SEASON 2017
LPL HITS THE BIG SCREEN!
An old gaucho’s tale inspired the search for a new world-record brook trout; but the water, landscape and the culture surrounding it became the impetus to conserve and protect it all. This F3T cut of Finding Fontinalis, a new feature film from Travis Lowe (coming fall 2016) takes you to the heart of Patagonia and one of the last remaining, world class brook trout fisheries. Featuring Bart Bonime, Bryan Gregson, Agustin Fox and Yvon Chouinard, Finding Fontinalis exposes you to both jaw-dropping landscapes and hook-jawed trout. Read more: www.findingfontinalis.com
Feature Film Coming Fall 2016 2
INDEX
Las Pampas Style 4 The Location 6 The Lodge 10 The Guides 14 Fishing 16 PROGRAMS Las Pampas Experience 22 Brook Trout Expedition (Add On) 24 Esquel Waters (Add On) 26 Las Pampas Real Deal (Add On) 28 PatagoniaOne / Chile (Add On) 30 LPL Featured 32 Why Las Pampas Lodge? 34 Happy Anglers 36 Booking your trip 38
Credits The amazing pictures on this brochure belong to: - Bryan Gregson
www.bryangregsonphotography.com
- Denver Bryan (cover) www.denverbryan.com
We would also like to thank Kyle Kolodziejski for sharing his inspiring texts with us. 3
LAS PAMPAS STYLE
Over the years, we have searched tirelessly to ensure that, whether you arrive on November 1st or May 1st, you’ll experience the best fishing the area has to offer. No matter what your pleasure, be it drifting dries or moving streamers, hooking huge browns on the surface or snagging rainbows in the fast water, matching the evening hatch or landing the trophy brookie of a lifetime... we’ll take you there!! In addition to stellar fishing, the entire Las Pampas experience is infused with a special and incredibly appealing vibe. Our staff calls this soulful, inclusive, yerba-mate-fueled way of being: “Las Pampas Style”. This character-rich friendliness gives Las Pampas Lodge the “it” factor that puts our lodge experience in a class by itself. We create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that makes every guest feel at home and part of a larger, fun-loving family. With a trusted dream-team at our side, it comes as no surprise that lodge general manager Agustín “Oggy” Fox is grateful to have such a fine crew of dedicated individuals to work with. They possess a natural team chemistry that enables them to consistently deliver more than just a good day of fishing. It doesn’t take long after meeting the guides and staff to realize the depth and sincerity of their passion for the region and their eagerness to share it with their guests. This season, Las Pampas is in its sixth season of operation and the lion’s share of our 100% local Argentine crew have been with us since day one - something that speaks strongly to what has been created in this special part of Patagonia. In 2017, anglers can choose any of our custom designed programs to live their Patagonia fishing dreams. At Las Pampas Lodge, we look forward to host your next unforgettable fishing vacation and sharing with you the most magical fishing destination of the world, as only we know it. The Las Pampas Lodge Staff.
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Rio Pico Grand Slam Trophy brown trout
Trophy brook trout
Trophy rainbow trout
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THE LOCATION Patagonia is a wild land and the Rio Pico region remains as it has been for many, many years.
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After landing in the Esquel Airport and met by a Las Pampas Lodge representative, guests begin the 2.5 hour drive south from the airport to the lodge, probably thinking they’re getting a feeling for what the final destination’s landscape would be like. Not so.
the Santa Cruz province to the south, this region of Chubut seems a mature mix of everything one could want. The lodge is located well past where the good roads ended and just outside a tiny border town (named Aldea Las Pampas) where the outermost tendrils of rangeland blended into native forest and steep scree-faced peaks. Surrounded by countless rivers, streams and lakes that are almost all for us, and us alone.
In the first hour, the road passes through arid lands reminiscent of Utah, then an hour later things look more like eastern Montana, and then finally regions that will remind of Yellowstone and Montana’s Paradise Valley. By the time anglers reach the lodge it will become clear that this was a place unto itself, both familiar and totally unique at the same time.
To those familiar, this region is called Rio Pico and took its name from Octavio Pico who helped engineer the border lines between Chile and Argentina in 1881. It is appropriate that this unique region was named after him and equally appropriate that he was Argentine: drawing the border to deviate from the Pacific/ Atlantic divide model and designating the upper 25 miles of the glorious spring-fed, west-flowing Rio Pico as Argentine.
