As we begin our ninth week of the season, we warmly welcome back a group from the American organisation “Swing the Fly”. In recent years, this week has become a regular fixture in their calendar. This season, the group was hosted by Daniel R and consisted of first-time guests Rob, Gary, Bob and Slade, along with regular guest Sam, who was spending the final week of his annual two-week stay.
Also hosting a group this week was Carlos D from Chile. This was his first visit to Las Buitreras, and he was joined by father and son Jerry and Benjamin, along with solo traveller David — all of whom flew in from the USA.
Also on the guest list this week were a trio of familiar faces. Travelling together from France were our dear friends Jean-Etienne (making his third trip down here) and Jean-Luc, who has visited us on more than ten occasions.
After unpacking and settling into their rooms, our guests began getting to know one another over a few glasses of Malbec and a perfectly cooked steak. Our first-timers quickly engaged with the regulars to get the lowdown on what they might expect from the coming week.
Weather conditions, in terms of temperature, were very similar to last week and considered “normal” for this time of year. During the shorter midday window, it still felt like summer, but outside of that, conditions were noticeably cooler.
Daytime highs ranged between 15–20°C, dropping to 10–11°C at night. The only exceptions were Tuesday and Friday mornings, when temperatures dipped to 5–6°C — a clear reminder that autumn has arrived.
The all-important wind, however, was definitely not our friend for most of this week.
During the first half of the week, we experienced a fairly consistent light to moderate north-easterly, occasionally turning into a full easterly. This is what we refer to as a “no-win” wind, as it blows directly upstream.
Wednesday brought almost no wind at all. Shorter, more controlled casts become essential, with minimal surface disturbance key to success.
By Thursday, the wind began to shift, turning to a north-westerly and maintaining moderate strength. Friday finally brought a return to the “normal” prevailing wind, blowing from the west to south-west.
Light levels remained similar to the previous week — plenty of bright sunshine interspersed with short periods of cloud cover and the occasional passing shower. Overall, it remained bright for most of the week.
This season has been one of the driest on record, and up to this point — aside from a few minor “top-ups” — the river level has remained exceptionally low.
That was all about to change…!
Overnight on Friday, the river began to rise, continuing steadily through Saturday. By Sunday morning, it had peaked at around +15 cm — a total rise of approximately 60 cm.
Given the prolonged low-water period, we expected a coloured, debris-filled river. Instead, we were pleasantly surprised to find it clear — in fact, very clear.
As the week progressed, levels gradually dropped, reaching -10 cm by Friday while remaining crystal clear — still well within what we consider prime conditions.
For the first time this season, our tactics required some adjustment — though not dramatically.
We primarily used double-handed rods in the 7# and 8# line classes, paired with short-bodied Scandi-style shooting heads.
At the start of the week, we fished floating heads combined with tips or polyleaders of higher sink rates than usual. On Sunday, we used sink rates of 3–5 ips. As the week progressed, we gradually reduced this — moving to 2–3 ips on Monday, and then back to standard intermediate tips by Tuesday, continuing with this setup through to the end of the week.
Fly choice varied with conditions. At peak water levels on Sunday, we used mostly size 6 “Woolly Buggers” in a range of colours — including yellow, chartreuse and black — with and without rubber legs.
By Sunday evening, we began introducing smaller patterns such as “Girdle Bugs”, “Silver Shadow” and larger, highly visible nymphs fitted with coloured beads or coneheads. As the river dropped, we continued reducing fly size, finishing the week back on more standard size 8 nymphs — with all the usual proven patterns performing very well.
With colder nights setting in, the evening — or “Golden Hour” — became less productive. Peak activity shifted to the warmer midday period, when fish were noticeably more aggressive.
During early mornings and late evenings, fish tended to slow down, often just nipping at flies without real commitment. During these times, we used plastic tube flies and medium-sized “leeches”. When stripped slowly, these larger-profile flies often turned tentative takes into committed strikes.
This week marked the beginning of the autumn run. Our first zone pairing this week was Danny (Daniel R) and Sam. Danny spent much of his time hosting and assisting his group, offering technical advice and guidance, while occasionally managing to fish a session or two with Sam.
On those occasions, Sam had the luxury of fishing alone — something that certainly has its advantages, especially when you have up to eight pools at your disposal. With so many options, even the guide faces a dilemma: which hotspot to choose?
Sam enjoyed one of his best weeks since he began visiting us, landing more than fifteen fish in total — although, to be fair, consistency has always been one of his strengths.
The first day of the week is one he won’t forget in a hurry.
He started strong, landing two medium-sized chromers around 7 lbs and finishing the session with a solid 10-lb fish. But this was merely a preview of what was to come.
Zone 1 has been particularly productive this season, delivering quality fish week after week. One pool in particular — a favourite among guests — is “Kitchen”. Not only is it highly productive, but its setting is simply stunning.
This was where Sam experienced a truly memorable moment.
Guided by Cristián, who knows the pool intimately, they rigged up with a 3 IPS tip and a relatively large bead-head nymph. Working the head of the pool slowly and deep, nothing happened during the first few casts.
Then, mid-conversation about fly choice — everything changed.
An arm-wrenching take, accompanied by a huge vortex in the water, could only mean one thing: big fish on.
