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Photos courtesy of Patrick Pendergast & Mike Parker
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El Saltamontes - Chile, Patagonia
Thirteen years ago, The Fly Shop® discovered El Saltamontes on the Gorrono Ranch in the Patagonia Region of Southern Chile. The home river, the Nireguao is, arguably, the finest resident brown trout stream on earth, and certainly the best our staff has ever been to, or even heard about. Testimony to its excellence is the fact it has been completely booked for the last 8 years. And, at the conclusion of this past season, many of the guests have already made plans to return in 2004.
The superb lodge is nestled in a beautiful river valley and is luxurious, by any angling standards. Each of the five guest rooms have private baths, and magnificent views. A small and intimate experience, El Saltamontes allows only eight fishermen and two non-anglers each week of it's short season. Constructed completely from local timber and river stones, the furnishings and final touches reflect the Gorrono family commitment to make this the finest fishing lodge in South America.
The cuisine at El Saltamontes is nothing short of gourment. Talented chefs deliver meal after meal of mouth-watering regional specialties, guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and a few inches on your waistline! To accent these dining masterpieces, your host Jose Gorrono has already started stocking the lodge cellar with a fine selection of domestic wines for next season. The final evening you'll be treated to a traditional asado, an outdoor barbeque complete with live, local entertainment.
The Fishing Program
Dave Whitlock, widely traveled author, angler and fly designer, himself a legend in flyfishing, wrote after a March trip that, "I've never seen a river so full of big browns that were so totally hooked or spoiled on hoppers as this place. John Randolph, editor and publisher or Fly Fisherman magazine, states that the ranch's home river, the Rio Nireguao, is, arguably the best wild, resident brown-trout river in South America and perhaps the world. High praise, indeed, from people who have experienced the finest flyfishing on the planet!
Lodge photo courtesy of El Saltamontes The Chilean government has designated the Nireguao as the first study-catch-and-release, artificials only river in the country. It has been estimated that approximately 9,000 brown trout swim in each mile of the river, a mid-sized stream that is easily waded and very user-friendly. Expert casters often hook large numbers of tout each day, and when the 'hopper grab' is on, even novice flyfishers can expect lots of strikes, with a monster fish an everyday possibility. The lodge record, set during the 2003 season is in excess of 14 pounds!
Anglers who have visited El Saltamontes in the past will attest to this remarkable fishing, but recently the program has improved even further. Spearheaded by Canadian head guide Adam Henderson and his intrepid crew of Chilean guides, the angling opportunities at El Saltamontes have blossomed. In addition to the homewater, fly-
flyfishers now have the opportunity to ply pristine off-property waters, fisheries that have in many cases never before seen a fly! Our own Pat Pendergast describes a day exploring an unnamed grassy, spring-fed lake that was full of heavy-shouldered 20-24 inch browns. Wading the edges, he'd plop a #6 Chernobyl Ant into openings in the weeds, and watch as huge mouths engulfed his offerings. Clients have reported fishing remote spring creeks full of feisty 12-16 inchers, rising eagerly to large dries. For the angler wanting a challenge, Adam has found locations that seasonally offer demanding small dry fly opportunities, as well. The lodge even has rafts and pontoon boats for day trips to local lakes and rivers.
Fishing conditions range from easy to moderately demanding at El Saltamontes - there truly are no scenarios that accomplished anglers would describe as remotely difficult. The vast majority of the fishing is done with a floating line, with rods in the 4-wt to 6-wt range. Occasionally, a heavy rain spate may briefly cloud the water, making streamers as effective as dries, but most of the fishing here is done with surface flies, particularly large terrestrials. As in most of Patagonia, breezes range from light to strong - fortunately, the lodge has such a diverse fishing program, there is always someplace to go to avoid the heaviest winds.
Rates & Reservations
El Saltamontes package price includes: All licenses, meet and greet at Balmaceda airport, rount trip ground transportation, accommodations, meals, guide service, wine, beer, spirtis, and mixers.
El Saltamontes package price DOES NOT include: Only gratuities, tackle and items of a personal nature are not provided. From the time you are met, to when you are returned to the plane at the end of the week, virtually everything is included!
Anglers will be picked up and returned to Balmaceda for their trip to El Saltamontes. The 6 day/6 night package can be dove
tailed with any number of other South American lodges or angling destinations. El Saltamontes Lodge Homepage
The package price for fishermen is $3,950. The non-fishing package is $2,750.
Non-angling companions are welcome! El Saltamontes has a variety of interesting 'non-fishing' options:
Travel Itinerary
Arrival in Santiago, Chile (Saturday)
Anglers traveling with The Fly Shop qualify for preferential rates at the Carrera. However, there are other wonderful hotel options, as well.
Day 1 (Sunday)
After a comfortable night in Santiago, guests fly [via jet] to the Balmaceda Air Terminal (Coyhaique). There, they are met by hosts Jose & Erica Gorrono who escort the guest to El Saltamonte. The trip to the lodge is about a 2 1/2 hour van trip. The drive is accented by beautiful roadside streams and waterfalls.