Ultimately, guests will be tucked up against the base of the snowcapped Andes, in a fantastical landscape with endless diversity and intrigue. Things change slowly in this corridor of the Andes!
It is a remarkable region nestled east of the Andes’ highest peaks where fertile lake systems and multiple spring creeks coalesce into an intimate and iconic South American trout stream, which ultimately slips west across the border into Chile and on to the Pacific.
Located in the Chubut Provence of Central Patagonia, the lodge is in the “heart” of the Rio Pico area. Well beyond the lush bustle of Bariloche and Esquel (home of several lodges and many fisherman) to the north but shy of the harsh, almost uninhabited steppe typical of
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THE LODGE
At Las Pampas Lodge, we know that there’s more to a fishing trip than just the fishing. you’d expect from a classic trout lodge without being too over-the-top.
Las Pampas Lodge is a beautiful Europeanstyle log and stone structure featuring a main common area with a guest lounge, dining room, and bar which is flanked by four spacious double occupancy guest rooms, all with private baths.
The cuisine at Las Pampas Lodge is best described as gourmet farm-to-table cuisine. Our head chef, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, is passionate about the food he prepares and uses only the freshest local and organic ingredients. Many of the vegetables are grown by the community in the nearby town and sold to raise funds for the local school. Eduardo, the lodge’s full-time caretaker and cameo breakfast cook, collects fresh eggs daily and prepares fresh cuts of chicken, lamb, and beef from the freerange livestock that roam the property.
Each guest room opens onto a cobblestone veranda overlooking the surrounding Andes mountainous landscape. The inviting main room has a central fireplace surrounded by a semicircle of plush built-in lounge chairs where guests can gather each evening for cocktails and share their daily adventures. Upstairs, guests can enjoy an integrated living room with comfortable couches and a flat screen TV, a private office with a new desk computer and fix phone, and a full equipped fly tying table. Generally speaking, the lodge has every amenity
Breakfast is a standard yet filling meal featuring made-to-order eggs, toast, bacon, fruit, coffee, tea, and juice.
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Lunch is served streamside by your guides and commonly includes homemade gourmet dishes, salads, beverages, and desserts.
All in all, Las Pampas Lodge is a truly remarkable place. From its location way out at the end of the road, to its spectacular mountainous backdrop, to the depth and diversity of its fishing program, few places can claim all that it offers.
Dinner is served late evening in traditional Argentine fashion and the typical menu is comprised of inspired choices that range from fresh lamb and vegetarian dishes to thick-cut steaks and chops, all of which are paired with local Argentine wines.
Add to that a dedicated, friendly and inclusive local staff, and it comes as no surprise that Las Pampas Lodge captures the true essence of Patagonia.
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THE GUIDES
Las Pampas Lodge enthusiastic and passionate guides are the best in the area, and for good reason: they are real locals, speak fluent English and they spend the entire 180 day season fishing the Rio Pico region. With that many days on the water these guys know where and when to find the best fishing.
anglers is assigned a guide and assistant guide each day. At first this might seem overkill but once the truck pulls up to the first of many gates en route to the fishing grounds it becomes very apparent how much this subtle difference enhances the experience of every angler. Outside of being the official gate-opener and closer, the assistant guide is constantly busy in the background and takes care of the initial setup of client rods, prepares rafts, runs shuttles, and prepares lunch so the main guide can focus on the guests and creating the best possible experience on the water.
Our guides are dry fly junkies. They push beyond the boundaries of what most dry fly enthusiasts would consider optimal top-water conditions. They challenge their anglers to stick to their guns and use dries at times when most North Americans would back down and switch to subsurface techniques. Best of all, they make it work. Despite their strong tendencies to focus on head hunting for rising fish, when conditions dictate, they happily switch into their signature “we do what we gotta do” mode and approach the water with dry/dropper, nymph, or streamer rigs to get their clients into fish.
Another unique feature and highlight about Las Pampas Lodge is that the guides provide, for no extra cost, ALL terminal tackle including leaders, tippets, and flies. No more filling your boxes with often-unneeded fly patterns or worrying about how old your tippet is, Las Pampas has you covered. In Oggy’s words, “this way we know every angler has the right stuff for every fishing situation we put them in.”
