One of the premier, featured activities

                                                           for visitors to the famous waters of

                                                           Chilean Patagonia is fly fishing.  At

                                                           Patagonia Frontiers wilderness ranch,

                                                           located on Lago Plomo in the Soler

                                                           Valley, our guests have ready access to

                                                           some of the most spectacular and

                                                           productive waters in southern Chile.  Our

                                                           fishery is comprised most abundantly of

                                                           rainbow trout---including the incredibly

                                                           strong and athletic Rio Baker variety,

                                                           steelhead-like in size and life cycle though not in selectivity for the fly.  Brown trout also populate the area's streams, rivers and lakes, and provide a somewhat more challenging goal with a fly rod.  Additionally, on hot summer days we may target a lake fish native to South American waters called a perca by the local Chileans, a species of black perch that responds willingly to small dry flies and is a hard fighter when hooked.

A true delight of a fly fishing vacation with Patagonia Frontiers is the wide range of water type available in a day's outing from the ranch.  You and your guides will consult and choose from lakeshore and small inlet stream fishing a 3-minute walk off the front porch of the main house to a boat approach for some of the hotspots along the first 15 kilometers of the renowned Rio Baker.  The Rio Baker is Chile's largest volume river with an average flow rate of over 50,000cfs.  It is an un-dammed, crystal-clear, turquoise-colored powerhouse that yields impressive results wade fishing along its banks.  In addition to Lago Plomo, its big sister Lago Bertrand, and the Rio Baker, we fish another 3 to 4 lakes and ponds, and 6 to 8 clearwater, freestone streams.  There is plenty more exploration close to home yet to be done.

Tackle strategies are as diverse as our fishing waters.  Four, five, six and eight weight rods have all been used appropriately matched to fly and fish sizes.  Weight-forward floating lines, sink-tips and fast-sinking 'depth charge' lines all have their place.  Classic dry fly fishing with #14 Parachute Adams or #12 Royal Wulffs can produce great excitement as well as working big Wooley Buggers or Clousers deep in the water column.  There is an active and exciting hopper season during which the brown and rainbow trout are eager to investigate an assortment of terrestrial imitations.  The varied waters of this fishery provide ample opportunity to fish a selection of fine dries, large terrestrials, nymphs and streamers in still and moving water.  Various factors, including the weather, will inform our choice of water and techniques to be the most productive.

Whether you are a novice or an expert our guides will know how to craft each day's activities to best meet your desires.  They do their utmost to make sure that every day is a special one.  Jim Ferguson, who leads our fishing program, personally hosts and guides our fishing guests and oversees our experienced staff of bilingual North American and Chilean fishing guides.  His successful career in outdoor education allows him to approach every outing as an opportunity to share and to develop, and as a collaborative effort towards success, characteristics that have brought him unstinting praise from former guests and that distinguish him among other guides.

Our weeklong fishing vacations are usually based at our wilderness ranch, a unique experience that offers relaxing and unpretentious comforts in an extraordinary setting.  There are places in the world with a power and a majesty all their own and this is assuredly one of them.  Our two-week vacations often combine a week at the ranch with a week of fishing the many rivers and lakes nearer the regional capital of Coyhaique.  During your stay with Patagonia Frontiers we can arrange a wide variety of non-angling activities including horseback rides, whitewater rafting, farm tours and activities, scenic over-flights, day hikes and photography.  Special considerations such as nannies for young children or specific communication needs can also be met.  We look forward to hosting you, and your friends and families.  Please contact us for more detailed itineraries of our fly fishing trips, ranch stays and horseback vacations.