Among the Eleven Experience lodges in the Southern Hemisphere is Rio Palena in Chile, from which we’ve just received en end of season round up.
Nick Jenkins, guide operations manager summed it up with: ‘What a season. Thanks to a great snowpack, water levels were higher than usual, which meant more fish, and bigger fish. We made one of our best discoveries yet on a recent scouting expedition. Exciting times in Patagonia.’
His full round up is below:
A great winter and spring snowpack meant high water levels at the beginning of the season, which meant a slower (but very anticipated) start to our guests’ fly fishing adventures. As the water began to drop, the fishing picked up in a big way throughout this zone of the Los Lagos region. The fishing excelled across the board on all of our fisheries as summertime brought warmer temperatures. The fishing stayed consistent on the Tranquilo and Tigre as the summer heat hit, and each time it rained on the Palena during a hot spell, we landed some really nice fish and had some overall amazing fly fishing adventures. The lake fishing throughout our zone also delivered really good days, even during peak summer temperatures. Watching browns crush dragonflies on these stillwater fisheries always gets the heart pumping. We also explored some remote heli-access tributaries, where fish are abundant and there are even hungry brook trout to cast to.
Fishing on the Upper Palena was a guest favourite this season, not only because of the fishing but also because of the incredible landscapes. The season wouldn’t be complete without our favourite meal, the tuna quinoa, which our guests enjoyed picnic-style out on their trips. Our made-from-scratch prestigio chocolate dessert was also a hit.
We really only had about three weeks of lower water levels at the end of the season thanks to the great melt off. Overall, we saw bigger fish this season, with daily 20-inch catches and a few just shy of 30 inches. The Palena, our flagship river right outside the lodge, fished exceptionally well this summer, which was really fun for our guests. We saw a lot of luck with foam beetle fly patterns, woolly buggers, chubby chernobyls in blue, purple, brown and red, and fat alberts. Bruce’s beatle, a hand-tied specialty only found at Rio Palena Lodge, was also very fruitful and quickly became a coveted fly for our guests.
Our guide team has been doing extensive coastal research and development to begin understanding the anadromous species within our zone of Chilean Patagonia. We’ve also had a lot of recent luck on our scouting days getting ready for next season’s fly fishing adventures. We just made one of our best discoveries, which we can’t wait to share with our guests next year. We’re all gearing up for another epic season with even more accessible fisheries.
Rio Palena Lodge continues to stand out amongst many notable Southern Hemisphere angling destinations as a lodge that offers not only a diversity of fly fishing opportunities, but also a host of unrivalled adventures like heli-hiking, glacier trekking, and more.
If you would like more information on Rio Palena Lodge, or fishing in Chile in general, please contact Peter McLeod or Olly Thompson call the office on +44(0)1980 847389.