Tierra Del Fuego (42 days)

I have had incredible experiences all over the world- in Europe, Africa and Australia....but Argentina, Tierra Del Fuego, the Land of Fire, what could be more appropriate for me- I am indeed blessed. It has been almost 4 months and I can just now talk about it or think about it where it is not so close that I miss it too much and it is not so far away that I can't wait. I signed up for the following year my first day on the water and I had only caught a 10 pounder- see picture on the right !

Some of you might be thinking, seriously?!?!? Almost 19 hours of travel time, three planes, questionable food for a 10lb fish but there's more....There are the gorgeous Argentinian men (see left, holding Sandra) who are the most handsome guides, besides Gino of course, speaking of Gino- I did finally make it steelheading right before Christmas on the Trinity (zero fish but D-loop acquired) and then again on my birthday weekend in January. I had to cancel the two trips in October for two Texas family weddings, yes I know, my Mother got married and HAD to have me there despite my need to prepare for Argentina :) So before Argentina, I am in Oregon and my fishing buddy had to cancel so I get Gino, Alex and John- ALL three are helping me prep for spey casting, as in learn the basics and it wasn't always pretty. A Spey rod is a double-handed rod that is totally different from the usual single-handed rod. It is used for large fast water and allows you to cast big flies very far in what turns out to be very high winds. This trip on the Rogue in Oregon ended up being one month before Argentina where I was going to need to cast over 100ft with 15ft of T14, a 12ft leader and half pound flies. OKOKOK, the flies weren't really that heavy but they FEEL that heavy when you heft a 'Paul Miller' into the back of your head or the side of your neck. O wait, I didn't HAVE any 'Paul Millers' but I digress. Anyway, I couldn't imagine how I was going to cast in Fuego but I was lucky enough to catch 2 chromies on the Rouge with Gino (in the blue on the right) and had enough energy to laugh about it over dinner with the Confluence Outfitter crew and Janet- the most funny and kind guide-wife I have ever met- plus she's a red-head, you can't go wrong with those :P


So we are in Argentina, the guides are hot, the weather is hot and the fishing- well there is a Father and Son team who brought single-handed rods and the son caught a 16lber on a 6wt just about his first cast- so we're feeling lucky. And then there are the Fly Girls (below) who are a RIOT. I mean literally- it's "The Women" meet "River Runs through It" where Genaro (on the left) plays Brad Pitt, you can't go wrong with these classy broads !! The 'Fly Girls' fish with pearls and diamonds. Honey- let me tell you- they out-fished us ALL !! They are dressed and I mean NYC dressed- very glamorous ! Sadly I was not even SF dressed, I was more Tenderloin (or the TL as the local SF folks call it) dressed, but I know for next year I need to BRING. IT. Anna-lena is the softspoken and regal blonde on the far right- you can easily imagine her a Duchess of something. Sandra in the middle is the former New Yorker living the dream of all who live in big cities- she fled to Cabo with her kindle ! Sandra is a mix between Rosalind Russell but with a hint of Joan Crawford- endlessly entertaining. Then there is Beth- very sweet and giving, she writes the script for the big contest including the rap and finds time to talk with everyone every single day.

Then there is my fishing partner- Xav (below) of the California Fly Shop- who was mostly a gentleman....except when offering to come open my shower door with me IN IT. The door got stuck one night thankfully BEFORE I got in ! Then there was the night he helped carry me across the deep water and I lost my legs, they of course wrapped around him before I could get my kneecap back in place- but Xav just chuckled as I struggled to get my legs down.

Xav was a gracious host, to hear he and the 'Scottish Highlander' Doug (a TRUE warrior who was there for 3 weeks I think, or at least 2) go at it, well it's entertainment unto itself. Xav took water that was at times up to his chest although I suspect it had to do more with the fish and less with me being a girl. And as one would expect from a fishing partner/trip host, when I didn't have the right flies, he said I could borrow- he said it before the trip, on our way down and again at the Lodge. Although once we were on the water- he refused to hand one over- typical fisherman. Next year me and the Redding fly shop are gonna do some business- two of every Paul Miller ever made !! Oh yeah, and when I caught my 20.5lb-er, he had to say on our walk back to the car- "mine was bigger" which I can respect because a 'half pound' is a 'half pound' and next year when I catch one bigger than his, you bet your ass I am gonna say the same damn thing !!!

