RIO BARRANCOSO
As the only tributary, this small river is the lifeblood of Lago Strobel and might be one of the best trophy trout streams in the entire world. And fortunately, the very best water is only a short walk from our front door. Often the sheer number of trout holding in the runs and pools of the Rio Barrancoso is simply unbelievable.
During the early season, when the water is high, the Rio Barrancoso becomes the spawning destination for every trout in Lago Strobel. These fish cycle in and out of the river, from the mouth to the headwaters, jockeying for position and feeding aggressively after the long winter. Later, when flows drop, the fish continue to move in and out of the Rio Barrancoso and gather at its mouth, to feed opportunistically in its cool flows.
Anglers commonly fish the Rio Barrancoso with floating lines and use techniques familiar to trout fisherman everywhere. Depending on conditions and time of year, these fish love to rise for a dry fly, pick up a dead drifted nymph, or attack a streamer. What makes the Rio Barrancoso so special is the consistent numbers and massive size of the trout it holds.
The large majority of the entire Rio Barrancoso, including the amazing water at the mouth and along the lower-most beat, is accessible to Jurassic Lake Lodge guests. This means that our guests enjoy exclusive, private access to this incredible river every day of the season without seeing other anglers
Lower section
This has to be by far the most productive section of the river, with huge trout migrating in via the inlet all rear round. Due to this, catch rates on this stretch of the river are truly staggering. As well as the small pools dotted along the river, you have the opportunity to fish in what we like to call the aquarium. A large pool midway up the lower section of the river that the fish use to hold in before continuing on their upward migration. In this section of the river we recommend the use of a 7 weight rod with streamers also being effective in certain stretches of the river and the aquarium.
Middle section
Even though, the majority of the larger fish from the lake cannot access this section of the river, it still offers incredible fishing in breathtaking scenery. This section is a 10 km freestone which holds fish up to the 10 Lb mark, still a huge trout by most of other rivers standards.
Upper section
There are more than 20 km of the upper section of the Barrancoso river that has still yet to be fished. If you are looking for challenging fishing in some of the most untouched waters in patagonia the this section is certainly ticks all the boxes.
Headwaters
Almost unexplored, the Barrancoso headwaters is a 15 km section. Even with a difficult access, the upper section is a dream come true for those anglers looking for a pristine and untouched river
