by Matias Wahlén

To travel towards the South against a colder climate can feel a little bit strange for northern Europeans, but why not when the fishing in Chile and Argentina is among the best in the world. Rivers and lakes are still untouched, and are set against breathtaking backdrops that are unbelievable, the jungle is mixed with fields and the powerful Andes mountains tower some 21 000 feet or more. To travel in South America is an adventure in it self. Highways are often stone roads were there is only room for one car and it could be 250 km between the gas stations. Some roads are one way streets at certain times and can change direction at different times the day and in places landslides have destroyed the road. The language is only Spanish and in some of the small villages they never seen a credit card which adds to the whole excitement of the experience.

The fishing trip started in Puerto Montt which is located in Southern Chile at 41 latitude were the rental car a Toyota Tercel, was waiting for us at the airport. With the hindsight we have today we would have most certainly chosen a jeep due to the ever-changing road conditions. Our eagerness and anticipation increased as we loaded all of our gear into the car. Day one we set off for Osorno were we would buy our fishing licenses. The season are from Nov-May. After a short lunch break in a small village outside of Osorno, where we aroused a lot of local curiosity we arrived to Osorno. One of our first fishing goals was a small village, which is called Entre Lagos.

When we arrived everything was closed and the sun was setting so it was time for us to find a place to pitch our tent. We found a nice camping by the lake Lago Puyehue were we met other people with the same ambitions and aims. In the morning we took out our fishing rods mostly to wet the lines, but the large trout's were not possible to reach from the shore. Next time we would hire a boat as we saw evidence from our friends of the big fish that could be caught further out. Linked to the lake there's a river called Rio Golgol and it was here that our fly-fishing started. We experimented with different flies over a couple hours and the result was a few trout that tasted particularly good for lunch. The nature here is at times indescribable with the snowy Andes as a background. It is a common sight to see eagles gliding on the mountain thermals and it is at these points you realize the paradise that you have discovered.

We followed the river upstream towards the Argentinean border and stopped for an afternoon fishing with some locals at a road crossing, where the water in the rivers are so crystal-clear and green. Then we went upstream a bit more to a pool that looked incredible. The fishing was good but we didn't catch any big ones. One of the locals caught a trout weighing 3 kg on a grasshopper. The sun down here is very strong, so after a couple of hours fishing you end up with a great sun tan. Now it was time for us to look for a place to spend the night so we went towards the Argentinean border. This area is Parque National Puyhue and the nature is stunning. We made the journey in the night but highly recommend that you do it in the day because it's both beautiful and dangerous. Many km of nothing but jungle and with a maximum speed of 30-40 km/h. In Argentina it was easier to buy a fishing license. They were sold in a sport-fishing store in Villa Angustora. They also gave us very good information about the fishing in the area. The license cost 50 US $ and covers whole Patagonien. So we went up to the mountains again to a lake called Lago Lolog were we camped and fish. We went by many interesting places on the way up but with our time schedule we didn't have the time to stay and fish so the trip continued on. A couple of km south of San Carlos De Bariloche there is a National Park with excellent fishing in the river Manzo.

Here you definitely should stay for a few days or more but we didn't have the time for more than afternoon and morning fishing. We didn't see any other fishermen, which reinforced the idea of a paradise. The supper was trout and beef that we cooked between two stones in the campfire. During the night snow fell on the mountains above us which only enhanced the beauty of the location in the morning. The trip went further on to El Bolson and Cholila were we camped by the river Rio Rivadavia.

Here it was very good fly-fishing in the evening with calm waters. Now we were a long way from home, where they never seen Swedes before. They were very impressed by our digital camera at the local bar and we made many local friends.

The last part before the ferry in Chaiten we had to drive on UN-sealed roads to Futaleufú(Rio Futaleufú goes from The Andes in Argentina through Chile and ends in the Pacific Ocean). This is definitely one of the best places in South America to fly fish. Now we were back in Chile again and this time it was easier to buy fishing licenses at 20 US$/season. The areas around Futaleufú are the most famous in Chile.

One of the reasons could be that Jim Repine has a house here (one of the most famous American fly fishermen We met Jim in the main street and had a few words with him. The night was spent on a camping site by the lake Lago Espolon. We fished in the lake with a rented boat and we caught some large trout (2-4 Kg) which we had for supper. On our last day we hired a local fishing guide called Andrei Gallardo. He and his wife run a small restaurant, which is where we met him. When we arrived he was full of pride and showed us an stuffed trout of 18 kg which he caught in the river Futaleufú. This has been a record in Chile for many years and later that afternoon we fished together in the river. This river offers very good fishing and it was a pity that we couldn't stay longer. The next morning we headed for the ferry in Chaiten, which involved 150 km of narrow road in front of us.

What we didn't realize was that there wasn't any gas station along the road and that the ferry due the day after was 3 hours late so we missed our flight to Santiago as well. But that is part of the charm of fishing in unknown waters. Next time, and we know there will be, we will know better. If you are interested in fishing in one of the earth's most exotic places mail, fax or call W.W.A (World Wide Adventures) Chile for more information. They will tailor-make a trip for your particular wishes and requirements. Go to Chile the land of opportunities.

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