Laguna Larga, Futaleufú y Yelcho
We hadn't done a great Patagonian trip for some time, so Luis San Miguel organized for us a fishing week during the beginning of December in Laguna Larga, Esquel, and in Futaleufú and Lago Yelcho, in Chile. The group was then formed by the historic Marcelo Mihura, Negro Del Río, and myself, under the direction of Luis San Miguel.
Laguna Larga
This is a small lake of glacial origin of about 3.5 km long, it is located within the Los Alerces National Park, near the Futalaufquen and Rivadavia lakes, and the Arrayanes and Rivadavia rivers. It is not a pond, because it drains its waters to Lake Futalaufquen through a small stream. The definition of a pond includes the absence of a drainage of its waters, although this is relative since there are imm View more...Laguna Larga, Futaleufú y Yelcho
We hadn't done a great Patagonian trip for some time, so Luis San Miguel organized for us a fishing week during the beginning of December in Laguna Larga, Esquel, and in Futaleufú and Lago Yelcho, in Chile. The group was then formed by the historic Marcelo Mihura, Negro Del Río, and myself, under the direction of Luis San Miguel.
Laguna Larga
This is a small lake of glacial origin of about 3.5 km long, it is located within the Los Alerces National Park, near the Futalaufquen and Rivadavia lakes, and the Arrayanes and Rivadavia rivers. It is not a pond, because it drains its waters to Lake Futalaufquen through a small stream. The definition of a pond includes the absence of a drainage of its waters, although this is relative since there are immense and deep mirrors of Patagonian water, such as the Strobel Lake, which are called lakes and do not have any drainage of its waters.
The first thing that catches the attention in this the area is the lush forest, where the unusual abundance of cypress trees in the mountain range stands out, these are native conifers. We stayed at the Laguna Larga Lodge, an extraordinary place.
The buildings are all made of wood, of a unique design and good taste, which go perfectly with the surrounding mountain environment. The rooms are very spacious and warmly set, with an incredible view. The food, the service, the decoration, everything is of excellence in the Laguna Larga Lodge. Its owner, Andrés Stewart is a great guy, and leaves no detail left to chance.
For fishing, they use raft-like rowing boats that are handled by two well-trained guides along the nearby coasts. The lake is very well populated with brown trout of good sizes: very healthy, fat, and strong fighters. It seems that the genetics of these browns is very much appreciated, and it is used for reproducing these fish in other places.
We use sinking lines and streamers, since at this time of the year, the dry fly fishing is not very effective. We must use fast sinking lines to attract our fishy friends, but it is worth it: the bites are quite frequent. The ideal gear for my taste is a 6-weight outfit.
I definitely believe that visiting Laguna Larga Lodge is a highly recommended experience.
Futaleufú, Lodge Matapiojo, Chile
The entire valley of the Futaleufú river is of extraordinary beauty, with a landscape that we do not usually see on our side of the Cordillera in Argentina. The river is framed by impressive vertical stone walls, which plummet, and reminds us a little of the walls of the Capitan, in the Yosemite National Park. The vegetation is also lush here, all surrounded by snowy mountains.
We stayed at Matapiojo Lodge, a Chilean operation led by Francisco Rivera, who really surprised us, along with the other guides, with their professional quality and commitment to customer satisfaction. The food is very good, and the rooms are kind of big tents with a rigid floor, very comfortable. The bathrooms are about 40 meters away, a detail that is sometimes a bit awkward. We fish by floating different spots of the river, all beautiful and with a very good population of browns and rainbows.
Almost all the fishing we did was done with sinking lines, although there were exceptions. At one of the stops, for lunch, we discovered a group of large rainbows, eating on the surface, apparently emergers, so we had a good time using dry flies. I particularly like the Adams Parachute, with which I played several beautiful trout. In the spring, the Futaleufú runs deep, with high-speed areas. Some of these areas of the river are used for kayaking.
