What's the catch?

Victorian style pike fishing

2012-01-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

.....with a top hat. Minus the cholera. With a pike.

Long live the Salford Friendly Anglers Society, instituted 1817.

2011 - The year in pictures

2012-01-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

I've been a little preoccupied for the last year........but managed to get out and do some fishing nonetheless. Here is a photo summary of 2011.

Salford Friendly Anglers City Centre Pike Fishing Trip

2010-11-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday saw Mike, Nick and myself roaming the canals and basins of city centre Manchester in search of pike. Mike did the business for the team, catching a nice little jack, whilst Nick and myself plugged our way through the murky water, observing a variety of detritus that I will not elaborate on. My best catch of the day was a Dunlop golf umbrella that gave an excellent account of itself, whilst Nick bagged up, quite literally, catching a variety of plastic bags, all of which were beautifully conditioned.
Anyone interested in joining the world's oldest angling society - The Salford Friendly Anglers Society [est 1817], please follow this link. It's free and has the best interests of the River Irwell and it's environs at heart. Take a look at the website: www.salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk

Autumn Miscellany

2010-11-09T00:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a few snaps covering the onset of Autumn. Didn't manage to get out as much as I'd have liked unfortunately. The season seems a long way away now. Time to take solice in memories and the roaring hearth of the pub.

Zebre Crossing

2010-07-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the title of this post first up. After descending from the lofty heights of the high Pyrenees, my small stream fishing continued in the astounding surroundings of the midi-Pyrenees near Puente D´Espana, right on the border with Spain. The crystalline waters of the upper Gauve and the lush, fertile meadows provided a perfect environment for the pursuit of the Zebre trout, an ancient strain of meditteranean brown trout. This, the locals told me proudly, was a genetically pure and unique strain of trout that was pursued further back in history by the Romans. The broodstock of captive zebres are planted in the high lakes once a year by helicopters, along with brook trout and lake trout. The lake trout are rumoured to reach lengths of a metre as they hunker down for the winter in the depths of thses remote lakes. As for me, I was happy to catch the small zebres by the dozen, using caddis and stimulators all day long. I was lucky to bump into the helicopter pilots as they completed their annual planting of the high lakes- they seemed surprised to find an Englishman thrashing around in their rivers, but after a good chat about fishing and flies, an ´entente cordiale´ was agreed and it was beers all round.

Brook Trout at Altitude in the Pyrenees

2010-07-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

If there`s one thing that will motivate me to climb a mountain, it´s the promise of capturing wild trout in pristine surroundings. Thus I found my tar corrupted lungs soundly punished over the course of a three day hike in the French Pyrenees last week, all in the name of capturing wild brook trout on a plateau some 2,500 meters above sea level. The scenery was magnificent, and although the trout were tiny, it was amazing to be casting flies in such a majestic setting. Part two of this post deals with the fishing lower down, for the unique `zebre´strain of brown trout that are unique to the Spanish and French Pyrennes. Although the brook trout is not native to this part of the world, they were planted some time back and now have thriving populations in the high mountain streams. This kind of small stream fishing is great fun, giving the angler the satisfaction of knowing that they are unlikely to meet another angler - or human - in the course of a day`s fishing.

Entente Cordiale in the Lakes

2010-06-08T07:52:00.001-07:00

Enjoying the Silence

2010-05-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

Pies and prejudice in the Lakes

2010-04-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a brilliant weekend in the Lake District. Me and Nick fished a variety of Lakeland waters, ranging from hill tarns to the lovely river Eden, taking in the browns of Kentmere in between. The lowlight of the weekend was being turned away from a B+B in Windemere. The incredibly rude owner of Brendan Chase B+B refused to let me and Nick stay, despite having vacancies, on the grounds that we were 'two men in a room', stating that he 'didn't approve of that sort of thing'. It seems he thought we were going to get all Brokeback in his stinking little hovel. Racial or sexual prejudice is not acceptable in this day and age and I urge readers to avoid this place like the plague. I would have been even more offended had I actually been gay, but this is nonetheless a disgusting affront.

On the upside, we bagged a load of trout and had a cracking weekend.

Season's Greetings

2010-03-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

First day of the trout season today.....amen to that. Just waiting for a break in the weather now. Bring it on!

