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.