Fishing Day at Lake Strobel

Whenever we resolve to go fishing, the outing usually starts before sunrise. Our stay at Gobernador Gregores let us visit famous Lake Strobel.

We had prepared our truck and filled the fuel tank before setting out southwards across the Patagonian high plateau heading for the well-known fishery in Santa Cruz. The hues of the soil barely covered with shrub vegetation escorted us during the first 60 kilometers.

Suddenly, the scene changed as we accessed the valley of the Chico River. The large tree groves featured various shades of green on the shores and gave us some fresh air. We made a stop and noticed that there are several camping sites with facilities where visitors may spend the night and enjoy hiking or just relax as the river runs towards the Atlantic Ocean.

We drove on and got past the town called Las Horquetas. Then we crossed Meseta del Viento (Wind High Plateau) and reached hidden Lake Strobel, accessed only with 4WD vehicles. We particularly enjoyed the adventure of bucking over the four wheels until we accessed one of the shores covered with pebbles.

It was then when our true fishing day begun. The water body was at our disposal and we got ready to assemble the rods and choose the lures we were going to use.

Lake Strobel is located in the center of the Province of Santa Cruz and surrounded by steep, desert shores that offer wind and cold temperatures year round. In return, the lake is fed by the icy waters coming from the mountain range. Such special condition of the basin guarantees plenty of trout specimens of high quality and size. The Barrancoso River, which starts at Mount Dos Cuernos, is one of its main tributaries.

The noise of the pebbles under our boots as we walked down the shore became a constant until we found the ideal site to fish. Very patiently and with good rod command, we could catch several specimens of rainbow trout. We all looked at one another as if asking: “What else can we ask?”

As we talked to a local denizen, we learned that we could go up to a spot called Tamel Aike, where years before, rural people used to spend the night while driving their cattle from one point to another. At present, only abandoned constructions of what used to be stations and rural hotels can be seen. They give evidence of the prosperity the countryside experienced several decades ago in this province. Today, sheep husbandry has decayed in those areas due to the long distance standing between this place and the great commercialization centers and the costs of moving the goods.

We felt part of the history of that arid Patagonian land that is connected to the rest of the country through long National Route 40. As the sun set, we started our way back to Gregores with the joy of having caught such nice pieces.