December 7, 2007
Tolhuin and the Ewan

Walked back to Tolhuin today to fish the lake there. Camped in a beautiful spot the second night and caught this 18 inch brown. I am fishing with a guy from Ushuaia named Martin. It is fascinating to see some of these fly fishermen down here that are so passionate about their sport. This guy has a leaky set of rubber waders, a kids' pup-tent, a mate cup, and a little steel grill. Cotton socks, no rain gear and no food; and he heads off on a week long fishing trip down the Ewan Brazo (where he runs into me in the middle of nowhere). What he does have is a nice 9 foot, eight weight and four boxes of the most beautiful flies (he tied them) that I have ever seen. And a passion for his sport. Made me feel a bit silly in my mountain of goretex and polartec when the wind was blowing thirty miles an hour and it was snowing and I couldn't keep up with him. He cooked us up a huge asado that night too, which I was sorely (no pun intended) in need of after the death marches he had put me through. Amazing people down here.