Las Pampas Lodge

Travel & Tackle Guide

Welcome to your Fly Water Travel trip guide. We’re excited to help you prepare for your upcoming adventure! Inside, you’ll find everything you need: your to-do list, travel logistics, destination notes, and a curated tackle guide tailored to your trip.

Getting Ready

We’ve created a quick checklist of essential tasks to make sure you’re fully prepared for the journey ahead. If questions come up or you need anything at all, just give us a call, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Your To-Do List:

✓ Arrange flights to/from Buenos Aires, Argentina

✓ Arrange hotel in Buenos Aires, as needed

✓ Arrange flights to/from Esquel, Argentina

✓ Complete your personal online guest registration form

✓ Purchase medical insurance coverage

✓ Get travel cash

Las Pampas Lodge

Travel Guide

From how to get there and what documents you’ll need to tipping guidelines and destination details, this section covers the practical information to ensure smooth travels.

Getting to the Lodge: 
To reach Las Pampas Lodge, you will need to arrange travel to and from Esquel, Argentina (EQS). All flights connect through Buenos Aires (EZE). Most international flights arrive in late morning and require an overnight stay in Buenos Aires before flying to Esquel. Flights from Buenos Aries to Esquel depart from EZE or the domestic airport AEP.

Arrival Day:
You will need to arrive in Esquel (EQS) at approximately 1:00PM.  Upon arrival at Esquel Airport, you will be met by a representative of Las Pampas Lodge who will transfer you by ground (approx. 2 ½ hours) to the lodge.

Departure Day:
Please schedule departure flights after 2:00PM. Alternative options are available for guests to arrive and depart the lodge through Bariloche (BRC) which is an approximately 6 ½ hour drive (transfer fees apply).

Recommended Travel Agent: 
The domestic airline carrier in Argentina is notorious for changing and canceling flights, so to make things easier on our guests, we highly recommend using a travel agent when booking domestic flights within Argentina.  

Alicia Regueiro, Holdy Tours 
800.446.1111 or 925.927.6617 
alicia@holdytours.com  

Domestic Flight Note: 
Domestic flights within Argentina fly through either the Ezeiza international airport (EZE) or domestic airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP).  

All domestic flights within Argentina prohibit carry-on baggage of fishing equipment (rods, reels, lines, flies, etc.) and must be checked. 

Buenos Aires Transfers: 
After arriving at the international airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires, clearing customs and immigrations (45 min – 1 ½ hour process), in most cases guests will need to transfer to the domestic airport (AEP), to make the connecting flights within Argentina. The transfer between airports or to downtown hotels takes approximately 45 minutes, depending on traffic, however we recommend allowing four hours between flights. The following are transfer options:  

  • Tienda Leon – Located just outside of customs through sliding glass doors. Transfers can be pre-arranged online or arranged after arrival for approximately USD $40-$60 per person.  
  • Private Transfer – A private driver and/or driver and guide can be arranged through our recommended travel agent.   

Buenos Aires Hotels (Recoleta District): 
Intersur Recoleta 
Av. Callao 1764 
https://www.intersurrecoleta.com.ar/en/ 

Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires 
Posadas 1086/88 
https://www.fourseasons.com/buenosaires/  

Loi Suites Recoleta Hotel 
Vincente Lopez 1955 
http://www.loi-suites-recoleta-hotel.com/  

Arc Recoleta Boutique Hotel & Spa 
Peña 2155 
https://www.arcrecoleta.com.ar/en/ 

Buenos Aires Restaurants: 
La Cabrera  
José A. Cabrera 5127 
https://www.lacabrera.com.ar/  

Las Violetas 
Av. Rivadavia 3899 
https://www.lasvioletas.com/  

Cabaña Las Lilas 
Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 516 
https://www.restaurantlaslilas.com.ar/  

Don Julio Parrilla 
Guatemala 4699 
https://www.parrilladonjulio.com/  

Parrilla La Brigada 
Estados Unidos 465 
https://labrigada.com.ar/  

Documentation Requirements: 
To enter Argentina, all guests are required to have the following: 

  • Passport: Valid for the duration of your trip. 
  • Medical insurance and evacuation coverage

Currency: 
The official Argentine currency is the peso (ARG) however US dollars (USD) are accepted throughout the country and for gratuities. We recommend exchanging no more than $100 (USD) into pesos (ARG) for small tipping, such as baggage handlers, taxis or tips at restaurants, throughout your travels in Argentina.  

