Hello from Stockholm, Sweden,

I will be visiting your country for two weeks from Feb 27 (2007). I will turn 50 during this trip, and do this with my wife and another couple instead of celebrating at home. I love to flyfish and has fished the Rio Gallegos a few years ago. Now with the girls along this will not be a fishingtrip as such, and we might leave southern Patagonia out of it. But in my dreams I am looking for a small hotel or a farm (or even a wine estancia!) up in the wine districts were we could stay for a few days. Around the corner there must be a stream with trout for the evenings. It does not need to be fancy or expensive, as long as the setting is right. (We are travelling on a tight budget, anyway)

Can anyone out here please point me in the right direction? I will be indepted for ever.

Per Stadigh

Hej Javier!

Many thanks for your speedy and kind reply. As I understand from your words that trout and wine do not mix that well up in the Mendoza area I have googled around a bit and think that the right area might be in the Rio Negro area with Province of Neuquén being particulary likely. What do you think?

Maybe one also should add few days around  san carlos de bariloche for walking and scenery? Your part of the world is so vast and full of oppertunities that just two weeks starts to feel scilly.....

Många tack!

Per

Yes, there is an excellent bus service from Barriloche to Mendoza (16 hours travel) (www.andesmar.com.ar)   They feature bed and semi-bed services at a cost of 47 and 57 dollars one way.

But if you want exciting fishing, you will not find it in Mendoza.  There are small rainbow trout in the rivers (average 2 pounds) but you will have to fish downstream from the dams, where water is clearer.  (Atuel river at El Nihuil or Valle Grande, or Mendoza river at Potrerillos).

Dorado fishing is far more exciting, they belong to the salmon family and you will find them in the Parana river, or up in Salta (Cafayate).  In this province you can fish huge dorados in the Bermejo river.  The national record for dorados (34 kilos or 75 pounds) was caught in the Bermejo river,near Embarcación.

Have a look at these two pages for fishing alternatives in Argentina.

www.tumejorpesca.com
www.guarapo.com.

I know the owners of the first place, and they are reliable people.  I do not know the people of the second place, but they seem to handle their business in a professional manner.  The Esquina option seems very good: 990 pesos (330 dollars), including two days fishing, lodging, round trip from Buenos Aires in bed bus service and all meals...  Here are the details:

http://www.tumejorpesca.com/ficha.asp?codigoProducto=arg008

By the way, Cafayate (Salta) produces excellent white wines, maybe the best in all Argentina (Michel Torino, Vasija Secreta...)

Best regards.