Welcome to Week 4 from Las Buitreras.
This week we had the pleasure of hosting a truly international group, with guests arriving from six different countries. As always, it was a great mix of first-time visitors and long-standing LB regulars.
The United States provided the largest contingent. Returning once again were father-and-son duo Bill and Will H., joined by our good friend Randy. Making his first visit — and here on assignment — was renowned filmmaker Todd Moen, who spent the week capturing a special project along the river. We look forward to sharing more about that in due course.
Germany was represented by Horst, on his second trip, accompanied by his lifelong friend Peter. Norway’s Oyvind returned for his second consecutive season, while Ireland’s Conor — a long-time LB regular — was back to test himself against the river once again. Sweden’s Tomas and Petra continued their impressive two-decade history with Las Buitreras, and first-time guest Reto travelled from Switzerland, bringing with him boundless enthusiasm and a permanently positive outlook.
After settling in and attending the weekly briefing, guests eagerly prepared their tackle for the days ahead. Eventually, rods were set aside for a traditional Argentine welcome dinner. Another week at LB was officially underway.
Conditions
The weather returned to more typical Patagonian form. The previous week’s intense heat gave way to cooler, more stable temperatures, with daytime highs just above 20°C and crisp evenings between 6–10°C.
Winds were predominantly west to southwest which is a good direction for us down here, moderate to strong at times (20–60 km/h).
River levels continued to drop throughout the week. Starting at –35 cm and finishing close to –45 cm. The clarity of the water was exceptional. Under these conditions, stealth becomes paramount. Wading was kept to a minimum, vehicles were positioned well away from the pools, and presentations needed to be precise. Small margins often make the difference.
Tactics & Fly Selection
Given the water level, floating lines were the primary setup on both single- and double-handed rods in #7 and #8 weights. Only in select deeper pools did we use slow intermediate tips or polyleaders.
Fly choice reflected the conditions. Smaller patterns proved most effective: LB Marianne, Copper John variations, Flashbacks, Vitamins, and compact Girdle Bugs in sizes 8–14 accounted for much of the action. In pools with stronger flow, traditional salmon doubles such as Green Butt, Red Butt, Willie Gunn, and Stoat’s Tail (sizes 12–16) also produced results.
As evening approached and light levels softened, we switched to larger-profile patterns. Leech-style flies — particularly the LB Silver Shadow — along with Scandinavian tubes and the ever-reliable Sunray Shadow, came into play during the golden hour.
Fishing Highlights
Tomas and Petra made an immediate impact. Their familiarity with the river clearly paid dividends in the low, clear water. Petra was first to connect, landing two fresh fish around 7 lb from Barranca Blanca and Old Bridge. Tomas soon followed with success in Molino, a pool he’s most familiar with as he landed a spectacular 25 lbs fish in this pool a couple seasons ago.
Petra then delivered one of the standout fish of the week. Returning to Old Bridge, she hooked a superb 15 lb fresh-run sea trout on a lightly weighted Girdle Bug. The fish put on a show jumping all over the place, but Petra stayed calm and managed to land this beautiful fish — a memorable capture.
With fish increasingly concentrated in specific holding pools, rotation timing became important. Bright sun and tricky winds made things interesting, but Randy found success in Zones 4 and 5, landing several fish in the 7–10 lb range. Conor also landed fish up to 7 lb, though he endured the frustration of losing a few significantly larger specimens.
Bill and Will enjoyed a strong week in terms of numbers. While the bigger fish proved elusive, consistency was key. Will’s session in Outer Limits stood out, where he landed five fresh-run chromers.
Another productive pairing this week were Reto and Oyvind. Low water demanded small flies and fine tippets — always a calculated risk when larger fish are present. Reto in particular experienced a few painful losses, but his positive spirit never wavered, and both anglers posted impressive results overall.
Horst and Peter, lifelong friends from Germany, saved one of the week’s most memorable moments for late in the week. During an evening session on Zone 2’s Old Bridge, Horst returned to a pool that had earlier shown plenty of fish but produced no takes.
As darkness settled, guide Cristian selected a tube fly with quiet confidence. Within a few casts, Horst connected with a powerful fish. In near darkness he battled the sea-run brown for nearly fifteen minutes before guiding a magnificent 16.5 lb seatrout into the net — the largest fish of the week and a well-earned reward.
The following day, Peter added his own highlight, landing several fish from Zone 5 — including a great fish exceeding 13 lb from Barranca Blanca on a small Copper John.
Final Thoughts
Another rewarding week unfolded on the banks of Rio Gallegos. While the low water created technical conditions, patience, discipline and a positive mindset were rewarded with excellent sport and strong numbers — particularly as the week progressed.
To our guests: thank you for your great attitude and for embracing the challenge.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Las Buitreras.
Stats of the week
Biggest Sea-Run Brown Trout: 16.5 lb – Horst
Average Size: 8.39 lb
Most Effective Flies: LB Marianne, Copper John, Sunray Shadow
