Any questions about location or time, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to let you know more details. Also feel free to call the shops, as they can explain the layout of each event a little bit more in detail.
We continue to work on the site, as you will see in the main navigation there has been a new tab added. FLY PATTERNS, we are trying to make the navigation easier and have added three sub categories. New patterns are being photographed and filmed now, we have added only 4 patterns so far, but new ones are on the way. Check out the layout and let us know if you have any thoughts.
On my recent tip to Rio Manso Lodge in Patagonia near San Carlos de Bariloche, I had some eye opening experiences. I learned a lot about the dragonfly hatch. I learned some tips and techniques from the guides there that showed me ways to catch trout unlike anything I’ve seen in Michigan. Fishing the dragonfly hatch in Patagonia will blow your mind!
Those of you that know me realize that I’m an unapologetic streamer junky. If I go fishing I throw streamers unless I see good fish rising to dry flies. Fly fishing in Patagonia I’ve always brought my streamer staples, Nutcrackers, Hat Tricks, Triple Doubles and Lapdancers. These streamers, along with some simpler, bugger kind of stuff, has yielded me many large fish all over Patagonia.
On this, my most recent trip to Fly fish in Patagonia, dry flies were king. We left Michigan a couple days after Christmas on the advice of John Bleh. He’s the marketing director for Rio Manso Lodge near Bariloche. John advised that we would hit the dragonfly hatch. This hatch is like having an all day hex hatch. We caught brookies to 22 inches, rainbows to 24 and brown trout to 25 inches.
Fishing dragonflies is different then most other dry fly fishing I’ve done. The dragonflies are hatching mostly near the reed beds so that’s were the majority of the action happened. We were fishing mostly 2X, 9 foot leaders. You would cast as close to or even into the reed areas and twitch the fly. If you were in the reeds a very light touch would allow you to work the fly through the reeds and clear it before casting again. If you pulled you hooked the reeds, which were very unforgiving, you had to row in to retreive your fly. That alerted the fish to your presence and “blew” that area for awhile.
The other different thing to learn was the set. Most of the time the fish blew up on the dragonfly imitation, many times going straight up in the air with it in their mouths. So you set on fish flying through the air. A different method, but very cool.
It’s hard to describe the excitement of the dragonfly hatch and its importance in fly fishing Patagonia. One of the best patterns was a staple in our boxes here in Michigan, it’s our Damsel Pattern (see video below) , invented by Jon Ray. In this video I will show you how to tie this dragon fly, damsel fly pattern. We tie it in three colors, black, blue and green. The black variation was dynamite for the dragonfly hatch recently.
If you love dry fly fishing, big trout and explosive takes, fly fishing in Patagonia for the dragonfly hatch is for you. Join us next year!
Check out the Latest Newsletter if you didn’t receive it yet. If you would like to sign up go here, we will be making an effort to have “new information” this year. New Patterns, New Articles, and New Videos.
Thank you, let us know what we can do better. Feel free to contact us or leave a comment here on the blog.
I’ve been lucky enough to fly fish many lakes for trout in Patagonia. Lago Tromen, Fonck, Hess, and Rocca to name a few. All three species, Brook, Rainbow and Brown Trout are available is these lakes in Patagonia. The trout, in spring and fall, are in the shallows hunting edibles to help them put on weight. Fly fishing lakes in Patagonia often will produce some of the largest fish of your trip.
The equipment you bring to a lake trip should be a six weight, fast action rod with a floating line and a seven weight rod loaded with a 250 grain sink tip. Depending on the time of year and where the fish are concentrated you will use one or the other. In late spring, early summer the fish will be in the shallow water, often near reeds looking to eat the hatching dragonflies. Explosive takes from large trout are common! As the water warms look for trout to concentrate closer to inlets and outlets looking for food near these coldwater sources.
As in river fishing, fly placement in crucial. Close to structure is key. Longer casts at times will be necessary especially if winds are light and the water is calm and glassy. In Patagonia if the lake is calm throw smaller flies with longer leaders. If the wind is up, common in Argentina, bigger flies like Chernobyl Ants, Fat Albert’s and other foam creations will get attention.