True to form, the fish stayed deep, making short, powerful runs and violently shaking its head in an attempt to throw the hook. When that failed, it moved to the surface, rolling and jumping with complete defiance.
Sam kept his composure (more or less…), maintaining control despite the intensity of the moment.
With expert timing, Cristian waited for the perfect opportunity to slip the net under an incredibly powerful fish. What lay inside was a true specimen — deep-bodied, immensely strong, and built like a football.
Measuring 85 cm by an impressive 56 cm girth and weighing in at exactly 20 lbs, it was a fish to remember.
Congratulations, Sam!
Danny, despite limited time on the water, also made the most of his opportunities, landing an impressive number of medium-sized fish.
French duo Jean-Luc and Jean-Etienne are always a pleasure to host. Their humour, relaxed attitude and ability to enjoy every moment are something you can always count on.
They both had an excellent week, consistently landing good numbers across most sessions, including several double-digit fish.
Zone 2 proved particularly productive for Jean-Luc, where he landed his two best fish of the week. The first came during an evening session in “Lawson”, where he stripped a “Sunray Shadow” to land a 10-lb fish. The second followed during a morning session in “Cojedero”, where a deep-fished “Copper John” produced a 12-lb fish.
Jean-Etienne’s week, however, was a true rollercoaster — full of highs and lows (but mostly highs!).
Before talking about what he landed, we must first mention what he lost.
The setting was Zone 1, in “Peca Pool” — a new addition this season. A narrow, shallow channel with a good flow, it’s ideal for classic swung-fly techniques.
Fish were visible rolling in mid-channel, and it didn’t take long for action to begin. Using the ever-reliable “LB Marianne”, Jean-Etienne hooked a small fresh fish.
Continuing with the same fly, he experienced a few tentative pulls before, at the tail of the run, something altogether different happened.
He was hit — hard.
The fish exploded through the surface, sending water in every direction. Instantly, it was clear this was no ordinary fish — but something truly exceptional.
Using the current to its advantage, it powered downstream, staying deep and heavy. With nerves jangling, Jean-Etienne held firm, gradually gaining control.
Eventually, he brought the fish close enough to see — a slightly coloured male, well over a metre in length and comfortably exceeding 20 lbs… likely mid-twenties in our estimation.
But sadly, we will never know for certain.
Just as they prepared to land it, the fish came free and disappeared.
The silence that followed said it all.
We were absolutely gutted for you — so close to the fish of a lifetime. But as we always say… it just means there’s another story waiting to be written.
Putting that behind him, Jean-Etienne pressed on — and was soon rewarded.
The following day, he landed a superb 18-lb male in Zone 2’s “Lawson” pool. Using the same “LB Marianne”, he delivered a perfect presentation tight to the bank under overhanging trees.
The take was explosive, and after a short but intense fight, the fish was safely in the net.
Relief. Redemption. Well deserved.
Rob T and Slade also enjoyed an excellent week, especially considering this was their first experience targeting sea-run browns.
Rob was particularly consistent, landing at least five fish into double digits. His best, a 13-lb fish, came from “Turning Bank” on a small “Silver Shadow”.
He followed this with a 12-lb fish from “Limits” on a “Sunray Shadow”, and added several more — including fish from “Kitchen”, “Toll Booth” and “La Curve”.
Slade, still developing his Spey casting skills, performed very well. While not matching Rob’s numbers, he landed several quality fish, including a very respectable 12-lb specimen from “Lawson” on a large green conehead nymph.
Safe to say — he’s learning quickly!
Bob and Brian didn’t quite match the numbers of some other groups but still had a very productive week.
Both worked hard on improving their casting, guided by our team and their host Danny. By week’s end, they had landed fifteen fish between them.
Brian edged the tally, landing a fine 14-lb fish from “Lawson”, while Bob contributed a solid 12-lb fish from Zone 5. Both also landed several smaller and mid-sized fish throughout the system.
We saved the final section for Jerry, Ben and their host Carlos — although they left us with one small problem… they forgot to fill in the catch book :-). Here is one situation we all remember from the great stories back at the lodge.
One standout moment came during their very first session in Zone 2. Facing a stiff upstream wind, conditions were challenging.
While Jerry and Ben fished “Old Bridge” with their guide Germán, Carlos decided to fish the pool above alone.
That decision led to an unexpected situation.
Carlos hooked into a very substantial fish — and initially had no assistance. Fortunately, the pools are only about 50 metres apart, and his calls for help were quickly heard.
Germán rushed over just in time to assist with landing a superb 17-lb fish.
Well done Carlos — and well heard, Germán!
Before closing this report, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all of our guests.
You made this week truly special — your enthusiasm, humour and positive energy created an atmosphere that was a pleasure to be part of.
To the “Swing the Fly” group — Slade, Rob, Brian, Bob, Sam and Danny — it was an absolute pleasure hosting you.
To our French friends Jean-Luc and Jean-Etienne — your humour is unmatched, and we look forward to seeing you again next season.
To our first-time guests Dave, Jerry, Benjamin and Carlos — thank you for trusting us with your introduction to sea-run browns. We hope to see you again soon.
From all of us at Solid Adventures — thank you!
See you next time!
Stats of the week
Biggest sea-run brown trout landed: 20 lbs by Sam
Top rod of the week: 7.69 lbs
Average size: LB Marianne, Copper John, Silver Shadow, Salmon flies
