We often get asked by guests planning their first trip to Jurassic Lake Lodge if they should bring a two-hand rod for fishing at Lago Strobel and the Rio Barrancoso. Often, the anglers asking about two-handers (either switch or spey rods) have seen photos of previous guests using them, are concerned about the wind, or are simply trying to imagine the techniques used in our fishery.
We tell everyone the same thing. "Two-hand rods certainly aren’t a requirement for a successful trip to Jurassic Lake Lodge, but there are a few considerations visiting anglers should know about to help make their decision whether to pack a two-hander or not."
The vast majority of the time, we prefer fishing with single hand rods. This is because they are more versatile than two-hand rods and can be used in every location we fish.
We aren’t spey casting or swinging flies. There is almost no need to make a spey cast on any of the water we fish and it is incredibly rare for us to swing a fly in the traditional sense. Our trout prefer dead drifted presentations and slow retrieves! We are fortunate to have plenty of room for back casts at most beats, so spey casting just isn’t that helpful.
Casting in strong wind. It is true that the wind can blow hard across Southern Patagonia and the water we fish at Lago Strobel is no exception. Fortunately, the advantage is in our favor. The majority of areas we fish allow anglers to cast with the wind at their back, which makes casting much easier and not as much effort. Most visiting anglers do just fine with their favorite single hand rods, especially when casting a heavy front loaded taper floating line or narrow diameter intermediate line. That said, there are a few places where guests might face the wind straight on. In these locations and weather, it can sometimes be quite challenging and laborious to properly load a single hand rod to cast the necessary distance. Some anglers prefer a short two-hander in these situations because they can conserve energy while battling the wind and help cast longer distances using simple overhead and roll casts.
Single hand rods are easier to travel with. There’s no question that single handers are simply easier to pack in your luggage and carry along on the journey to Argentina. This is especially important because weight is limited on the charter flight to the lodge and we want guests to avoid bringing unnecessary items that they will likely not use.
In summary, we prefer the use of single hand fly rods for nearly all of the fishing we do at Jurassic Lake Lodge. However, there are some situations where a short spey, or switch, rod could come in handy. If you do choose to bring along a short two-hand rod, we recommend similar line weights as we do for single hand rods. Also, make sure the line system is set up for overhead casting instead of spey casting and the connections between running line and shooting heads are slim and smooth to allow for easy handling and stripping line.
If you have other questions, give us a call or send an email. We are always happy to talk about fishing techniques and recommend tackle for our home waters.