The most important ingredient in your arsenal to fly fish lakes in Patagonia is animation. Twitch your fly! Many times I’ve seen fish cruising, looking for a meal. A little movement will attract fish and often result in hook ups. A little used tactic, often overlooked by north american fly anglers fly fishing for trout in Patagonia is to fish a big foam imitation like a bass popper. Many times I’ve had large fish attack a fly being popped back to the boat.
Streamers may also play a roll when fishing lakes in Patagonia. I have lit them up on a wide variety of offerings. Conehead woolly buggers, Nutcrackers, Hat Tricks and different pancora patterns have resulted in fish landed that have weighed in excess of 7 pounds.
Fly fishing lakes in Patagonia can be very productive at times. If you guide suggests it, happily go along. You may catch the biggest trout of your life.
Salaud!
Hawk
https://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/fly_fishing_lakes.jpg480720Chuck Hawkinshttps://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Facebook-300x300.pngChuck Hawkins2016-01-11 10:33:272017-02-07 14:42:37Fly Fishing lakes in Patagonia
The Flash Monkey Fly Pattern by Russ Maddin, is the latest streamer pattern from the creator of the popular Circus Peanut, Mad Pup, and South Bound Trucker. As in the past, Russ continues to push the evolution of fly tying – this pattern combines new materials from FlyMen and Hareline Dubbing with traditional hackles from Whiting Farms.
Requiring over 2 years to perfect, the Flash Monkey needed to meet Russ’ strict streamer standards. Countless trips to the river testing the Flash Monkey ensured it was properly balanced and moved in the river currents for maximum effectiveness.
Tying Video
This video is more than a simple tying demo. It breaks down the Flash Monkey and gives you full access into the mind of fly designer, fisherman , and river steward Russ Maddin. As he discusses his methods of tying, how to fish the pattern, and more. It also includes Q&A with Jon Ray discussing several retrieves to bring this fly to life, the best Scientific Anglers fly lines for the pattern, and how to build your leader to get the most out of your fly.
No matter your experience level you’ll learn something from this video. If you’re into streamer fishing – no matter the species – this is a must-watch video.
Check out the New Fishing Report Here. Water is dropping and clearing while some new fish have entered the system. The 10 day forecast is still looking to be unseasonably warm don’t miss out on the extended swing season!
Also if your looking for a few Holiday Gift Ideas, Mangled Fly has put together a Holiday Wish List. Enjoy the Holidays and Happy Shopping. Shop Local whenever possible!
https://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/DSCN2424.jpg540720Chuck Hawkinshttps://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Facebook-300x300.pngChuck Hawkins2015-12-09 02:07:582016-01-14 13:43:25Dropping Water and December Chrome
New Manistee River Trout fishing report has just been updated. Nymphs and Streamers are on the menu. As low angling pressure and beautiful fall colors, make for a great day on the water.
Brown trout have start to spawn, so please let them be if you come across an active spawning bed. Let them spawn so we have a future fishery. Thank you.
https://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IMG_7265.jpg480720Chuck Hawkinshttps://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Facebook-300x300.pngChuck Hawkins2015-10-15 12:56:352015-10-15 12:56:35Nymphs and Streamers
Garden River fly fishing for King and Pink salmon in Sault St Marie, Canada is some of the best in the Midwest Region. Garden River fly Fishing for Salmon on the First Nation is the best in the Midwest. Why? Privacy is the reason. We fish very close to the mouth of the Garden River on First Nation lands giving us first shot at King, Pink and Coho salmon and steelhead all on private property. Due to the proximity to the St Mary’s River the fish are fresh and much more likely to take a fly. The lack of any fishing pressure adds to that success!