Find the Lady

2010-02-08T01:46:00.001-08:00

Nick and I spent Saturday morning chasing grayling on a nearby river. It felt great to be casting a line again, and although the fish didn't show themselves until the last hour or so, we had a great time exploring some new water. I can't wait until the weather warms up and we can get stuck into some top of the water action.

Winter Piking

2010-02-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

Here's some snaps from a weekend mission up to Grasmere. The lake was frozen over round the margins so we had all sorts of fun smashing through the ice to get afloat on the water. Despite freezing conditions and a conspicuous lack of pike, we had a brilliant day exploring the lake, and drinking steaming hot coffee from one of Nick's many flasks. Surveying a tarn we passed on the way back I was left dreaming of spring and the sight of rising fish in the margins....not long to go now.

Wake me up when it's March

2009-11-11T03:38:00.000-08:00

It's about this time of year that I start to get a bit gloomy. Dreadful weather , Iceland adverts on the telly, no dry fly fishing.....November really is the cruelest month. Anyway, after looking through some old fishing pics I thought I'd share them with any readers of this blog. The majority come from my Patagonian summer last year. March, and the glories of English springtime, cannot come soon enough for this melancholy fisherman.

What the hell?

2009-11-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

What do you think this ominous looking shadow is?

I was just looking back at some newly developed photos of my South American trip and thought that readers of this blog might care to speculate on the type of fish in question. It looked to weigh upwards of 30lbs.....

Lunkseville, Bolton

2009-10-05T01:25:00.000-07:00

Nick made his customary Sunday morning phone call to me at 8 30am, imploring me to head with haste to Salford and thence into the hills for some late season stockie action. My first cast - with a hopper on the dead drift - was consumed with a huge swirl and from then on in it was a brilliant day with fish caught, lost and missed. There was always something going on to keep us interested, and late on in the day Nick tied into an absolute lunker which kept him busy for a good ten minutes. There can't be too many days like this left in the year, with warm sunshine bringing some really nice fish to the surface. We finished the day with a lovely bit of cottage pie. It doesn't get any better than this! Thanks also to Nick for bringing a nice flask of coffee with him. What a gent.

Return to the River

2009-09-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

It's great to be back home! Or so I keep telling myself. Nonetheless it was great to get out and fish some beats new and old. Nick and myself had two sessions, and whilst the fishing has been better, it was good to work our way upstream with beer in waders and caddis on tippet. September days are precious indeed....

More Corn

2009-07-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

2009-06-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

San Blas Islands, Panama

2009-06-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

These have got to be the most beautiful beaches and islands I've ever seen...get to the San Blas islands, Panama, before the planet warms up!

Colombia

2009-05-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Colombia's ace!

Peru

2009-04-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Fishless Salt Flats of Bolivia

2009-04-20T13:36:00.001-07:00

The salt flats of the Atticama desert in Bolivia stretch as far a the eye can see, and take in an extraordinary range of geological features. Unfortunately, the desert is practically lifeless and boasts numerous saline lake with no fish in them. The only other living creatures in the desert other than hoardes of backpackers were thousands of flamingos and the occassional rabbit type animal.I steadfastly refused to take a photo of the flamingos as I believe them to be shite. All pink and gangly, just like the gap year students photographing them.

In any case, the desert provided a fascinating diversion to my piscatorial pursuits, and myself, Rick and Miriam had no end of fun sampling the culinary delights provided for us by our cook. Mmmmm. Next stop Peru!

A Final Hit

2009-04-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

My last day of fishing in Patagonia was tinged with melancholy. How to say goodbye to such a wonderful place? Safe in the knowledge that I wouldn't be flyfishing for trout for some time, I set out for one final session on the Rio Limay. I caught scores of small browns and rainbows on nymphs, and then bid a teary farewell to Patagonia. As the sun set on the river I resolved to return one day.
After the fishless wilderness of Bolivia it's off to the Caribbean for some pulsating saltwater action.Can't wait!

Late March on the Manso

2009-04-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, the fishing really seemed to slow down in March, possibly due to high temperatures and the migration of fish into the cooler, deeper waters of the lakes that feed them. Such things don't always matter that much, especially when you're fishing a river as staggeringly beautiful and perfect as the Manso. It has to be seen to be believed! Myself, Juan and Rich bushwhacked through some serious undergrowth to find these amazing sections of the river, full of riffles, pools and pocketwater. Late on we fished Lago Mascardi, where I had the luck to catch a rainbow, a brookie and a brown all within the space of 15 minutes! The rainbows from Mascardi are incredibly silvery and fat, and they fought like stink.
The Rio Manso reminded me very much of the rivers of Parque National los Alerces - probably the most beautiful of all the rivers I have fished.
Hopefully these pictures and this blog will serve as some kind of homage - a love letter even - to the most beautiful place I have ever been. Thankyou, Patagonia.

