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George Anderson's suggestions onFlies, Tackle, Equipmentand Clothing forArgentina 2008Rods | Reels | Lines & Leaders | Flies |Waders Clothing | Luggage
Helping you get set up rightYou may have everything you need for our trip, but if you don't, we would like to help get you set up right. There is no shop around that knows how to set up tackle like we do. When you have a chance to catch that fish of a lifetime, you sure don't want to lose it because your backing to line connection failed or your butt section slipped off the fly line! Since we've been doing these trips many years, we have the expertise to advise you on exactly what you'll need in terms of tackle, flies clothing and all those little miscellaneous items that you don't want to forget. My favorite rods for ArgentinaI've found that fishing we'll be doing in Argentina's Patagonia is a lot like Montana. You need different rods for the different kinds of water and fishing that we'll encounter on our trip. For the fishing we'll be doing on the first portion of our trip, two different outfits, a #5 weight rod, and the other a #7 weight rod is all that will be needed. For those of us going on to fish the Limay Medio, a strong #8 rod is also recommended.
I like to hand carry my rods while I'm traveling, so the 4 piece rods make a lot more sense than taking two or three piece rods that may need to be checked. I'll stick the rods in one of the 4" diameter travel cases x 32" long, from Winston, or Sage. These will hold 4-5 four-piece rods in their cloth bags. We sell these for about $75. One trick I've learned the hard way from traveling with rods, is to stuff paper towel into any extra space at the top of your rod tube. This will ensure that there is no room for your rods to move back and forth and possibly break a tip before you even get to the river! The spring creek fishing in Patagonia is much different than what we encounter here in the States. Here we are fishing lots of light tippet like 5X and 6X, with small flies. In Argentina on the spring creeks, where there is much less fishing pressure the fish are not as leader shy, and we'll often be fishing larger flies. Heavy weed growth and big fish make it risky to fish less than 3X or 4X for tippet.
A good #5 line rod was perfect for most of this fishing. You want a rod that has good power for playing big fish and launching larger wind resistant flies like hoppers and even some smaller streamers. My favorites are the G. Loomis StreamDance 9 foot #5 High Line Speed, and the superb Sage Z-Axis 9 foot #5. Both of these are four piece rods in the $650 price range.
We have some good less expensive alternatives now too, in 5 line rods, like the Albright A-5, five piece , Redington's four piece CPS, and the TFO four piece rods. These rods are in the $225-$300 price range and a smart buy for anyone that wants that wants a high performance rod at a bargain price. Along with your 5-weight outfit, you'll need something stronger for chucking streamers and playing those big rainbows, once we get down to Rio Pico. A seven- weight outfit was perfect, especially using a couple of different sink tip type lines. Of the 7 weight rods out there on the market today two of my favorites are Winston's 9 foot #7 Boron IIX, and the Loomis StreamDance Max GLX in 9 foot #6, which we load up with a #7 line. The Boron IIx in the 7 weight is perhaps the best BIIx in the line-up. It loads very nicely and is just a marvelous rod. It is as light as most 5 line rods, but has great smooth power- plenty for casting a 15-24 foot sinking head a long way, and for playing those 5-8 pound rainbows and browns we'll be catching down in Rio Pico. The Loomis StreamDance MAX GLX has a little more power (even though it is rated as a 6 line rod) and is one of my favorites when I have to chuck a big streamer a long way. It is always a good idea to bring a back up rod, maybe even two. More than once I've broken a rod on the first day or two of the trip and had to go with my backup the rest of the week! So if you have anything you can use as a back up, even if it is a 4 or 6 line rod, think of packing it along with your primary rods. If you are bringing that 8 weight as well as a 7-weight you'll be set there. Our guides will have rods also, so if we get in a pinch we can always borrow something from them but it might not be really what you'll want to use. Reels, spools, and lines
As a less expensive alternative, the best thing we've seen is the Ross CLA (Cimarron Large Arbor). The sizes are similar to the Evolution, but the prices are about $100 less than the Evolutions. The CLA reels are a bit heavier than the Evolution and the drag function not quite as precise, but still better than anything else we've seen in this price bracket.
