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Fishing Reports
January 2004 Chile Fly Fishing Report and Newsletter
January 27, 2004
Posted by Robert Parker
McKinleyville, CA 95519 USA
Email: rparker@riosaustral.com
Current Report
January 2004 Chile Fly
Fishing Report and
Newsletter
by Robert Parker
Rios Austral Fly Fishing
Outfitters
Saludos to everyone from the
Lakes District of Chile!
From what I’ve been hearing
from a few persons who
travel vicariously through
these reports, this one has
been a long time in coming.
Still, not even being
completely unpacked from
Alaska (having returned
almost 4 months ago!) and a
very busy fishing calendar
this season should allow me
a little slack. Even so,
I’ve missed sharing reports
of our fishing here with all
of you. So now with a brief
respite until February
there’s a little time to
relax, reflect, and write.
The Lakes District
Floating the Rio Petrohue
last weekend it really
struck me what an incredible
place the Lakes District,
and especially our home
water on the Petrohue, is.
We were two guides and one
boat floating through one of
the most beautiful river
valleys in the world –
verdant forest, crystal
clear water, very little
human impact – and not
another soul to be seen all
day. I felt so remote, so
removed from civilization;
as if we could be in the
farthest reaches of South
America. Yet we were only an
hour away from Puerto Varas.
The day had begun windy and
rainy, finally a welcome
break from the recent heat
wave of mid-summer
January. “It’s going to be a
brown trout day”, said
Reinaldo.
We had planned the trip
expecting excellent rainbow
trout fishing. Based on the
experiences of our guests
during the past couple weeks
there would be good chances
for lots of hook-ups with
big ‘bows over 20 inches.
But the weather had turned,
and the skies over the
Petrohue were now filled
with drifting clouds, and an
almost cold, winter-like
feel had taken over the
valley. A brown trout day it
would be indeed! Bad weather
doesn’t necessarily make for
bad fishing, not here in the
Lakes District at least. We
thrive on these days; we
wait for them. Because when
the weather turns and the
skies darken the big browns
come out. In fact, we have
consistently caught our
largest brown trout on some
of the worst weather days
ever.
With Reinaldo at the oars,
we drifted into a side
channel of the river, about
midway down the section.
Reinaldo’s great back ferry
technique held us stationary
in the current near the tail
out of the channel’s run,
where a large deep pool
formed. On the third swing
through the pool the line
went tight, very tight. I’ll
let those that have fished
with us here before take a
guess at what fly it was on.
There was almost no need to
pick up line onto my reel as
the slack was rapidly being
taken up by the fish, the
line burning my fingers as
it ran out. Big fish on! No,
scary big fish on! It’s
amazing how you can
sometimes get scared by a
trout, and this one fit that
category. As the drag
screamed the big brown, a
huge buck, came flying a
meter out of the water,
twisting and flipping. It
was an incredible fish,
easily the largest brown
I’ve ever hooked up - at
least 30 inches with a girth
of about 16. My heart raced,
my line went slack. Still, I
was content to have hooked
and gotten a good look at
him. Content with knowing
what is possible…
There were several repeats
of this scene that day, some
with success, others
without, but all with
smaller fish (although not a
one under 20 inches). It was
by and far one of my best
personal days ever on the
Pet. Many of our guests have
been having similar success
lately, now that flows here
have dropped and the
incessant rains of this past
November and December (when
we experienced very slow
fishing in the Lakes
District) have stopped. One
of last week's rainbows
comes immediately to mind to
illustrate this. This
rainbow is easily one of the
largest we have ever seen on
the Petrohue, at 28 inches
rivaling almost anything
that Alaska has to offer.
Judging by its great
condition it was undoubtedly
a wild or naturalized fish,
and not a recent fish farm
escapee. There were
several ‘bows of similar
size landed on this day. At
the request of several
clients we have begun to
offer dawn starts on the
rivers. Not only does this
mean that we beat anyone
else fishing on that day to
the best water, but during
the Tabano fly season of
January, we can now offer
any of our rivers and fish
early to avoid the flies
which arrive with the mid-
day heat. From the looks of
it no other guides have been
willing to wake up so early,
and it’s really paid off for
our guests.
Despite one place or another
being hyped as having “the
best” fishing in Chile, in
my opinion the Petrohue has
been a great river ever
since Roderick Haig-Brown’s
first reports of it in the
1950’s, and it will continue
to be a great river into the
future. Much of this is due
to privately held access
into the steep, road-less
and trail-less valley. There
are only a couple entry
points, and these require a
walk longer than most are
willing to make (or a key to
the gate). Being close to
the centers of Puerto Montt
and Puerto Varas actually
has its advantages as well.
