El Encuentro: Headed for Adventures in Patagonia

Headed for Adventures in Patagonia Argentina

Settling into my seat on yet another flight bound for a fishing trip, I’ve grown accustomed to the curious glances and quizzical expressions often thrown my way. Those looks are usually accompanied by the question, “Where are you headed?”

By: EMILY RODGER // Photos by: MARCOS HLACE

Maybe it’s fair - single woman on an international flight traveling to what many would consider an exotic or remote destination - so it’s an exchange I’ve become familiar with, as if it’s scripted into the prelude of every journey I undertake.

I reply to whoever’s asking that I’m en route to a fly fishing trip, to which I hear back, “You don’t look like a fly fisher,” their eyes lingering on the incongruity between my appearance and the stereotype of a fly fisher they hold in their imagination.

But, just like the rivers I cast my line into, there’s more beneath the surface than meets the eye. True, I don’t travel in waders or a fishing vest, so I guess it’s accurate that I don’t “look the part,” so to speak. But do any of us? (Travel in waders or is a one-dimensional person?) No individual is so simplistic as that.

A passion for fly fishing doesn’t define my entirety, just as the place I’m traveling to today - El Encuentro Fly Fishing in the heart of Patagonian Argentina - doesn’t fit into a box either.

This destination will turn out to surpass even my preconceived notions, opening me up to truths to be discovered beyond fishing itself - truths that will take me out of my comfort zone and undeniably alter the ways in which I think about people, place, and identity.

From Stranger to Friend

What enthrals me most about traveling for fly fishing is the opportunity to explore so many new-to-me regions, people, and cultures and –naturally - deepen my knowledge of fly fishing.

With each new destination I arrive not only with my rods and reels, but also with an insatiable curiosity and desire to learn something new.

I firmly believe it’s thanks to this approach that every trip has consistently provided me with fresh perspectives and profound insights into life, while at the same time allowing me to foster enduring friendships and hone new skills. This has never been more true than during my time in Argentina.

It was a personal connection that prompted me to book the trip in the first placefriendship with a fishing guide named Nico, who I first met on a previous fly fishing trip to Bolivia.

As Nico guided me through the waters of the Bolivian jungle - teaching me everything I needed to know about golden dorado and pacu fishing - our conversations frequently turned to our respective homelands and love for the places that raised us. Nico’s impassioned portrayal of his native land and vocation in Argentina left a lasting impression on me, one I wanted to experience for myself.

Nico returns to Argentina during trout fishing season, and so I made it a goal to join him there and experience firsthand the culture and heritage - not to mention fishing - he had told me about during our time in Bolivia. I wanted to see where Nico was from - how this land had shaped him into the guide he is todaysee the fishery he had told me about and hone my craft in a whole new way.

I didn’t just want to see Argentina the way a travel site or Instagram page might tell me to see it, I wanted to experience this new locale for all it was and could teach me. I wanted to go beyond the surface.

A Destination for Gathering

As the wheels of the plane touched down on Argentine soil, I felt a surge of excitement—not only to fish, but also to be reunited with this fishing guide turned friend. Nico guides at El Encuentro Fly Fishing, a hidden gem of a base camp nestled amidst the rugged beauty of Patagonia.

From the moment I set foot upon its hallowed grounds, I was enveloped in a sense of awe and possibility, as if the very air I was breathing in crackled with the promise of adventure.

El Encuentro is the epitome of rustic elegance—offering top-notch amenities, genuine hospitality, and bespoke service to its guests. Originally built by a grandmother in the early 1980’s as a gathering place for her family, it has since evolved into the primary hub of the area, while retaining the warmth and intimacy upon which it was founded.

Perched atop a hill overlooking the Rio Futaleufú and the majestic Andes, the lodge provides flawless yet cozy accommodations, ensuring a truly immersive experience in the heart of Patagonia. However, El Encuentro is more than just a single lodge - it’s a network of experiences, each offering its own unique charm and allure.

Nearby, the Brook Trout Base Camp beckons adventurers with its offthe-grid charm. There, guests stay in well-appointed cabins or double-occupancy safari-style wall tents, dining on communal meals that rival the cuisine of the finest lodges. Additionally, nestled amidst the Cholila and Los Alerces National Park lies Valle Del Carrileufu Lodge - a six-bedroom space that serves as an extension of the El Encuentro family, offering guests a sanctuary amidst the breathtaking beauty of their surroundings.

