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Dear Lax-a Friends !
Dear Lax-a Friends,
I am often asked where a person like myself, who is involved full time in the fishing travel business, and has had many opportunities over the years to fish some awesome water around the globe, would say are his favorite spots. Now, first you must understand that I only fly-fish, having never learned anything else. And I also prefer freshwater to salt water. I am also at an age where I am too young to be sitting in a rocking chair but old enough, by a long shot, to appreciate good wine, good company, great food, and a comfortable bed rather than an air mattress in a wet tent after a hard day of fishing. I also like big fish, floating lines, and precise casts. Now given these personal parameters of enjoyment, here are my ten favorite destinations, in no particular order.
FRED'S TEN ALL TIME FAVORITES
1. CAMP BONAVENTURE, CANADA...Here is a chance to sight cast for monster salmon in water so clear you wish it were home in your well. Add to this outstanding accommodations, great guides, and fall foliage that will knock your socks off. I have personally had the opportunity to land two 40+ pound Atlantic Salmon here so I have my fish of a lifetime twice over. This has to make anyone's all time list. Camp B fishes three great rivers from mid June to the end of September...The Bonaventure, where underwater visibility exceeds 100 feet, the Petit Cascapedia known for its picturesque pools holding big salmon and huge brookies, and the famous Grand Cascapedia where salmon in the “monster class” are there and waiting.
2. EAST UNGAVA, CANADA...Nowhere else in the world have I come even close to catching an Arctic Char approaching 15 pounds on a fly. Here, I managed two this size and several which were not that far behind. These fiery bright silver to flaming red giants will fight like there is no tomorrow. There are spectacular daily fly-outs to rivers that very rarely see another fly. I remember one particular day where we shared the river with some 20 odd black bear and we each enjoyed our share of Char. Barnoin Camp offers cozy cabins, hot running water, well stocked kitchen, and sparkling clean and cozy dining room. It is truly amazing how comfortable it is considering it is in an ultra remote piece of the world and a true wilderness outpost.
3. MIDFJARDARA, ICELAND...I have now had the opportunity to visit and fish many rivers in this beautiful country. Some are large and feisty and others tiny streams trickling through the meadows yet holding trout well approaching 10 pounds. Some, like the West Ranga, host hugh runs of salmon where this summer a record 14,000+ were landed. There are literally dozens and dozens to chose from but with my penchant for a single hand rod, small flies, and incredibly varied terrain, the Midfjardara tops them all. It is serviced by a great lodge, world class cuisine, four river systems in one, and beds with puffs so thick its sometimes hard to get up and hit the water.
4. RIVER DEE, SCOTLAND...The legendary River Dee is where this great sport of ours all began. I had a chance to fish the Dee for the very first time just a year ago September. And what a week it was. Not that I set any records with the 8 or so Salmon I landed, but the excitment of scouting, casting, and watching some really big fish on the take in this classic environment was a thrill never to be forgotten and I put this week in the highlands as one of the top highlights in a long career of chasing salmon around the world. A little known local hotel I found also serves, without doubt, the best fish and chips I have ever tasted. No contest.
5. PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA, ESTANCIA TECKA...When it is winter in the frozen North, Estancia Tecka is my idea of Heaven on Earth. I have fished Tecka several times now and I keep it high on my list after every single trip. This is no ordinary venue. Estancia Tecka is a working ranch covering 675 square miles of private watershed at the very foot of the Patagonian Andes. The water is endless. Big rainbows lurk under deep cut banks and snags in the awesome Corcovado River and smaller spring creeks hold Brookies and Browns that will astound even seasoned veterans. Estancia Tecka boasts two world class lodges on the one ranch yet these are many miles apart so there is elbow room for all. I have been trout fishng for over 50 years now and I assure you this is trout fishing as good as it will ever get.
6. PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA, TRES VALLES...This is probably the most beautiful lodge I have ever fished. Tres Valles is a new exclusive fishing lodge set amongst the towering snow capped Andes Mountains. I found outstanding world class service and enjoyed multiple amenities to sooth the soul. Relaxing in this lodge is more relaxing than anywhere I have ever traveled. I truly enjoyed fishing both the renowned Rio Pico and Rio Pampa which both hold many big Browns and Brookies in the 20-30 inch range. And the beautiful laguna on which the lodge is nestled holds some massive Rainbows and Browns which have rarely ever seen a fly.
7. KAU TAPEN, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA...To remember a place where one catches his first trout over twenty pounds is a memory not soon forgotten and a sure fire way to make it onto my favorites list. Kau Tapen is a top lodge on the famous Rio Grande where the world's largest Sea Trout are found cruising this wind blown oasis. It sets a standard of elegance by which other lodges are measured. It certainly made me comfortable to say the least. Tierra Del Fuego is at the bottom of the world and about as far below the Equator as you can get. So it can get cold, and windy, late in the season. So I dressed warmly, wore gloves and a wool tuke, whined a little, threaded my big 14 foot double hand rod, selected big ugly flies, added a length of T14, sucked it down and managed to have some of the most fun and most exhilerating weeks of fishing... ever. Our group of 8 rods landed 186 Sea Trout for the week and I was certainly not alone in topping the twenty pound mark.
