A Perfect Day Fishing Beats Most Anything

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Geo: -39.93, -71.08

Fantastic, Fantastic, FANTASTIC!!

It's what marketing copy is made of. Fish, fish and more fish until we gave up counting! What a BLAST!! It wasn't the number, Giselle Fontanazza, our fishing guide, said. It was the SIZE.

She found me her biggest fish of the season! And not just one, but two lunkers that so totally made my day I was dancing Linda's fish dance all over the boat.

The first one was 20" and that was dance-able---but the second was even bigger. A female full of eggs--21" and 10 1/5" around the belly. That's big and deep for this river. The record is 24".

Giselle knows the river so well and is such an adorable person it was pure pleasure fishing with her. And she was having a ball too.

I deserve this, she says. I've worked so hard the last 2 weeks and we've caught more fish today than in that whole time, she laughs. She'd say--cast over there close to the shore--we caught both of the big ones in only about 14" of water--or she'd have me cast on the seam, but never in the deep water because we were fishing with drys. Well, a dry with a dropper nymph.

Giselle and her husband guide summers in West Yellowstone, Montana (his home), and summers in Junin de los Andes, Argentina (her home). You can do that when you're splitting your life between two hemispheres. Actually, Travis (her hubby) is a ski instructor at the Yellowstone Club until March and doesn't get to come down here until then, so we didn't get to meet him.

Jean and boys--you probably have met Travis, or at least seen him, as he's a ski instructor and runs the Thanksgiving races at West Yellowstone each year. Giselle worked the races this year too, as she's also a ski instructor, so you may have actually seen them both. Isn't that just weird how paths cross and people you know, know other people you know?

Anyway, the deep water was Bob's, as he was using a spinning rod. He caught a huge perch--we didn't even know they grew that big, and several rainbows as well. We must have caught 2 or 3 dozen fish--we were having too much fun to keep count.

They gave me a fair amount of crap when I called a 16" rainbow a baby, I can tell you.

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Photos

Ready for Fishing with Flotadas Chimehuin
Giselle's office was only 1/2 block from where we were staying.

Kiss the Fishie
Only a skunked fisherman can understand how happy I was.

YES!!
I was dancing and hollering and whooping up a storm after catching my first big one. Whopee!

Rio Chimehuin and a Very Old, Wavy Bridge
Full of riffles, holes and rapids, this is the most gorgeous river. This antique looking bridge still supports car traffic, but it would make me a bit nervous.

This One's Even BIGGER
A fat mama. The fish, not me!!

You just can't have too many pictures of fish
Your're not sick of this yet, are you? Cause there's a lot more to come.

Giselle shows off a little one
They're both cute, aren't they. Divas, Giselle is the only woman fishing guide in Argentina. She is definitely diva material; I'd love to get her, Rick and Rachel together. They'd have such a blast.

Homemade Lunch on the Riverbank
Giselle's whole family gets into the business. Her sister-in-law is a professional cook and she prepares a varied menu, different for each day. Today we had all of Giselle's favorites, she said.
Cold chicken, dried tomatoes and garlic in a flavored olive oil, salad of ham, pineapple, cheese and hearts of palm, antipasto, and a decadent cake.

Lunch Break's Over--Let's Fish!
You guys coming?

Cutest Fisherman on the Chimehuin
Bob prefers his spinning rod, but with modifications for this country. You have to break off the extra two hooks of the lures, as only one hook is allowed in Argentinean waters.

We're Lovin' It
Giselle didn't let me get away with sloppy casting. She was great at teaching me how to cast in the wind. Sure hope I can remember everything she said so I can ask Rick if that's what he meant.

Bob Trying Not to Get Stuck By Fins
These guys have sharp spines on their backs so it was tricky holding it tightly enough that it didn't wiggle away, and avoiding being stabbed at the same time.

The Beautiful Chimehuin
This river was stocked only once, about a hundred years ago. Since then it has been fully self sufficient, so while you're not catching native trout, they certainly are wild. That's why it's all catch and release.

Comments

[sdpaddlebum]

And the one that got away was even BIGGER!Mitch

[bobnkaren]

Well yes, there were a few that got away. Fun day.

[Landis]

Kiss that fish!!

[Landis]

Linda, take note! A few new moves here for you to emulate LOL!

[Landis]

Take notes so we can eat as well when we girls are on the river sans Ricky Ray!

[Landis]

Nothing like an eager Diva!

[bobnkaren]

Minus the stilettos, of course. I hate fishing in those things.

[bobnkaren]

Yes, I was a little excited.