Chimalfe Patagonia Lodge: Fly Fishing in Glacial Realm of the Andes

Just imagine: Luxury accommodation, fine cuisine, spectacular landscapes and the most fantastic fishing experience in Southern Chile. That’s what the Chimalfe Patagonia Lodge offers, and in the following, local guide – Jaime Castillo – explains all about it.

By JAIME CASTILLO Photos by JAIME CASTILLO and MARCELO POO

I’ve been fortunate enough to fly fish and guide all across Chile and abroad. And I keep coming back to a certain place – the Chimalfe Patagonia Lodge. It is a privileged site that has views of the glaciers and the Andes Mountains, which in this region blends into the Pacific Ocean forming the magical fiords of southern Chile.

The lodge is nestled on a hill with a unique view of where the Yelcho River is born, and while some will remark on the high level of quality the lodge’s amenities, food and service, I’m mostly fascinated with its rich variety of fishing opportunities. Here, you will be able to target brown trout – as well as rainbow trout and brook trout – in myriads of small tributaries, creeks, rivers and lakes, and I continue to be fascinated by the richness of the individual biotopes: Their diversity, beauty and uniqueness.

You’re hard put to find a more picturesque place to experience this than on the Yelcho River.

The whole area is teeming with trout – oftentimes in brutal sizes, and whether you’re into dry fly fishing, nymphing or streamer fishing, there is always a venue to suit your needs. the larger watersheds – including the Yelcho River, which is a gin-clear river with lots of feisty brown trout that seem to be more keen on hitting big terrestrial surface flies than most trout elsewhere. It is a tranquil experience to float this mellow and meandering river, which sweeps through some of the most beautiful terrain that Patagonia has to offer.

Breathlessly watching a chunky brown trout rise from the depths of the river – as if in slow motion - to erupt on a big Tjernobyl Ant or Cricket is the epitome of what Patagonian trout fishing is all about. And you’re hard put to find a more picturesque place to experience this than on the Yelcho River.

The Chimalfe Patagonia Lodge is located at Yelcho Lake, which is a large fiord-shaped lake located in Chilean Patagonia, in the southern Palena province of the Los Lagos Region, Chile.

The lake receives its cool, clear waters from the Futaleufu River at its southern tip, near the tiny settlement of Puerto Ramirez. The river then flows northward through mountainous and glaciated terrain, until it outflows via the Yelcho River and empties into the Gulf of Corcovado, near Chaitén.

The whole stretch of the river – and the surrounding area, offers trout fishing that is completely irresistible to me.

Getting here

Typically, guests came from Santiago, and on through Puerto Montt (Tepual Airport) then to La Paloma Airfield (from Tepual Airport to La Paloma Airfield takes approximately 20 minutes depending on traffic) and then to Chaiten Airport.

If you arrive at Puerto Montt in the afternoon, it is highly recommend that you spend the night in Puerto Varas. Puerto Varas has several high-quality hotel accommodations. The city center is small and cozy and local attractions are within walking distance. Local dining is great and for the gambler, there is a casino.

From Puerto Varas to the La Paloma Airfield in Puerto Montt there is a drive of approximately 30 minutes. Flights from La Paloma Airfield to Chaitén leave at 9:30 hours every morning and you must show up 45 minutes before departure. There are two reliable airlines that fly this route. www.aerocord. cl and www.pewenchile.com . These airlines fly Cessna Grand Caravan 208B and Twin Otter DHC-6 aircrafts.

Members of the lodge’s guide staff will be waiting for you at Chaiten Airport to take you to the Lodge, which is a 60-minute drive passing through the town of Chaiten, which is being rebuilt due to the 2008 eruption of the volcano with the same name.

The Back to Reality Day starts with an early breakfast at 8:00 hours and a trip back to the Chaiten Airfield, driven by the lodge’s staff. Flights back to Puerto Montt are available from Monday to Saturday at 10:30 hours. It is adviced to book your flight from Puerto Montt to Santiago with a flexible modality, and after 16:00 hours, considering that delays may happen because of the weather conditions in Chaitén and/or Puerto Montt.

Daily Itinerary

The day commences with a top flight breakfast at 8:30 hours. When the fishermen are ready, they are taken to the dock, which is 200 meters from the lodge. You will then be chasing trout until 1:30 hours or until your stomach begins to rumble for a hefty Chilean lunch (lunch in Chile is the main meal of the day) on the riverbank. A charcoal grilled barbecue or an open fire dish is the norm – accompanied, of course, by local salads and some carbs.