I have had plenty of days in my short fishing career with not a-lot 'o fish so it's my first time there and I am STOKED the first morning because I lose a sea-run brown trout because I didn't know brown trout, I mean like over 10lb trout, JUMP like rainbows. No one told me, they assumed I knew, so I just slacked the line in shock, I stared, and he got off but I was ready. Ready and waiting the next evening and man, its July the 4th today and I can tell you I felt like what Paul Revere must have felt telling the British that the....oh wait, that's not my story, but worth it just for 'ole Doug to throw a bit 'o Palin in :) and it was the most thrilling moment of my entire little life, I hooked into a 20.5lb lady who STOLE my heart.

The morning my life changed, we had fished hard and Xav caught a 21lb-er while I learned bad words and phrases of the gauchos (like a cowboy but not) from Genaro. It was a relaxed atmosphere and I was casting well, mostly, and fighting the current and wind as best I could but nothing doing for me. We make our way back to the lodge in high spirits since at this point in my short fishing career- I am still thrilled when ANYONE catches a big fish, or really any fish, its just still exciting. Then we spot a dead guanaco and a site I will never forget- a flock of Andean condors. The picture doesn't do justice to the condors- I could barely get about 7 of the 20+ birds with 10ft wingspans circling the area. The condor sighting makes us late for lunch but we had a great time telling the tale and get ready for the epic evening although you really never know which is going to be the epic one, you just know there will be one ! Genaro swears he has never seen a flock before, there were almost 20 of them which was a site to behold. Rumor has it they fly hundreds of miles everyday back and forth from the mountains to the ocean. They sure looked big enough so who is to say. The real story is about the guanacos who run for hours and hours literally trying to bite the balls off each other, which is funny but even more funny is watching two dudes watch the guanacos for hours instead of fishing- helllooooooo !! But what do you expect from a man who.....



The battle begins, its Tuesday evening, I am with Genaro (pictured above and below- he looks like Antonio Banderas but a much better version) at Minota and I am learning the ropes. I am mending and casting and it's just not working for me, I am struggling every cast. I am not really in the rhythm, it is not going well. I stop, I breathe, just like Gino told me and Genaro comes over. What's going on- and I reply "I don't know," so what are you thinking, "I don't know" and on it goes, about 5 questions and 5 "I don't knows" and I am so out of my body and upset and...I don't know. But then I notice the moon is out for the first time, its sunset, I breathe and cast. Xav said he knew when he saw this cast, and of course as always in Fuego, it was the "last cast" about 5 casts before the one where she "climbs on" as they say in "swinging." They call it swinging when you're spey casting and letting the fly swing in an arc through the current. And I start shaking, like a leaf, because the initial tug is subtle but then she jumps and the size of her tail is what I notice, it is like the size of my thigh. I shake so badly that Genaro has to hold me, by the back of my jacket because I am standing on approximately one foot of slick mud, I have no left knee and well, I have a very large fish on. In the next 5 minutes this lovely lady fish jumps 5 times, at least, and we're amazed because usually a fish that large does not jump that many times- they are too big. All of a sudden my Abel reel is making a noise I have never heard in my life, I mean it's zipping at a high pitch because this lady fish is pissed off and is heading for the freaking OCEAN and FAST. So Genaro points his headlamp at my reel, we see the backing, he throws me up a 4ft bank, and he tells me to RUN, like fast, and REEL, as fast as I can. So of course I am FREAKING OUT. I can't run, I can barely walk, my knee is shot but I have to run. I will NOT let my boys down, Gino wanted me to dazzle them and who am I to look like a rookie. I run and I reel and I am praying that I can outrun this fish and get her to shore. My heart, my soul, every fiber of my being is focused, like I have NEVER focused in my life and it happens. All of a sudden about 1.5 miles down I see Genaro in the water, he's found her and what a miracle, total and absolute GRACE that I fight and land this fish into his net. At any moment the 12lb test can break, the hook on the fly can break, she can dislodge the fly by shaking her head, a MILLION things can and often do go wrong. I am NOT an expert at fighting big fish- as Dax and Dennis will tell you, I have lost some heartbreaking fights but not this time.Her dimensions are 35 length, 21 girth and 20.5lbs- numbers that will be tattooed on my body at some point. The moment he has her in the net, I collapse to my knees from the exhaustion. This is the most exhausted and present I have ever been and I remember the entire evening like it just happened while I am writing this, my heart is racing. It was epic. She was a fresh "sea-run brown trout" - chrome instead of brown with bright orange spots because she is just in from the salt-water ocean. Only fresh ones fight this long and jump that many times. I worked on getting this picture onto Facebook that night over a "1" bps (Moses with stone tablets would have been faster than uploading from Fuego) connection at the lodge so my friends could see my new crack. Spiritual people find their joy everyday but the land of fire seared my heart. I have had many many moments of joy and will have more but I am not sure any will be as good as my first 20lb-er. She was so big I couldn't hold her by myself for the closing shot !!
I didn't expect anything else from the trip after my 20lb-er, the people, the fish, it is endless how amazing it was. Every day, to be on the water and cheer everyone on over lunch and dinner. Everyone caught big fish and the camaraderie was like none I have encountered at other lodge's or on the water, of course neither was the food. I have to say the food was the most awful I have had to choke down, as in a fast food anything would have been welcomed- so I must include a picture of the "chips and egg" which is native to nowhere and was the low point of the chef debacle but you can't have it all. Not even the Salsa Huichol (see left with Bob) from Sandra could save this dish. Next year there will be a revolt and we will storm the kitchen. I will be bringing Tabasco as the Cajun representative. I have so many magical moments to ponder, so many hearty laughs and most importantly, so many beautiful fish. Despite the food and temperature- it was hot and the fishing was "off" because of the heat, added with the heated flooring- well we also had a heater revolt...but the beds were very comfortable, the staff were accommodating and overall Estancia Maria Behety is definitely a spectacular place to stay.