Exchange Options:
We recommend the following for exchanges.  

  • Airport Convenience Stores – Purchase something small using a $100 (USD) bill and change will be provided in pesos, which should be enough pesos during your travels.   
  • Hotels  
  • ATMs  

Electrical Requirements: 
A Type I adapter is needed throughout Argentina 

Communications:  
While traveling in Argentina we recommend using WhatsApp as this is the way most lodges and outfitters communicate. Texting through the app will allow you to keep in touch with the outfitter, friends, and family when connected to Wi-Fi.   

Travel Cash:
We recommend each guest travel with

  • $1,700 (USD) per week of travel
  • Bills should be new and in larger denominations, such as $50s and $100s

Credit Cards:
The lodge does not accept credit cards.  

Gratuities:
The following are guidelines, and all gratuities are up to the discretion of the individual guest. Gratuities can be left with the lodge manager at the end of the week for distribution to guides and lodge staff.

  • USD $900 per person for a week

Fishing Licenses:
Included in package.

Communications:

  • Cell Coverage: There is no cell phone service at the lodge
  • Wi-Fi: The lodge has satellite internet

Laundry:
Limited laundry service is available at no additional charge.

Water:
Drinking tap water at the lodge is clean and safe, and bottled water is available.

Beverages/Alcohol:

  • Soft Drinks: Included
  • Beer and Wine: Included
  • Alcohol: Included 

Emergency Medical Assistance: There is a small rural medical clinic in Rio Pico near the lodge. For
medical emergencies, the nearest hospital is in Esquel (2 ½ hour drive).

Due to the remote location, we strongly recommend that anglers purchase travel insurance and medical evacuation coverage.

Recommended Medical Evacuation Carrier and Insurance Provider:  
Global Rescue - https://partner.globalrescue.com/fwtravel/index.html

Las Pampas Lodge
Tackle Guide

Here you’ll find everything you need to be ready on the water: our preferred setups, favorite flies, recommended packing list, and notes on tackle available at the lodge.

LAS PAMPAS LODGE - SAGE EXPERIENCES PROVIDED TACKLE

As a Sage Experiences Outfitter, Las Pampas Lodge is an elite outfitter that has committed to offering their guests onsite access to first-class Sage and RIO tackle that has been carefully curated to ideally suit their respective fisheries.

Las Pampas Lodge Perfect Setups:

  • SAGE R8 CORE 690-4 
  • SAGE TROUT 4/5/6 
  • RIO ELITE GOLD MAX 6WT 
  • SAGE ARBOR XL 4/5/6 
  • RIO PREMIER 24FT SINK TIP LINE 6WT/200GR 

Las Pampas Lodge Tackle Overview

As a Sage Experiences Outfitter, Las Pampas Lodge eliminates the guessing game when it comes to preparing your tackle and instead provides an exciting new destination demo program designed to offer guests an elite travel experience. During your stay with any Sage Experiences Outfitter, you will have onsite access, at no extra charge, to the ideal Sage and RIO outfits for the fish you're targeting. Even if you're the type of angler who likes to fish your own gear, rest assured that once you arrive, our premium set ups will be ready and waiting for you to demo onsite at any time during your stay.

Las Pampas Lodge-Provided Equipment:
• Rods/Reels/Lines: As a Sage Experiences Outfitter, Las Pampas Lodge provides guests with first-class Sage rods, reels, and RIO lines curated specifically for their fishery.

• Flies: The guides will have all the flies, leaders and tippet available, but it is always nice to bring a small selection to carry with you.

• Waders/Boots: Las Pampas Lodge provides guests with a great selection of both boots and waders.

Las Pampas Lodge Primary Setup

If we were to choose only one fly rod to take with us to Las Pampas it would be a fast action 9-foot 6 weight four-piece travel rod. A workhorse for Las Pampas’s rivers, windy valleys, and during high-water conditions. It throws larger terrestrials, heavy dropper rigs, and medium-to-large streamers with confidence. The added power helps anglers manage long casts, deep drifts, and the region’s notoriously unpredictable gusts. It’s also a smart choice when targeting larger fish in fast water where lifting power matters. Match it with a half-size-heavy weight-forward floating line, an aggressive taper weight-forward floating line, or a dedicated sinking line in the 200 grain range to maximize turn-over and distance.

