Reservoirs
in Northern Patagonia
The name Patagonia invokes images of vast expanses of land, seclusion, towering mountains, forests, wildlife, and the best trout waters in the world.
The Limay reservoir typifies this vision and yet, even being one of the easiest lakes to access, remains one of the least explored and fished water in the lakes region of Patagonia.
This reservoir is by far the largest in a series of five dams that retain the entire Limay River basin. Incorporating over 15 million acres of productive watershed, some of the most floatable dry fly fishing rivers, numerous remote creeks and streams yet to be explored (all surrounded by breathtaking landscapes); the decision to fish the reservoir can be difficult. But when the conditions are right, and the proper techniques employed, the large body of water can yield extraordinary fishing.
In contrast to the high mountain lakes in the heart of the Andes which are surrounded by forest, the Limay reservoirs are further east, in the shadow of the rains that drift over the Andes mountain range. The landscapes are more akin to the steppes and high plains, which is the prominent topography of Patagonia, from the Andes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is dry with very low rainfall, rolling hills, and rock formations rather than forest.
This is the Patagonian desert, and the surrounding vistas change with every shielded bay we explore. Stunning rock formations that date back to the genesis of geological time, sedimentary rocks line the river bottoms, the remnants of ancient lava flows, and towering columns of basalt and volcanic tufa. And the native wildlife are a bonus to the fishing in these remote areas, like Guanacos, Rheas (South American cousins of the ostrich, known as “Choiques” by the locals), Chinchillas and Viscachas.
This enormous man-made ecosystem has created the ideal conditions for a fly fishing paradise. With constantly fluctuating water levels from the hydroelectric dams, food and nutrients flow steadily through the waters and sustain very healthy populations of the three native fish species: Pejerrey, Perca, and Pueyen, and these in turn feed the large hungry trout. In particular, at the end of the long warm summers when the newly hatched minnows make their migration runs from the deep water reservoirs back into tributary rivers (see the article “The Minnow Hatch”).
These minnows migrate by the tens of thousands close to the surface and very tight to the banks, seeking safety in numbers and finding their way by hiding in the coves and spaces between the rock banks. It’s an other-worldly experience to see the large brown and rainbow trout exploding from the surface and sending minnows scattering into the air. While most of the visible action is on the surface, sinking lines are very productive with a variety of streamer patterns ranging from realistic imitations to irritation flies. In addition to fly selection, casting strategy is important, usually casting backward from the boat and varying the strip, from immediate, to allowing the fly to sink a bit before stripping, and then alternating strip speeds with sudden stops. With ultra-clear water, many of the fish strikes are seen and can happen anywhere from the first strip to the side of the boat. It’s a fast and engaging way to fish for trophy-size trout that often yields above average fish, and a fun way to discover the joys of streamer fishing.
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