Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page

The Fishing

The fishing in Patagonia is like Montana 20 years ago - it is true.  There is so much water and so few local fishermen that the pressure is almost zero.  If you do some of the overnight float trips you will get to spots that have rarely been fished.   It means lots of pretty stupid trout.  I guess stupid is not a kind word but they don't seem to care about matching the hatch or the perfect drift - maybe cooperative is a better word.  Each river is a bit different with some having lots of 2 pound fish and some with a few trophy fish.  Most of your fishing here will be for good solid numbers of fish between 10-40 fish day being an average day on the more prolific streams.  The occasional brute of 8-12 pounds is always a possibility but unless you concentrate on the big fish area ( like the mouths of rivers at the lakes) they are not common place.  On a stream like the Caleufu a good angler on a decent day may catch 25 fish 10 will be above 2 pounds and 15 below, 2 will be in 3-4 pound range and one will be above 4 pounds.  Someone during the week will catch an 8 pounder like the one pictured above but not everyone.  It is incredible fishing but not a 10 pound trout on every other cast!  It is about 75% rainbows and 25% browns with the browns being the largest fish

If you are fishing the Limay for large fish you may only get a few fish a day but the chances of a real trophy are much greater.  Most of the big fish are in the rivers very early in the season and very late in the season.

CALEUFU RIVER
This is our favorite river in the early part of the season.  Most of our trips include a float trip on this beautiful river.

It’s headwaters are created by the union of the Melliquina and the Filo-Hua-Hum rivers (both are lake-fed) and runs from west to east for almost 40 miles to join the famous Collon Cura river. It is a freestone river, and the landscape changes from the forest in the west to the real desert in the east.

During spring and early summer we float for three days the last 30 miles of this highly productive river casting streamers to rainbows that average 1 to 3 pounds and browns up to 6 pounds.

PICHI LEUFU RIVER

Pichi Leufu means Small River in the  ancient native Indian language. But don’t let the name fool you. This is an outstanding  river where the number and quality of its rainbow trout is remarkable. It is a spring fed river that runs for almost 75 miles until it enters the Piedra del Aguila Reservoir. For flyfishing fanatics, it is paradise. The river offers rainbows and browns from 1 to 5 pounds.

We include a two-day trip with a camping night to this beautiful river in most of our early season itineraries.

LIMAY RIVER

The famous Limay River holds huge brown and rainbow trout that are hard to catch but definitely worth the effort. A number of 12 to 15-pound brown trout are caught every season in its boca (the outlet on the Nahuel Huapi Lake where this river begins). Limay means crystal clear in the ancient Indian language, and it is exactly what it is. This is big and fast water, usually fished with 5 to 7 weight outfits casting streamers on fast sinking shooting lines to tempt the monsters that lie in its depths.

 We include one or two day float trips on this river, which let us reach the less fished sections of the river.

This river is part of many of the packages that are based in Bariloche.

ALUMINE RIVER The Alumine is our favorite river for mid and late season packages. It is a long river that begins at Alumine Lake and runs for nearly 95 miles to join the Catan Lil River. When they join they create the world renown Collon Cura River.

On its journey from north to south it is fed by numerous creeks and a few rivers that also begin in glacier lakes, such as the Pulmari, Quillen and the famous Malleo (once the jewel of the Andes water crown, but now heavily impacted by overfishing and erosion). On our full week float trip we stop to fish many of the inlets of this rivers and the lower portions of the stream. The Alumine is better fished after spring runoff when lower and clearer waters allow for easy wading and casting to numerous rainbows and browns. The average size of its trout (2-3 pounds) and the almost continuos action for the entire length of the river . On the Alumine package we float the lower 60 miles of this river camping on the riverbanks for a full week.

MANSO RIVER
This river flows west to east to the Pacific Ocean past numerous lakes and creeks. The landscape is among the most breathtaking you will see in Patagonia. It runs through valleys surrounded by snow-capped mountains and lush forests that combine with the river's incredibly clear waters for a picture perfect adventure.

We like to float the lower portion of this river during late summer and fall casting steamers on sinking lines into the deep pools or with dries on the slow runs and pocket water.

For those who appreciate stillwater fishing some of the lakes connected by this river are a delight to fish from float tubes for trophy size fish.

QUILLEN RIVER
The Quillen is an amazing river, that is “just the right size” for dry fly fishing and it will fascinate any angler that loves to fish tiny dries on light tippets. Its headwaters begin at Quillen Lake, high in the Andes, and flows from west to east to join the Alumine after 15 miles.

Rainbows and brows gorge on mayflies and caddis hatches through the whole summer and early fall, and big browns hunt minnows and “pancoras” in the deeper pools.

It is a river very difficult to forget for those who had the opportunity to fish it.

We include one and sometimes two days in this river in many of our summer and fall packages.

FOYEL RIVER
It’s headwaters are in the same region as the Pichi Leufu river but it runs from east to west collecting many little creeks for almost 45 miles to finally join the Manso river near the Chilean frontier on its way to the Pacific Ocean.

It is a small and very productive river and it is excellent flyfishing water. It is plentiful with rainbows that average 1 pound but fight like bulldogs on one to three weight rods. The fishing is furious on dries and nymphs in its numerous riffles and pools.

This river can be part of some of the late season packages together with some lakes that are part of the Manso basin.

OTHER RIVERS
According to each  season, many other rivers may be added to this list depending on the itineraries. Rivers like the Melliquina, the Filo Hua Hum, Malleo, Traful and Chimehuin are possible destinations upon request from customers or we will change an itinerary slightly to take advantage of some seasonal hot spots.  Flexibility is built into our trips and our packages have been designed with the best fishing in mind.

LAKES
For those who appreciate some stillwater fishing, many lakes and ponds can be added to any package. From deep-water streamers to excellent dry fly fishing, the vast collection of lakes in this region is astounding.

 
Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page

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