Rio Grande
The
meaning of Futaleufu, in the Araucanian language
of Chile's Mapuche Indians, is “great great
waters”, and before the turn of the last century
the Futaleufu river was only known to the
Mapuche. It was only eighty years ago that
the first settlers of European ancestry arrived
in the valley, and with the Europeans came
the arrival of game fish.
Trout
species were first introduced to South America
in the late 1800s and early 1900's and salmon
were introduced approximately thirty years
ago. The gin-clear waters of Patagonia
Chile and Argentina
made a perfect habitat for these transplanted
species and they quickly overtook the native
Perch ( Percichthys trucha) to became predominant
game fish in the ecosystem. It has been reported
that the first Brown, Brook and Rainbow trout
eggs arrived from New York in 1904 and were
stocked in Argentina's Lago Nahuel Huapi,
and from there spread all across the Patagonia
region. In Chile , sport fishing may have
had an even earlier start; if the reports
are accurate the first trout fish hatchery
was opened in the early 1890's to specifically
promote fly fishing in Patagonia. Over the years there
have been numerous other importations of fish
from both the United States and Europe . Combined
with Patagonia 's spectacular waters and almost
non-existent fishing pressure these non-native
fish have thrived to produce one of the world's
greatest fisheries. In the upper Futaleufu
region the most prolific fish is the rainbow
trout, followed by brown trout and the brook
trout. In the lower Futaleufu – the Puerto
Ramirez region, where the Futaleufu flows
into Lago Yelcho – fly fishers have opportunities
to connect with large sea-run brown trout
in addition to rainbows. And, if the season
for fly fishing in Chile is right, Lago Yelcho becomes host to many
species of escapee and transplanted salmon,
from Chilean aquaculture programs, that have
now become wild residents. Atlantic , Chinook
and Coho salmon have all be caught in Futaleufu
and Lago Yelcho watersheds.
On
average our river caught rainbows typically
range in size from 14 – 18 inches, and occasionally
larger. River caught browns can weigh-in up
to ten pounds, and there are many reports
of larger fish taken. In Patagonia lakes and
calmer estuaries the fish come bigger, 20
inches is not untypical for rainbows and 24
inches for brown trout. The seasonal runs
of Chinook, Coho, and Atlantic salmon offer
the possibility of landing fish that weigh
over 20 pounds.
"Oncorhynchus
mykiss"
The
rainbow trout is Patagonia 's premier sport
fish, and the Futaleufu and Lago Yelcho watershed
has them in world-class numbers and sizes.
They are the predominant fish caught on or Patagonia fly fishing trips. Their explosive nature, jumping ability and
willingness to fight makes fishing for rainbows
extremely exciting. Typically rainbow trout
live a non-anadromous life, meaning that they
inhabit fresh water for their entire lives,
however some fish do migrate to the ocean.
These anadromous sea-run rainbows are known
as Steelheads. After spending between 1-4
years in the ocean, steelhead return to their
native fresh water rivers and streams to spawn,
but unlike salmon they can spawn more than
once.
Almost
all of the rainbow fly fishing in this region
of Chile is for the non-anadromous variety,
but there have been reports of Steelheads
caught in the brackish estuaries leading to
Lago Yelcho. In the Futaleufu region the season
for rainbows runs from November through April.
Our rainbows feed on aquatic and terrestrial
insects, mollusks, crustaceans and fish. Their
coloring can range from the classic pink-stripped
dotted flanks to silvery, depending on the
maturity, aquatic habit and season. The color
of the rainbow trout will change when it is
spawning. Rainbow trout are also the predominant species caught on our Argentina fly fishing trips.
"Salmo
trutta fario"
The
brown trout, originally a native of Europe,
was introduced to both North and South America
as a game fish. In the Patagonia region the
brown is not as prolific as the rainbow trout
but still accounts for almost forty percent
of the fish caught on our Chile fly fishing trips in the Futaleufu region.
The brown trout is known for it's large size,
unpredictable and combative nature, and it's
crafty ability to elude fly fishing enthusiasts.
Thankfully, the fishing pressure on the Futaleufu
is very light, and our browns are much larger
and less wary than their North American cousins.
