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The Fishing Report

The Archive: Rio Azul, Imbabala Safari Lodge, Chile, New Zealand, Lake Tanganyika, Bassas da India, Des Roches Island, Farquar aboard the MV Illusions, Barotse Tiger Camp, Chawalo, Neptune Warrior - Trident Tested, Ngwezi Houseboat - Okavango,

Chile

Chile - Patagonia

The word Patagonia, literally translated, means " land of the giants " Its not difficult to understand why when visiting this vast
and panoramic land.

With a coastline of over 7000 kilometers and the imposing tree and ice covered peaks of the Andes Mountain range dropping sheer into the depths of the Pacific, whilst at the same time covering a vast hinterland all the way to Argentina, this is simply paradise on earth for any trout angler. Thousands of waterfalls feeding fresh cold water from high glaciers into streams, lakes and rivers too numerous to count, are a part of the everyday landscape here and in each of these gorgeous waterways trout abound and proliferate.

Although there are few dangerous animals or reptiles to speak of in Patagonia, the extreme elements more than make up for this when considering a ramble through these mighty mountains. In reality, the only way to get to more than one or two valleys within a week is to go by helicopter, and even then a highly experienced pilot is a necessity. Fortunately, Andres Ergas a well known businessman and passionate fisherman in Chile, has both. In fact, in creating his new eco-tourism company, "Nomads of the Seas," he has gone a few steps further and built a custom designed state of the art ship from which to launch these daily heli excursions into the wilderness. Add to this the fact that he has procured the finest chefs, guides, and general staff to man his floating 5 star hotel, The Atmosphere, complete with spa and all imaginable luxuries and you are starting to get an idea of the scale of the operation. Oh, and did I mention the 50 odd jet boats, ducks and drift boats he has scattered by chopper to the furthest peaks and valleys, all specifically in the interests of making your fishing as effective and comfortable as possible.

The Wildfly crew had flown from Johannesburg, via Sao Paolo to Santiago and on to Puerto Montt, a mere 36 hour journey, to the berth place of this vision, so, as soon as we were able to close our mouths at the opulence and attention to detail of the Atmosphere, imbibed a couple of the local ales and a mind altering aperitif known as a Pisca Sour, we easily overcame our jet lag and toddled off to bed.

We had heard that in the average summer week in Patagonia, one was likely to get two days of sunshine, two of rain and 3 of anyones guess, so when the first morning dawned bright the crew clambered quickly into their wading gear ready for takeoff on the next chopper ride out. The previous evening, between mouthfuls of avocado ritz and fresh baked crab, we had taken a look at a couple of flies the locals assured us were deadly. Perhaps it was the Sours, but we were certain we were being fed a line. The bloody things were bigger than anything we had ever seen outside of the Seychelles…..surely no trout could be lured to these monsters, a Chernobyl Ant is one thing, but these things looked a bit like a size six slip slop with a few rubber "legs" sticking out. With some skepticism we had cadged a few from the well stocked local guides…

To some extent that is when the magic truly started. It is difficult to grasp the magnitude of this land from anywhere but the air, and having this means of travel at ones disposal, giving glimpses of crystal water in every direction, is beyond description. No visible path or road leads to these inaccessible hights. Just knowing you will be dropped into one of these verdant valleys of wild trout filled streams is anticipation of a delicious kind.

Over the following week we repeated this experience over and over and each time was as exciting as the last. We ascertained that these fish were indeed from the "land of the giants" and that the puny flies we had tied in anticipation were simply too small to entice anything but the smallest trout. We quickly learned that the size of fly we would use to knock a trout out in Lesotho was a mere snack for the big browns of the Andes and this applies to both wet and dry flies.

We used mainly floating lines with sinking leaders and weighted flies for the bigger "holding" fish with dense patterns on no 2 long shank hooks working a treat. We were successful on black with flash, olive with green flash and white with black flash. The dries were generally left almost stationary near to structure or vertical banks and would often be taken in an explosion of water from beneath. At other times a gentle sip by a clearly seen fish made it difficult not to yank the hook clean out of its mouth before it actually hooked up. Chernobyl Ants, Dragonfly Patterns and ????? all of a size much larger than we are used to, worked well…..

Between four anglers, we caught well over 200 fish in the week, with the largest Brown just over 7 pounds and a beautiful Rainbow pushing 9 pounds also netted. Perhaps of more importance, is that we saw, cast to, teased, hooked and landed many fish in exquisite condition in the 5 and 6 pound range, many of these in streams and small rivers.

Even the smaller fish here are ferocious and are not willingly brought to net. Precise casting into eddies created by fallen trees and submerged boulders was rewarded often with a swirl of silver or gold and the solid hook up of a wild fish unused to seeing man or fly in its pristine home. In the deeper pools a long cast upstream into the headwaters, with an arcing swing of the line as the fly moved down with the current yielded the biggest of prizes and these often "on the swing" ( at the end of the drift )

Although leaving these waters was a daily hardship, returning each evening to the luxury of the "Atmosphere," and the sumptuous cuisine and wines of Chile, to some extent softened the blow. Having the helicopter as a personal taxi to the wild rivers of Patagonia meant the chance to do it all again the next day. This is the Trout trip of a lifetime, but it is one of those instances where if you need to ask the price………

We spent the week 9th to 16th of February in Patagonia and were more than fortunate in having great weather throughout our stay and even then we got wet. Having the correct gear for the elements in these mountains is essential.

Good wading boots and breathable waders, thermal underwear and a layered approach, with a GOOD waterproof outer shell are the basic prerequisites. Having said that, it is possible when traveling with The Nomads of the Seas to obtain these essentials prior to boarding….they truly think of everything. For non anglers there are a number of daily activities offered. These include jet boating, horse riding in the mountains, visits to nearby National Parks boasting ancient Redwoods, bathing in spectacular natural hot springs and daily eco tours led by knowledgeable guides.

I had assumed we would be spoiled beyond ever wanting to fish our local rivers and dams of the midlands again, but am happy to report that the fantastic experience in Chile has simply got the old "Trout" juices reflowing and we seem content to practice endlessly in anticipation of our next piscatorial adventure in one of the far and pristine corners of the earth.

If you are interested in experiencing the Trout wilderness of Chile Patagonia or indeed any of the other magical destinations we have visited on "The Wildfly Fishing Series" contact our travel desk on reservations@wildflytravel.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us put a guided excursion together for you that is guaranteed to change your life!

Brad Cartwright