Sea trout Flies for Las Buitreras

noviembre 27, 2020

With 18 years running, Las Buitreras lodge on the Rio Gallegos river has become one of the finest Sea-run Brown trout destinations.

Most common situation along all our guiding years is when a guest arrives with the flies meant for the trip, and he shows them to the guides… some bring trout flies that won’t really be used, some follow the list provided in a website not often updated, some follow some information on the web on sea trout from Wales. Not the same…

Funny thing is, most times it’s essentially wrong flies, unfortunately (for guest and guide!). The reason why: some people follow a text list where it says for instance “size 10 Prince Nymph”, but it ain’t the same one fly tied in a short shank hook to one in a 3x long hook which ends up looking like two flies in tandem… Second option won’t be picked by your guide, believe us…

This has led the lodge to have a wide variety of flies to offer, tied the right way, in the right hook (size and quality), etc.

But if you enjoy the preparation for your trip and want to tie your own flies, or simply prefer to use flies tied by you, well, follow our list of tips!

Must-have patterns that can’t be missing in your fly box (we’ll mention 2 of each of the following):

High water patterns:

Yellow Yummy, Temple Dog

First of all, many flies work under high/colored water conditions. Intruders, large streamers, etc… but our two favs are these:

Yellow Yummy: a super effective pattern for this river. Size 2 streamer hook, yellow marabou and chenille, rubber legs in the same tone. bead/cone head.
Temple dog tube: a classic salmon fly that produces fish all over. 4-5’’ long wing, mainly orange and black combination. Cone head. By the way, don’t be shy on the flashabou. Extra tip: you can use 2 smaller ones in tandem.

Evening Flies:

Snake, Sunray Shadow (4’’)

Large profiles for easy show of a silluet towards the surface, normally used for you last hour of fishing, and typically on floating or intermediate line.

Snake (Welsh pattern with mylar piping and black wing) 5-6’’
Sunray Shadow in the same length.

Midsize Streamers:

Woolly bugger, Zonker

Streamers for all round normal conditions and low water evenings. Work well weighted and can carry legs. Little flash.

Bead-headed Rubber-legged Woolly Bugger in size 6, with black marabou and chenille, grizzly hackle, with white round rubber legs mid size, and a silver or golden cone head.
Common zonker, black rabbit strip and silver body. Size 6.

Rubber Legged Nymphs

Rubber Legged Copper John, Girdle Bug

All-round usual summer patterns for most conditions and places.

Rubber legged Copper John in size 10 hook, normal color options, white legs and bead head.
Girdle Bug, weighted body in size 10 hook, black chenille, white legs, red head (optional). EMB option.

Dry flies for the purists (and not so much):

Bomber, Spider

Fishing dries goes further from just moving fish to the surface but fishing shallow spots where fish lay in narrow channels too.

Bomber in size 6, natural and orange hackle / green body and orange hackle. White calf both.
Spider in size 8 hook with foam back and rubber legs.

Hope you've enjoyed this post and stay tuned for more!

Claudio Martin

Tres Amigos crew

flies, fly fhishing, solid adventures