I had high expectations for the flyfishing in Patagonia, hoping it would rival, or even surpass, New Zealand in terms of size and number of trout. As it turns out, everything about fishing in Patagonia has been extreme: the raging currents, the relentless winds, the frigid water, the unaccessible rivers, and the inpenetratable forests lining the banks. Plus, there is almost no information to be found anywhere on the when/where/hows of fishing here. Unless you're willing to fork over thousands of dollars a week to fish with a guide at one of the lodges, you're literally on your own here. It definitely makes for an adventure.
Besides a few excellent days filled with small to medium sized fish, Patagonia fishing has been tough. As we're nearing the end of our time here I've been searching for that one last BIG fish to end the trip on....
The day started like most of them here in Patagonia: wake up at our parking/camp spot along a river, a leisurely breakfast with Rachel's French-pressed coffee, and then head out in search of some good fishing. The river we camped near turned out to be a bust and the pouring rain sent me back to the van before I wasted more time. Our next stop wasn't looking much better: the shallow, tea-colored water looked anything but "fishy". Being the eternal optimist, I left Rachel to read in the warmth of the van while I headed out into the lovely elements...barely above freezing temps, 30 mph winds, and occasional rain.
To make a long fishing story short, the bad weather made for some great fishing. I ended up catching two fat 21" brown trout, my biggest since New Zealand, along with a handful of smaller fish in just a few hours.
We camped along the river, feasting on the one big trout I kept, and went to bed with high hopes for the following day.
Part II: The 20" Brown...
I'm not afraid to admit I haven't been pulling my weight when it comes to putting meat on the table. I'll fish with full focus and determination the first few hours (Dustin would most likely say the first half-hour) but then my mind starts to wander, I get distracted or tired, and if it's bitterely cold out my attention ultimately goes to my frozen fingers.
But, today was different. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We hadn't had weather this nice in over a month. I walked along side Dustin with renewed enthusiasm. After hiking in for an hour we came across some good water so we quickly put the rods together and formulated the "game plan".
Since we brought one fly rod and one spinning rod my inexperience in the Chilean winds made me the most likely candidate for the spinning rod. As I sat watching Dustin meticuously tie on the lure, I thought if either of us were to catch one of the big browns in the river surely it would be him (plus he had already caught a few of them yesterday). His experience and patience would prevail over my mindless, ill-positioned, high-arched casts.
Somehow, my second cast of the morning dropped in precisely the right spot...or at least somewhat close to where I wanted it to go, and all of a sudden I felt a tug at the end of the line. Fish on! My mind raced as I thought of everything I needed to do to ensure I would land this fish.
The fish stayed deep in the water and was determined not to show himself to early in the fight. Dustin caught a glimpse of him as he got ready with the net and informed me it was a "nice one." The fish must have known I only wanted his picture for he gave up after putting up a tough 12 minute fight.
As Dustin scooped him up in the net it was obvious he was a beautiful brown trout. His golden body was flecked with black and red spots and literally glistened in the sun. I held him just long enough to snap a few pictures before releasing him back to his home...or before we had second thoughts!
The 20" Brown was caught on my second cast and was the only fish of the day. Although the weather was great for fishing, it wasn't the best for catching. No complaining though....he's the biggest trout I've ever caught.
1 comment:
nice going, rach!
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