Just as El Encuentro is comprised of many different spaces all under the lodge’s one umbrella, so too do we each contain many different sides. There’s diversity in every living thing—lodges, fish, people—something I was just beginning to discover anew on this trip.

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t initially excited about the possibility of fishing in these smaller creeks during part of our stay. I tried to think of it like an experiment, attempting to find the draw in something new, I wasn’t fooling myself though. But when the day came for Nico to take us out into the creek, I was surprised by what awaited me.

What I thought would be an exercise in patience and tempering my excitement quickly turned into a challenge in precision and narrowing down my focus. These fish weren’t going to come easy. The creek was so skinny and small compared to the bigger bodies of water I’m accustomed to fishing in, which required me to narrow my focus to just that area and lean in.

It wasn’t easy, and when I relied on Nico and dialled in on those precision bow and arrow casts, able to get the fly underneath an overhanging brush or tree, I was able to accomplish what I had set out to do: bring in a fish and leave with that feeling of triumph like nothing else. Another instance of expectation not matching reality - the reality being far more nuanced, and far better.

What truly distinguished this trip in my mind though were the people. First, of course, being Nico, the one who led me on this journey. Nico personifies the spirit of Argentinapassionate, hospitable, and fiercely proud of his heritage. His vivid portrayals of the lodge and the region were what initially lured me back to Patagonia, and his knowledge and generosity opened my eyes to the many facets of Argentina and its ecosystems.

Also accompanying us on many a fishing excursion was Marcos Hlace, another skilled guide who also served as the trip’s photographer - his lens not merely capturing images, but moments of profound beauty and connection. One of those moments: when I accidentally hooked Nico’s guide-in-training, Rolo, on a cast.

The image was captured forever in Marcos’ frame —all of us laughing as I held up Rolo’s arm for the photo as if to say, “I caught this guy!” It’s an image that will stay in my mind’s eye forever, reminding me of the laughter found in the learning, whether that’s learning to fish in a new environment like a small creek or simply learning how to give yourself the grace and permission to enjoy whatever it is you’re working at.

I used to catch myself becoming so focused on the outcome that I would lose my appreciation for the process. So much joy can be found in the learning itself. Yes, it’s often humbling, sometimes humorous (if you hook the wrong kind of prey!), but maybe it’s in that process that we truly learn who we are and who we’re meant to be. A testament, once again, that everyone and everything transcends more than what meets the eye.

Ultimately, this trip was about so much more than fishing for me—it was about immersing myself in the Argentine life, experiencing everything from savouring local cuisine to trying my hand at making empanadas for the first time. It all revolved around embracing novel encounters and forging connections with the people, fish, and places that render Patagonia so extraordinary.

“It is not the miles we travel or the fish we catch that define us, but rather the connections we cultivate and the memories we cherish along the way”

We’ve likely all encountered Heraclitus’ famous assertion before: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Everything is subject to change, and nothing (and no one) will reveal itself in its entirety upon first glance.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from my travels, it’s that by maintaining patience and inquisitiveness there’s always more to uncover - always new perspectives to be found to the people, places, and pursuits we hold dear.

During one of our final days in Argentina, we were driving through these rugged, dry mountains. I had no idea how we were supposed to find a body of water in this landscape. But, lo and behold we climbed one last rocky hill and there it was: one of the most luscious bodies of water I’d ever seen.

The end result was so much more than I expected when we set out that day - more beautiful, more diverse, more nuanced - than I could have ever imagined. That’s what Argentina and El Encuentro taught me on this trip: we are all so much more - life is so much more- than meets the eye.

It takes diving deep, often being willing to take a risk, to see below the surface and find that hidden truth. Our first impressions are not always wrong, but they very, very rarely offer us the full picture of anything.

That’s true in travel, it’s true in relationships, in a dynamic sport like fishing, and it’s true of life itself. Yes, that newly discovered information can present challenges and discomfort at first, just like fishing in an unknown environment or meeting someone new, but I firmly believe that if you’re open to these changes and willing to embrace what comes next, there’s no telling what you can gain, or what fish you just might end up catching.