written and photographed by Mary L. Peachin
Oct 1996, Vol. 1 No. 1
Southern Cross and Orion, stars seen only in the Southern Hemisphere, sparkled as the rainbow and brown trout jumped to take the fly. According to my Argentine fishing buddy, Jose Maria “Buby” Calvo, “ the Rio Traful is the most productive just after sunset. The larger ten pound brown trout are more inclined to take a fly in the evening hours when they can’t see the angler’s reflection in the river.”
Calvo is the nephew of the Larrivieres, owners of the luxurious Arroyo Verde estancia located south of Bariloche, Patagonia. The gentle Rio Traful meanders through the ranch. Calvo has fished the Traful most of his life and knows every fish hole in the river.
The Rio Traful is a world-class fly fishing river. Unique to the river is the spawning of Encerrado (land-locked salmon). Stocked in 1903 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the salmon thrive along with the rainbow and brown trout. Feeding on shrimp and pancora, a small crab, the salmon meat of the fish is pink and tasty. The trout, both rainbow and brown, have been weighed in at 10 pounds.
The fish have thrived because of the estancia’s catch and release policy. The trout served for meals come from the river’s hatchery. Unlike many rivers, there are no insect hatches on the Rio Traful. The result is that the trout feed and will take a fly almost any time of the day. This adds to the unpredictability and challenge of flyfishing in the Rio Traful.
Sections of the Rio Traful have swift current and large mossy boulders, but many of the good fishing pools have gentle currents. The riverbank is void of “fly-catching” trees. The Rio Traful varies in color from pewter gray to malachite green. The cordillera of the Andes provides breath-taking views around every bend of the river. An occasional eagle will soar, a flock of geese will honk overhead, or a kingfisher may swoop down to catch a fish.
Arroyo Verde, located 800 miles southwest of Buenos Aires, is in Patagonia’s spectacular lake district. The snow capped mountain peaks of the Andes surround seven lakes. Rivers flow through primeval forests. Black volcanic rock blends into the red-orange hues of incredible sandstone formations. The 15,000-acre estancia, Arroyo Verde, is located in Nahuel Huapi National Park, one of the last strongholds of the Araucanian Indians.
The estanica derived its name from a small arroyo (dry stream) running through the property. The original bridge spanning the Rio Traful, built three quarters of a century ago, is visible from the dirt road entrance. The trip from the paved highway into the estancia is a journey into the tranquility of years’ past, one without telephones or television, of beautiful scenery and starry nights. There is no interference created by light pollution. The main ranch house, renovated in 1976, is furnished with antiques. The tables of the formal dining room are set with silver plates and dishes. French porcelain sculptures of birds grace two arched windows.
The main house is built of stone and cipres, a wood similar to cedar. Glossy wooden floors compel the guest to leave shoes in the entrance foyer. The staff is warm and wonderful, while totally unobtrusive. Guestrooms are tidied whenever you leave your room. After your first request, the staff remembers your food and beverage preferences. While service is formal, dress is casual.
The living room and family room all have magnificent views of both the valley and cordillera(foothills) of the Andes. Four guest bedrooms are designed with an antique desk holding a silver-plated hairbrush, beds covered with fine linen, and each bathroom has a bidets.
A Cipres cabin overlooks Lake Traful where it enters the mouth of Rio Traful. The bedroom, living room and kitchen and dining area with an outside deck offer wonderful views of the lake. A pathway winds down to a private beach cove. A hike through the forest leads to the mouth of the Rio Traful. The cabin, with its comfort and privacy, is a perfect place for a honeymoon or anniversary. It was built for lovers.
The gardens of Arroyo Verde are beautifully manicured with lavender, roses, and a wide variety of other flowers. Pyracantha or sorgus trees add color to the naturally groomed maiten trees. Beyond the lawn and garden is a pond with a sculpture of a maiden feeding a deer. Overwhelming this beautiful landscaping is the natural beauty of the cordillera, the base of the Andes. Their majesty includes a multitude of colors, immense rock pillars, spires, and other interesting rock formations.
Arriba! Pedro, a Criollo-bred horse, was strong enough to run 5000 feet up the mountain where condors soar. Pachanga, an Argentine gaucho, led us as we galloped across the pampas and up into the mountains. Criollo horses are descendants of Spanish stock. They are a mixture of Arabian, Barb, and Andalucian stock. Criollos are strong and able to carry weight with great endurance. Arroyo Verde offers the guest the opportunity to horseback as well as flyfish.
When we reached the nesting place of the condors, the weather was so perfect that there was no wind for the condors to fly. We could see only the guano signs of the condor nests. It was time for a picnic. Maita, Calvo’s fiancée, reached into her saddlebag, and after pouring some vino tinto (red wine), she served up some homemade sausage and cheese, and tortillas. Argentine tortillas, made with potatoes, tasted more like a quiche. She also offered Milanese; fried meat tasting like chicken fried steak.
Pachanga gathered wood to build a fire for boiling water, in an old olive oil can, for his yerba “mate.” The herbal tea is passed in a gourd holding a silver straw with a strainer, which separates the loose herbs from the tea. Custom states that when you have had enough “mate” you simply say “gracias,”
The cuisine at Arroyo Verde is gourmet and service is impeccable. Breakfast in Argentina is usually simple, coffee, juice and pastry. For the heartier appetite, fresh eggs will be gathered from the hencoop and bacon, butchered from a recently killed javeli, is served.
Lunch is the largest meal of the day. Meat and dessert follow soup or salad. Wine or beer is offered at both lunch and dinner. A nightly cocktail hour begins after twilight ends the fishing. This is a time when guests share their fishing stories, riding trails and other events of the day. A lighter dinner of soup, pasta, and dessert is served between 10 and 11 PM.
The previous day, the gauchos had killed a wild boar or javeli, a great excuse for an asado or barbecue. Slowly roasted lamb, raised on the estancia, red stag and javeli, a wild boar were served during the late lunch. Some of the meat had been ground into sausage or chorizo.
During our spring visit, Red stags, imported from Europe, were in their rutting or mating season. The call of the Red Stag is distinctive from the “bugle” sound of the elk. At night I fell asleep hearing the mating calls from my bedroom window.
Most fishing lodges have a rustic charm, a bunk bed style. The estancia Arroyo Verde is so regal that former Argentine dictator, Juan Peron, confiscated it in the 1950’s. It was later returned to the parents of the Larrivieres, who reestablished its elegant charm. Luxury and fishing combine at Arroyo Verde. The beauty, tranquillity and comfort, the fine cuisine, and hospitality of the estancia enhance the world class fly fishing of Arroyo Verde.