Seasons

Trout and salmon are not native to South America.

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They were first introduced into Chile and Argentina’s regional rivers beginning in the early 20th Century primarily by European owners of large estancias in the south who imported the eggs and smolt by ship from hatcheries in both the U.S. and Europe. The first brown trout were introduced to Chilean rivers in 1906, and three decades later the world famous strain of McCloud River rainbows (salmo Shasta) was added to the cold clear rivers and streams of that part of Patagonia. Subsequent government sponsored introductions into the pristine lakes and rivers of the Lakes Region of Chile were very successful and this area blossomed into a sports fishing mecca in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

It was made famous by writers such as Rodrick Haig-Brown, Ernest Schweibert and Joe Brooks. Additionally, introductions into Patagonian waters have been highly successful and the Aysen Region of Chile (Coyhaique) is now considered the sports fishing center of Chile. Rainbow and brown trout are the most abundant species and trophy size brook trout can be found in a few remote areas.

With a coastline stretching 6,435 kilometers (about 4,000 miles), Chile is a world leader in the global aquaculture industry; the number one producer of farm-raised trout and second only to Norway in salmonid production. Millions of rainbow trout, silver salmon and king salmon escape those farms and their offspring can be found cruising the rich saltwater shoreline. The physical condition of these saltwater raised trout and salmon is awesome and they are some of the hottest fish we have ever tied into.

Over the last decade we have seen an increase in the number of Pacific salmon making their way upstream, and resident trout have started to key-in on the salmon spawn as a food source. Although a few fly fishing outfitters are targeting the migrating salmon, we don’t think this trend is going to take over the trout fishing in Chilean Patagonia. However, it does warrant attention and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Spring in Chile begins in December. Trees have dropped their blossoms and warm summer weather lands in Patagonia before Christmas presents have been opened.
Trout season in Chilean Patagonia swings into high gear by the New Year, and continues until leaves turn crimson and drop with the arrival of winter in late April. The summers of Patagonia are abbreviated, much like those of Montana and Wyoming. Warm days often begin with cools mornings and can be punctuated by sudden thunderstorms. But for the most part, the best time to visit this fantastic part of the world is from mid-November through mid-April.

Opening day in Chile is in November, traditionally a time when North American fishermen are preoccupied with family and holidays. Schools in South America release their students just before Christmas and the rivers of Patagonia don’t see much pressure until after the first of the year. Raul San Martin, one of the most highly respected fly fishing guides and outfitters just across the border in Argentina insists that the best fishing happens in December. The landscape is ablaze with a mind-baffling wildflower display, known locally as "Chocho" (Chilean word for “Lupine Season”). European Lupine carpet the landscape in an explosion of violets, reds, purples and yellows. Fish are on the surface, targeting caddis and mayfly emergences, as well as blizzard hatches of small creamy moths.
Their January is our June/July. Spring snow melt is gone, the weather’s reliable temperatures are pleasant, and the hatches are predictable. Mosquitoes aren’t a concern in most of Patagonia, but the Lake District of Chile can be plagued for a few weeks with Chulihuachos, a pest resembling a horsefly that has all but disappeared by the end of the month.

By the first of February trout begin to key on the caddis hatches and hoppers, stag beetles and other terrestrials that dominate mid-summer fly fishing action. Probably because of the weather, February and March are the most popular months to travel to and fish Patagonia. Too, our winter is a great time to escape to Patagonia’s summer and trout fish for a week or so; something difficult to do when Michigan or Vermont is frozen solid.

April is the beginning of fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Kids go back to school and the traffic is light on the streams and rivers of Chile. Like the Rockies, the weather is less reliable in the fall; days are shorter and temperatures are cooler. Dress for a full range of weather possibilities and plan on some of the best mayfly hatches (especially callibaetis on overcast days) as well as streamer fishing.

The country of Chile is divided into 15 regions with the vast majority of fly fishing taking place in the XI Region, called Aysén, that stretches from Puerto Montt to O’Higgins. Within this vast region of more than 109,000 square kilometers fly fishing outfitters base out of the communities of Lago Verde, Coyhaique, Aysén, and Cisnes. Weather in this part of the world is complex; a mixture of heavy maritime climate with cold water influences from the Pacific give way to an increasingly dry continental climate as you head east toward the Andes and Argentine border. There are four different recognized climates with the Aysén Region, (cold rainy temperate), Andean (degenerating to steppe), (cold steppe), and (high altitude icy).