In 2015 the season looked to be dismal at best. When I arrived in Sault St Marie my native friends told me there were no fish at my two favorite beats. This was unheard of in the 16 years past. So needing fish by Saturday, Thursday I went to the public part of the river, right below the falls, Eleven Mile. There I found enough pinks to catch fish on Saturday with the family trip I was running. Friday we spent the day checking the river on the native lands. We found enough fish up at high in the reserve on private land to keep going. Saturday we started our Garden River guided fly fishing trips.
As the days went on Pinks and kings constantly dribbled in almost every day. Fly fishing for salmon was pretty good, not stellar but definitely good enough as clients continued to rebook their spots for next year. It was interesting to see fish moving upstream very late and in very low water.
Rain was hard to come by on the Garden River this year. We had only one decent rain mostly just beautiful warm blue bird days. The one rain event we had was the night before the kids trip on Sept 19th. That moved fish! We had a push of pinks and kings and hooked 11 steelhead in two days.
The last three groups saw change every day. The fish moving up river were constant, small in numbers but we saw them every day. They would immediately start to spawn ,creating new gravel fishing opportunities. The best situation you could find was a hen working gravel that attracted the traveling males. You could get a few shots at them and if successful the fights ere epic.
The late run and the low water made the streamer fly fishing for king and pink salmon slow this year. They just weren’t spending much time in the pools. We did get a couple of really good king salmon but not the numbers we normally get.
Though a little more difficult than usual the Garden River produced good fly fishing for king and pink salmon and at times for steelhead.
We have limited availability for 2016, right now I have two spots on Sept 14-16, two spots on Sept 21-23, and two spots on Sept 28-30. Thes dates are subject to change. If interested contact me at [email protected].
Tight lines,
Hawk
https://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/David.jpg577640Chuck Hawkinshttps://hawkinsoutfitters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Facebook-300x300.pngChuck Hawkins2015-10-05 20:42:222017-10-06 11:38:212015 Garden River Fly Fishing Recap
Upcoming Fly Tying Demo’s
/in Fly Tying and Patterns /by Chuck HawkinsAny questions about location or time, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to let you know more details. Also feel free to call the shops, as they can explain the layout of each event a little bit more in detail.
We continue to work on the site, as you will see in the main navigation there has been a new tab added. FLY PATTERNS, we are trying to make the navigation easier and have added three sub categories. New patterns are being photographed and filmed now, we have added only 4 patterns so far, but new ones are on the way. Check out the layout and let us know if you have any thoughts.
Thank you
Dragonfly Hatch
/in Destination Travel, Fly Fishing, Fly Tying and Patterns /by Chuck HawkinsDragonfly Hatch
Tips and Techniques for fly fishing in Patagonia!
On my recent tip to Rio Manso Lodge in Patagonia near San Carlos de Bariloche, I had some eye opening experiences. I learned a lot about the dragonfly hatch. I learned some tips and techniques from the guides there that showed me ways to catch trout unlike anything I’ve seen in Michigan. Fishing the dragonfly hatch in Patagonia will blow your mind!
Those of you that know me realize that I’m an unapologetic streamer junky. If I go fishing I throw streamers unless I see good fish rising to dry flies. Fly fishing in Patagonia I’ve always brought my streamer staples, Nutcrackers, Hat Tricks, Triple Doubles and Lapdancers. These streamers, along with some simpler, bugger kind of stuff, has yielded me many large fish all over Patagonia.
On this, my most recent trip to Fly fish in Patagonia, dry flies were king. We left Michigan a couple days after Christmas on the advice of John Bleh. He’s the marketing director for Rio Manso Lodge near Bariloche. John advised that we would hit the dragonfly hatch. This hatch is like having an all day hex hatch. We caught brookies to 22 inches, rainbows to 24 and brown trout to 25 inches.
Fishing dragonflies is different then most other dry fly fishing I’ve done. The dragonflies are hatching mostly near the reed beds so that’s were the majority of the action happened. We were fishing mostly 2X, 9 foot leaders. You would cast as close to or even into the reed areas and twitch the fly. If you were in the reeds a very light touch would allow you to work the fly through the reeds and clear it before casting again. If you pulled you hooked the reeds, which were very unforgiving, you had to row in to retreive your fly. That alerted the fish to your presence and “blew” that area for awhile.