Beautiful Brown Trout - courtesy of Patrick Pendergast Upon arrival at El Saltamontes, you?ll be introduced to the staff and accommodations. The Gorrono's impressive, single story lodge and ranch house sits in the shadow of the beautiful snow-capped Andes. Each of the lovely guest rooms is well-appointed, with a view and private bath. El Saltamontes Lodge amenities are in stark contrast to the remote Patagonian location.
After a brief orientation and a chance to settle in and organize tackle, anglers are free to fish with their guides for the remainder of the day.
El Saltamontes angling is exclusively for Brown Trout. Most fishing is done in the Nireguao River. The rivers oxbow lagoons and excellent water is just a stone's throw from the door of the lodge. The Browns actively feed on grasshoppers, and the grass bordering the stream is infested with them in January, February and March. Anglers often release trophy Browns during the week. Other terrestrials and dry flies are very effective throughout the short Patagonian summer and anglers seldom have to resort to subsurface patterns.
The after angling cocktail reception always includes 'Pisco Sour', the Chilean version of a Margarita, along with a complimentary bar and fine domestic wines. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available. The first evening's dinner is a little later than usual - this is to allow for a full afternoon of fishing. Dinners, like all meals at the lodge, are informal, superb, and accompanied by the finest Chilean and Argentine wines.
Days 2-6 (Monday through Friday)
These are full fishing days, and the exact schedule will depend on the guests wishes. Breakfast and dinner will be served in the lodge. Fine mid-day meals are served in the field, streamside.
An 'asado', the traditional South American lamb barbecue, highlights the last evening at the lodge. Neighbors often attend the asado, and native folk music is played - providing a memorable accent to the trip.
Day 7 (Saturday): Anglers will be transported to the local airport and begin their journey home or to other destinations on their South American itinerary.
The Fisheries
The Nireguao River - 'The Home Water': Much of this river flows through high desert grasslands, reminiscent of Wyoming's portion of Yellowstone National Park. In addition to the many miles of 4-wheel drive accessible river that flows through the ranch, El Saltamontes also has the fishing rights to all of the best off-property water, including some beautiful canyon stretches accessible only on horseback. The Nireguoa is a wonderfully fisherman-friendly stream, with open banks for easy backcasting, and washed-gravel bottoms that make wading a pleasure. The fishing, season-long, is heavily oriented around large terrestrials, with hoppers and jumbo-sized beetles standard fare. Average fish will run 15-17 inches, with specimens over 20 inches common. As a bonus, the lodge is located right on the river - very convenient for those hardcores that want to put in an extra hour or two before sundown!
Creek Fishing - Outside the Ranch: In addition to the main river, El Saltamontes has a number of outstanding small streams for the adventurous flyfisher - many of which offer nearly virgin fishing. One little waterway connects two small lakes- when the stillwater warms up, the big browns move into the moving water to cool off a little. The water is very clear, so the fish are edgy, but are suckers for a well-placed beetle. This is visual fishing at its best. Another little freestoner has miles of miniature riffles, runs and crystalline pools, full of aggressive 12-18 inch trout that absolutely annihilate hoppers. Yet another stream pours out of a lake and winds through a spectacular Andean setting. The fishing in this creek's fast-moving flows is wonderful, though the scenery is so incredible, it is very hard to keep your eye on the fly! Finally, there is the upper Nireguoa itself - this tiny spring creek flows through the Chilean 'Valley of the Moon' for miles, with each miniature meadow bank and riffle chock full of gorgeously-marked browns averaging 14 inches, with an occasional 'surprise' fish in excess of 20 inches. While hoppers work as well here as downriver, there are more aquatic insects present, meaning more diverse hatches - mayfly emergences and spinner falls are common. Serious birdwatchers will love this area, as condors and other indigenous bird species are often observed here.
Lagunas: Falling under this broad category of 'lagoons' are a large number of what can best be described as ponds, ranging in size from pools the dimension of a small automobile, up to small lakes of 1-2 acres. Some of these are actually ancient river oxbows, while others are spring fed. They are fascinating fisheries, and consistently hold browns of larger proportions than the average of the main river, often in the 18-20 inch range, with fish over thirty inches occasionally hooked. They seem to pop up at random over the landscape of the ranch - the knowledge of the guides is invaluable in locating them. Wonderfully, we continue to find new ones every year!
Lakes: These stillwater additions to the program have been met with great enthusiasm from recent clients. One of the most unusual lakes is largely surrounded by what can best be described as 'floating earth', essentially undercut banks of gargantuan proportions. Getting close enough to the water to fish involves hiking across areas of spongy terrain - safe, but quite bizarre! There are many other small lagunas in the immediate area, most of which are connected subterraneanly to the main lake, and are also loaded with fish. Another favorite, Lago Saltamontes, is best described by guide Adam Henderson: 'Lago Saltamontes is quite simply awesome. Any angler harboring a prejudice against stillwater fishing will change their point of view after this experience! Using the lodge's pontoon boats we can cover most of the lake's shoreline over the course of the day. From cliffs, logjams and weedbeds, this lake offers a lot of great structure. Large browns are often found hugging the shorelines in unbelievably shallow water. The fish enjoy dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers, beetles, caddis, mayflies and midges on their daily menu - basically, anything will work, as long as it is big and ugly! The lake area is incredibly scenic and guests seem to very much enjoy the one-hour ride through the native forest to get there.'
Photo courtesy of Mike Parker

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