Fly fishing in Patagonia Argentina

The Esquel area has at least three areas fisheries worth your attention: The Futaleufú River, The Spring Creek Arroyo Pescado and Nant y Falls/Corintos/Percey Rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Futaleufú River: It is the largest and the most beautiful river in the area. Challhuaquen Lodge is placed on the bank of the middle river, in a section believed to be the richest fishing area of theme fly fishing in Patagonia.

-The Futaleufú: River containing lots of flat water, riffles and deep pools all of which give you a chance to catch good numbers of fish on dry flies. Like most tail waters, the river runs cold and clear and is rich with trout food of large trout. Fly fishing in Patagonia from the boat is authorized. The outstanding wading areas can be reached with catches of 3 to 6 pounds in browns and rainbows. There is excellent dry, streamer and nymphs fishing.

-The famous Spring Creek Arroyo Pescadois easily one of the best spring creeks in the world!. This stream is born in a private property, and runs 50 miles to join the Chubut River. Only fly casting is authorized, quality and quantity is the special characteristic of this fishery (2 to 5 pound rainbows). Some wide spots are very good for wading, but casting from the coast is another good alternative. Arroyo Pescado is located 60 miles from Challhuaquen (30 miles north-east of Esquel) and it’s a place full of tales about the Buch Cassidy gang and their misdeeds in the area, narrated by the land-owner.

-Nant y Falls River just 10 minutes away from Challhuaquen (30 minutes from Esquel), on a private estancia, it is located one of the most beautiful rivers in the region. It’s a small stream (40 - 60 feet wide), choked with weed beds and teaming with fish. We have hooked rainbows in excess of 6 pounds and averaged 20 -30 fish a day, all on small dries. Fly fishing is from the bank and you will be casting to fish cruising the edges of the weed beds. This river is a new place for fly fishing in Patagonia as it was closed until recently.

-The Corintos and Percey Riverstwo streams flow about 30 miles each before meeting and flowing into the Futaleufú River. They offer walk wading opportunities for those wanting to get their feet wet. Not all the fish are large on these streams but the occasional fish over 18 inches can be caught on a large dry fly. The character of water is often times like that of a freestone, pocket water stream, and also spring creek like. These rivers are a nice choice for those that want to wade fish with a light rod and enjoy fly fishing in Patagonia in spectacular scenery.

IIn addition to the landscape, the appeal of fly fishing in Patagonia is that it offers first class “off-season” fishing (November thru mid April). Here, in Chubut, there are plenty of excellent areas with lakes, rivers, and streams, already known worldwide as good fisheries:

Fly fishing in Argentina, species:
Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)
Brown Trout (Salmo Fario)
Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis)
Landlocked Salmon (Salmo Salar Sebago)
Perch (native specie)

Fly fishing in Patagonia “Los Alerces” national park

This park was created in 1937, and takes its name from the larch trees over 50 meters high which are the outstanding flora of the region. The Park was created with the goal of protecting this giant specie almost extinct because of the climatic setbacks and temperature of the ground. The Park extension is 263.000 hectares, and it is located 45 miles from Challhuaquen (30 miles southwest from Esquel, Patagonia).

This is a world of lakes and rivers surrounded with imposing mountains and glaciers. The watershed is based in 12 lakes and hundred of rivers and streams that together carry their waters to the Pacific Ocean crossing into Chile.

All of these lakes and rivers are outstanding fisheries, and in this specific program, we offer the alternative of fly fishing the most remote places of the Park, giving a taste of adventure and showing the non traditional fly fishing in Patagonia spots of the area in Patagonia.

Into the National Park you can fly fish in many rivers, the best are: Rivadavia, Arrayanes, Menendez, Frey, Desaguadero and Carrileufu. Our favorite river is the Rivadavia. Only 6 miles long and absolutely packed with fish, an average day on this river can produce about 30 fishes, a third of which will be over 20 inches and all of them the hottest fish you’ll find anywhere. We float this river from Lago Rivadavia to Lago Verde. Fly fishing in Patagonia is a mix of dry fly, wet fly and nymph fishing. Each year we catch a few browns and rainbows over 10 pounds. We fish from the boat at the headwaters and wade the productive pools and runs downstream.

The Rivadavia has a tributary spring creek, called “el canal”, where conditioned 5-10 pound rainbows and browns will rise to sip a size 18 black gnat!. The catch rate on this creek isn’t high (about 2 fish per day), but few of these trout are under 5 pounds.

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