The other different thing to learn was the set. Most of the time the fish blew up on the dragonfly imitation, many times going straight up in the air with it in their mouths. So you set on fish flying through the air. A different method, but very cool.
It’s hard to describe the excitement of the dragonfly hatch and its importance in fly fishing Patagonia. One of the best patterns was a staple in our boxes here in Michigan, it’s our Damsel Pattern (see video below) , invented by Jon Ray. In this video I will show you how to tie this dragon fly, damsel fly pattern. We tie it in three colors, black, blue and green. The black variation was dynamite for the dragonfly hatch recently.
If you love dry fly fishing, big trout and explosive takes, fly fishing in Patagonia for the dragonfly hatch is for you. Join us next year!
Hawk
January Newsletter
/in Newsletters /by Chuck HawkinsCheck out the Latest Newsletter if you didn’t receive it yet. If you would like to sign up go here, we will be making an effort to have “new information” this year. New Patterns, New Articles, and New Videos.
Thank you, let us know what we can do better. Feel free to contact us or leave a comment here on the blog.
Thank you
Hawkins Outfitters
Fly Fishing lakes in Patagonia
/in Destination Travel, Fly Fishing /by Chuck HawkinsFly Fishing lakes in Patagonia
Tips and Techniques
I’ve been lucky enough to fly fish many lakes for trout in Patagonia. Lago Tromen, Fonck, Hess, and Rocca to name a few. All three species, Brook, Rainbow and Brown Trout are available is these lakes in Patagonia. The trout, in spring and fall, are in the shallows hunting edibles to help them put on weight. Fly fishing lakes in Patagonia often will produce some of the largest fish of your trip.
The equipment you bring to a lake trip should be a six weight, fast action rod with a floating line and a seven weight rod loaded with a 250 grain sink tip. Depending on the time of year and where the fish are concentrated you will use one or the other. In late spring, early summer the fish will be in the shallow water, often near reeds looking to eat the hatching dragonflies. Explosive takes from large trout are common! As the water warms look for trout to concentrate closer to inlets and outlets looking for food near these coldwater sources.
As in river fishing, fly placement in crucial. Close to structure is key. Longer casts at times will be necessary
especially if winds are light and the water is calm and glassy. In Patagonia if the lake is calm throw smaller flies with longer leaders. If the wind is up, common in Argentina, bigger flies like Chernobyl Ants, Fat Albert’s and other foam creations will get attention.
The most important ingredient in your arsenal to fly fish lakes in Patagonia is animation. Twitch your fly! Many times I’ve seen fish cruising, looking for a meal. A little movement will attract fish and often result in hook ups. A little used tactic, often overlooked by north american fly anglers fly fishing for trout in Patagonia is to fish a big foam imitation like a bass popper. Many times I’ve had large fish attack a fly being popped back to the boat.
Streamers may also play a roll when fishing lakes in Patagonia. I have lit them up on a wide variety of offerings. Conehead woolly buggers, Nutcrackers, Hat Tricks and different pancora patterns have resulted in fish landed that have weighed in excess of 7 pounds.
Fly fishing lakes in Patagonia can be very productive at times. If you guide suggests it, happily go along. You may catch the biggest trout of your life.
Salaud!
Hawk
Flash Monkey Fly Pattern
/in Fly Tying and Patterns, Michigan Trout /by Chuck HawkinsFlash Monkey
Flash Monkey by Russ Maddin from Mangled Fly Media on Vimeo.
The Flash Monkey Fly Pattern by Russ Maddin, is the latest streamer pattern from the creator of the popular Circus Peanut, Mad Pup, and South Bound Trucker. As in the past, Russ continues to push the evolution of fly tying – this pattern combines new materials from FlyMen and Hareline Dubbing with traditional hackles from Whiting Farms.
Requiring over 2 years to perfect, the Flash Monkey needed to meet Russ’ strict streamer standards. Countless trips to the river testing the Flash Monkey ensured it was properly balanced and moved in the river currents for maximum effectiveness.