One of the most unique elements of the Las Pampas fishing experience is that every pair of 14
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FISHING Las Pampas Lodge “means” variety and quality of water.
WHEN IT COMES TO AVAILABLE WATER TYPES, FISHING STYLES AND TROUT SPECIES, LAS PAMPAS LODGE MAY BE UNBEATABLE.
make up the quantity of one’s catch with brown trout providing the size Typically, anglers and guides leave the lodge in the morning in full-equipped 4x4 trucks, loaded with inflatable NRS rafts with specially designed fishing frames, and spend the majority of their drive time on rough, unimproved back roads that are interesting and adventuresome in their own right, coming back to the lodge late in the afternoons.
With a multitude of spring creeks, small to medium-size freestone rivers, and trophy still waters as well as a mix of rainbow, brown, and brook trout all within a relatively small radius, anglers are presented with far more options than they could experience in a two or even three-week stay.
This well-choreographed fishing program delivers a level of customer service and genuine adventure that puts Las Pampas in a class by itself.
This provides our guests the opportunity to sample multiple different types of water during their stay or concentrate solely on those they most prefer. Generally speaking, rainbow trout
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THE RIVERS The Rio Pico begins as a small willow-lined spring creek and grows quickly as additional spring creeks and small freestone rivers add to its volume. As the river flows westward, the Pico breaks into multiple channels that flow swiftly through open pasturelands. Below the channels the Pico is joined by two medium-size freestones, first by the Rio Pampas and further downstream by the Rio Nilson. The next ten miles of the Pico offer abundant and sometimes large rainbows and fewer but larger browns that can surpass the 27-inch mark. Although these sections of the river are public, they are very hard to
access, requiring two things that Las Pampas has: permission from local landowners and keys to locked gates! All in all, the Pico offers more than 25 miles of water, five distinct floats sections and endless wade fishing opportunities before crossing into Chile on its way west through the Andes. Upper, middle and low reaches are accessed very easily by Las Pampas Lodge. In addition to the much-touted Rio Pico, Las Pampas Lodge fishes other additional systems, the Rio Pampas and the Rio Nilson. These can best be described as medium-sized freestone rivers where anglers typically see
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steady action sight casting to rainbows and browns in the 10 to 20-inch class. Both streams offer miles of fantastic walk and wade opportunities. Included in Las Pampas never ending and near fisheries available, is the mighty Rio Corcovado: a big size freestone river with gin clear water pouring out of huge Lake Vinter. “The Corco”, as locals call it, holds the healthiest trophy brook trout run in the world and also provides anglers the possibility of catching the biggest rainbow trout in all Argentina Rivers. These hogs sit behind the spawning trophy bookies’, feeding on minnows and eggs. Every angler should fish, at least once in his life-time, this unique run.
SPRING CREEKS The Rio Pico watershed is home to over a dozen fantastic spring creeks, all of which ultimately feed into the Pico. Varying greatly in size, length, depth and current speed, each creek presents its own unique set of angling challenges. For lovers of small and at times technical waters, these often overlooked gems have a great deal to offer. Most of these intimate spring creeks hold surprising numbers of good-sized rainbows and trophy browns that are all too willing to rise to a well presented dry fly. They are one of the secret gems of Las Pampas Lodge.
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STILL WATERS Despite the wide array of river and stream fishing options, the Rio Pico area is best known to locals for a series of five highly productive lakes scattered throughout the region’s rugged hills. Though each lake has its own nuances, they all share similar shorelines dominated by rocky outcroppings, thick vegetation and monster trophy fish feeding on any
“non identified flying objects” that hits the water near them. Typically, the Las Pampas guides will row their anglers just off the shorelines enabling their guests to both blind cast and sight cast large dry flies towards the banks. While many northern hemisphere anglers immediately dismiss the thought of lake fishing, we feel it remiss to visit this region without giving it a go.
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Not only do these lakes produce the region’s largest fish but they also can provide very exciting fishing complete with crushing top-water takes and memorable sight fishing opportunities. Casting a big foam fly from a raft to a rising fish with the potential of having a 20 to 28 inch brown or rainbow come up and suck it in, brings a whole new meaning to “lake fishing”!
