Sea Trout Fishing Irigoyen River Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina
10 reasons why you should visit and fish the Irigoyen River in Argentina for sea trout.
The Irigoyen has not appeared in the press for many years. As a result, many may have forgotten or may not know what makes it a truly unique location, river and adventure. As such, let us break it down to you in easily digestible points, highlighting why you really should put the Irigoyen and ‘World End Lodge’ at the top of your destination bucket-list.
1. Less Windy; I’m sure you have heard of incessant wind on the Rio Grande. This is not the case and is not an issue on the Irigoyen as it meanders through a tree-lined valley that protects it from the wind and creates a more pleasant fishing environment.
2. Smaller and more intimate; the river is around 15-20 metres wide in most places, and casts longer than 10-15 metres are rarely needed. The river has a fantastic character, and is largely constructed of a series of consecutive short pools, each one holding fish. Hooking a fish in such water is fantastic fun, especially when the fish turns out to be 10 lbs+, which is certainly common in the Irigoyen. Indeed, sea trout of over 20 lbs are hooked every season – landing them is another matter…
3. More like trout fishing; whereas the Rio Grande can be more like salmon fishing at times, the Irigoyen is very much like trout fishing in that short, accurate casts are needed, then line control, dead-drifting etc. is a must and a key to success. Every cast must be thought about rather than long, monotonous swings. A great thinking angler’s river.
4. Single handed rods rule; leave your double handers at home! Even a switch rod can be an overkill on the Irigoyen. A 10ft #8 is the perfect rod and will cover every eventuality on the river. The Irigoyen is more about accurate casting and line control than throwing to the horizon.
5. Nature; the river meanders gently through lenga and Antarctic beech trees. These trees are very old and provide a fantastic habitat for wildlife. During your stay you may see Austral Parakeeta, guanacos, beavers, flamingos, wild horses and more.
6. Angling pressure; there are no other lodges along the river, which means that you have the entire river to yourself – well, you and your fellow anglers at the lodge. However, the most productive areas are from the sea and inland for some 20km or so, which is easily accessed from the lodge. With just four anglers per week, the river will never be overfished, even when the water is running very low under summer conditions – it is properly managed and is managed to be sustainable yet productive.
7. Robalo; these are a great sporting fish in their own right and superb to catch on the fly, especially on bright, sunny days when the sea trout prove difficult to tempt. Robalo are the only fish within their genus and family. Looking like a cross between a mullet/bass they are very strong fish with fins running almost the entire length of their body. They have been caught in excess of 15 lbs.
8. Location; if you are looking to truly escape and disappear for a week then the Irigoyen certainly facilitates that. Simply put; it is in the middle of nowhere. No houses, perhaps the occasional gaucho, wild horse and cow, but that is about it. Oh, and the fish. Having said that, return to the comfortable lodge overlooking the river and you have modern creature comforts, including a decent Wi-Fi connection enabling you to keep connected with the outside world.
9. Exclusivity; just four rods per week makes it ideal for intact parties of friends. Also, you have single en-suite rooms as standard, which is an important factor if you have a snoring companion…
10. Adrenaline rush; hooking a large sea trout will get the adrenaline pumping. However, hooking one on the Irigoyen will send it into overdrive. Hooking a sea trout on the Irigoyen can be the easy part as landing it is another matter. You have logjams and obstructions to contend with, which the fish know all too well. Fast and furious fishing and the fight of your life awaits.
For more insight into the Irigoyen and what the river has to offer, please do check out Steffan Jones’ trip report HERE.
Want to see the river and experience it for yourself? Then please do check out the latest availability for the lodge HERE.
Sea Trout Fishing Irigoyen River Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina
Make a booking? Need more information?
We have worldwide exclusivity at World End Lodge on the Irigoyen. If you would like more details such as an information sheet, example itinerary or to check and confirm availability please do not hesitate to contact Steffan Jones or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.