The Flies Our Guides Trust

Jurassic Lake
9 hours ago
4 min read

Personal Picks from Jurassic Lake

Choosing the right fly at Jurassic Lake® isn’t about luck — it’s about knowing the waters.

Our guides spend months each season on the lake and the Barrancoso River, refining their fly selections based on behavior, conditions, and decades of experience.

Whether you're planning your first visit or returning for another season, here’s the fly box break down that gives you the best odds of a lifetime catch.

Santiago Catellani

Head Guide / Lodge Manager

I enjoy fishing with mouse patterns because they look and move very realistically — and that usually gets big trout really interested. They’re great for calm water and low light conditions, and always a lot of fun to fish.

A very effective fly for both the lake and the river, especially on days with light wind and calm water. It can be a bit hard to see, but it consistently produces results.

In my opinion, it's the most effective fly across the various fishing spots around the lake. The best-performing colors are olive green and black. One tactic that worked especially well this season was using it as a dropper, with a Chubby Chernobyl on top.

Gonza

Guide

This is a fly you should always have with you. When delicate presentation is key and nothing else seems to work, this one can save the day. Despite its small size, we’ve landed some truly impressive trout with it.

This is my favorite dry fly. It’s incredibly effective when conditions are right for dry fly fishing, and it’s also very easy to spot from a distance — which is key when trying to track your fly. It also offers excellent floatability, making it both practical and reliable.

This fly is effective almost all season long. Like it or not, you should have it in your box. Olive green and black are must-have colors — while many other variations work well, these two are absolutely essential.

Mati

Guide

This fly imitates an insect in its larval stage, typically found near the bottom. It’s usually tied with heavy materials, allowing it to sink quickly and drift naturally right along the riverbed — exactly where fish are often feeding.

This fly imitates a beetle, a common insect at Jurassic Lake. It has excellent floatability, which makes it ideal for hanging a nymph underneath — that’s why it’s often used in dropper or tandem setups. The red abdomen imitates the natural beetle, though it also performs very well in green.

The Balanced Leech, tied with a quality bead head — ideally tungsten — is a highly effective streamer variation. It imitates a baitfish, making it an excellent choice. The hook eye, where the tippet is tied, is positioned below the body, creating a lever-like motion in the water. That unique action is what makes this fly stand out.

Nico

Guide

A timeless pattern that continues to produce season after season. Its buggy profile and contrasting colors make it highly effective in both clear and slightly stained water. Great as a dropper or fished solo in slower pockets and seams.

The Chubby Chernobyl is a dry fly that performs exceptionally well when conditions are right. Its larger size makes it much easier to track through the entire strike sequence — something that’s often difficult with smaller flies, especially when there’s some wind on the water.

The Balanced Leech in olive, white, and black are among our top choices, but white, yellow, and chartreuse can also be very effective depending on conditions.

Fede

Guide

Olive or black — a classic that works in virtually every Patagonian river and lake. In my opinion, it’s a fly that performs well in both murky water (for better visibility) and clear water (where it’s highly attractive). Whether in fast currents or calm flats, it’s one of those flies that should never be missing from your box.

One of the few dry flies that works well in both windy conditions and extreme calm. It’s easy to spot from a distance, which makes it very practical. In my opinion, the best time to fish it is at dawn or around sunset.

Although this fly has a distinctive action due to its hook design, I find it works well in almost any condition. This past season (before the water rose), I noticed that versions with a black body and some flash performed better on the right side of the lake when fishing with a floating line and an intermediate tip. Chartreuse patterns, on the other hand, seemed to work just about anywhere you cast them.

Guide-Approved Fly Selection at Jurassic Lake Lodge

At Jurassic Lake Lodge, our guides are on the water every day, testing and refining their fly choices across the lake, the Barrancoso River, and surrounding waters. The result is a list of proven, high-performance patterns that consistently deliver results in some of the most demanding fly fishing conditions on Earth.

Most Recommended Patterns

At Jurassic Lake Lodge, our expert guides rely on a handful of proven fly patterns that consistently produce results across the lake and river. The Balanced Leech stands out as the most versatile and effective fly throughout the season, especially in olive green and black, but also in white, yellow, and chartreuse. The Foam Beetle, with its excellent floatability and natural insect profile, performs well in calm or breezy conditions and is often used in tandem setups. For dry fly action, the Chubby Chernobyl is a favorite for its visibility and reliability, making it perfect for spotting strikes and supporting droppers.

When targeting deeper or pressured fish, the Cooper John and Prince nymphs are key — both tied with heavy materials to sink quickly and drift naturally. For streamer fishing, nothing beats the classic Woolly Bugger, effective in both clear and murky water, especially in olive and black. Finally, the Foam Mouse adds an element of excitement, ideal for calm, low-light conditions when aggressive trout are looking up.

All these flies — and more — are available at the lodge, professionally tied on strong hooks and selected specifically for Jurassic Lake’s unique waters.

Jurassic Lake Team