2023-05-20 13:16:53
Three days ago, on the cold Wednesday afternoon in the mouth of the Middle Limay in the reservoir of the chocónthe guide Pablo Oscar Blasco returned to the camp on the banks of the river that runs between Neuquén and Río Negro in northern Patagonia. There he proposed to Negro to go make a few more shots to close the day of fishing. His friend replied that he was heating the water for the mate and followed him right away.
So it was that Pablo moved a few meters away to try his luck in two nearby sliders. He was not alone: he accompanied him Nala, the dog who has been with him since she was a puppy and who follows him when he goes fishingr. What happened next, enter directly into the gallery of great memories of the fisherman who always finds a way to bite giant trout and for this reason his friends admire him, consult him, follow him. And he, whenever he can, escapes from his mechanical workshop in Cipolletti to do what he likes best. This is his account of an unforgettable day.
The days of the big trout
These days, fishermen come to Limay Medio with the shared hope of capturing and releasing one of these large migratory trout coming up the river from the lake. That section of the Limay, the Middle, is about 95 km from the Pichi Picún Leufú dam to the mouth of the reservoir.
The dam of the so-called work of the century in the 70s, the El Chocón hydroelectric plant, generated a delta with arms and islands. That is the place where Pablo goes out with his clients and friends. “This is the time we look forward to the most, the one we desire. We know we can catch the trout we dream of“, Explain.
This season that ends on May 31, it was also proposed to keep a record of the measurements of the trout that they fished with the entire band of Limay Medio Desembocadura, a group of friends from Alto Valle, fishermen from Cipolletti, Neuquén, Centenario and Roca, among other cities in northern Patagonia. Together they set up the shelter and installed the tents where there are cots.
Visitors usually arrive there from various parts of the country, attracted by the trout, by the vibe of the group, the right word from Pablo to throw out a tip or advice at the right time, the cumbiero rhythm of the night, the barbecue, the anecdotes. There, for example, was the Chapu Nocioni, soul of the Golden Generation last year and he left them an Argentine flag signed. During the day, they go fishing among the willows, wade through the river with crystalline waters that rises there in the Nahuel Huapi on the outskirts of Bariloche, explore the arms, marvel at the galloping of the horses and the flight of the bustards, they thank be there.
But being there is not easy, because it is increasingly difficult to reach the coasts for fishermen, who to access must pay at two campsites on the Neuquén side or the owners of the fields on the Río Negro side. They also live with the abrupt changes in the expenditures of the Pichi Picún Leufú dam, which disrupts the ecosystem, puts the unsuspecting at risk when the flow suddenly increases and completely changes the rules of the game for fishing. And in recent times, in addition, Pablo notices something that worries him a lot: more and more prohibitions, less and less controls.
Anyway, this year, as always, the entire Limay band said they were present. And the record that Pablo kept indicated until last Wednesday that no trout had exceeded 75 cm in length. “There were several around 70 cm, which are very, very good trout, but we had reached that far,” the guide describes.
Two unforgettable trout for Hugo and Horacio
On Wednesday, May 17, that limit was about to be breached. had passed the day fishing with Horacio and Hugo. “Two great friends who get together here every year,” says Pablo.
Like everyone else, they arrive every year with the hope of catching the big trout that every serious fisherman dreams of when resting his head on his pillow. Horacio had arrived from Neuquén and Hugo from Monte Hermoso, like every season.
«Knowing that the pitch was loose, we decided put large flies with a lot of shine and in black and gold colors to be able to ‘irritate’ these famous trout”, says Pablo. The best was yet to come
“After noon, Horacio sticks a brown 64 cm long and 41 cm wide, a beautiful male,” he adds.
Then it was Hugo’s turn. “A female of 70 cm long and 44 cm wide, a beast, that weighed approximately 4,700 kilos. For Hugo, the trophy of his lifemany look for a trout like this for years, “says the guide.
The trout that exceeded the limits
The wind started to blow very hard and the two friends decided to leave earlier.
It was then that Pablo decided to take the rod to fish for a while before the sun goes down. Nalda followed him and El Negro started heating the water.
Pablo walked a few meters upstream from the camp. And on the fifth shot he was surprised: by force, a trout must have been what he had caught.
After several minutes, he was able to get that male brown trout out of 78 cm long and 49 wide and weighing approximately 6,400 kilos. “It’s a trout from a dream,” says Pablo. Then he returned it, returned with Nalda to the camp and had some good mates with El Negro. He was still smiling.
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