We also accessed Lake Yelcho, where the Futaleufú river flows, and we caught some fine trout. Here I also believe that a 6 or even 5 weight rod is recommended.
I think that those who visit Matapiojo Lodge will not be disappointed, thanks to the fishing and to the service, which are both excellent.
Hostería Lago Yelcho, Chile
It sounds a bit repetitive, but Lake Yelcho has one of the most spectacular Patagonian landscapes that I have seen, which rivals those views of the Nahuel Huapi lake in Argentina. We stayed at the Hostería Yelcho in Patagonia, which is strategically located, on the lake near the mouth of the Yelcho River, and other key places to fish, such as Los Leones Bay.
The lodge is very comfortable, with good rooms and food, and what is very nice, is that the guides have their boats docked under the lodge and from there we all go fishing. Lake Yelcho is immense, and with very low fishing pressure.
We caught very beautiful rainbows, sight fishing with dry flies, in the first section of the Yelcho river. This part has backwaters with interesting rainbow-filled structures. They told me that at a certain time, tuna can be fished near the mouth of the river in the sea. Being connected with a tuna on the fly rod is something that we cannot miss before leaving this world.
Dry fly fishing in Leones Bay is a must-do in this paradise. It is called Lions because it seems that in the last century the Pumas killed sheep here. This huge bay is very protected from the wind, making it ideal for dry fly fishing. The veril is far from the coast, so there is a wide strip, about 100 to 200 meters, of a "flat" about 4 or 5 meters deep.
This allows the arrival of light to the bottom and the proliferation of algae that emerge towards the light like green ghosts. Associated to this, there is the proliferation of immature stages of insects, food for our fishy friends. Dry fly fishing in this bay is very famous. There are constant water explosions, attacks and acrobatic jumps of muscular rainbows, which reminded me of the fine engravings of rainbow trout in the American fishing magazines of the 70's. In the distance, you can see eternal glaciers, it is a real postcard...
There are many dragonflies here, that are attacked with violence. I tried the first day with an imitation and also with a Sofa Pillow with poor luck, but Luis fished with a Fat Albert and nailed me: 6 - 0. A beating from which I am still recovering.
Fat Alberts, stripped very slowly and subtly, were lethal. To be honest, I liked this dry design made for Pirá Pita (a fish that is caught together with golden dorado in Argentina), but I didn't imagine it was so effective for trout. Dragonflies are usually effective, but it is not easy to avoid curling the tippet after casting them for a while... The physical condition of Yelcho trout is fantastic, and it shows in those combats.
We also tried the brown trout between the logs near the coast: this was also a lot of fun. You have to cast from the boat, very close to the coast, and to watch them rise is a show. It is interesting to note that many times these browns rise and take slower than the rainbows of the Bay of Lions, almost suspiciously in slow motion. It is not suitable for anxious people!
At one point I took a long, risky cast on a bed of submerged logs. I see a very large dark shadow that rises slowly, the trout of the trip! Takes it, I hook it, and as expected, happiness only lasted a few seconds. She swam between the sticks, exploding my Maxima 2X tippet.
For dry fly lovers, Lake Yelcho Lodge is an exceptional fishing area, with very good services and a beauty that you will never forget.
Those who wish to make a trip like this one can contact Fly dreamers directly and request them to plan this for you.
Links to see the lodges:
Laguna Larga Lodge: https://www.flydreamers.com/en/travel/fly-fishing-lodge-in-esquel/laguna-larga-lodge-fly-fishing-lodge-in-esquel-chubut-argentina-l-604
Yelcho: https://www.flydreamers.com/en/travel/fly-fishing-lodge-in-chaiten/yelcho-en-la-patagonia-fly-fishing-hotel-in-chaiten-region-de-los-lagos-chile-l-48
Matapiojo Lodge: https://www.flydreamers.com/en/travel/fly-fishing-lodge-in-palena/matapiojo-lodge-fly-fishing-lodge-in-palena-provincia-de-palena-chile-l-1441