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PROGRAMS
LAS PAMPAS
A) 7 nights / 6 fishing days B) 10 nights / 9 fishing days Day 1 - Domestic Flight AEP-EQS. Transfer to Las Pampas Lodge Day 2 - Fish Rio Pico (Upper section) and Spring Creek Day 3 - Fish Rio Pampa (Lower section) and Spring Creek Day 4 - Fish Rio Corcovado or Lake 1-5 Day 5 - Fish Lake 1-5 Day 6 - Fish Rio Nielson Day 7 - Fish Rio Pico (Middle section) and Spring Creek Day 8 - Transfer to Esquel Airport and flight to AEP-EQS Price per angler Season 2017: U$D 5,000.Extra Day 1 - Fish Rio Pampa (Upper section) and Spring Creek Extra Day 2 - Fish Rio Tigre or Lake Vinter Extra Day 3 - Fish Rio Pico (Lower Section) and Spring Creek Price per angler Season 2017: U$D 7,200.
*Sample itinerary: fishing options may change depending on angler’s desire of floating or wading, or weather conditions. Included in every LPL program: Transfers in/out Esquel (ESQ) Airport to Las Pampas Lodge - Lodging - All foods - All Beverages - English speaking, full equipped, Guide - Guide assistance - Daily transfers to fishing areas - All terminals (leaders, tippets and flies) - Private waters fees - Fishing license. Not included: Airfares - Buenos Aires hotel and transfers - Gratitude for staff.
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PROGRAMS
LAS PAMPAS Brook Trout Expedition (Add On)
10 nights / 9 fishing days Have you ever dreamed of getting in the books for catching a world record trophy fish? This is your opportunity!
systems, we consider it is needed to camp in those remote areas to avoid long daily transfers. Trips are a combination of Las Pampas Lodge and camping nights. Guests will enjoy a culinary experience like they never had before, thanks to the flavor that wood smoke gives to all our meat cuts and vegetables. Cocktails at a fire and a million stars.
During special periods of the fishing season, some very specific waters in the Las Pampas lineup mature and offer visiting anglers a unique chance to target some of the world’s largest brook trout. During the majority of the season these monster bookies’ inhabit a number of key lakes where they are hard to catch, but in the austral summer and fall they migrate up a number of key rivers where they become easier to target. These systems are hard to reach. To be able to discover and enjoy these water
For anglers serious about big brook trout we recommend booking this special extension trip onto a standard lodge stay.
Day 1 - Domestic Flight AEP-EQS. Transfer to Las Pampas Lodge Day 2 - Fish Rio Pico (Upper section) and Spring Creek Day 3 - Fish Lago 1- 5 Day 4 - Fish Rio Trophy Brook Trout (Upper section). Sleep at Basecamp Day 5 - Fish Lago Trophy Brook Trout. Sleep at Basecamp Day 6 - Fish Rio Trophy Brook Trout (Lower section). Sleep at Basecamp Day 7 - Fish Rio Pampa (Upper section) and Spring Creek Day 8 - Fish Rio Pico (Middle section) and Spring Creek Day 9 - Fish Lago 1-5 Day 10 - Fish Rio Pico (Lower section) and Spring Creek Day 11 - Transfer to Esquel Airport and flight to AEP-EQS *Sample itinerary: fishing options may change depending on angler’s desire of floating or wading, or weather conditions.
Price per angler Season 2017: U$D 7,200.24
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PROGRAMS
LAS PAMPAS Esquel Waters (Add On)
10 nights / 9 fishing days When flying all the way down to Central Patagonia, why not spending some extra nights and get to fish different waters of our region. A great add on to the Las Pampas Lodge Program is fishing the good rivers of Esquel, Trevelin and Los Alerces National Park. Our guides know very well the region, have access to prime private waters and are licensed to fish in the Los Alerces National Park. We recommend this add on for couples and anglers who prefer to fish mainly out of a raft or motorboat. Day 1- Domestic Flight AEP-EQS. Transfer to Los Alerces NP Lodge Day 2 - Fish Rio Grande or Fulatleufu Day 3 - Fish Rio Rivadavia (Los Alerces NP) Day 4 - Fish Rio Frey or Arrayanes (Los Alerces NP) Day 5 - Fish Rio Corcovado. Sleep at Las Pampas Lodge Day 6 - Fish Rio Pico (Upper section) or Lake 1-5 Day 7 - Fish Rio Pampa (Lower Section) and Spring Creek Day 8 - Fish Rio Nielson Day 9 - Fish Rio Tigre Day 10 - Fish Rio Pico (Middle section) and Spring Creek Day 11 - Transfer to Esquel Airport and flight to AEP-EQS *Sample itinerary: fishing options may change depending on angler’s desire of floating or wading, or weather conditions.
