    
Robert Parker
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 5:40 pm: | |
Subject: December Southern Chilean Fjords Report
December Southern Chilean Fjords Report
by Robert Parker, Rios Austral Fly Fishing Outfitters
It felt as if we had made a wrong turn and ended up in paradise, once again expectations being surpassed even before making a single cast. Places like this just don't exist anymore I had thought, but sometimes the mythology of Chile is indeed reality. Arriving at the end of the fjord a vista spread before us that triggered a feeling as if we had stepped back into the past - a broad river valley surrounded by high, snow-capped peaks, occupied by a sole pioneer family struggling to make a life in the this remote wilderness. This was not the past however, but present day Patagonia, in our Southern Territory of the fjords of Aisén, in all its marvel and wonder.
The river, which we'll call the Rio Sueño (Dream River), met the saltwater of the remote fjord in two arms on either side of the valley. A gift of supplies to the family gained us their best wishes and and access by Zodiac up the chosen right branch to the first system of riffles, pools, and runs above tidewater. Choosing this season's favorite pattern - the Muddler Minnow - and the ubiquitous Black Wooly Bugger we were into our first brown within minutes - a beautiful resident of about 2 pounds. As I continued to work with one guest through the upper riffle and bank structure a yell came from the pool below. Looking downstream I was awed at the incredible sight of my other guest's 7-weight literally bent to the water. Our group converged at the pool and 15 minutes later a beautiful sea-run brown of over 8-pounds was brought to the net. Great, I thought. A big fish at the beginning of the day usually means a tough afternoon trying to top the experience. Today would be different, however.
We continued to work the run and next riffle below the pool with good success, catching more (albeit smaller) sea-runs and a few wild rainbows, covering the water thoroughly until lunchtime. Fishing only a quarter-mile of water in a morning says something. I'm not referring to lazy fishermen, but to the need to not have to move on. Still, with a world of opportunities ahead of us and a river valley all to ourselves we decided to hike upstream to the next pool.
What we saw upon arrival at the head of the pool literally left me literally shaking as I tried to change spools for my guests. Resident brown trout were slashing at the surface with a force that I've only seen during the hopper season on the the mainland's rivers and spring creeks in the pampas near Coyhaique. The scene really goes beyond words, but try to imagine a 4-pound brown nailing three insects during one rise, all mouth and back breaking the surface. You can understand my nervousness when you know that up until then neither myself, my guides, nor my guests have ever landed a fish on a dry fly in the fjords. The first cast with a Yellow Rubberlegs Stimulator was nailed by a 3-pounder and the action continued until we had put the fish down many hook-ups later. I'd venture say that aside from the big sea-run, the highlight of the day was fishing to a true monster brown that must have run (in all honesty) over 12-pounds. This fish was cruising the water and would violently break the surface in various sections of the pool every 10 minutes or so. We could only cast to where we knew the fish had been and hope for a strike. It never happened, but we did get a good look at that fish numerous times (if it was indeed only one fish) and we'll never forget his massive size. He's still there...
Venturing farther upstream with only an hour left to fish before we needed to return to the launch and beat the setting sun home we arrived at a huge gravel bar that allowed access to over a mile of crystal clear water flowing through riffle, run, and pool habitat as well as a smaller side stream. I urged my guests to take a look around and then focus on the water they liked the best for the remainder of the day. They decided on the largest pool where more browns were hammering insects on the surface on the far bank (it always seems to be the far bank). As they fished I headed upstream to explore and found more good water than could ever be fished in a day.
Think about this, I said to myself. You are here alone right now in the southernmost reaches of the planet, in Patagonia, on a river as good as they get. Alone! Think about how many boats would be passing, how many fly fishers would be crowding the bank, how the experience could never be the same in north America, even on a tough day here. Think about how lucky you are to be here - in a place you thought didn't even exist anymore.
My guest handed me the rod during the final minutes - she was satisfied and ready to call it a day. Ignoring the rises and wanting to push beyond the sure thing, I switched spools to load up a heavy sink tip to see what was waiting below. Three strips into my first cast and the rod tip hit the water with a heavy thump, thump that could only be the trademark hit of a huge brown. The line went tighter than I had remembered in some time and in my excitment I choked. The line was suddenly slack and I was left only with a taste of what could exist. That one is still there, too...
The Rio Sueño is located via motor launch from Termas de Puyuhuapi, and is literally over three hours from any other nearby port, meaning very little pressure on the fishery and a very good chance at exclusivity. We have never covered all the water in this system - one main branch, two lower arms, and a smaller stream - but estimate that a good 4 days of fishing exists here alone. We will certainly be heading here with our guests during the now initiated southern fjords season, and those that enjoy hiking will have the opportunity to be some of the first to experience the waters that we have yet to explore.
As the Colihuachos have arrived early in the Tenth Region due to the dry weather, we're ready to look south. The Petrohué and other Tenth Region rivers have been fishing incredibly well, with one guest in early December bringing over 30 fish to the boat in one day, including 5 resident and sea-run browns over 4-pounds each. The rainbows in the Pet are still as eager as during the early season and there has also been great dry fly and nymphing action in the area's smaller streams. Still, despite the great conditions in the north the arrival of the flies signals a time for migration and discovery, and so that is what we intend to do. We have the names and addresses of a couple of monster browns and would love to invite you search for them with us once again.
Dry fly fishing in the Chilean fjords? I know they'll say I'm crazy and am wasting my time. They'll say they heard (from who?) there are no wild fish there, and that it's better to keep to the beaten path, to stay with what's familiar, or that the fishing in the fjords has gone downhill. That's fine with me. Let them keep thinking it doesn't exist anymore.
WHAT OUR RECENT GUESTS HAVE SAID
"Great knowledge of the entire area... I asked for diversity and I got it! Robert made the trip very enjoyable!" - D.P., Kingston, Ontario, Canada
"Your attention to all the details for our trip made it a very pleasant and unforgettable experience... You more than fulfilled what you promised, even had really good dry fly fishing and converted us to streamers... I also would like to thank you in particular for arranging activities for my parents. They did have a great time and expressed, upon our departure from Chile, that this was one of the most fun trips they had taken... Thanks again for a wonderful vacation!" - R.B., Del Mar, California
"The streamer fishing on the Petrohué was some of the most exciting fishing I have ever done, period. It has all the all the excitment of dry fly fishing and more - the opportunity to fully observe the drama of the chase and see the take in the clear waters of the river." - S.B., Evanston, Wyoming
Best regards and tight lines,
Robert Parker
Owner/operator
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Rios Austral Fly Fishing Outfitters
Specializing In Exceptional Fly Fishing Travel To Chile
In Chile:
Viajes Rios Austral Fly Fishing, Ltda.
Casilla 1229
Puerto Montt, X Region
Chile
Fono: (56) (65) 258663
Fax: (56) (65) 258696
Celular: (56) (09) 7622144
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: 707-839-9885
Email: info@riosaustral.com
Web Site: www.riosaustral.com
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