As a visitor first comes to Patagonia, I have struggled this spring with cold water, high flows, high winds and a new landscape very different from where I live in New Zealand. But the Patagonian hospitality and the wonderful beauty of these land and its waters have more than compensated me in my early fishing days in southern Chile. Despite the weather and the challenge of finding my way in a new land, I attest that I enjoyed the people, their rivers, lakes and mountains of the Andes enough to want to live here if they did not have a family life and charming business elsewhere in the world, as is the South Island of New Zealand, where I work as fly fishing guide.
So when I had the opportunity to fish with two of the best guides in the Northern Patagonia, I could not but feel anxious and very excited, especially to face the prospect of a species that in the past have found it very difficult to capture, Salmo Salar or the Atlantic salmon. Previously he had twice the opportunity to try fishing for Atlantic Salmon in the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec in Canada, and was over twice disappointed, although large sea fontinalis offset those journeys. The try fishing this time, would be the Atlantic Maullín River, a species that probably began to populate the waters in these latitudes as a byproduct of salmon farms on Lake Llanquihue, and which today represents a high quality fishery development.
Ricardo Ordonez, city guide and owner of Valdivia www.lavaguada.cl, I extended the warmest hospitality professional to invite me to fish one of his favorite rivers, the Maullín. As the company name suggests, Richard is a great confluence of knowledge. Knows and understands all the near and distant waters where he lives has traveled extensively and knows all the best guides who work in Patagonia. Fishermen, especially professionals, are very secretive, especially when it comes to sharing their favorite places or secret for obvious reasons of conservation in a competitive business. But I must confess that I've been constantly amazed by the generosity of Patagonia, which have left me show my friends these latitudes.
Following the footsteps of the Atlantic Salmon
After our trip very early start, we make good time on the Panamerican highway and arrived at our destination around 8:00 AM.
Marcelo Chile Wilhelm of Wild River Expeditions awaited us upon arrival and greeted us warmly. Marcelo wears a short beard and has broad shoulders, like the upright posture of a boatman. He offered us coffee and then was enthusiastic to start the day fishing. He speaks English fluently, but is happy to engage with customers to develop and practice the Spanish language.
Soon finished preparing our fishing rods shipped. My team was composed of a cane Composite Development XLS number 5, with a sinking tip line sinking three, coupled with a leader of two meters long, ending with a 2x tippet, and 200 meters as a reserve backing the reel. Ricardo used a cane smut ECHO 9 feet with a Teeny line 200, leader of two meters long and 2x tippet. This last line being heavier was more appropriate to launch flies, compared with the light line which I used in the opportunity. To compensate for the slow subsidence of my line had to use heavier flies with lead eyes closed style bells. I'm not used to this kind of fishing, by throw line as both heavy with weighted flies, I was a little awkward, and felt like throwing a rounder.
We vary the flies during the day, but all were streamers. The patterns included changes in Woolly Buggers, Muddlers, Pancoras and Zonkers. Some mounts have rubber feet and brightness flashabou or Crystal Flash. My most productive pattern of the day was Zonker one brown, with a strip of rabbit back, chrome-colored belly, red throat and red eyes lead.
When we prepared our rods, we were preparing the rest of our team who dresses like for a party. The river itself is beautiful. The clear water, deep, strong currents, but with few rapids. Mirtaceous A thick forest of growing up the water's edge and acting along the riverfront as a strength, keeping the river safe from overfishing. There are very few public access points Maullín are mostly a track near the road and, from time to when a bridge across the river. The most overwhelming experience to know that the corridor of the river has changed little in recent decades.
Because the head or source of the river is Maullín Llanquihue lake, the river upper seldom changes colors with high water, even after the rains. Although the flow was three feet tall, the Maullín is kept a gin-clear color. The river is an excellent habitat for salmonids and benthic life. In the place I saw numerous species of Mayflies and Caddis very active.