Price per Angler Season 2017: U$D 7,200.26
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PROGRAMS
LAS PAMPAS
real deal (Add On)
14 nights / 13 fishing days For those visiting Central Patagonia for the first time or being a frequent guest of Las Pampas Lodge and willing to explore every incredible river this big area area has to offer, this is your deal! Anglers will fish the best waters Esquel, Trevelin, Corcovado and Rio Pico areas have to offer and get to sleep and enjoy all our different locations. A combination of all Las Pampas Lodge programs blended with the most extraordinary variety of waters and environments. Anglers will have the chance to fish 13 different rivers or sections every day, not repeating a single feet of water during two full weeks. Welcome to the Ultimate Fly Fishing Adventure in Argentina. Day 1 - Domestic Flight AEP-EQS. Transfer to Los Alerces NP Lodge Day 2 - Fish Rio Grande or Fulatleufu Day 3 - Fish Rio Rivadavia or Frey (Los Alerces NP) Day 4 - Fish Rio Arrayanes (Los Alerces NP) Day 5 - Fish Rio Corcovado. Sleep at Las Pampas Lodge Day 6 - Fish Rio Pico (Upper section) and Spring Creek Day 7 - Fish Rio Pampa (Lower section) and Spring Creek Day 8 - Fish Rio Píldoras or Lago 1-5 Day 9 - Fish Rio Trophy Brook Trout (Upper section). Expedition and Sleep at Basecamp Day 10 - Fish Rio Trophy Brook Trout (Lower section). Expedition and sleep at Basecamp Day 11 - Fish Rio Nielson or Lago 1-5 Day 13 - Fish Rio Pampa (Upper section) and Spring Creek Day 14 - Fish Rio Pico (Mid section) and Spring Creek Day 15 - Transfer to Esquel Airport and flight to AEP-EQS *Sample itinerary: fishing options may change depending on angler’s desire of floating or wading, or weather conditions.
Price per angler Season 2017: U$D 10,000.-
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PROGRAMS
LAS PAMPAS Chile (Add On)
10 nights / 9 fishing days We can’t avoid pushing our limits. And we thought that our program needed a new adventure. So we joined the best outfitter in Chile, The Patagonian Basecamp, and created a combined “borderless” fishing program to Argentina and Chile: PatagoniaOne.
This ten day borderless program will maximize the opportunity for our guests to experience Patagonia on the deepest level possible.
Starting 2016, for the first time, anglers will have the chance to fish a complete water system starting from a tiny spring creek in the Argentine side of the Andes, all the way down to the Pacific Ocean in Chile. Walking and spotting feeding trout in small streams, floating huge rapids, trophy lake fishing, intimate and high end lodging, five star camping, the best wines of both countries, valleys, glaciers, canyons and countless fish is what you will find in PatagoniaOne.
“The new PatagoniaOne program combines the best of Las Pampas Lodge with the best of Patagonian BaseCamp. It is well-choreographed, a perfect blend of the large mountain-water fishing that PBC specializes in with the new small water, high desert wade fishing in Rio Pico, provided by LPL: The very best of both worlds. This new program will no doubt redefine what an ultimate Patagonia Trout Fishing Safari is”.
In the words of one of the most respected and experienced travel fishermen in the world:
Pat Pendergast, Director of Travel for The Fly Shop (“36 hours in Rio Pico” article).