For the 8-weight rod that you'll use on the Limay, my favorite reels are either the Tibor Everglades, or Abel's Super 8. Both of these reels have powerful, smooth drags needed for playing big fish. They double as first rate bonefish reels also. For your 5-line rod, about all you'll need is a floating line but it can be helpful to have one extra spool loaded with a Teeny 5 foot sinking "mini-tip". For the floating lines I like the SA Mastery GPX or the Trout Tapers. On the sinking lines, we like both the Teeny and Rio lines. For your 7-line rod, you may not use a floating line much, if at all. I like to set my 7 up with two different sinking lines though. The first should be a 15-foot, type 4 sink tip. On the other spool, put either a Teeny T-200 24 foot type V sinking head, or a 24-foot RIO Density compensated type 6 sinking head. These will really pay off, especially when we are trying to get down deep quickly throwing streamers in the big rivers and especially for Lago #3 at Rio Pico, where we need to fish our streamer patterns 8-12 feet deep along the weed beds of this lake. For the 8 weight outfit that we'll use on the limay, my favorite line is Scientific Angler's new Streamer Express in the 200 gr. version. This line has a small but very strong monofilament core and shoots like crazy. The sinking portion is 24 feet and sinks very rapidly,which is just what we need. If we need a slower sink rate on the Limay, we'll just use our #7 rod with one of the other lines. Leaders and Tippet MaterialYou'll want to bring 6-12 standard 9 foot 2X to 4X leaders for your 5 line outfit. Our hand tied Streambase Clear Butt knotted leaders are my favorite, but if you prefer knotless, then the Umpqua or Rio leaders are good since they have larger butt diameters and turn over better in the wind. For the sinking lines, you'll want shorter leaders, like Umpqua's 5 foot freshwater shorty in 12 lb. tippet. Bring a half dozen of these.
For tippet, I prefer Seaguar's new GrandMAX FX fluorocarbon. This is amazing stuff and stronger than anything we've tested yet. It is extremely strong for its diameter and stiff enough to cast very accurately. We'll use mostly 3X and 4X, but I'll take 5X in case we see some small flies hatching on the spring creeks, For streamer fishing the standard GrandMax in sizes 1X, 01X and even 02X (20 lb. test) are what we want to have. Heavy tippets used fishing streamers will help insure that those monster browns don't get away. Fly PatternsWe'll see some caddis and mayfly hatches on the streams we'll fish, so you'll want to bring some caddis, but more importantly attractors like stimulators, hoppers, parachute madame-X's in sizes from 14 up to 6's. Last year we found that on most rivers like the Chubut, it was dynamite to put on a sink tip line and throw a size 4 or 6 bead head wooly bugger, zonker or another good streamer like Dave Whitlock's Hare Sculpin in olive or black. A variety of bead head nymphs worked well, especially a Copper John or Bead head prince in size 12 or 14. Big rubber legs patterns like the new Pat's Brown Rubberlegs and the tungsten conehead Brown Ultra Yuk Bug were awesome mainly because they come close to imitating the Pancora crabs that are found in most streams including the spring creeks. The Pancora crabs are much like our crayfish but smaller and more oval in shape. Most Pancoras are quite dark, so black, dark brown or dark olive patterns work best. Size wise, a big Pancora would be a size 8, or even a size 10. They are not nearly as large as our Crayfish. For the Rio Pico's Lago #3, olive multi-colored wooly buggers in size 4-6 were consistently our best fly. This year we also have these in lead headed versions. Olive bead head wooly buggers were also deadly, in 4's and 6's.