Afloat on the Limay, bewitched by the Pichi Leufu

2009-04-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

Although the fishing was much slower in March, I still managed to get out and have some memorable sessions in my final month in Patagonia. The Rio Limay is perhaps the most iconic of all Patagonian rivers, and it's boca - or mouth - attracts anglers from all over the world, who come in search of the monster browns that move into the mouth to feed from the enormous Lago Nahuel Huapi. Myself, Juan and Rich spent a day floating the lower section, and despite my initial terror, I soon became comfortable negotiating the rapids and glides that litter the river.

The Pichi Leufu has to be one of the prettiest rivers I've fished so far. It's little more than a creek by mid-March but it holds surprisingly large fish. Fortunately for myself, the river was so low that the fish were stacked up in the pools, enabling me to have a field day nailing them on caddis and mayflies cast tight to the reed beds. This river is apparently sensational in early season, and for those willing to negotiate the long and winding road through Mapuche territory, the rewards are there to reap.

At the time of writing, I'm in Bolivia, a troutless wilderness. Seeing early season reports roll in from the Northwest of England is making me - dare I say it - a little envious.

A Holy Trinity

2009-02-28T08:23:00.001-08:00

Here are a collection of photos from two of the most famous rivers in Patagonia, the Traful and the Limay. Also included are some pictures from a camping trip to the Alicura Dam, which stems the flow of the Limay. I saw some absolutely huge fish here but failed to tempt one from my new favourite toy, a pontoon boat. These things are excellent and can be packed away into a rucksack. I managed a couple of Perca, and indigenous fish similar to the North American Bass. It has been speculated that the biggest trout in all of Patagonia could lie in the massive Alicura Dam. I had to make do with watching their huge backs emerging from the water late in the day. Both Rich and Eli managed to catch nice browns to 5lb. Mum, stop worrying, I'm not going to drown. Nick, got another 10 days here in Patagonia then going to bust up north to Bolivia. Not sure what the script is with fishing there but will give it a whirl anyway.

The Caleufu

2009-02-28T07:56:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos from a day out fishing the Rio Caleufu, an incredible river that flows through high desert country. Even with very warm conditions and low water the river fished like a dream. It's a Patagonian classic! The concentrations of fish here were excellent, and fortunately the wind decided to be kind to us. I'm going to try and squeeze another session in here before making my way up north to Bolivia.

To The Manor Born!

2009-02-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

I've finally found my calling in life. I've realised that I was born to be a country gent with a large estancia that teems with game. Not for me the life of a humble teacher. I want to gad about on horseback and raise a healthy head of cattle, all the time keeping a watchful eye out for marauding puma.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the estancia of a wealthy Argentinian industrialist for a couple of nights, and was looked after by Marco, his chief gaucho, and his lovely family. We ragged it about the massive 100,000 hectare estate in a pickup truck, spotting wild guanacos, armadillos and all manner of other creatures. There are many pumas on the estate too, so I was glad to be tucked up in the manor house at night rather than camping!
It was surreal to be waited on hand and foot by domestic staff, feasting on banquets of Patagonian lamb and drinking fine wines. I was born to do this!

High Mountain Lakes

2009-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from a two day trip up to some high mountain lakes. Along with my new friends Juan, Eli and Rich, my lumbering frame was carted up steep mountain passes by an unfortunate horse whose name escapes me. The lakes were stunning and literally teemed with trout, including some absolute lunkers. I was content to catch a couple while my companions cleared up, catching rainbows to 8lb from float tubes.
This has to be one of the most beautiful places I've visited yet and I felt lucky to be there. Apparently these lakes are seldom reached and seldom fished....what an experience!

A Steak Dinner....and a few days on the Malleo.

2009-02-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from 4 days fishing the Rio Malleo. The river winds its way through parched scrub and high desert country, bringing it to life, even in the baking heat. I camped in a Mapuche Indian reservation, in an idyllic spot by the river. The fishing was magic in the mornings and evenings, with loads caught and lost.
I can't do justice to this river with words, so I am going to dedicate this excellent photo of a recent steak I cooked instead.

