"December 20th, 1832.... When we reached the hill we found it the highest in the immediate neighbourhood…We obtained a wide view over the surrounding country: to the north a swampy moorland extended, but to the south we had a scene of savage magnificence, well becoming Tierra del Fuego. There was a degree of mysterious grandeur in mountain behind mountain, with the deep intervening valleys, all covered by one thick, dusky mass of forest……the distant channels between the mountains appeared from their gloominess to lead beyond the confines of this world."

Charles Darwin.

When you read what Darwin wrote about his first visit to Tierra del Fuego, it is not hard to understand how English, Spanish, and Italian settlers were attracted to the opportunity in the region, but also overwhelmed by the immensity of the place. They also likely became a bit homesick, and longed for some of the activities they enjoyed in their native lands, to help them ease the transition to settlement in such a strange and savage place.

So this may be why it was that Englishman John Goodall-- who was just looking to do a bit of fishing -- stocked the first brown trout in Tierra del Fuego in 1935. To understand how difficult it must have been to accomplish this feat at that time, recall what the world was like in 1935. Franklin Roosevelt was President of the United States. Lou Gehrig was in the prime of his baseball career. In 1935 the country of Iran was still known as Persia. The first nylon material was discovered in 1935; and Bob Hope was first heard on radio. Basic land transportation was a challenge anywhere outside established cities, wheels still had spokes, and tires had tubes. A journey from anywhere in the eastern U.S. to Argentina was a steamship voyage that took weeks.

But despite the challenges in the raw frontier of Tierra del Fuego at that time, Goodall arranged to have one hundred thousand Brown Trout eggs shipped in metal milk cans packed lightly with moss and water from Puerto Montt, Chile to his estancia in Tierra del Fuego. He "planted" his eggs (or perhaps fry?) in the Candelaria and McLennan rivers, two tiny tributaries of the Rio Grande. It is believed that 60,000 Salmo trutta eggs survived from that initial stocking. However it is also believed that those brown trout that did survive found the rivers to be largely void of significant food sources. Over time, the trout found their way to brackish water and eventually to the sea—or more exactly, to the estuary of the Rio Grande, where they thrived on the rich krill and prospered.

Through recent scientific research conducted with the University of Montana, we know that sea-run browns in the Rio Grande remain in the river from one to four years after hatching, before they become smolt and head out to sea. They will feed and grow in the ocean for about 6 months to a year before returning to the Rio Grande for their first spawning run. Upon the first return, the fish will average about 6 pounds in size.

Like their cousins, the Atlantic Salmon, Sea-Run Brown trout often survive the spawn (Pacific Salmon spawn and die) and head back out to sea to feed and grow until it is time to spawn again. A brown on its fourth return can weigh over 20 pounds, and fish in the 20-30 pound range are becoming increasingly common. It is not uncommon for the sea run browns to return to the river as many as six times to spawn. In the Rio Grande, trout have no natural predators, and catch and release laws have been firmly in place to protect this fishery for almost thirty years.

So the next time you find yourself seated by the fire at Kau Tapen or Villa Maria after a fine fishing day (and perhaps after checking your e-mail via wireless internet and enjoying other very modern amenities) raise a glass to John Goodall and toast his pioneering spirit. Without his efforts so many years ago, these great gamefish, and this incredible fishery that we all enjoy, would not exist today.

• First is the Ibera Marshland itself. We access the Ibera Marshland and its vast labyrinth of creeks, ponds and flowing streams by boat—and rides are anywhere from 5 to fifty minutes. This area is normally fished with 6 weight rods and is more technical. We fish normally from the platform of our Hells Bays skiffs and both guide and angler need to be very quiet and present soft casts to the dorado with little disturbance. The iberá marsh is a very quiet place so any noise or mistake will alert the fish. Fantastic takes occur everyday in these conditions at the marsh-- normally we see the wakes coming to hit the streamers right below the surface. This is usually followed by an explosion of the yellow submarine! Floating weight forward tropical lines are the norm for this hybrid of bonefish and trout-style angling.
  
  
• The second type of fishing takes place in the headwaters. At Pira we call the headwaters the three main channels that come from the marsh forming the main Corrientes river. To access this part of our watershed requires a 25 minute boat ride.Here the water has pretty good current flow and during the different months of the season, we fish from the skiff or wading from the banks of the creeks and small rivers. The water can be crystal clear or a little tea colored, depending on the time of the season. Anglers throw mainly 7 or 8 weight rods, with bigger streamers as well as big dry flies. We fish mostly floating lines, of course. The fishing scenario is completely different with not that much vegetation and lots of birds and caimans that join together in this area. It is the perfect place for bait fish to congregate, and anywhere baitfish congregate, dorado like to go as well.
  
  
• Our third type of fishing is in the Corriente River, (anywhere from 30 to 50 minute ride) the main portion of the river that we access from Pira is the upper section of the river, or it's first 10 miles, as this is normally the most productive section. The river will flow clear water or tea colored water depending on the time of the year and the conditions of the water (low or high) will also vary. Our guides will usually suggest 8 weight rods (7 weights also) and you'll likely experiment with both floating or sinking lines. Depending on the conditions-you'll sight cast with floating lines, or fish sinking big streamers swinging the flies on a 45 angle cast as we fish for our sea trout down south, in the search for a bigger fish. While the floating line fishing is exciting and explosive—swinging big streamers deep increases your chance for a great big dorado. Our best advice in the event you hang one of the behemoths in the Corrientes? Hang on tight!