I didn't have time to try many strategies on these fish. The truth is, we were having such a good time with our attractors that we didn't get too technical. A brown mayfly in a #10#12 is a commonly observed natural.

An Argentine"creek"

We didn't really fish hard on our day at the Arroyo Pescado and we each caught plenty of fish, none under 15 inches and one over 20 inches. Jorge said it was a slow day — 30 per day is common, 50 is possible — but we were all happy.

This dynamic place provoked feelings that transcended the fishing, and would have been incredible even without a fly rod.

On the way to and around the ranch we saw wild guanacos (the llama-like critters that roam the hills), a flock of grazing choica (the rhea bird, tall as a cow), and we spooked several coveys of a California-type quail.

Condors, Eagles and Flamingos

And all day, way up there, Andean condors soared lazily overhead on the thermals. While we sat at lunch, two chimangos (a handsome hawk) wheeled and danced above us oblivious to our presence and during our dessert a huge caracara (an Andean eagle) landed in the dead tree above our head.

Good fishing, good food

The lagoon teemed with waterfowl. I picked out at least a dozen different types of ducks, some familiar, some exotic. A pair of huge black-necked swans and three types of geese dabbled in the shallows. Most incredibly, a flock of 50 flamingos charted our efforts all day.

That's right. Flamingos. On a trout stream. Jorge's outfitting company is aptly named Safaris Acuaticos (trout safari). It's no empty boast.

As the day escaped to the west, Jorge said it was time to go. We were moving to a new hosteria 35 miles away and the housekeeper had promised wild mushroom soup and pasta del mar for dinner. Jorge didn't want to be late and was counting on the hug he would earn for the pejerrey.

We loaded up and I took one last look at Arroyo Pescado. I wondered why Butch and Sundance would leave a place like this in favor of that ill-fated bank date in Bolivia. Then I remembered the history lesson — the trout weren't here when they were.

Everything does make sense, after all.