Marcelo took us down the river in a boat with jet propulsion, some four miles upstream. I immediately became clear that he was not only a ferryman, but also an excellent guide, but also a wonderful companion. In the tradition of boatmen, I had read in the work of Roderick Haig-Brown, "The winter of a fisherman," a book he wrote Haig-Brown when he visited Chile in 1952, states that it was impossible to know the best large rivers or in the wild country without the services of an experienced boatman. As the boatmen of Haig-Brown, Marcelo is intensely conscious in the water, which has grown in experience over two decades in which has been working as a professional fishing guide fly. He is meticulous, fast, strong, knowing, but discreet, so has the best qualities of a great waterman. When there are two branches of the river, or had completed the section of a branch, or water were too shallow on one side, or jams approached carefully, he sailed to perfection.
The morning was rainy, dense forest green glittered along the water. The air was fresh and rich bird life and abundant visible. Soon we saw the Atlantic Salmon. The fish size ranged from one to four kilos. goldfish are gorgeous metallic gray, a little oil in the back, belly and flanks of chromium, dotted with black spots, with sculpted body for the speed with a tail like a large fork. They looked like ghosts along bottom of the river, passed beneath the river's edge and are easily frightened.
Marcelo turned the boat doubles as a gentleman with a horse, placed strategically in the current, cut the engine and told Richard to bounce gently anchor. Then I explained how to fish with streamers with sinking-tip line ."Cast downstream correct line quickly to sink the fly and work soon, then picks up quickly," he said.
When I had no one taken a sprint or immediately, Marcelo heard singing "Come on, come on, come on."
"Come, come, come," I said, gathering my streamer. While Marcelo smiling.
Obviously I expected and that is largely Maullín as his river. Lit a cigarette, he was thinking, then gave us chocolate and repositioned the boat. This time we were located closer to the deep waters of the curve the river. Ricardo and I went over fishing strategy with Marcelo and threw our lines through the currents and down, each for a different side of the boat.
"Pica" said Richard quietly. But the fish was not subject to alzuelo.
I launch far as I could, and when the fly hit the water, add more line out, and driven by the descending line, with a few clicks of the tip of my rod. When the fly is closer to the bedside where water leaving the river bend, quickly picked up the line. Three pulls later I was with a very strong pitch at the end of the line. He deliberately flies like a subway to the center of the header. I could feel the power of that fish. He ran hard and fast, and swam downstream to the headwaters of the meander bend, despite my efforts, and three X tippet, very To my regret was released. The salmon ran to where things are going in a lost job, as when a brother is dead, or you feel has been your ex best girl. It was a break for me. To pull the line. The feeling of nothingness was heavy. I have released large fish before, but surely this was the largest fish hooked all day. I am not surprised to learn that more than 4 kilograms. That's life .
And now that time has passed, and as all the fishermen have little exaggerated, do not remember the exact result. But Richard and I hooked a ridiculous number of Atlantic Salmon. We also lost many salmon. The Salmo Salar has a soft mouth , and gives easily when you pull very sharply. This I learned that day. The salmon that we capture, all specimens were vigorous and handsome fighters. And as the water temperature from 13 to 15 degrees, increased action in the river changed dramatically, as if someone had pressed a button on the Limpopo River.
In the middle of the drift, I insisted that Richard take the front seat of the boat, which is the best place to fish in a boat. Fair is fair. It was her turn. But he immediately answered with a resounding "No "protesting:" You are the guest. "Ricardo is not only an outstanding host, but also a great pitcher, possessor of a technique for precision and a very beautiful presentation. Despite my position in the boat to throw first, Ricardo was also able to catch more of their own.
During the course of the stream, when I had to go back and add or change leader or tippet, or change a fly, Marcelo was always very attentive but not intrusive. "What can I do for you?" used to ask, just once. I'm not used to being the client, so that at times I felt a little confused on my own. Marcelo and Ricardo had the delicacy to leave me alone. His attentions were refined, always alert, but not excessively, This is another hallmark of good guides.
The incredible trout fishing in Maullín
"Okay, now let's do something a little different," said Marcelo. Then Richard sat up the fly of the boat. It is time for trout fishing.
We are approaching fast, a section of river with riffles interlaced with pockets or pockets in the vegetation.
