Irigoyen - Chasing Seatrout where the World Ends

They say to get over a problem you must first admit that you have one. I have an addiction, affliction – call it what you may. The sea trout is my mistress, my temptress and I yearn for her attention. She keeps me up at ungodly hours, provokes me, teases me and leaves me wanting more. Sometimes she is cruel, sometimes she is kind, but no matter what her mood to me there is no finer treasure to be found.

By STEFFAN JONES

I have chased sea trout around the British Isles for as long as I have held a fly rod; rude not to when you are born equidistance between the revered Teifi and Towy Rivers in West Wales. Then in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter I follow the birds and migrate south, again in pursuit of the silver tourist.

Every sea trout is a reward, not matter what the siz

Over the years I have been fortunate to fish some magnificent sea trout rivers; each and every one holding its unique charm and intrigue. The Queen of Welsh Rivers – the River Teifi – is my Northern Hemisphere’ mistress, but in the Southern Hemisphere my heart belongs to one; the Rio Irigoyen.

The Irigoyen does not often fall onto an angler’s radar, especially with the mighty Rio Grande being nearby. Indeed, it is no larger than that of a tributary of the Rio Grande, such as the Menendez, for example. As such, why the Irigoyen above all others? Especially given the neighbouring pedigree. Every sea trout is a reward, not matter what the size – when it comes to wild fish we should be grateful of every capture. However, it is the challenge of the reward that holds the Irigoyen in such high esteem for me.

Located on the island of Tierra del Fuego between the towns of Rio Grande and Ushuaia the Irigoyen meanders through dense lenga and Antarctic beech woodland, which not only add beauty but also buffer the winds that the island is synonymous for. The river is some 15-20 metres wide at most, barely changing over the first 15km upstream from the ocean as there are no notable tributaries until then.

Whilst the river meanders like a lowland spring creek it retains a surprising gradient, which, in turn, creates a classical ‘run-pool-riffle’ combination us anglers adore. Interesting pocket water is abound; created by the fallen trees and logjams that construct the perfect habitat and hideaway for the sea trout. Then at every corner you have a holding pool. Those with structure present – be it bedrock or wood – are always the most productive, creating a secure lair for the sea trout.

Do not let the size of the river fool you. Massive sea trout are present; certainly within reach of those caught and expected on the Rio Grande. Landing them, however, is a different matter! This, to me, is what makes the Irigoyen so special and unique.

Not only do you have to think about the cast and presentation but you also have to think about a battle strategy. You are forced to think about every single cast; what depth am I fishing at? Am I giving the fish enough/too much time to see my fly? How close to I dare fish to the snag? Are there submerged branches? How wide is the undercut bank? When hooked, what is my exit strategy for the fish? What other obstacles are there in the pool that I need to be aware of when playing the fish?

There are few guarantees in fishing, there are even fewer on the Irigoyen. The sea trout are present in healthy numbers, getting them to take and landing them is a different matter. Every fish feels like a reward and that your effort and thought process deserved the outcome. This, again, is what makes the Irigoyen special to me. It is not a river of ‘chuck and chance’.

The daytime fishing is predominated with nymph fishing – akin to high-sticking for trout. Line control and accuracy takes precedence over distance. You must approach each hole with stealth and then present the fly within a hair of an obstacle whilst immediately allowing it to achieve the necessary depth before the current sweeps it away and passed the fish. Tungsten is invariably the key; be it in bead or dumbbell form.

You must then have nylon that’s up to the job; no lighter than 15lb in the daytime with 25lb being the material of choice for the evening. Fluorocarbon is a good choice with its extra abrasion resistance. Sometimes it’s a case of hit and hold or there’s a need to drag a fish away from an impending obstacle; turn the fish or lose it, it really is that simple. With fish of over 20lb hooked every week this is definitely easier said than done… Your hooks, too, must be up to the task in hand.

Indeed, every aspect of your tackle will be tested and nothing should be left to chance. Strong salmon or steelhead hooks should be used or carp hooks, which are my personal preference as you get a lot more variety and they are immensely strong.

As light levels diminish many, if not most, of the sea trout will move out from the undercut banks

Another beauty of the Irigoyen is that it is all single handed rod fishing. A 10ft #8 is the perfect companion. Nothing more than a floating line is needed either, adding to the simplicity. You do, however, need tips of varying sink speeds; everything from intermediate to type 7-8. Again, make sure they are up to the task as many will have low breaking strains.

Evening fishing for sea trout is special and on the Irigoyen is no different. The habits of these sea trout are the same as those found closer to home and as the light fails the sea trout soon betray their daytime lairs. This is when your daytime reconnaissance comes into use and hopefully you have remembered the key structure in a given pool.

The fading light excites the sea trout and when they are active, rolling around, exploring the runs etc. they can usually be tempted to a sunray shadow fished towards the surface.

As light levels diminish many, if not most, of the sea trout will move out from the undercut banks, drop out of the deep holes and recesses, and wander from underneath the logjams and structure. They will drop onto the shallower tails of the pool, onto the edge of the drop-offs or move towards the run into a pool if they are tempted to vacate and find another home further upstream – sometimes this is just to test the levels and they will then decide against this course of action until water levels change or time becomes pressing. No matter what the reason, this action presents them as an easier target and it should be fully capitalised on. Under these conditions there are two flies I would never be without; the sunray shadow and the leech.

The fading light excites the sea trout and when they are active, rolling around, exploring the runs etc. they can usually be tempted to a sunray shadow fished towards the surface. When this fails and the fish become less active then it is time for a leech. Basically, as long as it is black then chances are it will work.

They are usually tied with zonker rabbit strips over some large krystal hackle. Most are articulated with either a Waddington shank or a clipped Aberdeen hook up front then a trailing stinger hook in size 4-1 behind. You may use wire or braid to connect the two and either leave the hook loose or bind it to the flowing rabbit strip to stop it from snagging; usually only necessary on the longer leeches. The takes can be explosive – they really want to kill the fly. Other times it is the lightest of weight changes detected that will indicate a take.

I have experienced no other river that takes you on such a rollercoaster.

These fish present very different challenges. Whilst where they were hooked may present few challenges, where they may run to present many. This is when your nylon, daytime recollection of the pool and a healthy pinch of luck will all come into play to decide the outcome. The serenity of the environment lulls you into a relaxed state, which is then overturned into a state of deep concentration mixed with extreme chaos and hedonistic sport – I have experienced no other river that takes you on such a rollercoaster.

They are good fighters and do not give in easily. Certainly worth targeting during your visit and a species to add to your list, especially when sport is likely to be unfruitful on the main river for sea trout.

As you may have now gathered if you are after an easy life on the sea trout front then the Irigoyen is probably not for you. If, however, you are not obsessed with numbers, prefer to be rewarded for your fish and fancy a unique challenge then you must visit the Irigoyen. This is why the river has reached cult status in only a few years and is where many anglers – me being one of them - choose to return to annually beyond all others. Aardvark McLeod Sporting Travel Specialists have the worldwide distribution on the Irigoyen. For further information visit:

www.aardvarkmcleod.com