Fishing near Chos Malal, Neuquén

Chos Malal sits in northern Neuquén province, in the arid Patagonian steppe where the Andes begin to rise. The city serves as a base for fly fishing across a network of freestone rivers and high-country lagunas. The Río Neuquén runs close to town, and waters such as the Río Nahueve, Río Trocomán, Río Agrio, and Río Reñileuvú draw anglers into the surrounding backcountry. Scattered lagunas — including Laguna Las Mariposas, Laguna Pitral Lauquen, Laguna Guaraco, and Laguna La Piojenta — round out a fishing landscape that sees far less pressure than the more-visited southern reaches of the province.