EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA

 

During my fishing adventure travels, I often spend a few extra days visiting friends and sites.  I always spend a few days in El Calafate on my way to Jurassic Lake Lodge.  Calafate is the jump off town to places like Glacier National Park, El Chalten, and even tours to the South Pole.  Calafate is about a           3 1/2 hr flight from Buenos Aires.  It sits on the southern border of Lago Argentino, Argentina's largest lake. 

The town is near the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Fields located in the Santa Cruz Provenance.  In 2022, Calafate says said to have 23, 000 residents.  Most work in the tourist industry.  During my stay I always take a walk in the Laguna Nimez which boosts having over 100 different species of waterfowl.

  Here, numerous pink flamingos can normally be seen.  It takes around 2 hours to walk the trails.  There is a small fee which goes toward the research of these birds.  There is also a boardwalk around the Southern Lagoon of Lago Argentino where numerous waterfowl can also be observed.  The walk can take over 3 hours.  This September, the lagoon was void of water so not many flamingos were seen. 

Numerous restaurants and hotels exist in town.  The main street is full of tour booking agents.  I always head to the Patagonia Brewery to quench my thirst and walking around Lago Argentino.  The favorite meal here is Patagonian Lamb which is delicious. So, on your next visit to Argentina, make sure to fly down to the town of El Calafate.  Also, on your next fishing adventure make sure to spend some extra days in local towns and see the sites as there is more than just fishing!  

PARQUE NATIONAL LOS GLACIARES

 

During my recent trip to Argentina, I spent a few days in the town of El Calafate.  Here, I took a bus tour to the Parque National Los Glaciares to observe the Puerto Moreno Glacier.  The National Park is 45 miles from Calafate and sits southwest of Santa Cruz in the Patagonia Region.  The Park was created in 1937 and sits in an area of rugged towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes including Lago Argentino which is Argentina's largest lake.  The Puerto Moreno Glacier is the most famous of the 48 glaciers fed by the southern Patagonian ice field and I believe the 3rd largest in the park.  This is the 3rd largest continental ice field on the planet today.  An entry fee is required to enter the park which can be purchased on-line or in person at the park entrance. 

There are 3 colored grated trails in the park to observe the Moreno Glacier.  In the last year the Moreno glaciers has receded somewhat due to higher-than-normal temperatures and lack of precipitation.  The Moreno Glacier is longer than the entire city of Buenos Aires. 

There are a restaurant and a cafe on the grounds.  If one gets lucky, they will see part of the glacier break off and fall into the water.  There is a boat option to get very close to the glacier.  I have visited this glacier numerous times and am still in awe by God's beautiful creation.  So, the next time you visit Argentina, make sure to visit the Parque National Los Glaciares as it is much better than the glaciers in Alaska in my opinion. 

JURASSIC LAKE LODGE, ARGENTINA PATAGONIA

 Had the opportunity to fish for monster rainbow trout at Jurassic Lake Lodge during September 20 to 27, 2025.  Jurassic Lake, a.k.a. Lago Strobel is without a doubt the greatest rainbow trout fishery on earth.  Here, 20 lbs rainbows are caught on a weekly basis.  Lago Strobel is about a 5 hour drive from the town of El Calafate.  Jurassic Lake Lodge sits next to the Rio Barrancoso which is the only inlet in Lago Strobel.  Here, tens of thousands of rainbows make the push for spawning in September. 

September is the beginning of season while May is the end of the season.  Strobel is known for strong winds which can make fly casting a challenge.  Spinning and or casting gear is allowed in the lake.  The best places are on either side of the river mouth. 

The fishing during the week was good but the numbers are not what I have experienced in the past.  This was in my opinion due to the weather being too nice, no winds and high sun.  The best fishing was very early in the morning before the sun came up.  I would skip breakfast and head to the mouth wearing a headlamp.  The best fly was a white mop using an 8 wt, while casting a 5/8oz moonshine casting spoon in red bloody glow is without a doubt the best lure one can use on Strobel.  I probably have fished here over 20 times and have had numerous days exceeding 100 rainbows.  My best session on this trip was 42 rainbows during the morning with the majority landed before 8am.  The largest weighed rainbow was caught by friend, Jim, which pushed the Boga to a tad over 20 lbs.  My largest pushed the measuring tape to 36 inches.  

The water levels were low but came up the last day of the trip.  There were thousands of rainbows in the Barrancoso, but we did not fish in the river.  As you might know, last January the river got blown out with massive amounts of water rushing through.  The famous "aquarium" hole is now a pile of rocks and dirt.  The river flow changed thus pushing it's mouth down to the right about 50 yards.  

In all, the trip was fantastic.  The average rainbow in my opinion was 11 to 12 lbs.  There is no place on earth where one can constantly caught this size of rainbow trout wading with a fly rod in an isolated, pristine setting.  I will again return in May to catch the giant chrome rainbows which is the favorite time at Jurassic Lake Lodge.