Sample Fly fishing itinerary.

Saturday to Saturday program

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Friday: Arrive to Santiago then connect the first available flight to Puerto Montt. After a 1:30 min direct flight, one of our representatives will meet you outside the baggage claim area to assist you with your luggage and to show you to your private transport to your hotel in lake side village of Puerto Varas, only 30 min away where you will overnight.

Saturday: Depart your hotel around 10:30 am. After 30 minutes drive to La Paloma airport in Puerto Montt, the charter pilot will show you to your twin engine plane. After a 1:20 minute scenic flight you will arrive to the lodge’s airstrip in the heart of Patagonia. Then a short 30 minute drive to the lodge arriving around 13:20.

Once settled you will join your fishing companions and hosts for a delicious lunch. Next your guide will take you fishing to the river next to the lodge, one of the best in Patagonia.  After several hours of great dry fly or nymph fishing, we go back to the lodge where you are greeted with a welcome toast with "Pisco Sours", a typical Chilean drink. After a good hot shower dinner follows complemented with the best Chilean wines. During dinner the head guide will explain the plans for the next day.
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Sunday: An early breakfast at the lodge then to the river. We usually fish our way upstream since we use mostly dries and nymphs. This river has a healthy population of Brown trout and excellent hatches. A good fish weighs from 2 to 5 pounds. Fish take the fly eagerly but delicately. Your guide will show you what to look for in order to locate fish. Once you've mastered your eye, you will be amazed at how many fish you will be casting to. The challenge here is to spot the largest fish within your range. After a good morning's fishing and depending on weather or your preference,   we can return to the lodge or have a stream-side lunch.

Sitting in your chair under some trees, contemplating everything around you and finally hits you, you are actually fly fishing in Patagonia ! you have not seen a soul all morning while fishing almost two miles of river, all this beautiful water just for you, great ! you look up and see strikingly bright clouds moving against a deep blue sky which seem much closer than usual, you cannot believe the clarity of the air and the intensity of the colors. Below, brightly colored lupines and intensely green grass dance softly with the warm breeze. It is really difficult to take it all in at once but one thing is certain, you are very fortunate to be here having so much fun, surrounded by so much beauty and to top it off it is January !
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Your day will continue fishing a nearby spring creek and then to the main river to for the main hatch.  As you well know, spring creeks require more patience and delicate work but they can be extremely rewarding as there is nothing like sight fishing and hooking a large trout in a gentle and peaceful setting. The hatch on the main river is always exciting, suddenly the river comes alive with fish feeding on the surface; when this happens, you want to be close to the largest fish and with the right fly at the end of your line. This is why observation of both the insects and the fish is paramount. Last summer during the hatch, our good friend Claudio hooked and landed four beautiful Brown trout between 3 and 5 pounds, all on dries, in a little more than an hour. After the hatch is over, we head back to the lodge, joining the rest of the group for cocktails, dinner, and fresh fishing stories.
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Monday: After an early breakfast we go fishing down the valley towards the Andes where the river runs larger. We fish where the river goes between some rock banks and very deep and slow pools which are very good holding spots for large trout. We start using streamers until the sun warms the water and we see some insect action on the surface, then we will change to dries. Temperatures fluctuate a lot in Patagonia, high in the day and low at night. We are not very high in elevation at only 21 hundred feet, but during the night temperatures can drop quite bit which takes the river temperatures down into the low 50's during the night so each morning we have to wait a until the river "comes back alive" this happens usually around 10 am when a few mayflies spinners start flying o top of the water. Grasshoppers will be out as well at this time and maybe if you are really lucky an ant hatch will be on as well. You will find that fly fishing in Patagonia is not very different from many rivers in the western US or even Europe. We have the same insects, the same types of fish, only way less people.
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We fish each pool very carefully with our streamer or nymph, waiting patiently for the big one to take our fly. Be aware that as soon as these fish grab the fly, they head for a big log or rock, you have to react fast in order to stop them, if your leader allows it.
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We fish upstream during the morning until we reach a spot where the river opens into beautiful runs with gravel beds where the rest of the group will join us for a stream-side lunch. This section of river has no access but by wading along this wild but gentle river. We continue fishing, trying some dries and nymphs as we approach the evening hatch.
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Far in the distance we hear a vehicle approaching. Telling us that our fishing day in chilean Patagonia is coming to an end. It is time for the last cast. I always use this opportunity to tell my guests that when you say " this is the last cast" it is actually a lie, just like: the check is on the mail, the last drink and we go and so on...
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Tuesday: Today we we will fishing toward the head waters. Here the river is a bit smaller but with a very interesting structure.  We will master our nymphing technique fishing pocket water and a few deeper holes. Covering a couple of hundred yards to no more than a mile of river during a morning's fishing. We'll start fishing with a nymph and as the water temperature rises and the insects start hatching, we'll switch to a dry fly. This section of the river has a good population of Brown trout. We will be using a smaller rod, size 3 or 4 , which will ad to the excitement. In a morning's fishing, you should be able to land between 10 to 15 fish. Generally wading in this part of Patagonia is very easy and safe as the rivers of the area have gravel bottoms and are not slippery. Still like on any stream, to be safe you have to avoid wading deep or in faster currents. The water is very clear so it's easy to avoid large underwater logs or boulders.
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After the morning's fishing, we'll join the group for a barbecue or "Asado"” that will be done in typical Patagonia style. The lamb or beef is fixed open on a double iron cross. The structure has a sharp point at one end which is buried into the ground next to the fire. The meat is rotated so it's evenly cooked on both sides. In the meantime, we are sampling a good Chilean red wine. Later, after the Asado and some rest, we get ready for more fishing.
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Today our goal is to catch a large trout on a dry fly during the hatch. We'll go to a pool or run where you or your guide have spotted larger trout over the last few days. Once there, we will wait until the fish start rising for the hatch. After a while, we should have a good idea of where our trophy is feeding. Then, you develop your strategy: The approach, the leader, and the fly.
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Now you are in front of a large feeding Brown trout. In the heart of Patagonia, no other angler for miles. You wait for the fish to rise once more. Finally. The perfect cast. As the fly approaches the fish, you are alert with all your senses. You know the fish will take. Then, a big shiny head and huge tail, your fly is gone, you have it! The large trout feels the hook, moving it's head side to side. As you reel in you wonder if your arched rod and fine leader will resist. How large is the fish? You just saw that big head and tail. We invite you to experience the rest of this story.
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Wednesday: Today we'll fish a small stream located in a valley South from the lodge. Not more than 20 miles away, it will take us and our four wheel drives almost an hour to get there. The road is just a cattle trail and we have to go slow. As we journey across low hills, we see the enchanted valley trapped against the snow capped Andes Mountains. At a distance, the river meanders like a blue and silver snake