I'm sure that you have lots of flies now that will work, but here is my idea of a selection that will give you nearly everything you'll need for our trip. Patagonia Fly Selection :Drys, Attractors, and Hoppers Parachute Adams 2/12, 2/14 @$2.15 ea. Olive DK CDC Elk Hair Caddis 2/14 @$2.15 ea Wilcox JC Special 2/10, 2/12 @$2.50 ea. Black Baggrrett's Hopper 2/8 @$2.50 ea. Grand Hopper 2/8 @$2.50 ea. Carnage Hopper 2/6, 2/10 @ $2.50 ea. Chubby Chernobyl Hopper 2/10 @$2.50 ea. Turck's Turantula 2/8, 2/10 @$2.25 ea. Black Ninja Cicada 2/12 @$2.50 ea. Tan Foam Hi-vis Hopper 2/8 @$2.50 ea Rubber Legs and Bead head nymphs Pat's Brown Rubber Legs 4/6, 4/8 @ $2.15 ea. Bead Head Dk Brown Stone 2/8 @ $2.15 ea. DK CDC BH Prince nymph 2/8, 2/10 @ $2.15 ea. BH Montana Prince Nymph 2/12 @$2.15 ea. Bead head Copper John 2/12, 2/14 @ $2.15 ea. Bead Head R.L. Hare's ear 2/10 @ $2.15 ea. Morrish Dirty Bird Hare's Ear 2/14 @$2.15 ea. George's Rubber Leg Brown Stone 2/10 @$2.25 ea. EP Tan Palometa Crab 2/2 @$6.50 ea Buggers and streamers Muddler Minnow 2/6 @$2.50 ea. Brown Ultra Yuk Bug Tungsten 2/4, 4/6 @ $3.95 ea. Olive/orange Pancora Rubberlegs 6/6 @ $2.95 ea. Olive/orange Pancore Cone head 2/6 @$3.95 ea. Bead Head Wooly Bugger 2/4, 6/6 @ $2.25 ea. Bead Head Olive Seal Bugger 2/8 @$2.25 ea. Ol. Multi-color wooly bugger 2/4, 2/6 @ $2.15 ea. Ol. Multi-Color Lead Head WB 2/4, 2/6 @$2.95 ea. White/Pearl Zonker , 2/6 @ $2.95 ea. Black/white Whitlock Hare Sculpin 2/6 @ $3.95 ea. Olive Cone Head Burgin Bugger 2/4, 2/6 @$2.95 ea. Black Barr Meat Whistle 2/1-0 @$3.95 ea. Pancora Brown Meat Whistle 2/1-0 @$3.95 ea. Black Sex Dungeon 2/2 @$3.95 ea. This total fly selection would come to $282.50 but if you want "the works" our special price will be $239.00 for all of the above flies, a 15% discount. This killer combo is all you'll need to catch tons of big Argentine trout! Keep them all for yourself or split them with a friend... Wading GearWe'll be fishing in Patagonia's early summer, so the daily temperatures will range from the 50's to 80's. On some rivers the water will be cold enough that we'll want to bring waders, but much of the time we'll be able to fish in shorts and wading shoes or sandals.
Another excellent solution to wet wading when it is hot are the Simms Keen felt sole sandals. These fit most people very well and have that great Keen footbed. Two clicks and you are in. You can wear these barefoot but I prefer to wear them with Simms wet wading socks that are made for this kind of use. The Keen sandals run $89 and the wet wading socks are $14.95. We stock these in all sizes. Clothing to BringWe'll be able to fish in just a shirt or t-shirt most days, but be sure to bring a warmer vest or a fleece jacket for those cool mornings or evenings around the fire. If you layer a warm pull over underneath your wind proof rain jacket, I've found you'll be warm enough to meet any of the conditions we will run into. Everywhere we go the dress will be casual. Bring shorts and some convertible fishing pants with the zip off legs. At least one pair of jeans is a good idea, especially for the camp out nights on the Chubut, (or sweats if you prefer). Be sure to bring a rain jacket.
Miscellaneous Items to BringBe sure
to bring a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Smith "Maverick" in Polarized Brown I like the light brown lenses, which work well on cloudy as well as sunny days. Some, like the Smith/Action optics above, have a brown lense, yet are have a cool looking reflective shine. The best ones we've found lately are from Smith/Action Optics, Oakley, and Maui Jim. You can expect to spend around $150.00 for a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. This may seem like a lot, but you only have one set of eyes and it's worth it to take good care of them them. Otherwiese you risk getting headaches for visual distortion found in cheap eyewear. We stock a wide variety of styles in all these brands. All are polarized, and most utilize lightweight glass lenses. Some, like the Action Optics copper lens, are photochromatic, having the ability to change to a darker shade with more sunlight. Be sure to bring a spare pair of polarized sunglasses, even if they are cheap ones.
