Chile

Overview

Chile's Lake District and northern Patagonia offer a fly fishing experience that is at once familiar to trout anglers from the Northern Hemisphere and utterly unique in its setting, combining the challenge of large, selective brown and rainbow trout with a landscape of active volcanoes, ancient araucaria forests, and pristine rivers that flow through some of the most ecologically intact temperate wilderness remaining on Earth. The region centered around the towns of Pucon, Villarrica, Coyhaique, and Futaleufu provides access to a remarkable diversity of water types, from spring-fed meadow streams to thundering freestone rivers draining the Andes, all holding trout that trace their lineage to stockings made over a century ago.

The Rio Simpson near Coyhaique in the Aysen region is widely considered the finest trout river in Chile, its turquoise waters holding both brown and rainbow trout that average sixteen to twenty inches with fish exceeding twenty-five inches a regular occurrence. The Simpson fishes well with both dry flies and nymphs, and its accessible road-side pools make it an excellent choice for wading anglers. Nearby, the Rio Nirehuao, Rio Manihuales, and the spring creeks draining into Lago Elizalde provide additional options that range from technical sight fishing to blind-casting in productive riffle-pool sequences.

Further north in the Lake District, the rivers around Pucon and Junin de los Andes offer outstanding fishing in a landscape dominated by the snow-capped cone of Volcan Villarrica. The Trancura, Liucura, and Tolten rivers produce reliable dry fly fishing from December through March, with caddis and mayfly hatches that bring trout to the surface in picturesque settings. Chile's southern rivers in the Carretera Austral region, including the Futaleufu, Baker, and Palena, flow through increasingly wild and remote terrain where the fishing pressure drops to near zero and the size and aggressiveness of the trout increase proportionally.

The Chilean fishing season mirrors the Southern Hemisphere summer, running from November through April with the peak period from December through March. Early season brings higher water and strong nymphing, while midsummer delivers the best dry fly fishing. Late season in March and April sees spawning activity and aggressive streamer fishing for large browns. Chile's improving infrastructure, relative affordability compared to Argentine Patagonia, and the genuine warmth of Chilean rural hospitality make it an increasingly popular alternative for anglers seeking South American trout fishing.