A Day of Small Triumphs

2009-02-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of a great day I had in the Futaleufu valley. After walking 5 km or so from where I was camping, I came upon this little gem of a canyon stream. I had an amazing day wading through the green pools, climbing rocks and catching scores of tiny brook, brown and rainbow trout. I was delighted to catch my first brook trout - exquisite colours.
Arthur Ransome espouses the virtues of catching lots of little fish in a story called 'A Day Of Small Triumphs' , hence the title of the post.
The Futaleufu Valley is a green and pleasant place, and I was glad to have spent a few weeks exploring it properly.

An Evening on the Futaleufu

2009-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a few snaps from a session yesterday on the mighty Rio Futaleufu. I was shown the spot by a guy called Ed, who hails from the backwoods of Montana and bears a striking resemblance to both Father Christmas and Davis Bellamy. Ed lives in a wooden hut in the middle of nowhere and is a really interesting guy who spends weeks at a time hiking through the mountains and living off the land. He kindly refrained from hacking me to death with an axe, which was really decent of him. It was interesting watching him try to catch fish with only a handline and live grasshoppers. Fake ones did the busines for me!
I'm off to fish some stretches 30km away tomorrow. I'm really enjoying my time here in Chile and want to make the most of every last moment of the Patagonian Summer.

This One's For the Boys!

2009-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to my two erstwhile fishing partners, Dad and Carter. I know they'll be thrilled to see the photos of me with this absolute LUNKER of an Atlantic Salmon, caught at the mouth of the Rio Yelcho, as it flows out of Lago Yelcho. I was hoping to catch something like this when I set out in November, and I'll be lucky if I ever get another one like it again. When I get home I am going to enlarge a photo of the fish, and I hope to grow old looking at it and thinking back to the time I caught it. The fish was caught with 8lb line in fast, dep water. It's a miracle I landed it! The first thing I thought of once I had it on the bank was the reaction of Dad and Nick once they saw the photo. Any guesses on how big it is?

This one's for you, boys!

Oh, by the way, Lago Yelcho was lovely - I'm going to head back up in that direction tomorrow and see what I can tempt out. Surely nothing like this one........

Alerces Revisited

2009-01-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

A place like Parque National Los Alerces is worthy of more than a single, fleeting trip. Here are some snaps from two return visits. For those of you wondering about the dude with the beard, that's my mate Gustavo. For those of you wondering about the lovely ladies, they're my friends from Buenos Aires, whom I spent a lovely day with in a hire car. I'm looking forward to being shown the sights of Buenos Aires with them when I return in April.

Alerces was amazing; the fishing was tough at times, but those fish I did catch were of a nice size and in really good condition. The only thing I don't like about the place are the 'tabanos', large, highly aggressive horseflies that seem to love eating me, especially at critical fishing moments. The only thing goog enough for these things is DEATH. My kill count stands at over 200! It seems strange that god felt it necessary to temper the creation of this spectacular place by adding these sodding insects to the equation!!

My 90 days are nearly up in Argentina, so I'm off to Chile now to have a look around....

Paradise in Parque National Los Alerces

2009-01-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Report to follow. Here are some photos of the last 2 weeks, spent in and around Parque National Los Alerces. What a place!

The Magic of the Malleo

2009-01-02T06:41:00.001-08:00

I think I've found my favourite river so far! In fact, I'll be heading up to the Malleo for a session with caddis this very evening. As you can see from the snaps and the videos I posted, it's a beautiful river, and it's absolutely teeming with rainbows and browns that love to come up to the surface and nail a well presented dry fly. It fished really well in the mornings and evenings, and was also very forgiving in the middle of the afternoon, when many rivers go to sleep. I caught some cracking fish on my two visits there and am keen to explore it yet further. I'd been considering moving on and exploring pastures new, but have decided to stick around and try and work this river out properly. Thanks go to Carter for the 'psycho caddis' that accounted for the three big fish in the videos. Having only explored 1-2km of the water I'm anxious to see some more.....bring on the evening!!!!! If you like fishing with dry flies you have GOT to see this river!

