CHILE

For me, the memories from Chile consist of many things. The short list includes beautiful fish, wild streams and rivers, breathtaking scenery, incredible food, ...and the most friendly, welcoming people in the imaginable. Chile is the reason I love to travel. If Chile had nothing to offer but great fly fishing, I’d still go there. It’s that good. Big, healthy browns and rainbows that hide along undercut banks. One of my favorite fishing scenarios in Chile includes a small, meandering spring creek, large brown trout, and big, dry flies. Having just had an incredible streamside lunch, I make my way down to the water. This stream has everything a fish needs to be content and healthy. It’s deep in places, banks that are undercut by current, over hanging vegetation, and aquatic insect life. It’s picture perfect. As I make my way upstream, concentric rings on the surface reveal the home of a feeding trout. My cast is deliberately short and the beetle lands with a soft splat. It’s just enough commotion to get the upstream brown’s attention. The fish follows and takes the fly. I let him turn and I set the hook. Five minutes later a fit, twenty-one inch brown trout slides into the net. After the fish is released, I feel a little guilty for the concentration I’ve put on the twists and turns of the stream. I could have missed a fox, a condor or a gaucho on horseback.    ~ Judith

Chile is a long, narrow country, located in southwestern South America. Chile borders the South Pacific between Argentina and Peru. It’s unique size and shape allows it to be the home of not only the Andes Mountains, but some of the driest deserts on Earth.

The capital, Santiago, is full of life. The French and Spanish colonial buildings contrast with modern skyscrapers providing the perfect backdrop to enjoy Chilean art, music and theater. The world-class cuisine and fine wines, paired with the quirky, unique style of Santiago and the people, promise to keep a traveler engaged and wanting more.

The cuisine of Chile consists mainly of seafood from the southern Pacific Ocean. You’ll find traditional dishes, such as pastel de choclo, empanadas, and completo in addition to superb seafood. Chilean vineyards are among some of the best in the world. Many of these vineyards offer tastings and tours.

Though Chile has many fascinating urban destinations it is best known for its gorgeous and varied natural wonders. The Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth and it is located in northern Chile, just north of Peru’s southern border. Visitors often explore the dry desert floor, historical museums, and the numerous ghost towns. Patagonia is Chile’s most famous and one of its most beautiful attributes. Glaciers, mountains, fjords, and islands are scattered amongst the Patagonian region. Glacial lakes and rivers are perfect for kayaking, rafting, and fly fishing. Skiing, climbing, and treking are common on, not only the mountains, but the volcanoes of Chile.

Most of Chile’s fly fishing takes place in beautiful Patagonia. It is a land filled with picture-perfect streams where trout thrive without angling pressure. Some of the best of Chile’s fishing is often found behind a locked gate, tucked away in a remote canyon, or in a river that’s difficult to find and access. Here you’ll find smooth flowing, freestone rivers bound by sandbars and gravel banks. The angler can float or wade fish for native brown trout and rainbows. Coastal streams offer the opportunity to fish for salmon or sea-run browns. Patagonia’s angling is largely catch and release.

After a day of fishing and exploring Chile’s rich, diverse landscape, enjoy one of the many natural hot springs, scattered throughout central and southern Chile . . . the perfect way to top end a perfect day.

Cinco Rios Chile:  www.CincoRiosChile.com
Coyhaique River Lodge  CoyhaiqueRiverLodge.com