Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: DIY Montana Angler fishing Junin de los Andes

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It's official.  We just had our first clients from Montana.  The following may sound silly, and a bit ignorant, but I never thought we would get a single client from Montana.  Why?  I don't know much about the Montana fly-fishing scene, but I always assumed Montana anglers were are all about lodges and floating rivers.  At least for my last clients, Dave and Marita, I am wrong.

Dave and Marita are from Lewistown, MT.  They are retired.  Dave enjoys hunting birds with his dogs and walking-wading local rivers.  This was their third trip to Junin de los Andes, but it's been over five years since their last visit.

Dave and Marita's Itinerary:

• 4 days of DIY guided walk-wade.
• 4 days of floating, with one overnight camp trip on the lower rio Chimehuin. 
• 2 days off, between walking and floating.

Despite having ankle surgery 8 months ago, we were able to put Dave in the right walk-wade spots.

Costs

There are 7 lodges in the Junin de los Andes area.  The price per person, ranges from $3,200 to $7,000 USD per week (6 days of fishing).  For 8 days of fishing with FCFF, including walk-wade, float, and camp, the final bill was below $4,000 USD!  That's ONLY $2,000 USD per person, for 8 days of fishing.  How is this possible?  To learn more about how we help you create an affordable DIY fishing vacation, please read:
http://firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com.ar/2014/12/diy-fly-fishing-patagonia-argentina-us.html

Why FCFF?

Before clients leave I ask them a few questions:

Q: If you came back, what would want to do differently?
A: Dave said he would like to stay longer and take more days off.  This concurs with what most people say. Honestly, if you have the time, this is a smart idea.  Many people, even those in good physical shape, under-estimate how fishing day after day, can take a toll on the mind and body.  We are seeing repeat clients stay up to a month.

Q: Why did you pick First Cast Fly Fishing?
A: Dave said he shopped the market.  He talked to several lodges and outfitters in the Junin area and even booking agents in the USA.  This was his experience:

• The lodge pricing per person was cost prohibitive.  
• At first, the local outfitters seemed flexible, but in the end, the program being sold would not allow days off, would not allow walk-wade fishing, and was 100% float trips.
• The outfitter would not allow them to stay at their preferred lodging location.  The cost per night would have been $200 USD (you can bet the outfitter was pocketing $100 USD per night).
• We picked FCFF because your pricing was fair.  Whether in the states via phone or by email, we liked being able to speak to you in English.  We liked the flexibility that your services offer. We liked being able to stay in town and pay less than $100 USD per night.  
• Out of our three trips to Patagonia, this was the best.

Final Word

When a client tells you this was their best Patagonia fishing trip, that feels good.  In return, thank you for working with us, and most importantly, thanks for your feedback.  

Thanks for reading and hope to see you in Patagonia.  

Mark

PS. Here's another post about a DIY Montana angler, fishing Patagonia (Junin de los Andes):
http://firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com.ar/2015/02/fly-fishing-patagonia-our-first-solo.html

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