Sport fishing in Argentina

Glossary

B

Bait Fish: small fish species that constitute part of a larger fish's meat diet. Minnows are a common example of a smaller fish species used as baitfish for catching larger fish.
Big Fish: common North American term that describes the pursuit of large fish sizes.

C

Catch and Release: term that describes when a fish is returned alive to the river from which it was caught—if not immediately, then shortly after posing for a picture with grinning fishermen. The goal of “catch and release” is to maintain the quality of sport fishing in a region by preserving the fish species and populations. “Catch and release” policy is taking hold across the world, and in Argentina was quickly adopted after its first introduction. Many specific rivers and species are protected by Argentinian law by mandatory “catch and release”.
Clam: shellfish, mussel. The principal meat source in the diet of corvina rubia. Almost a decade ago, clams were in danger of becoming extinct along the Atlantic South American seacoast. Today, they are slowly beginning to reappear our along Argentina's coast thanks to governmental protection against commercial clam fishing.
Closed Season: months of the year when fishing is prohibited or suspended so as not to interfere with fish reproductive cycles.

F

Fishing Permit: in order to fish in most regions of Argentina it is necessary to obtain an official permit to fish first. Tourist offices, tackle shops, and provincial agencies can advise fishermen with further information.
Fishing Regulations: every region has its own regulations for the sport of fishing. They include the hours fishermen are allowed to fish, how many of what species can be kept, what fishing equipment is permitted, the seasons, as well as other restrictions.
Fishing Season: months of the year when fishing is permitted. Every region has its own opening and closing dates for their Fishing Season, dependent on variables like the reproductive cycle of the fish within the habitat.
Floating Line: buoyant variety of fishing line, commonly used in fly-fishing. A floating line stays atop the water surface, and serves to keep a fisherman's fly where it may be seen by surface-feeding fish.
Flume: area on a river where the water current accelerates. Usually between large rocks and boulders, or in regions where a river's width is lessened. Here, the more aggressive mid-to-large size fish gather to feast on the insects and other small prey that flows downstream.
Fly: artificial lure made by “tying” feathers and hair strands to a barbed or barbless hook in a fashion that imitates the appearance of an insect. Fly-tying is a near-art form dedicated to mimicking insects in all of their natural states as they may appear in the water, or eaten by a fish. Artificial flies may be grouped by category: dry flies, wet flies, and streamers.
Fly-Fisherman: description of a fisherman that uses a style of angling equipment that enables them to use artificial flies as their “lure” or “bait”.

H

Headwaters: geographical description of where a river is born. This location can be from one of several water sources; i.e. lakes, smaller streams, ground springs, and snowmelt to name a few. A river's headwaters are sometimes referred to as a river's “mouth”.
Hunter Fish: large, carnivorous fish species whose diet is constituted by eating smaller fish species. Hunter fish typically have well defined rows of teeth, and include species like the Dorado, Trout, and wolf fish.

L

Lake Chain: aquatic system of more than one lake that empties from one to the next. They are usually connected by a small stream or river.
Lunker: North American term for extremely large sized fish.
Lures: Artificial device used as a decoy used to catch fish. There are several classifications of lures: rigid, articulating, surface/floating, medium-buoyant, and sinking lures. Lures come in all shapes and sizes, from frog to minnow imitations, and are aimed at catching the carnivorous Hunter Fish species.

M

Matungo: Argentine term for a large catfish.

P

Pool: description for a deep flowing section of river. These regions are also called “holes”, and often contain the largest sized fish in a river.
Poppers: artificial lure—usually made of rubber—in the shape of small baitfish, like a minnow. Some poppers give a life-like motion when pulled through the water. Poppers are commonly used when fishing wolf fish.

S

Sinking Line: non-buoyant variety of fishing line. Sinking lines are often aided by lead weights attached to the line, enabling fisherman to “sink” their bait, lure, or fly to deeper waters where it may be seen by bottom-feeding fish. Also known as a “weighted line”.
Spoon: classification of artificial metal lure that attracts fish because of its diving or rotating “life like” motion as it passes through the water. There are two classes of these lures; diving spoons and spinning spoons.
Sport Fisherman: when the pastime of fishing is taken seriously and conceived of as a sport. Sport fishermen are conscientious of taking technique, the study of different geographical settings, and the code of “catch and release” seriously. When allowed, sport fishermen keep only the fish they need in order to eat.

T

Tributary: geographical description of a river that empties into another river, lake, or into the sea. Tributaries can form large wetland regions known as deltas and estuaries. In angler's lexicon, the fishable portion of a tributary is often called the “mouth” of a river.
Trot Line: fishing system of attaching multiple line-and-hooks to a single buoy. This approach is advantageous for catching fish at several different water depths. Particularly used for fishing catfish in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs.

W

Waders: piece of fishing equipment made of rubber or other synthetic materials, worn like a pair of pants to insulate fishermen and protect them from getting wet when wading a river or lake. Waders often come with a pair of wading boots attached, or else slip inside special boots that give extra traction on slippery river bottoms. A pair of chest waders is a fundamental piece of equipment in the sport of fly-fishing.
Wading: process of walking and fishing from inside shallow water. Commonly practiced by fly-fishermen on river waters. Besides being an enjoyable way to experience nature, wading gives fishermen access to the varying geographical features of a river. It is also possible to wade on lakes and ponds, and on at a river's headwaters or mouth.

Fishing and the Kids

The buoy begins to glitter to finally sink in front of the skeptical look of a little boy whose arms can hardly hold the rod. If he manages to hook the fish, his smile will be so broad that it will be hard to erase for a long time. And the anecdote will become part of his life.

When a father, an uncle or a grandfather gives a boy a fishing rod as a present, in fact, they are not giving him a toy, but a philosophy of life. The hard part is to make that philosophy of life last forever: that is the true challenge for those who have to teach someone how to fish.

What attracts a child at a certain moment –generally, the unknown- may bore him shortly afterwards. Therefore, the way this true art of fishing is taught is very important.

It is necessary to understand that they are making their first fishing attempts, just like we did. Taking them out fishing for large fish is pointless, as most times, special techniques are required, and that is managed with the passing of time and the help of experience.

In order to awaken the interest of children in sport fishing, first we have to think that they have to have fun. They must feel that there is a magical world under the water which can provide incredible surprises at any moment. Patience is another essential requirement.

Training an angler is no easy task and it depends very much on the relationship established between the master and the pupil. There are those who assert that the "anglers' gene" is something innate and that it may be awoken at any moment during our lifetime, and it can happen both to children and grown-ups. The important thing is that the gene wakes up some time.

I am one of those anglers who even today, and after having experienced thousands of hours fishing, still keeps the fascination of not knowing what is under the water untouched.