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Day 1 - Domestic Flight AEP - ESQ and Transfer to Las Pampas Lodge Day 2 - Fish the Rio Pico Day 3 - Fish Lago 1-5 Day 4 - Fish the Rio Pampa and Spring creek Day 5 - Boarder crossing. Fish Rio Figueroa. Sleep at Temple Camp Day 6 - Fish Rio Pico (Chilenean side) Day 7 - Fish the Rio Palena (1st Section). Sleep at Patagonian Basecamp Lodge Day 8 - Fish Lago Roselout Day 9 - Fish Rio Palena (2nd Section) Day 10 - Fish Rio Yelcho Day 11 - Boarder Crossing and Transfer to Esquel Airport. Depart from ESQ – AEP Price per angler Season 2017: U$D 9,590.-
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LPL Featured (Images used for Catalogues, Retail and Dealer Workbook)
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(Images used in web-site)
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WHY LAS PAMPAS LODGE?
Most of our guests get to know Las Pampas Lodge from “mouth to mouth”. And we just love it happens that way!
• We personally book and host every single trip to get to know our guests as friends, and make sure the experience provided is customized to their tastes.
• 1:1 fishing ratio: each pair of anglers head to the river with a guide and an assistant guide so each angler has someone to point out where fish are, what their eating, provide tippets and flies, help wade a river or shoot a great photo to take back home!
• We work hand to hand with the most professional Travel Agents in the industry, helping our guests plan their round trip for no extra cost.
• We don’t guess where tomorrow’s good fishing could be, we know it because we spend 180 days of the season on Rio Pico’s waters.
• LPL trips have no hidden costs: our programs are authentic “all inclusive”, with an impeccable plane-to-plane service.
• We have over 20 private access to different waters, making sure our guests spend their days in rested and productive fisheries.
• We have been locals in the Las Pampas/ Rio Pico area for over 17 years.
• Our casual, friendly, fun and inclusive vibe makes us proud: staff and guides welcome each guest with open arms making them feel at their home, in a beautiful and remote location.
• LPL fishing equipment provided to our clients is top of the line: NRS rafts, Patagonia waders and boots, Winston Rods, new RIO lines, Trout Hunter Tippet, MFC flies and Zen tenkara rods.
• We provide highly diverse fly fishing programs with multi-species opportunities: we have something for everyone. 34
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How to book your next adventure?
Just follow these 3 easy steps to book your next fly fishing trip to Patagonia: 1) Contact Agustin Fox by: or Doug Colonel by: Email: agustinfox@laspampaslodge.com Email: doug@laspampaslodge.com Skype: oggiefox Skype: dougcolonel Facebook: AF Las Pampas Lodge Facebook: Doug Colonel Phone: (#US) 00 54 9 2945 412274 Phone: (#US) 307-413-3431 We will personally attend your inquiries and match the trip of your dreams. We will work together, the best time and dates for your trip. 2) Consult your travel agent and/or our travel agent (alicia@holdytours.com) and book your international flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and your domestic flights to Esquel, Patagonia. 3) Send us a deposit for the 50% cost of your trip and your booked for your next fishing adventure!! Simple, personalized and customized to your own taste. Many traveled fishermen have already proved this. We are waiting for you and want to show you the new fly fishing travel experience. Forget about any other operation you have visited before, Las Pampas Lodge will spoil you for ever!! And not only because of the big fish. (well..., just a secret: fishing is still our highlight among others...). See you all next 2017!!!! Agustin Fox Las Pampas Lodge.
Thanks to our sponsors for their support:
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LPL Reviews
“The best aspect of Las Pampas Lodge, other than the superb fishing, is the equalatarian atmosphere at the lodge, where the guides and clients are all part of the family.” Yvon Chouinard (
founder and owner).
“It’s unique location, welcoming staffdriven atmosphere and its highly diverse multi-species trout fishing program combine to make this a Patagonian classic that is extremely hard to beat.” Kyle Kolodziejski
South American Director for Fly Water Travel.
“Everything is going fast and furious, everything but the incredibly slow and methodical eats on our dry flies by BIG rainbows and browns - we land trout to 24 inches, nothing under 20 inches. This has to rate as one of the most enjoyable, successful and unique lake fishing experiences I have ever had. The new PatagoniaOne program combines the best of Las Pampas with the best of Patagonian BaseCamp. This program will no doubt redefine what an ultimate Patagonia Trout Fishing Safari is.” Pat Pendergast
Director of Travel Department of The Fly Shop.
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Las Pampas - Rio Pico - Chubut
PATAGONIA ARGENTINA www.laspampaslodge.com (#US) 00 54 9 2945 412274 Las Pampas Lodge @las_pampas_lodge Las Pampas Lodge 40