Here are Anna-Lena, Doug and Sandra on the left- where's Beth, oh right, she's with Ricky. Beth and Ricky (right) during the contest presentation- what a HOOT !! The rap video dedicated to the Squid Row fly.

The girls put on a contest where we all fish for a morning session with the same fly, the "winner" and the "winning guide" get cash and then some....most of us weren't too sore about not winning and it couldn't have gone to a better woman, oh wait, is that a man !!
Nate (picture on the left, far left) was a great sport, a promising Dentist who for graduation his father and he went on this trip- solid people with good values.








Sandra (picture on the right) and my future ex-husband Catcho (spelling? help), oh yeah- and behind the happy couple is Alejandro Menendez- the legendary family representative of the lodge and a Murray sighting- all in one shot !! (shot on the right)


Speaking of Murray- here he is on the right with his very disappointing 19lb trout- ONLY Murray and ONLY in Tierra Del Fuego would the word disappointing be in the same sentence as 19lb trout ! And why the dark glasses Murray, didn't want to be recognized with your small fish?!?!?




This is John (left), I woke up one afternoon to hearing a British accent "Hallo Mum" really loud, he was such a sweet man with a wild past, great stories and a great smile !! I don't have his pictures because he doesn't have email, I know, right !?!?!?!






Due to a non-existent room shortage- Jack- who is bending the tail (not sure why) of his fish and giving her a smack, was almost my roomie except in the Landry way, I firmly insisted this was not acceptable.







And as always, some gratuitous fish porn, mostly mine because I didn't get everyone's pictures ! Needless to say, the trip of a lifetime and I hope to have many many lifetimes !!
Jack (above) and one of his many many many big fish- I am pretty sure he had Paul Millers (apparently the ONLY fly to use other than Doug's green meanie fly which of course looked NOTHING like my green meanies) !! Xav the "Boz" (below) with one of his many many fish



My 19lb-er (above) which I couldn't hold and no fishing buddy to take the shot, so the guide caught the action ! Xav (below) loves his Hatch reel !!



The Guide trucks (above) and house in the rear view mirror. Best part of the day - the guide trucks rolling in (below)




Doug's real green meanies on the left !

My green meanies on the right ! Needless to say I didn't have much luck with mine although Xav swears they are the same...I am sure this was my fault because I lost something or I don't need it or.....



Hardest part of the trip- last day, sunset, me (below), last cast- I could barely move my arms much less cast worth a crap, but still you soldier on knowing you'll be dreaming of this every night until the next year!


And some knee porn, this was me several weeks later, three incisions, two houses, about 15 helpers and all I have to say is THANKGOD I postponed my surgery, needless to say I would NOT have made it to Argentina if I had surgery in Nov or Dec !


And for those still hanging on, here is an article written about the fishing, the lodge, the guanacos, etc...from 2003 but has a great overview of things I don't cover about the area and fishing...Departures by Andrew Powell