Estancia Laguna Verde, Argentina
In the startlingly bleak Patagonian outback in the province of Santa Cruz lies a special lodge perched above Lago Strobel – also known as Jurassic Lake – which teems with monster rainbows. The famed crystal-clear waters make for some exhilarating sight fishing which is unlike any offered elsewhere in the world.
The adventurous fisherman is rewarded with a vast amount of water. In addition to the 40 miles of coastline of Strobel Lake, rods now have exclusive access to 12 smaller lakes and lagoons chained by the great creek. There are plenty of protected bays from which to fish when the renowned Patagonian wind is in play, ensuring that you can sight cast in the most tricky of conditions.
The lake itself is home to millions upon millions of nutritious scuds which fast track the trout to huge sizes and the fights can be likened to steelhead – they are ferocious.
Improvements are constantly being made to the program and even more fishing is on offer than before. There are new vehicles, better roads and tracks, new comfortable bedrooms in the lodge and a wider variety of wines from Mendoza on the wine list.
A huge advantage of the fishery is that the season runs – fruitfully – from November through to April. The size of the catches on Strobel Lake are wonderfully stable, meaning that there is a chance of a monstrous catch whenever you visit. The largest fish so far has been a 24lb trout with many others over the 20lb mark.
The fishing is mostly with floating lines and 6,7 and 8 weight rods using streamers, nymphs, large dry flies and mouse patterns.
Accommodation
Estancia Laguna Verde was built and is owned by Roberto Alba and his son, Luciano. They are impressive hosts; the Argentinian food and wine is second to none and a large part of the experience.
The comfortable lodge accommodates twelve people in twelve very comfortable bedrooms which are all en-suite.