"Lance there," Marcelo said, pointing to a pocket between the vegetation on the river bank, the moment reminded me of a saltwater snook in Florida, or a delivery built by a bird among the branches. "Hold on tight and pick up the line immediately when your fly reaches the water."
I obeyed and then make the first presentation, a trout out of the shadows and attacked my fly. "Oh, it's great!" Said Ricardo, and Marcelo just looked up and winked. The result was a beautiful brown trout two feet long. But we were moving fast, so we returned the trout fishing using the same strategy. Then I got another nice brown trout. Then, after getting a couple more sprints, I managed to hook a trout powerful and strong, this fish turned out to be a majestic rainbow. With this capture, we had managed to capture three "species" in a short stretch of the river (Salmo salar, brown trout and rainbow trout).
We fished through his pockets or pockets in the vegetation. I once had a dive fast and furious, so much that I lost track of the taken. That must have been the biggest fish I lost that day, perhaps with a size more than 25 inches, but we had reserved Maullín larger fish in the last minute of bottom fishing on a stretch of the river. I ended up sweating a little when we finished fishing for trout in the stream.
Soon we were back in front of the Lodge of Marcellus, in the same place where our tour started fishing on the river. "Welcome to my backyard," said Marcelo. "We still have time to catch another ten minutes."
While we fished this stretch of river Marcelo asked how he first came to float the Maullín. "I was only 15 years," he said. "I do not know what he was doing."
"How do you know where to get the boat from the river?" I asked.
"No," he said. "But it's funny you ask. Because when I finished, I went through which is finely constructed now my refuge." Marcelo has been linked to fishing and floating the river for 23 years.
At that time I had a bite and although I hit a beautiful Atlantic salmon, I lost. "Suavemente," she recalled Marcelo.
Then Richard pulled out a beautiful, bright salmon. I felt I had to have one more, something that was not long ago so I launched very close to shore. A few minutes later a very nice fish bit my fly line and pulled me out as smoothly as a spirit among the reeds. After that memorable catch, we headed back to the dock to end our day at the Marcelo Maullín and allow that catered to their obligations family.
While Marcelo led us down the river that day also had other duties as a parent hosting a party for end of school year for your child and his class. Many residents were present, and it was evident that Marcelo and his family are people too beloved in the community.
Before leaving, inspect its two cottages, situated in an area with beautiful gardens and spacious. The cabins are simple but comfortable, very spacious with comfortable beds, carefully decorated in a style that reminded me of the Maine woods.
Marcelo told us that in the lower river chinook salmon is excellent, in large sizes up to 25 kilograms and brown and rainbow trout larger, then more time advancing the fishing season. There are three different sections you can fish near the Lodge, without repeating the water that has to catch. I must admit that I keep looking forward to return to the river Maullín with Marcelo and Ricardo, and explore the different sections at each stage of the season.
After coho salmon
Our day ended just after 01:00 PM, so Richard suggested I try to catch one target species, something different from the fish we had caught in the Maullín. To that end, we headed to Lake Rupanco where Ricardo captured a large number of coho salmon size not too grades, which completed a total of four species of salmon caught in just one day of fishing.
I've never seen so many salmon species caught in one day.
Final Note
This extraordinary day of fishing in northern Patagonia gave me many rewards hard to describe with words. This trip ended up becoming a day of many awards personally and professionally, and I could try and catch several species of salmonids in different sectors and not very distant from each other. I had the opportunity to meet a splendid beauty spots, and plunge into the wildest corners of Northern Patagonia. But most importantly, I share the days with two amazing people, such as Ricardo and Marcelo, who I've seen two great new friends on this journey I have undertaken in the south of Chile.
When Richard found out that I wanted to fish in the region of Coyhaique, was kind enough to help me plan a trip of three weeks starting from the city of Valdivia to Bariloche, and to Coyhaique. He also introduced me to local guides, who are their friends. If you have any questions about planning a fly fishing trip from Valdivia to the tip of Patagonia, I suggest you contact Ricardo Ordoñez in www.lavaguada.cl. He is a confluence of water, fish and guides .