Las Pampas Lodge Secondary Setup

The 5-weight is a versatile trout rod in Patagonia and handles everything from foam terrestrials to medium streamers with ease. It strikes the right balance between presentation and power, making it a dependable choice for both walk-and-wade days and drift fishing. A 5-weight has enough backbone to punch a fly through moderate winds without overpowering smaller dries. It’s especially useful when you’re covering mixed water types in a single day. Pair it with a half-size-heavy floating line.

Las Pampas Spring Creek Setup

A 4-weight is ideal for the small spring creeks, side channels, and technical dry-fly water found throughout Patagonia. It offers the finesse needed to present small terrestrials and mayflies without disturbing calm, glassy pools. This weight also makes long days of short-range casting more comfortable, especially when stalking spooky fish in tight quarters. While it’s not built for heavy wind, it excels on sheltered streams where accuracy matters more than power. Pair it with a true-to-weight floating line for maximum control and delicate presentations.

Top 5 Flies for Las Pampas Lodge

The Rio Pico and surrounding areas trout’s primary diet consists largely of terrestrials, which are plentiful throughout the season as well as mayflies and caddis. A variety of large foam dry flies, mayflies, attractor patterns and streamers will be effective throughout the entire season, and it is good to have a good cross selection of colors and patterns. For an in-depth look at flies, please click HERE.

Top 5 Jurassic Las Pampas Lodge Flies

  • Rio’s Morrish Hopper — assorted colors (Size 8, 10, 12) 
  • Parachute Adams — Grey and Purple (Size 12, 14, 16) 
  • Copper John – Black, Copper and Red (Size 10) 
  • Woolly Bugger – Black (Size 8) 
  • Chernobyl Ant – Tan (Size 10) 

Suggested Packing List

We understand packing for an adventure is not easy. On a trip like this it is very important to have everything you need and nothing you do not. As the climate is extremely changeable and a wide range of temperatures and conditions can be expected, we recommend layering clothes. Anglers should be prepared with thermal underwear, fleece/soft shell jacket, and a rain jacket. Synthetic fabrics are preferred to cotton. Dress at the lodges/camps is neat but casual.

Documents:
Passport, plane tickets, itinerary, credit card, cash, business cards.

Waders:
Breathable stocking foot waders are recommended. For anglers prone to cold (especially feet), boot foot waders are excellent.

Boots:
Felt soles are permitted in Patagonia, but please ensure all gear is clean and completely dry before travel to prevent the spread of invasive species. Rubber soles without cleats are also an excellent option.

Wet Wading:
One pair of neoprene socks with gravel guards and quick dry pants

Forceps:
We like the Dr. Slick scissor pliers for crimping barbs, releasing fish and trimming flies

Clippers:
One line clipper

Wading Staff:
One wading staff and belt

Socks:
Four pairs of wool or synthetic socks to wear under your waders. Two pairs of lodge socks.

Base layers:
One to two pairs of synthetic or merino wool long underwear (tops and bottoms)
to wear beneath your waders. One mid-weight and one heavyweight. These can be
worn alone or together depending on conditions.

Shirts:
Two or three long sleeve fishing shirts. One or two lodge shirts.

Warm Layers:
One or two warm insulating layers. Down, synthetic or fleece mid layers are
good options. Avoid cotton.

Rain Jacket:
One high quality rain jacket

Gloves:
Insulated gloves and thin rubber nitrile gloves are good for cutting the wind chill. Handwarmers in the late season are also recommended.

Hats:
Two fishing/baseball hats. One warm cap.

Lodge Shoes:
One pair of shoes for around the lodge

Buff:
One “Buff” facial sun protector (good for bugs too).

Sunglasses:
One pair of polarized sunglasses. It is great to have a lens cleaner and a soft cleaning cloth as well.

Sunscreen:
One bottle SPF 30+

Lip Balm:
One tube of SPF 30+ lip balm

Backpack:
One waterproof backpack or boat bag for day gear

Camera:
Don’t forget extra batteries and waterproof case/bag

Headlamp:
One small LED headlamp with batteries

Toiletries Kit:
Toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, razor, lotion, mini shampoo bottle, Advil, Ambien, ear plugs, band aids, anti-bacterial ointment, Benadryl, Gold Bond powder.

Contact Liam Donohoe

Liam was born and raised on the trout rivers of Idaho, where a lifelong passion for the outdoors eventually led him into the world of professional guiding. Over the past decade, he has built a career guiding and managing lodges across some of the world’s most celebrated fisheries, from Alaska’s Bristol Bay to Chilean Patagonia and the Rocky Mountains in Idaho.

CONTACT US