Tying Video
This video is more than a simple tying demo. It breaks down the Flash Monkey and gives you full access into the mind of fly designer, fisherman , and river steward Russ Maddin. As he discusses his methods of tying, how to fish the pattern, and more. It also includes Q&A with Jon Ray discussing several retrieves to bring this fly to life, the best Scientific Anglers fly lines for the pattern, and how to build your leader to get the most out of your fly.
No matter your experience level you’ll learn something from this video. If you’re into streamer fishing – no matter the species – this is a must-watch video.
Early Winter Newsletter
/in Newsletters /by Chuck HawkinsCheck out the latest Early Winter Newsletter.
Dropping Water and December Chrome
/in River Reports, Steelhead Fishing /by Chuck HawkinsCheck out the New Fishing Report Here. Water is dropping and clearing while some new fish have entered the system. The 10 day forecast is still looking to be unseasonably warm don’t miss out on the extended swing season!
Also if your looking for a few Holiday Gift Ideas, Mangled Fly has put together a Holiday Wish List. Enjoy the Holidays and Happy Shopping. Shop Local whenever possible!
Catch and Release Steelhead
/in Fly Fishing /by Chuck HawkinsPhoto by Jon Ray see more of his images at Mangled Fly
Nymphs and Streamers
/in Michigan Trout, River Reports /by Chuck HawkinsNew Manistee River Trout fishing report has just been updated. Nymphs and Streamers are on the menu. As low angling pressure and beautiful fall colors, make for a great day on the water.
Brown trout have start to spawn, so please let them be if you come across an active spawning bed. Let them spawn so we have a future fishery. Thank you.
2015 Garden River Fly Fishing Recap
/in Fly Fishing, River Reports /by Chuck HawkinsGarden River Recap 2015
Garden River fly fishing for King and Pink salmon in Sault St Marie, Canada is some of the best in the Midwest Region. Garden River fly Fishing for Salmon on the First Nation is the best in the Midwest. Why? Privacy is the reason. We fish very close to the mouth of the Garden River on First Nation lands giving us first shot at King, Pink and Coho salmon and steelhead all on private property. Due to the proximity to the St Mary’s River the fish are fresh and much more likely to take a fly. The lack of any fishing pressure adds to that success!
In 2015 the season looked to be dismal at best. When I arrived in Sault St Marie my native friends told me there were no fish at my two favorite beats. This was unheard of in the 16 years past. So needing fish by Saturday, Thursday I went to the public part of the river, right below the falls, Eleven Mile. There I found enough pinks to catch fish on Saturday with the family trip I was running. Friday we spent the day checking the river on the native lands. We found enough fish up at high in the reserve on private land to keep going. Saturday we started our Garden River guided fly fishing trips.
As the days went on Pinks and kings constantly dribbled in almost every day. Fly fishing for salmon was pretty good, not stellar but definitely good enough as clients continued to rebook their spots for next year. It was interesting to see fish moving upstream very late and in very low water.
Rain was hard to come by on the Garden River this year. We had only one decent rain mostly just beautiful warm blue bird days. The one rain event we had was the night before the kids trip on Sept 19th. That moved fish! We had a push of pinks and kings and hooked 11 steelhead in two days.
The last three groups saw change every day. The fish moving up river were constant, small in numbers but we saw them every day. They would immediately start to spawn ,creating new gravel fishing opportunities. The best situation you could find was a hen working gravel that attracted the traveling males. You could get a few shots at them and if successful the fights ere epic.
The late run and the low water made the streamer fly fishing for king and pink salmon slow this year. They just weren’t spending much time in the pools. We did get a couple of really good king salmon but not the numbers we normally get.
Though a little more difficult than usual the Garden River produced good fly fishing for king and pink salmon and at times for steelhead.
We have limited availability for 2016, right now I have two spots on Sept 14-16, two spots on Sept 21-23, and two spots on Sept 28-30. Thes dates are subject to change. If interested contact me at [email protected].
Tight lines,
Hawk