Trout Bum Rio Pico Trip Report
Tyler Brunson
Justin-
I had an amazing time fishing with you and your crew in January 2020.
Rio Pico - what a place! The sheer amount of fishable water within an hour's drive of Rio Pico is impressive. I fished 6 full days - 3 on lakes and 3 on streams. Each day was unique and incredibly rewarding. Having spent most of my time on tailwaters and small Appalachian trout streams, I had not previously done much streamer fishing. That all changed on my first day. Fishing streamers on a beautiful lake in the literal shadow of the Andes, I caught 20 or so brookies that averaged about 20". I probably missed just as many due to my inexperience in setting a streamer hook. As equally incredible as the fishing - beside the 3 of us fishing in 2 boats, we saw 1 other boat all day (on a lake the could easily support much more pressure if it had to)!
The 2nd day, I caught my largest trout ever - a 27" beast of a rainbow (pic attached). On a normal day, I'd tell you about the 24" brown that I caught the same day, but somehow that fish wasn't the fish of the day.
The 3rd day we fished a brookie stream and lost count at 80 or so fish. It was basically non-stop top water action the entire day. The water was gin clear and we did not see anyone all day! It was incredible.
I could go on and on, but I won't. The fishing the other 3 days was just as great.
I first heard and read about fly fishing in Argentina as a college student 20 years ago. It seemed like such a magical place - a distant, far off land where the fishing sounded too good to be true. Having now been, I can say that the fishing lived up the hype. It is a magical place, but it does not seem that far off now.
A few years ago, I started talking with my wife about taking a "trip of a lifetime" to Argentina to celebrate my 40th birthday. Now, having been, I'd like to think that it's going to more like a trip every year 1-2 years.
The flight to Buenos Aires was not bad at all. When you factor in the overall time and expense, a trip to Argentina is not that much different than taking a trip out to Wyoming and Montana. The biggest difference is that you guys receive a fraction of the pressure that our western rivers receive, your fish are bigger and the scenery is completely unspoiled.
I decided to fish with you via the Trout Bum program because I wanted to experience awesome fishing without all the fuss and circumstance. The accommodations were very comfortable, all the food we ate was delicious and my guide was top-class. In short, it was exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I was hoping it would be.
Please feel free to use this review in any way that see fit and please don't hesitate to share my email with potential clients that would like a reference.
All the best,
Tyler Brunson