Smith "Lost River" Polarized brown with magnifiers One of the most useful fishing products I've ever used are good polarized glasses with built-in magnifiers. I used to fumble around with reading glasses, flip focals or magnifier clip-on's. These are all a giant pain in the you know what. Having small magnifiers built right into my fishing glasses is perfect for tying knots and threading that size 20 dry fly. You can get these made up by your optomitrist, but they cost about $350.00! I've been using the Smith "Lost River" models in polarized brown and these are only $129.00. The built in magnifiers are 2.25 power and are small enough and far enough down on the glasses that you don't notice them until you need them. Smith has two other models with magnifiers , the Lochsa and the Padre and we stock all three. You can check these all out on the Smithoptics web site. If you don't use glasses with magnifiers, don't forget your reading glasses, Flip Focal, Hat Eyes, or some other optical aid like the magnifying clip-ons to help you tie on your flies or work on leaders. Bring a good boat bag
When I'm traveling with both the Freightliner Max and the Freightliner as a carry-on, I've found that I can slip the folding handle of the smaller Freightliner into the upper strap of the Freightliner Max and then it rolls along perfectly behind the larger bag. What a great way to get all the way across big terminals like Houston, Atlanta or Minneapolis with a minimum of effort!
Please give us a call if you see anything here that you don't have but would like to purchase for your up coming trip. We would be glad to help and appreciate your business. 406-222-7130 George Anderson |
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Although
there are plenty of good reels out there, I think it is pretty tough to
beat the Ross Evolution series. These are good looking, light weight
mid-arbor reels that have an excellent drag and easily interchangeable
spools. They come in black, slatea blue, and now copper, which is a beautiful match-up with the Loomis StreamDance GLX rods.
I use a #2 on my 5 line rod and a #3 on the 7 weight. The Ross Evolution reels are in the $300 price range. 
For waders, you'll
want to bring some of the new breathable waders, and the best of the bunch
are the new Simms G-3 Guide Stocking foots. Many of you have the old G-3's but these are even better with a new Pro shell fabric on the legs.
There is no better wader out there on the market. These run $399.95
but most anglers can get 3-5 years out of them. These can
be worn waist high on warmer days. We stock these in a variety of
sizes and can almost always get a person a perfect fit. Simms
has another great Gore-tex wader now called the RiverTek. This is
a waist high gore-tex wader with a top that pulls up for deep wading.
They also have built in gravel guards. These are really popular
and sell for only $299.95. Under your waders, the best bet is Patagonia's
silkweight capilene underwear and we stock this in all sizes of bottoms
as well as crew neck tops. 
I've found that
the best bet is to bring both your waders and wading shoes, and if it
is hot, wear your wading shoes along with some Simms Neoprene Guard
Socks to help fill out the size of the normal neoprene wader bootie. These
run $30, and fold down over the top of your wading shoes to keep all the
laces hidden and out of the way. Then I usually just wear a pair
of mid-weight socks under these for comfort, letting them get wet. 
We won't
see much rain in Jan, but you never know. My favorite is the
Simms Gore-tex Packlite full zip rain jacket. It is a little longer
than most yet folds up and fits right into the back of your fishing vest.
These come in smoke and light green color now, and have hand pockets. These have a slightly longer cut than most wading raincoats and are great for skiing in or other activities. These run for $249.95. Another excellent, less expensive jacket from Simms
is their In-Vest rain jacket. This is also breathable but waterproof,
has a good hood like the Packlite but sells for only $99.95. 
On the float trip,
everyone will be provided with their own waterproof bags, but I've found
that it is a good idea to bring along a good waterproof boat bag for all
your fishing gear, cameras etc. We have two great ones now- one
from Patagonia, their "Great Divider" for $165, and a new boat
bag from Simms, their Dry Creek Boat Bag. Both are totally
waterproof up to the top zipper, have lots of compartments and work well
as a carry-on when you are traveling. 
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