Chimehuen nights

2009-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've just fulfilled the ambition of lifetime by catching trout on christmas eve, christmas day and boxing day. Stick that in yer sack santa! The magic of the rio chimehuen shone like a bauble 'gainst the glow of a roaring hearth. Trout after trout fell to a well presented caddis and feelings of intense homesickness were soon forgotten as the music of a screaming reel pierced the silence of the patagonian dusk. Photos courtesy of Ling, a taiwanese computer genius who accompanied me in order to 'take photo of real engrish fisherman'.What a gent.

This river will live long in the memory. An Argentinian classic.

Yet, incredibly, these Chimehuen nights were a mere prelude to the magic of the Malleo.......

Return to Hua Hum

2008-12-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

I've just got back from a five day camping trip to Lago Filo Hua Hum, a beautiful lake that I visited a month or so back. Upon arriving I couldn't believe my eyes...the lake that had been wind battered, intimidating grey expanse was now as placid as a millpond. As you can see from the photos it's a truly stunning place. At night the array of stars was incredible, with satellites and shooting stars thrillingly punctuating my reverie as I gazed upwards in awe. I've never seen anything like it. I have to admit that I took particular pleasure from watching the moon rise over the lake whilst listening to 1980's music, such as the Thomson Twins and A-Ha. What have I become?!!!

The fishing was brilliant, with great action in the mornings fishing big dries close to the reed beds. The last hour of daylight brought some great fishing too, and hearing the distant 'plosh' of huge trout rising in the lake to caddis flies and moths will live long in the memory.

The nicest thing about my stay was encountering some absolutely lovely people. On my first day I managed to somehow get a barbed treble hook wedged firmly into my ankle. That will teach me to spin fish! Luckily an Argentinian bloke was on hand, and he managed to first cut the hook off from the lure, and then to remove the barbed part from my ankle by passing the hook back through a section of skin usung pliers. It fucking hurt, but I was quite proud of how brave I was. I was a little perturbed by the fact that his 7 year old daughter gawped at me in fascination as he performed lakeside surgery. A drop of iodine, and a plaster, and I was off to fish again. What smashing people these Argentinians are!

I also made friends with a truly lovely family from Bariloche. Marcela, Joaquin and Luli fed and watered me and provided lovely company on the last two days. The kids were soooooo cute!

Unfortunately I failed to deliver the monster trout I had promised them when we went fishing on the last evening, but I think they forgive me. I can't emphasise enough how nice the people in this country are, and meeting them has made me resolve to improve my Spanish.

Tis the season...to go fishing

2008-12-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

After another fabulous week in Patagonia I'm left to ponder some great fishing and some even

better scenery. This week I've been to Lago Meliquina, the beautiful Rio Caleufu, and of course the good old Chimihuen. Yesterday I was kindly chaffeured to the Rio Caleufu by Gustavo, a smashing chap from San Martin who was keen to learn how to flyfish. Lucky for him a competent angler was also present. We caught loads of small fish, although the big ones eluded us. The sunset that awaited was adequate recompense for the absence of a monster. What a brilliant week!

Be

2008-12-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

A fistful of rainbows on the Chimehuen

2008-12-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Here's some photos from the last couple of outings on the Rio Chimuhuen, and a few snaps from the mouth of the Rio Quiquehe, near beautiful Lago Lolog. The last couple of trips have been amazing. I've seen giant kingfishers, otters, and fished some truly spectacular water. Yesterday I bumped into a lovely English chap on the banks of the Chimehuen, in the middle of nowhere. What are the chances of that? Spent a brilliant day tussling with hard fighting trout in sparkling, azzure waters. I gather it's snowing in England.........oh well, I hope these photos warm your frosted function. A quick message to a special birthday girl too......Happy Birthday skid!!!!!!

I'm planning to do some cultural stuff at some point, but to be honest, with fishing like this on offer, some pile of old stones in Peru can wait.....after all, ruins don't just grow legs and bugger off, do they? Neither do trout for that matter, but the summer is short and there are all manner of lakes and rivers to explore in the next few months.

I love this country!!!!!!!!! Viva Argentina!

ps...Carter.....I may be dropping you a line to see if you can post me some flies out!

Fishing con moscas con Cyril

2008-11-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Here's some snaps from the beautiful Rio Chimehuen, a big, brawling river close to the town of Junin de los Andes. I lost a monster rainbow in a pool here. My new mate - a French Flyfishing guide named Cyril who is here for the big browns - has been giving me loads of useful advice on how to fish the big water. Here's a few snaps. This river is full of fish and I'll definitely be returning over the coming weeks to fish it again.