This area is one of the most remote and pristine in Patagonia. The first time I visited this valley I could not believe my eyes. we were exploring the area looking for fishing. The mountains seemed to be coming straight up from the flat prairie below where the river slowly meandered. I knew for sure that I was one of the very few anglers whom had ever fished here, maybe just a lucky hand full.

The excitement grew higher as I approached the river, as I was not sure if there were any fish here. No trout or salmon are native to Patagonia and certainly not anywhere in the world below the Equator for that matter. I still remember having trouble treading the rod because my hands were shaking with excitement. Shortly after that I was happy to confirm that beautiful Brown trout populated these waters and eagerly took our flies.
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We start the day fishing upstream with nymphs. We fish slowly, covering at the most a half mile during the morning. The stream is narrow with grass and bushes that touch the water from deep cut banks. The river has Brown trout in great numbers which have never before seen a fly and are very strong.
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After a morning's fishing in the dream-like setting, we join the group for a stream side lunch under the shade of a big "Lenga” tree. Later we'll fish further downstream where the river is larger. Here we will use Grass Hoppers, a pattern that works very well in most of the rivers that have cut banks, and certainly this one is no exception. The fish hit strong soon after the fly touches the water.
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This valley is, without a doubt, one of the most pretty and wild corners of Patagonia. Once you fish here, you feel like you've fished the stream in your dreams.  All you can think of is when you'll be back. After this truly unique fishing adventure, we head back to the lodge. During dinner the head guide will tell us about tomorrow's plans. Since it's the last day, we will try to arrange it so you spend it on your favorite stretch of water.
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Thursday: By now your guide should have told you all of the secrets of this great river. Today like all previous days , you will be fishing a section of the river you have not fished before so we suggest you try to remember  the fishing situations you encountered during the week  and  device by yourself the best approach  to what you will encounter on this beautiful section of the river. Again , we will stop for lunch and continue fishing until the days end.
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After you've enjoyed the evening hatch, we head back to the lodge. Here we will join everyone in a farewell dinner and share our last stories or at least until next time.
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Friday: After breakfast, we will enjoy a session of sight fishing for large Browns in the shallows of the nearby lake. Fish were are very active even in a bright sunny day. This allows you to see fish as they came to your fly but curiously, here most fish come very slowly examining your fly with great attention to finally opening a large white mouth while continuing their usual path. The excitement of this type of fishing is unparalleled since you are the privileged observer of all the action and the anticipation of the strike is hard to bare. Sizes of fish are quite remarkable and although many anglers do t favor lakes , this particular situation is extremely rewarding , basically like fishing a large spring creek.

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Saturday: Departure. Today is your last day fly fishing in Patagonia. After breakfast, you will have the chance to go after the one that got away or perhaps try the fly you didn't have last time. What ever your choice, go for it! But don't forget to go back to the lodge  for lunch !
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After lunch, the lodge's vehicles will take you to the lodge's airstrip to meet the plane that will fly you to Puerto Montt to catch your connection to Santiago.Have a safe trip and we hope to have you back again soon to fish The Blue Rivers of Patagonia.

Duration: Half or full day.
Difficulty level:  Rxcursions are matched to guest capacity; expert to novice.
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