Testimonials

Strobel surprised me.

Hi Daniel,  

Just returning from an epic two weeks of serious trout fishing at Jurassic Lake Lodge (Strobel) and Estancia Maria Behety (EMB) on the Rio Grande.  It’s been a trip of a lifetime for sure. 

Strobel surprised me in ways I didn’t expect. The shock and awe of a chrome 17lb Rainbow from the lake is a thrill like few other with a 7wt floating line in the hand. But that‘s what is kind of expected. The Barrancoso River was totally unexpected. The Aquarium Pool must be the most productive trout pool in the world for size and weight. So much so it’s a crime to use a wet fly unless they happen to be off the take. Even that does happen here. But, oh, what fun on the dry fly! From elk hair caddis size 12 to big Chernobyl ants we had much fun. Canadian Style Bombers (soft landing when no wind) and a mouse worked too. Then there is the intimate technical Upstream Nymphing  and dry fly in the rocky pockets.  It’s a challenge to hook up and land a big fish in these pools amongst the eager smaller trout but worth persevering. A 12 and 14lb from the top canyon pool on a small beetle on the last day! Despite one being a keen cave diver. So Strobel surprised because of the variety.  I was a little concerned 5 days was a lot for Strobel but because of Caribbean flat calm with brilliant sunshine to 80kph winds I was able to experience the place in many different conditions. Over 50 fish over 7lb is nowhere near a record for Strobel but given the number on small dry flies I was more than satisfied. Perhaps 4 days is the right amount (get to experience the 4 beats twice). 

Lodge staff most hospitable and a lovely comfortable lodge, especially given the remoteness. The Cordero Asado there was the best! And the guanaco escabeche is off this planet. And I sighted a puma, a very rare thing indeed. Perhaps it was because it was the luck of it being St Patrick’s day? 

Excellent for trophy trout

Two years went by since my last visit to Strobel. Saturday April 7, very early in the morning, we got transferred from the hotel to the local airport in Comodoro and flew towards the landing stripe especially built by the Jurassic Lake Lodge, 20 minutes away from the lodge. The flight lasted no more than 2 hours in a Twin Otter 300, and by noon we were already in our comfortable rooms getting our stuff unpacked.

During the week there were only 6 of us fishing, this made easier the rotation of spots without stepping in each other’s area during the best fishing hours. The weather presented cold and windy for the upcoming week, nevertheless the fishing was really good and only when it was very cold the fishing activity decreased a bit.
We fished from 9 to 12:30 hrs and from 16 to 16:30 hrs, with double hand rod which resulted the best option to achieve longer distances. It was notorious the difference from those who kept on with one hand rod, they got less hook ups. The most popular flies were nymphs (Prince, Scuds, Copper John, etc…) and some small Wolly Bugger in olive, black and white colors. Floating lines and intermediate in special occasions, with leaders 9 to 12 ft and from 12 to 16 lbs. In very few occasions we could fish with dry flies, foam style, only late in the evening when the wind was calmer and it was really fun because fish (6 to 11 lbs) bit the fly very gently but then gave a nice fight.
Trout in this time of the year are strong and give a decent fight, during the week I was able to fish around 50 between 6 and 20 lbs., many of them silver and healthy.

Summing up, this is a program for those seeking trophy trout, staying at a high quality lodge with great service, in very comfortable rooms and bathrooms with hot water, delightful cuisine and next to the fishing spots. The 14th in the morning we flew back to Comodoro after an excellent fishing week.

Great fishing off season

You know how it is; going to a new destination you read a lot online , listen to other anglers that fished the destination. Again I had it all figured out…. All the right flies were tied….. I had a mental picture of the lodge, the nature, the lake.. In short; I had a game plan ready!…. And again I was wrong! The fishing at Jurassic Lake Lodge was more demanding, more technical and much more interesting than I imagined. Add to that friendly staff and guides, a robust lodge that takes care of your needs and really good food (and wines). Then you have the making of a great fishing week!

Fishing the lake was a bit tricky, the fish were there but not going for your fly in every cast. A longer leader and careful selection of fly and fishing method was key to have some hookups! A (very) slow retrieve with an olive wollybugger or a black leech kept the fish biting. I fell in love with the small Rio Barrancoso, packed with fish from 5-25 lb. A red worm fly presented under an indicator was the killer combination at least for this week.

I hooked and landed some beautiful fish during the week and I am convinced that the Jurassic Lake Lodge has got the best and most interesting fishing around the lake. I will return for sure…

Off the chart fishing!

The trip to Jurassic Lake was off the charts fishing, with the 3 of us landing 150 fish plus, getting our best fish a few times!
Steve got 20, 22, 24 and 26 pound fish being the biggest one between 30 to 35 pounds upon the weight table.

The place in general seemed a little bit overbooked at times and we were able to fish 3 spots only.
The lodge in terms of food, facilities and wine, was all first class! We believe that sometimes guides could have helped us talking photos and assisting more, but wasn't a real problem at all.

It was a good trip and would definitely recommend it.