A lesson for a teacher in San Martin Los Andes

2008-11-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

I was feeling pretty pleased with myself after Hua Hum and was well pleased to have my first decent trout under my belt as I arrived in the lovely mountain town of San Martin Los Andes. On my way to the hostel I was truly humbled to see these young 'pescadors' pulling out huge trout of the river using nothing more than a worm, a tin can and a piece of nylon. Fishing there was prohibited. Good work boys! I slipped them a few pesos for some new line and hooks and bid them farewell. I'm starting to feel a bit daft for spending all that money on fancy fishing gear!

Lago Filo Hua Hum

2008-11-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

After finishing my Spanish course I decided to rent a car and get someone else to drive it. A couple of lads from language school were suckered into the job, under the risible pretext that there would be some good hiking on offer. Little did they know that I was luring them like unsuspecting truchas to a really good fishing spot I'd been informed of. The wind was unbelievably strong but the surroundings were breathtaking, and the fishing was fantastic. Caught my first biggie of the holiday and had a brilliant time camping out in some remote and awe inspiring countryside. I had to spin fish most of the time due to the wind. Thanks to Carter for the killer lure he got me. It worked a treat as trout after trout hammered it, including a nice one caught in near pitch darkness. Notice that the fish a quite slim due to the time of year and spawning.

Refugio Frey

2008-11-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

With the rigours of the coming months in mind I decided to do a bit of hiking and get away from Bariloche for the weekend. I hooked up with a couple of really sound lads from Ireland and London respectively. We spent a brilliant day walking through scrub, forest and finally snow to get to some amazing scenery. I was knackered by the end and nearly had a high altitude whitey, but I gamely staggered back down to restore my frosted function with 'una copa de cerveza'. The day really opened my eyes to the majesty of Patagonia.

Bariloche

2008-11-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

The next 2 weeks were spent in Bariloche, the 'gateway to Patagonia'. It was a bit like a massive version of Bowness-on-Windemere, except a bit prettier and a bit bigger. My mission was to learn Spanish at a language school, and try and get a bit of fishing done. The latter was more succesful than the former, but I learned a few new words nonetheless, and managed to bag my first trout of the trip. Here's some snaps from the fortnight. Ran into a few fishermen, and as you can see my teacher for the second week was.....excellent at explaining the ins and outs of the language. And quite fit.

Meeting Signor Calviello

2008-11-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

I managed to make contact with aa Argentinian rod maker of some repute via the wonders of the interweb before departing, and ended up meeting up with him and his delightful family during my stay in Buenos Aires. Marcelo was lovely, and provided me with a mine of valuable information about Patagonia and the many streams , lakes and rivers it holds. We spent a really enjoyable afternoon discussing Argentina and the wonderful fishing here. A million thanks to a brilliant bloke. Here are some pictures from the afternoon. And a photo of a photo with Marcelo holding a massive trout. Happy days! The afternoon whet my appetite and I resolved to flee Buenos Aires for the green and pleasant land of Patagonia.

Buenos Aires

2008-11-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

Buenos Aires ; a vast, sprawling metropolis of over 10 million people. Erm, sadly, I didn`'t manage to get my camera out much, but a brief summary nonetheless. Spent a week on the lash with people from all over the world, amongst them a Danish mathematician who turned out to be wierd and various malcontents from Western Europe. Here's some pictures of the better looking members of the motley contingent. The time flew by in a blur of Malbec and red meat.....I'm going to have severe cholestoral problems at this rate.

Leaving town

2008-11-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

After a slightly tearful departure and a long journey punctuated by the feral grunts of the ronquiro - snorer- sat next to me, I finally found myself in South America, in the picturesque surroundings of Rio de Janeiro international airport. The ten hour wait for my connecting flight to Buenos Aires - ciudad de carne, chicas y vino tinto - was an absolute joy. Thus my voyage of piscatorial discovery commenced.

Right then, how does this thing work?

2008-11-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to get the cogs on motion. I'm currently trying to get some photos on my blog but that appears to be a futile quest as I have forgotten my camera.

I will be posting some photos in the next couple of days in order to create a pictorial chronical of my adventures thus far. Do you like my catchy new name for the blog, Carter?

Hello my name is Tom

2008-10-29T00:24:00.001-07:00

With lots of practice, hopefully I may be nearly as good at fishing as my friend Nick Carter