8. BELLA VISTA, RIO GALLEGOS, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA... Rio Gallegos is the other great Sea Trout river in the world. And Estancia Bella Vista is 50 miles of totally private, double riverbank access and an art deco lodge built in the 1930's that embraces anglers in wonderful comfort. The adjacent Rio Chico is an added bonus with wonderful dry fly fishing for resident Browns and keeps the action up morning till night. But it is really the great Sea Trout fishing I had that puts it among my favorites. This time I chased the Trout in much warmer conditions than my previous bone chiller on the Rio Grande so it scored high already. My log shows an average weight of 15+ pounds for the week and I had three Sea Trout over 20 pounds. If it were only half this good it would still have easilty made my list.
9. BREVYENI CAMP, PONOI RIVER, KOLA PENINSULA, RUSSA...I had anticipated this trip for over twenty years when I first started salmon fishing. The Brevyeni Camp itself is widely regarded as the finest camp facility on the famous Ponoi River. Each cabin has a comfortable bed, linens, electricity, and wood-stove stacked each evening to warm the soul with a single match. This is a land of clear rivers, beautiful canyons, and the highest average number of Atlantic Salmon caught per rod per week in the world. We were not disappointed. I was most surprised at the small number of Grilse in the mix and from my personal notes, of the 23 fish landed by myself, only three were Grilse and twenty were between 8 and 18 pounds. The fly working best for me was a size 10 Mickey Finn, barbless, fourteen foot double handed rod, and a full floating line which is all I ever fish out of personal preference. Russia is not for everyone and the bureaucratic delays at customs and general airport procedures can be frustrating to say the least . But the fishing for fresh run Atlantic Salmon is like no other in the world today and deservedly will stay on my favorites list for this reason alone.
10. ALASKA WEST, KANEKTOK RIVER, ALASKA, USA...I said right in the beginning that I like, I mean really like big fish. And nothing comes closer to matching this description than the fresh run King Salmon on Alaska's remote Kanektok River. Hooking one of these brutes on a fly with a 9' single Sage for 9wt and having it take off like a supercharged Army tank hell bent for leather is an experience that's hard to forget. These beasts will make you shake your head in wonder at their power and fighting antics. The fish are fresh from the sea and ripping up the river with one thing in mind. When its time to cast for a "big" memory, this is one of my all time favorites for sure.
AND LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW YEAR
I am always pleased to share insights on "what to expect when you go" with our many friends in North America and around the world. A few spaces may still be open for anyone who might want to join me in the fun in 2009.
In early January, I fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina for the fifth time and then onwards to the beautiful Pira Lodge in far Northeastern Argentina. This is all new territory for me and I wil be fishing for Golden Dorado January 2-6. The Dorado is one of the greatest fighting game fish in the entire world. This extraordinary jumper combines the swimming habits of a salmon with the ferocity and predatory instincts of a tiger shark. Pira Lodge is located on the Iberį Marshlands, one of the most fascinating wetlands in the world. It also boasts extraordinary service and excellent cuisine.
On January 6-9 I transfer to an all new lodge for Lax-a in Corrientes at a destination known as Yahape. I will be fishing the upper Paranį River, again for Golden Dorado. The High Parana is a large system that is a tailwater about 70 kilometers below the Yacireta Dam. The Dorado here can go up to nearly 50 pounds, but most will be 5 to10 pounds. Pacu in the 8 to 12 pound range and Pira Pita to about 15 pounds are also on the agenda and both take dry flies... which I love. The ecosystem of the Parana is essentially a jungle environment. There are monkeys in the trees, toucans , and an array of other birds and animals. This new adventure should really be a hit.
In August, 2009, I am exploring putting together a "Triple Trip" with 3-4 days in each of Greenland for prolific Arctic Char, Norway and the famous Gaula River for Atlantic Salmon and back to Iceland for several more days on the extraordinary West Ranga. Details are still being worked out but if this triple bagger is of interest to anyone... please get in touch. We would be gone about two weeks in all.
And then in October, 2009, Arni and I are planning to co-host a fantastic outing to the storied outback of Mongolia. I am almost ready to add this exotic destination to my list before I even go. The fishery encompasses many pools extending over 75 miles of wild river. Many of the stretches have never been fished before. We are going primarily for Taimen as the (Salmo hucho) is called here. The average length of 32 inches is already impressive, but the really big ones can be a gigantic 5 feet. Taimen go for big flies, preferably with plenty of glitter. And there’s Lenok too which grow to 14 - 22 inches and act much like a trout. The camp, Olon Gol, accommodates only eight guests. The extensive river system, the mobility of the jet-boats and the limited number of rods guarantee first-class fishing in a near virgin environment. Lots more info will be available soon on the Lax-a web.
Who knows what these new trips will hold and which ones just might bump out a spot already up on my favorites list. Stay tuned. And join the fun.
All the best
Fred
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