Hooked

Las Pampas Lodge

***more pictures at the bottom of this post***

Nico and Brad

On this particular adventure, I find myself stalking an unexpectedly smart creature.  As I tiptoe along on the spongy, cake-like ground, my eyes are constantly, vainly, scanning the area for our prey.  I say vainly not because the animal is not there, but because Nico and Brad are always the first to spot them and my excited whispers about seeing one are met with nods – they have already seen them and are strategizing how to get it.  As I clumsily traipse along behind the men, I catch sight of my shadow and cannot help but laugh: a hunch-backed figure with wild hair blowing in the ever present wind.  But I cannot stand upright; I have been told that these animals are smart.  If they catch sight of me, or even my shadow, it will spook them and they will retreat to their hiding holes where not even the tastiest-looking bait can lure them back out.  And so this is how we move: doubled over to hide our figures and stepping softly from mound to mound so as not to cause tremors that will alert our prey to our presence.  I confess to Nico and Brad that I am amazed at how intelligent our target is; I had no idea that they learned to adapt so quickly. 

Nico on the lookout

Brad casting for the big one

All of a sudden, Nico excitedly waves for Brad and I to freeze and drop to the ground.  As he works his way back to us, it is evident that he has caught sight of a big one.  He and Brad hold a brief strategy session to work out how to best catch this thing, and I use the time to slink to a better viewing position to watch this all play out.  By this time, I am completely hooked, fascinated with all that goes into the process of getting the ‘big one.’  Soon, Nico joins me on my little ledge and we watch as Brad crawls as close as possible to the animal’s home, stopping behind a clump of grass to offer him some camouflage.  Nico is now his eyes.  As Brad prepares to set his trap, Nico helps direct him to the best place.  Then it is a waiting game.  We watch from above as the animal circles the bait, deciding if it is worth his time.  I find myself holding my breath and eagerly leaning forward, urging the animal to take the bait.  After a silent wait, Nico breaks the silence with, “Set!” Brad reacts to this exclamation by pointing his pole skyward and tightening the line…and then we see our prey lurch into the air in an attempt to free itself.  Twisting and turning in the air, the droplets of water on its body reflect the sunlight to enhance the colors.  Then, with a final leap and thrashing in the air, the rainbow trout unhooks itself and returns to the water to brood about the trick that has just been played on him.  And I sit back, amazed, thrilled, and unbelieving.  Who knew that fishing could be so fun?

Attempting to cast where Nico tells me

And so my few days at Las Pampas Lodge were filled with fishing, fish stories, and amazing food.  My own fishing exploits were not nearly as thrilling as Brad’s or the other men at the lodge who actually knew how to fish.  I loved sitting around the lodge during cocktail hour and dinner listening to their stories from the day and marveling over pictures of the river monsters – aka brown, brook, and rainbow trout – that they had caught.  During my day of fishing, I only managed to net one fish, but hooked into many others and got countless hits.  Most people might consider one fish, especially of the size that I caught, to be a ‘bad fishing day,’ but for me it was amazing!  Here I am, in Patagonia, with one of the best fishermen I know (who also happens to be a good friend), fishing in places that only a handful of people in the world will ever get to fish.  I am sure that I looked completely incompetent in my borrowed waders, standing in knee-deep water, attempting to cast against the wind only to have the line fly back in my face or hook poor Nico (4 times), but I was having the time of my life. 

Me and Nico, and my tiny fish

Truly, if I had not caught a single fish, I still would have been the happiest person in the world.  The area that we were fishing in was absolutely gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and my guides had endless reserves of patience. They so badly wanted me to catch a fish that I think both myself and the fish felt the pressure.  However, within an hour of fishing after lunch, a fish took pity on me and let me catch it.  My absolute favorite part was the jumping.  I love how determined they are to get off that hook and back to freedom.  This fish, although small, was a fighter; even as he reached the shore, he continued to jump and flail.  After a quick picture with him, we returned him to his home where he promptly alerted his friends about the intruders and fake flies floating on the surface.  No more fishing in that hole.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, we hooked plenty of fish, and even managed to net some, but most of them managed what Nico and Brad called “long-distance release.”  I cannot adequately explain how freaking cool it was to watch these fish jump!  And it wasn’t just when they were on the line, either.  In addition to rising – coming up to eat food on the surface – sometimes the fish would launch into the air to snag a tasty meal before splashing back down into the water.  I could have watched it all day.  But, we had been fishing for about 9 hours and the sun was sinking to the horizon; it was time to head home.  We had been walking up river, fishing along the way, and reached the small town of Las Pampas to find a truck and cold beers awaiting us.  Perfect day. 

The following day, the men were going out in boats, so I got to ride with them to the lake then go for a hike as they fished.  Again, the scenery was mind-blowingly beautiful and I was content to hike up into the hills and sunbathe on the smooth rocks.  On one of these breaks, I had just sat down when I heard a shrill barking/howling sound just behind me.  All the hairs on my arms stood up and I slowly turned to see what animal I had disturbed.  At first, I didn’t see anything, then the sound came again and I was able to hone in on the animal’s location.  I thought it was a coyote, but then realized it was a huge fox, a Patagonia red fox.  The creature was standing on the rocks just above me, staring down at me and challenging me to come any closer.  Me being me, I wanted a picture of this fox, so I slowly moved around to get a better angle.  The fox circled with me, never taking its eyes off of me.  For the next 45minutes, we circled each other, each trying to gain the upper hand.  The fox continued its shrill cries and I flinched as they echoed off the rocks, gaining volume, then spread out over the lake.  Eventually I got my photo and began to walk off.  A few minutes later, the fox reappeared ahead of me on the trail; now it was my turn to be stalked!  Once again, I considered myself the happiest, luckiest girl in the world.

That night, our final night at Las Pampas Lodge, they had a huge asado (cookout/barbeque) for everyone at the lodge – guests and staff.  It was the perfect ending to this spontaneous stop on my travels.  With drinks in hand, everyone hung out around the fire, watching the chef coax the meat into edible perfection, and sharing stories from their outings at the lodge.  Just as the light began to fade, we moved inside to enjoy the never ending feast of different cuts of meat, salad, bread, and an ice cream dessert.  From the fishing, to the food, to the guides and staff, to the lodge itself, everything about Las Pampas Lodge (and my stay there) was beyond any expectations that one could have.  Thank you so much to the person that brought me there, and those that let me stay and enjoy their company.  I am permanently hooked on fly fishing.  

an added bonus of fishing