–16) were the primary choices. As a backup, we utilized small “Sunray Shadow” patterns stripped quickly through the surface to induce strikes when the fish were otherwise lethargic.
Catch Highlights
During the first few days, most guests saw action as they adjusted to the unique challenges of Patagonian Sea Trout. Marc and Catherine worked tirelessly, adapting their casting styles to the southern winds.
Fish of the Day honors undoubtedly went to Marc. After watching Catherine land several smaller fish during the morning session, Marc bided his time. During the evening session at Barranca Blanca, his guide suggested a fly change for a second pass after spotting a fish roll. A few well-placed casts with a Sunray Shadow later, the water exploded. After a nerve-wracking fight full of jumps and long runs, Marc landed a stellar 15.5 lb fresh Sea-Run Brown.
Our other new couple, Jonathan and Isabelle, also proved that a lack of experience in these waters is no barrier to success. Isabelle landed a beautiful 9 lb fish in the “Lightweight” pool of Zone 3, while Jonathan finished his week strong with several fish in the 5–9 lb range across multiple zones.
Longtime friends Klaus and Christina put their experience to work using very small “Copper John” nymphs. During one notable session in Zone 5, Klaus landed a brace of 8 pounders, while Christina secured a lovely 10 lb fresh fish. Klaus later added a 10 lb “torpedo” from the Zone 2 favorite, “Old Bridge.”
From the USA, Tom and Roy navigated the testing conditions brilliantly. At the famous Pool 75 in Zone 1, Tom landed a double-figure brace—a 10 lb missile followed by a 12 lb beauty. Not to be outdone, Roy headed to “Old Bridge” with a classic Marianne nymph and tempted a stunning 13.5 lb fish that threw every trick in the book at him—head shakes, aerial stunts, and deep runs—before finally coming to the net.
Finally, our Swedish friends Christer and Lars, joined by Antonio, had a week of contrasting fortunes. Both very accomplished anglers and phenomenal casters. However, while Christer consistently landed quality fish up to 10 lbs, Lars on the other hand seemed to be a magnet for the resident Browns. Despite technical casting and hard work, the Sea-Runs simply wouldn’t “stick” for him—until the end of the week. After days of frustration, Lars finally landed a well-deserved, double digit chromer. Antonio, here for his third week since 2025, decided to focus hard on improving his already good casting. And as usually is the case, when you don’t try too hard or worry too much about catching fish, the fish seem to find your fly with ease. Just like last season, Antonio is coming back for more later in the year and will surely make an even bigger mark in the catchbook.
Our amazing host this week was John Bilotta, an accomplished fly casting instructor, who spent the week accompanying his group members, ensuring their week was enjoyed to the max. Assisting them with not only casting, but with some valuable tips that we are sure they will find priceless in their future fishing experiences to come!
As we round off the second week of the 2026 season, we would like to thank all of our guests this week. To our three couples whose energy and enthusiasm was truly infectious, our Swedish and American guests who supplied us with some fantastic conversations and humor, and to our host John, an amazing host and a true gentleman! Over the many years he has been visiting Las Buitreras, he brought some very memorable guests, many of whom return year after year, making these weeks a period of the season we most certainly look forward to. Again thank you all, it was a blast!!
Stats of the week
Biggest sea-run brown trout landed: 15.5 lbs (Marc)
Top rod of the week: 7.58 lbs
Average size: LB Marianne
