Late fall blast-n-cast

A redo of last year's fall fishing trip with Tom Whalen.  Started out Sunday afternoon on the main branch of the Pere Marquette's flies only section.  A gorgeous sunny day with plenty of fresh fish in the river and very few fisherman.  We fished until dusk and then headed up to Crystal Mountain to spend the night.  Early the next morning we met Ed McCoy for a day of guided fishing on the Big Manistee.  On his first drift Tom got a strike, and on the second drift he caught a big chrome beauty.  It was a cool cloudy day following a long stretch of sunny weather and the change had apparently made the steelhead active as we had good action throughout the day.  We then headed up to Boyne Falls, spending the evening with Eric and Sara.  Dinner at the Red Messa.  The next morning Eric and his trusty dog Willie took us out to the Jordan River valley for a morning hunt, flushing many grouse and woodcock, while bagging three of the woodcock.  All and all, a fantastic fall "blast & cast".

Au Sable

Fishless on the Au Sable.  That's the way it was, but none-the-less a great success and a memory to cherish for a lifetime.  Father.  Son.  Grandson.  Drift boat.  On the south branch of this storied river.  The photo of my 84 year old father standing knee deep in the cool flow of the sun drenched crystal water says it all.

Upper Manistee

Casted streamers all day with Ed McCoy.  Caught the small one early and then struggled all day for another strike.  Finally, just before dusk and 20 minutes from takeout I hooked and landed this very nice 21 inch brown, which of course saved the day.

Pere Marquette River

The path into the river hadn't been used in weeks and the river was at low flow and crystal clear after 5 days of sunshine and relatively warm weather.  There were very few steelhead in the river and no willing takers.  Guide boats reported slow activity for the day throughout the flies only section.  Evidence of spring emerging all about.  Nice day to be on the river.

White River

Brian proving that you don't need to travel all the way to Argentina to catch great fish.  Shown here with a beautifully colored healthy steelhead.  Nice fish Brian!

Patagonia - Letter to Hawkins Outfitters

Kudos to Hawkins Outfitters - our trip to Patagonia was a grand slam from start to finish.  Unlike most destinations the experience exceeded the hype and certainly exceeded my expectations.  I had a great time.

“Breaking in” for three days on the Traful River at the Estancia Arroyo Verde was a great way to prepare for the six days of non-stop action provided by the Flymaniacs of Bariloche.  I caught my largest brown trout ever to a sited fish on the Traful using one of your expertly crafted streamers, in the middle of a sunny day on a river so beautiful no photo can do it justice.  It doesn’t get any better, except perhaps for the outdoor barbecue provided by our gracious hosts.   The fact that the Traful also held willing land-locked Atlantic salmon made the Arroyo Verde a unique and unforgettable experience.

The hosteria you selected in Bariloche provided a good staging point for our river trips with the Flymaniacs, and the staff there was very attentive and eager to please.  Which leads me to an observation that seems universally true throughout Argentina – the people there are good spirited and generous of their time and culture, and glad to have American tourists.  This was particularly true of Esteban and his fishing guides.  They were not only some of the best guides I have experienced anywhere, but also engaging in a way that made me feel at home in a foreign land.  In the end it wasn’t surprising that Esteban treated us to a personally prepared feast at his home on the last evening, or that his guides took us shopping in Bariloche on our way to the airport (has to be the worst part of a guide’s job).

The Argentine cuisine from the restaurants in Buenos Aires and Bariloche to the campfires along the Calefu River was outstanding.  They have taken the concept of a “mixed grill” to a whole new level.   And the local wine was exceptional.  The irony is that upon returning home I had actually lost some weight.  Now that’s my kind of diet.

But we traveled to Patagonia for its famous trout fishery and were not disappointed.  In fact, I was amazed how good the daytime fishing was in full sun in the gin clear rivers we fished.   I was also amazed at how the brown trout fought like steelhead back home – especially in the Limay River.  We routinely saw browns jump completely out of the water in their fight for freedom, an uncommon experience here in Michigan.  And of course the rainbows were even more acrobatic.  To a river, there was never a cast that didn’t hold the promise of a trophy catch.

I would like to thank you for putting such a memorable trip together, and for your efforts to assure that everything went smoothly.  Your attention to detail was very much appreciated by all of us.  The packing list, travel advisories, and equipment (I can’t wait to try some of your streamers back here in Michigan) were all first class.

I went to Patagonia on the “trip of a lifetime”, and returned vowing to go back as often as I can.

Patagonia- Part 4

My companions on this trip (left to right): Steve Ladd, John Marcus, Chuck Hawkins, Rudy Stimac, and Tom Whalen, pictured here having a riverside lunch along the banks of the Calefu River.  We spent the last three days of our trip camping on the Calefu.  A camp crew would push ahead to set up camp and prepare dinner while we fished our way downstream on float boats.  On day 2 Rudy and I teamed up in what Rudy aptly described as a top 100 day.   Unfortunately my camera battery failed before I got photos of our camp.

Patagonia- Part 3

Here are a few more photos...

Patagonia- Part 2

As you can see we ate well on this trip.  The culinary highlight was a barbecue at the estancia Arroyo Verde.  It was hard to get used to the Argentine custom of eating dinner at 10:00 in the evening, but we all gave it our best shot.

Argentine Wine

Here are a few of the wines served and/or recommended during my stay in Argentina:  Luigi Bosca Malbec, Rutini Katena Zapata, Bodegas Del Desierto 25/5, El Boliche de Alberto.  Of course any wine tastes better after casting streamers all day.  A fellow traveler suggested buying Argentine wine from southernwines.com.

Castaway Films

At the airport in Buenos Aires I met Dr. Grant Wiswell while waiting for our return flight.  Grant is a surgeon at the University of Michigan Medical Center, and spends his leisure time on far flung fishing adventures with a twist - he and his companions film the experience.  Check out his website:  www.castawayfilms.com

Patagonia

Fished the Calefu, Limay, Manso, and Traful rivers.  This may be the most beautiful place on earth.  Casted streamers for 9 days to browns, rainbows, and landlocked atlantic salmon.  Stayed the first 3 days at the Arroyo Verde Estancia on the Traful river, followed by 6 days on other rivers guided by the Flymaniacs.  Both the fishing and the food were fantastic the entire trip, and the guides were some of the best I've had anywhere.  Argentines know how cook beef - and drink wine.  I booked the trip through Chuck Hawkins Outfitters.  More to follow...