Fishing at Lake Strobel

Some estancias offer the chance to lodge visitors near the lake so that they can enjoy angling in a highly praised water body.

Determined to tempt luck by fishing at Lake Strobel, we loaded all we needed in our truck, including fuel, and started our adventure at Gobernador Gregores very early in the morning. The Patagonian high plateau showed us the brown shades of its soil barely covered by some low shrubs. During the first 60 kilometers, the scene changed abruptly and unveiled the beautiful valley of the Chico River. At this spot, there is a big contrast of green hues in the thick trees that line the shore. Several camping sites offer their facilities to spend the night and enjoy walks or just rest as the river waters flow slowly towards the Argentinian Sea. We got to the town called Las Horquetas and then moved southwards and crossed Meseta del Viento (Wind High Plateau), which hides Lake Strobel. Our 4WD vehicle let us access the coast and, amidst fords and bucking, we finally found the right place to spend our day fishing. Situated in the center of the Province of Santa Cruz, Lake Strobel is surrounded by a desert land visited by very few people, as it is usually windy and cold year round. The spectacular thing is that the cold waters that come from the mountain range contribute special conditions for good specimens of trout to grow, both in size and number. The lake is fed by the waters of the Barrancoso River, which starts close to Mount Dos Cuernos, a little farther towards the south. We walked along the shore, covered with pebbles, trying to find the best points to cast our line slowly and patiently. We had the chance to catch a good specimen of rainbow trout. It was hard and we had to make such a big effort that we felt completely pleased. We came across a local denizen who recommended us a visit to Tamel Aike, a spot located in an area where it was usual to challenge the wind and drive the cattle from one place to another in the past. As we observed the abandoned constructions lying to the side of the road, we became aware of the prosperity that existed in the fields of Santa Cruz decades ago. The rural population was devoted to sheep husbandry but the long distances between one center where the product was commercialized and the next forced the business to decay. It was also the end of the rural stations and hotels on the road which have remained silent for years. Stories like these are interwoven all along arid Patagonia where it is crossed by National Route 40. In the meantime, we retraced our steps feeling proud of the piece we had captured.