There is no other good
fishing area in Chile that
has so much to offer in
respect to non-fishing
amenities. There are very
good, reasonably priced
hotels and cabins for those
on a budget who choose to
not stay at our lodge, and
many great restaurants to
sample the local cuisine.
For anglers traveling with
families or non-fishing
companions, this area can’t
be beat – there is rafting,
excellent horseback trips
(some leaving right form the
lodge’s own stables, bird
watching, hiking, the casino
in Puerto Varas (of course),
and a wealth of other
excursions available on a
daily basis. This is not to
mention the other rivers we
fish in this region – from
small dry fly streams to
other large streamer waters.
The possibilities are almost
countless.
The Southern Fjords
To sum things up in one
sentence, the Fjords have
been on fire. We were
fortunate to host in
November a group producing a
program for a north American
cable television network.
Our feelings, based on past
trips that the fishing here
is best during the early
season, were confirmed.
While the rivers in the
Coyhaique area were still
high and very off-color our
group was treated to great
weather on most days and
clear, normal flows. The
fishing was nothing less
than superb! On one
afternoon, we saw more
coastal rainbows over 24
inches caught in three hours
of fishing than we would
usually expect over the
course of a day or two.
Subsequent trips brought
more of the same and many
new surprises as well. As
always, there can be strike-
outs in the Southern Fjords,
and the waters here are best
for experienced anglers with
refined technique. With the
pleasure of fishing with a
guest who liked to hike and
explore, in early January we
were able to make several
trips to (my favorite river
in Chile) the Rio Sueño.
Here we fished higher in the
system than ever before,
finding what I now call the
Half-mile Bar. This section
is a gravel bar almost a
half-mile long, completely
free of obstacles to
interfere with back casts on
one side, and a beautiful
cut bank an easy cast away
on the other. Flowing
through pools, riffles, runs
and with great structure on
the far bank and mid-stream,
the section was loaded with
great numbers of average
size browns (14 – 16’, some
larger) and a few beautiful,
big rainbows between 18 and
20”. Choose your technique –
attractor dry flies, nymphs,
streamers – it all worked,
sometimes for a hit on every
cast with a good
presentation. Due to the
general remoteness of this
river and the somewhat long
hike involved to the bar I
sincerely believe that we
were truly fishing to trout
that had never seen a fly. I
can’t wait to return to the
Rio Sueño. Looking upstream
from the top of Half-mile
Bar there were even more
possibilities…
Possibilities
I often think that what
keeps up going as anglers
aren’t the fish that we
currently have on the line.
It’s what waits on the next
cast, or what water lies
just around the next bend.
It’s the next fish that’s
important. Just like the big
brown that came off during
the jump – the next time I
head out on the Petrohue
I’ll know he’s there, and
there are probably more like
him. Possibilities are what
keep us psyched to keep
fishing. This is what
motivates us, and as a guide
and outfitter I guess that
I’m in the business of
offering possibilities.
We at Rios Austral Fly
Fishing Outfitters have set
up what I think is a great
program here in Chile.
There’s something for almost
everyone – from our guide
service in the Lakes
District or our new lodge,
Quinta del Lago, to fishing
remote coastal rivers in the
comfort of Termas de
Puyuhuapi Hotel and Spa in
the Southern Fjords. Even if
you’ve fished with us before
you probably haven’t seen
everything we have to offer.
For those still planning a
trip, you probably won’t see
it all either. Not in one
trip at least. Give us a
call, and let’s discuss the
possibilities. The fishing
is excellent right now, and
we are expecting at great
late season through May.
Until the next cast…
Best regards,
Robert Parker
What Some of Our Recent
Guests Have Said
“The best day of rainbow
trout fishing in my life.” –
DP, Ontario, Canada
“Fly fishing with you was
the highlight of my cruise.
Your hospitality,
personality, coaching
ability, and patience were
all appreciated. The only
problem was from my end, the
time was too short.” – JB,
Bishopville, South Carolina
"Thank you for the trip of a
lifetime! Both you and the
staff of Quinta del Lago
were wonderful, and we hope
to return someday with the
rest of the family.” – DL,
Greenwood Village, CO
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Rios Austral Fly Fishing
Outfitters
Specializing In Exceptional
Fly Fishing Adventures In
Chile
In Chile:
Viajes Rios Austral Fly
Fishing, Ltda.
Caupolican 01520
Puerto Varas, X Region
Chile
Fono: (56) (65) 312548
Fax: (56) (65) 312548
Celular: (56) (09) 9199807
In the United States:
Rios Austral Fly Fishing USA
North American Operations
Office
PO Box 2906
McKinleyville, CA 95519
Toll Free Phone: 1-866-GO-
CHILE
Phone/Fax: 707-839-2928
Email: info@riosaustral.com
Web Site:
www.riosaustral.com
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