The lodge retains the character as the Estancia’s family home, with five single occupancy rooms and one large double, all with en-suite bathrooms and comfortable privacy. The living room has a fireplace and sofas and armchair to sink into; there is a piano bar in the adjacent sun room bar for relaxing draught beer, wine or other drinks at the end of every memorable fishing day.
We limit our guests to six rods per week, which allows us to offer every guest of personal attention and guidance. Bella Sofia gives every guest more than 10 km of river every day, which makes it the most exclusive lodge in South America. Bella Sofia is a small lodge beside the Gallegos river in the middle of Estancia Bella Vista, a working sheep farm stretching over thousands of acres of wilderness where Condors soar and foxes and armadillos roam.
Let us introduce our new type of rod action - Fast Full Flex, a rod action type that truly merges the best with the feeling of a super light rod and explosiveness, but together with an almost nostalgic type of feeling.
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1 300.00 USD
The Guideline Scandi fly reels are precision-engineered for modern migratory fly fishing, featuring high-torque titanium drag systems, deep large-arbour spools, and ultra-smooth braking performance. Designed in Scandinavia and built for power, balance, and control in every fight.
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The Aeon Fly Reel combines timeless design with modern innovation and a state of the art drag system. It is a perfect fusion of beauty, durability, and performance, delivering both style and function on the water.
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Bella Sofia is a small lodge beside the Gallegos river in the middle of Estancia Bella Vista, a working sheep farm stretching over thousands of acres of wilderness where Condors soar and Foxes and Guanacos roam.
Our lodge history started in the early 1990s when its potential was scouted by a fishing company. Nick and Monica Zoll spent their young years establishing the lodge despite the lack of paved roads, cellular phones, Satellite Internet and suitably robust cars – all the things we take for granted today. It worked at the time , and for 19 years. But in the end the main house, which was not connected to the power grid, and ranch infrastructure, which dated back to the 1940s, needed a serious upgrade and overhaul. Most importantly, it needed someone with the vision, backing and knowledge to turn it around.
There was a gap of 14 years when there was no organized fishing, until a company with both reputation and commitment seized the opportunity to polish a jewel that had lost its lustre. What you see today is the result of that. We offer more km per angler than any other lodge, which guarantees you a real immersion of the wilderness welded to a home-from-home lodge experience. No crowds, no queues; just the joy of wild fishing for wild fish in a place that will live in your memory long after other trips have faded away.
Gallegos river is a big, wide river with a lot of structures, big rocks, deep channels, perfect runs and beautiful deep, curved pools where the migratory fish like to stay during the summer. In order to fish it best, and control it best, we suggest you bring two different double handed rods and at least one single hand rod. Our experience is that the idea rod is 12.6/13 ft, WT 7 or 8, for anglers confident of making a 25-yard cast. If not, then a 14/15 ft rod will allow you to cover the larger pools but the downside is that longer rods are difficult to manage in the wind.
We limit our guests to six rods per week, which allows us to offer every guest of personal attention and guidance. Bella Sofia gives every guest more than 10 km of river every day, which makes it the most exclusive lodge in South America. We drive you to the water’s edge every day and you might cast over three or four different pools every session. We fish after breakfast and then, after lunch and some down time, you’ll go out again to fishing until twilight, which can be one of the most productive times of the day.
Our guides are hand-picked, experienced locals with genuine people skills who are committed to getting you over and into fish. We can also offer a real bonus of stretches of the Chico river system, a necklace of clear-running pools home to free-rising brown trout that will snatch your dry fly in a micro-second. In the last few decades the pursuit of Sea Trout in Patagonia has become increasingly popular and sophisticated. Double-handed rods between 12 and 14 feet that throw short lines with a variety of tips have become the norm. On a calm day, a single-handed rod of 10 feet can be useful but mostly it is the two-handed tools that best master the water and the often-present wind.
A shorter double handed rod is ideal for gentle presentation, especially in the evenings when the wind drops; also for those days when casting really small rubber leg nymphs over very calm water or smaller pockets is required. If you haven’t used a two-hander before our guides are there to help you but it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with Spey casting before you come, to maximise the time you are fishing, rather than practicing.
Most of our clients favour the "Skandi-short" line which is twinned with an assortment of tips from floating, intermediate through fast sinking to get your fly working at the right depth for fish to see and engage with. These short belly lines or short shooting heads are recommended to strip and work the flies in different ways. Changing the speeds of the strip, the angles and the depth of the presentations are one of the most important parts of seatrout fishing in Gallegos. Most of the time, fishing is best with floating or slow sink lines. A popular combination is a floating line with a clear polyleader or tip with a 2-2.5 meters long tippet, especially when fishing heavy rubber leg nymphs or small streamers.
The classic double or triple density shooting heads are also an option. Some anglers bring Skagit lines for those days when big flies are necessary, but it does not happen often during the summer season. Lighter lines are preferred for a controlled and delicate presentation. For single handed rods it is recommended to bring floating and intermediate lines. For the Chico, a fairly delicate 4/5 wt 9” rod or shorter is ideal.
When the river is high the fish will take up position in classically deep pools; when the river is lower the fish can be intercepted in long runs as they search out favourite spots on their way to spawn. River structure is important. Fish often reside at the base of high banks or around rocks or other obstructions. Our guides will be at your shoulder to advise where and how to swing your fly, whether or not you’ll need to retrieve or just to let it swing temptingly through the current.
Wading is generally very shallow with an average of 40-45 cm depth. However, in some of the most famous pools, wading could be slightly deeper, not only to reach the far bank, but to get the correct angle when drifting a fly, especially in higher water. The wading is fairly easy, over stones or sand, and there is not a great deal of walking involved as your guide will drive right up to the bank.
Fishing from the bank is possible and preferable in some pools. But you’ll need waders too to maximise your chances. They should be comfortable and roomy enough to let you cast with ease. Breathable waders with a thermal underlayer are the best in our ever-changing conditions. Rubber-soled boots with studs are the best over our soft gravel shorelines and river bottom. A wading stick is a good idea too, especially when crossing deep pools or getting to the opposite side of the river. Under the waders you’ll need a wading jacket and some kind of shirt; you can bring an extra layer or two in the 4x4 for sudden changes of temperature. Gloves are useful when the temperature drops, especially in the evenings. Sunglasses and clear safety glasses are essential eye protection.