When caught they fight hard, but unlike rainbows
they run deep, preferring to hide on the river
bottom, behind obstructions, instead of fighting
on the surface. Brown trout will migrate upstream
to spawn during early winter months and can
be found downstream during the summer. They
are territorial and solitary by nature and
will often inhabit pools and eddys for extended
periods of time. Brown trout also have the
ability to become andromous; and while the
steelhead is somewhat rare in our waters,
the sea-run brown is not. Large sea-run browns
have been caught in the lower Futaleufu and
in Lago Yelcho. They are often a paler color
than their non-andromous cousins and often
can be mistaken for salmon. The color of brown
trout will vary with the type of water they
inhabit. They typically feed nocturnally,
on aquatic and terrestrial insects, mollusks
and crustaceans, amphibians, small fish and
even rodents. This nocturnal pattern makes
them very selective feeders during the day.
"Salvelinus
fontinalis"
Brook
trout are often called speckled trout in many
areas in the Northern Hemisphere. These are
the smallest of the Patagonia trout and also
the least plentiful. They are a cold water
fish, preferring glacier fed streams and brooks
over the larger warmer rivers. Their spawning
pattern mirrors that of the brown trout, but
they have less longevity, typically living
only four years. The brook trout feeds on
aquatic and terrestrial insects, mollusks
and crustaceans, amphibians and occasionally
small fish. The brook trout is known for its
spectacular coloration, which is influenced
by diet, habitat and season. When spawning
the fish will often take on a heightened brilliance,
becoming orange or red on its belly and undersides.
We typically look for brook trout in the early
or late in the fly fishing Patagonia season, when
waters run colder - and in the higher spring
and glacier fed lakes of the region.
"Salmo
salar"
These
fish are native to the Atlantic and North
Atlantic oceans and the fish caught in Patagonia
are escapee fish from the Chilean aqua-culture
programs that have established resident wild
populations. The Atlantic salmon is an andromous
fish, living in fresh water for the first
year or two before going to sea. During spawning
season mature fish return to the river in
which they born to reproduce, but unlike Pacific
salmon they do not perish after spawning.
While spawning the fish do not feed, but will
strike at flies. Spawning fish will over winter
in the river and return to sea the following
spring. The diet of Atlantic Salmon varies
with its maturity. When young they typically
feed on the larvae of aquatic insects such
as blackflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies.
As they mature their diet will also consist
of crustaceans and other fish. It is crustaceans
like shrimp that impart the reddish-pink color
associated with salmon flesh. While we rarely
ever go out fishing for Atlantic Salmon, their
increasing abundance in Patagonia waters often
means that they will be taken on flies meant
for other species. There are populations of landlocked salmon (salmo salar sebago) that inhabit many of the lakes of Alcere Parque that we will encounter while fly fishing in Argentina.
"Onccorhynchus
kisutch"
Coho
salmon, or silver salmon, are also a non-native
species of the Northern hemisphere, another
byproduct of the Chilean aquaculture industry.
Cohos tend to be the smallest of Chile 's
resident wild salmon, typically weighing in
between 8 to 12 pounds, and measuring about
24 inches. During spawning season mature fish
return to the river in which they born to
reproduce, which makes them andromous; and
like most Pacific salmon, which are semelparous,
they perish after spawning. Typically Coho
run from late March and into May. When hooked
they are combative spectacular fighters and
the most acrobatic of the Pacific salmon.
When taken on light fly fishing tackle the
experience of landing them can be quite memorable.
As soon as they are large enough, young Coho
begin to eat smaller fish, mostly of other
fish species, so they are often caught on
streamers while fishing for other species
of trout. The coloration of Cohos can vary
greatly; in the ocean, or when newly arrived
in fresh water, they tend to be silvery. Cohos
living in fresh water take on color according
to their habit and the season. The males of
the species develop distinctive hooked jaws,
humped backs and lateral red stripes during
spawning.
"Oncorhynchus
tschawytscha"
Chinook
salmon, or king salmon are also a product
of the bountiful Chilean aquaculture industry,
they are native to the Northern Pacific Ocean
and Asia . Chinook are the largest of the
Salmon species and can weigh in over thirty
pounds when mature. Chinooks are andromous
- they begin and end their life in fresh water
- and they spawn when they reach sexual maturity
at ages between two and seven years. Because
maturity is not set at a specific age, spawning
fish can vary greatly in size. Chinook salmon
spawn die after spawning. The colors of spawning
Chinooks range from red to black, with males
being more deeply colored than the females.
Male Chinook have the distinguishing hooked
nose or upper jaw. While we rarely go fly
fishing specifically for Chinook Salmon in
the Futaleufu and Lago Yelcho watersheds they
can be hooked at the right time of year.
Other Fly Fishing in Patagonia options include: Fly Fishing the Futaleufu in Argentina. Fly fishing the Futaleufu in Chile. All of our programs adhere to our Catch & Release Guidelines for Fly Fishing in Chile.