December is the beginning of summer in
South America. The spring melt from
the Andean slopes that separate Chile from Argentina is all but
gone and the rivers run clear before the Christmas holidays. While
some trout fishermen in the States have stored their waders for
the winter, others will be waist deep in water, having made the
pilgrimage to the clear, fish-filled rivers of Patagonia.
Patagonia is an invisible band that stretches
across the South American continent from the Pacific Coast of
Chile to the Atlantic on the Argentine side of the Andes. For
the flyfisherman, it has been El Dorado since trout were first
introduced, soon after the turn of the century.
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