Lunch takes up somewhere between 60 to 90 minutes of the time during a full day of fishing. However, since fishing is not obligatory – certain clients prefer to take a nap next to the river, or simply fish full throttle.

For the meal to go down smoothly, Chilean wines and beers are served. And if the weather conditions are adverse we serve a wholesome broth to warm the “tummy”.

After this typical and invigorating lunch, you’ll continue to test your flies until you’ve had your fair share of feisty trout, and you’re ready for a Pisco Sour back at the Lodge.

The programme for each day will be discussed at the dinnertime with the head guide and his team, thus offering fishing schedules tailor made for each guest.

Accomodation - Luxury accomodation near Yelcho Lake

The bedrooms at the Chimalfe Patagonia Lodge are clean and comfortable and uniquely set up to accommodate couples, singles, or double occupancy “fishing buddies”. With 4 bedrooms, the lodge can physically accommodate 8 guests. Each bedroom has private bathrooms.

Fine linen sheets, top quality duvets and hand crafted furniture all add to the ambiance of the spectacular wilderness setting. All rooms are equipped with luggage storage, heated towel rails, and bath robes.

The Fishing

Yelcho Lake is located in the Lake District of southern Chile in the Palena Province. The lake is fed by the Futaleufú River and is one of the deepest lakes in Chile. It is a popular location for fly fishing enthusiasts who are rewarded with catches of brook, brown and rainbow trout. The season opens in October and ends the first Sunday of May.

To fish the different rivers (Palena, Yelcho, Futaleufu and a few secret ones), you probably need to carry a few different rods rigged with certain flies, and be ready to switch at a moments notice. If you get the opportunity to smack your foam dragonfly into the wake left by a feeding monster you will stand the chance of experiencing a take that will send shivers down your spine. The fish on the local rivers are extremely fat with unparalleled strength – and they grow to stupendous sizes. The quality of the fishing, in my opinion, is some of the most spectacular and rewarding in the world.

Rates and Reservation

The 2017 season rates for the fishing lodge in Yelcho Lake are $4800 per person per week. The package includes accommodations and meals at the lodge, guided fishing, flies, transfers between Chaitén airport and the lodge, beer, wine and soft drinks, Wi-Fi. The package does not include Airfare Santiago-Puerto Montt- Chaitén, accommodations, meals, and transfers in Santiago and Puerto Montt, personal equipment, hard liquor, fishing licenses, gratuities, laundry.

Packing List Rods:

a) Five weight preferably medium action b) Seven weight preferably medium to faster action c) Ten Weight single or double hand rod, if you want to fish for King Salmon.

Lines:

Floating and sinking lines for all the rods. Non-fluorescent colored lines work much better

Leaders and Tippet

a) Three 9 ft 20 pounds b) Two 9 ft 3x c) Four 10 ft 4x d) Leader Material 0x- 2x- 3x - 4x one spool each.

Flies:

We will provide the flies needed for the week. Feel free to bring any fly you love. We will be happy to learn about new flies.

Clothing:

Neutral colors like tan and green provide the best camouflage. Bright colors can spook fish. We also recommend bringing layered clothing, so you can adjust your clothing as the weather dictates. It can also be windy. The next list it is what we believe is good to have with you. If you follow our suggestions you should be ready to have a confortable time no matter the weather conditions we have: 1x Waterproof, breathable jacket (suggest dependable Gore-tex or similar wading jacket with hood) 2x Fleece jacket and/or wool sweater (suggest one heavy and one mid-weight) 1x Light synthetic or down fill jacket (recommended) 1x Fleece or wool vest 1x Waterproof, breathable pants (optional) 2x Casual long-pants (suggest quick-dry or similar suitable for wet wading) 1x Casual short pants (suggest quick-dry since some folks like to swim during the trip) 3x Long-sleeve fishing shirt

Underwear Socks (wool, smart wool, or similar) Poly-pro wicking sock liners Long underwear pant (suggest two mid-weight poly-pro, smart wool, capilene, or similar) Long-sleeve, long underwear shirt (suggest one heavy and two mid-weight poly-pro, smart wool, capilene, or similar) Warm hat (fleece or wool) Sun hat Bandanna, light scarf, or buff Warm gloves and/or mittens (suggest waterproof neoprene) Shoes (waterproof or water resistant) Sandals Gore-Tex Waders Wading shoes no felt soles or cleats please Insect Repellent

Note:

• Electrical voltage in Chile is 220v. The lodge does have converters if needed but you might want to take one along if you are doing any additional traveling in Chile.