Episode 93: Massive Trout of Patagonia (Part 2) Picking up where Part 1 left off, Mike and Julian recap Mendoza, Argentina's wine country, and the outsized role Malbec plays in Argentine identity and export. Julian explains the growing conditions that make Mendoza and neighboring San Juan so good for wine, breaks down the lesser-known Torrontés grape, and the group relives a multi-course winery lunch that left them too drunk to visit any other vineyards that day. Julian also shares his own go-to bottle for good value, Trumpeter, and talks about drinking Malbec (and increasingly, craft beer) back home with his family. From there the conversation shifts to Cordoba, a very different part of the country known more for dove hunting than trout. Mike, Caitlin, and GT tell the story of their four-day dove hunt, including getting rerouted straight from the airport to the hunting grounds because the Dakar Rally had shut down the road to their lodge, and Mike's mother's very reasonable panic about being handed a shotgun instead of driven to a spa lodge. They reflect on dove hunting as more volume-shooting than traditional hunting, and Mike floats other Argentine wingshooting and waterfowl options he'd try instead of another multi-day dove trip. Julian talks about his own time off the water, including his growing interest in saltwater fly fishing (tarpon, permit, bonefish) and a trip Tim took to Campeche, Mexico for baby tarpon. That leads into an extended breakdown of Golden Dorado, the aggressive, hard-fighting freshwater fish found in the Paraná and Corrientes river systems and further north in Salta province. Mike and Julian revisit Mike and Caitlin's own 24-hour Golden Dorado detour to a river town called La Paz (as told in an earlier episode, "For Better or Worse"), and Julian describes the far more extreme version of that fishing on the remote Rio Dorado, ticks and all. The episode wraps with Julian's take on Argentina's other underrated regions, including family road trips south on Ruta 40, why Buenos Aires deserves its own visit as a world capital city, and Mike and Caitlin's memory of taking a home cooking class to learn to make empanadas. They close with practical travel notes (easy, affordable domestic flights and a manageable time difference from the U.S.) and how listeners can book a trip with Julian, either in Patagonia or during his summer guiding season on the North Platte in Casper, Wyoming. Topics covered: Mendoza wine country, Malbec, and Torrontés A multi-course winery lunch gone sideways Cordoba's dove hunting culture and agricultural landscape The Dakar Rally road closure and a mid-trip family crisis Dove hunting as volume shooting vs. traditional upland hunting Julian's off-season life, family time, and interest in saltwater fly fishing Golden Dorado fishing on the Paraná and Corrientes rivers The remote, tick-heavy Rio Dorado in Salta province Road-tripping Ruta 40 and Argentina's underrated regions Buenos Aires as a must-visit capital city A home cooking class and making empanadas Domestic travel logistics and time zone differences How to book a trip with Julian in Argentina or Wyoming Guest Julian Cabral — Owner and head guide, Massive Trout Fly Fishing, based in Bariloche, Argentina, and Casper, Wyoming. 🌐 www.massivetroutflyfishing.com Links Massive Trout Fly Fishing: www.massivetroutflyfishing.com Outdoor Ruhls Podcast: www.outdoorruhls.com Connect with Outdoor Ruhls Email: outdoorruhls@gmail.com Instagram: @outdoorruhls YouTube: Outdoor Ruhls This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation with Julian Cabral. Catch up on Episode 92: Massive Trout of Patagonia for the World Cup chat, Julian's background, and the Bariloche/Rio Limay portion of the trip.
