Wednesday, January 21, 2015

DIY Fly Fishing Patagonia: 13 Days of Pain and Pleasure

How to search this blog for helpful information?  Use the blog search engine and type in key words such as Float Trip, Walk-Wade, Float Tube, Lessons, Pesos, Fy Rods, Flies, Best Months, etc.  The search engine is located on the right side, just below the weather.  FYI, there are over 100 post about fishing Patagonia... the information you are looking for, is probably on this blog. Thanks.

My most recent client is a kind and friendly man.  Working with the Swiss Red Cross, he specializes in setting up prosthetic and orthopedic centers, in war torn countries.  He has spent the last 18 years of his life, living and working in Africa...in some of the worse hell holes imaginable.  His stories of life and war in Africa are amazing (we have it good).  Though I did not ask, it seems that he is know focused on the golden years of his life, and wishes to make fly fishing a big part of his leisure time.

I titled this post, "13 Days of Pain and Pleasure," because Fitz is a true beginner angler.  Prior to Patagonia, he had never fly fished; he had never stepped into a river with a fly rod.  For those of you who don't know, learning how to fly fish in Patagonia is HARD... F'n HARD!  So, as the title suggests, we had some good and bad moments.  In the end, I think the mental bruises will heal and he'll remember that it was First Cast that helped him catch his first trout. For that reason, we are happy to be part of this life energy.    


We spent a couple days using my tango nymph rig.  We missed many strikes and lost many battles, but the Patagonia fish gods gave up one, and boy was she a beauty! 

First Patagonia Brown Trout deserves a kiss.
A moment of pleasure.
There is nothing like wild fish.  Until you catch one, you'll never understand. 

Final Word

Fitz is an interesting fellow.  He graduated college with a BA in Latin American Studies.  He then chose another direction.  He went to welding school and ended up working in shipping ports around the USA.  At the age of 40, he reinvented himself by entering prosthetic school, located in White Bear Lake, MN.  Actually, while he was in prosthetic school, he worked part-time at a bar in Stillwater, MN... during my college summer breaks, I spent time in that area and I was physically at the bar when he worked there!  These days, his other hobby includes restoring the following http://www.killerjeanne.com/  and http://vimeo.com/9303367  My point? I admire Fitz's spirit.  He likes to challenge himself, even it means learning how to cast in 30 mph winds, standing in freezing water and withstanding blistering UV rays (most anglers know this goes beyond a challenge...it's pure torture).

Thanks for reading and hope to see you in Patagonia.

Saludos,

Mark