When it comes to big trout, several places come to mind—the Great Lakes, New Zealand, and Southern Patagonia. All these places grow giant trout, but all come with a caveat. The Great Lakes fish are, for the most part, stocked. New Zealand’s biggest fish eat pellets from salmon farms, and Southern Patagonia has the benefit of sea-run fish.
On a recent expedition to the heart of Patagonia, we were after truly wild brown trout, and one that broke the 30-inch mark. For that, there is no better river than the Limay. The Middle Limay encompasses nearly 50 miles of river and holds one of the biggest abundances of big wild brown trout anywhere. Trout over 30 inches are not uncommon, and every year, fish nearing the 40-inch mark are landed. But why does this system continuously grow some of the biggest trout in the world? Follow along as we explore what makes this river a big trout factory.
Prime Habitat
A crucial part of growing big trout is habitat. Big trout need big water, and the Limay has no shortage. The Limay as we know it today was created in 1993 after dam construction turned the middle river into a tailwater. Even during the hottest times of the year, the river runs cold, enabling trout to survive and thrive.
The middle river covers nearly 50 water miles until it feeds into the Ezequiel Ramos Mexia reservoir. It is at this reservoir that the story of the river’s biggest brown trout begins. Here, these fish grow before entering the river on their annual migration. While this is similar to other systems like the Great Lakes, the journey that lies ahead makes these fish truly unique. Rather than running into small creeks, these fish have countless miles of big water ahead. Once they enter the river, they stay for months, taking on the characteristics and feeding habits of stream-bred fish.
Along the river’s route, it weaves through different channels, making ample habitat for trout to hold. A mix of root balls, holes, frog water, and deep riffles will keep giant lake run fish in the river year-round. Unadulterated habitat, paired with cold, clean water like this, is crucial for growing giant trout, and the Limay has it better than any other river in the world.
A Big Trout Buffet
Trout don’t grow big by eating bugs. While the river system has an ample amount of mayflies, caddis, and other bug life, there’s a reason you are fishing streamers for these fish. The big browns of the Limay are the river’s top predators, and anything that gets in their way is on the menu.
The first food source, unique to the Limay River, is a crustacean known in Spanish as Pancora. Essentially, these are freshwater crabs, although they more resemble a crayfish with a rounded abdomen. Found throughout the river, the Pancora is a protein-packed favorite of brown trout.
The Limay River is also home to an abundance of rainbow trout. These residents can be found in practically every riffle, back eddy, and hole on the river—often you’ll see a football field’s worth of rising rainbow trout. For the river’s brown trout, these rainbows, along with a plethora of other bait fish, offer the needed calories to grow from big to giant.
Why the Limay Grows the Biggest Brown Trout
The Middle Limay River is a particularly unique fishery. In general, trout need three things to grow big: cold, clean water, good habitat, and ample food sources. The Limay checks all three boxes and does so in abundance. The perfect combination of factors has created a one-of-a-kind trophy trout fishery. If you’re looking to catch a 30-inch wild brown trout, there’s no better place in the world to do so.
