Spring Trout Fishing
in Patagonia
If you are contemplating what time of year to book your fly fishing adventure in Patagonia, take a hint from the local guides … think spring. Fishing the early spring runoff for trout offers the greatest variety of water and methods, from floating large rivers and casting attractors, streamers, and fishing morning hatches, to sight fishing for actively feeding trout in small spring creeks. And all of it in the typically gin clear waters of early season.
Most of the rivers in the northern Patagonia region enjoy consistently crystalline water, even during the spring when the runoff is flowing strong. The reason for this is because the water flowing into these rivers originates in the cold natural lakes, high in the Andean range. The slopes of the Andes Mountains are sheltered in dense arboreal rain forests, which act like a sponge along with the soil, absorbing and slowly filtering the rain and snow of any residual sediment.
By the time the water reaches the holding lakes there is very little left, and what does remain quickly settles to the deep bottom. The end result is water flowing down to the rivers that is as clear as you will fish anywhere in the world.
All of the rivers we float and fish from our Spring Creek and Casa de Campo Lodges originate from these high natural lakes, and even at the height of the spring runoff the water remains perfectly clear. Occasionally, small creeks that flow as a direct tributary of a larger river might hold minor amounts of suspended sediment, which usually just creates the perfect tint for hunting very large trout with streamers.
During high water conditions, the trout often seek the protection and lower energy output provided by the slow shallows, very close to the bank. The combination of slow moving water and crystal clarity makes for visually exciting fishing. Using floating lines and weighted streamers, you’ll be able to see your fly tracking through the clear water and often see the trout bolting from cover, chasing and striking your fly! It’s a spectacular sight that you might find addictive, and repeated often when large trout and fast action are part of the spring show.
Spring time also usually brings scattered summer weather patterns, and when this happens, we often run into large gatherings of trout feasting on fresh insect hatches. On these sunny warm days, twitching and popping large rubber leg foam patterns can result in the same aggressive strikes as streamers, only with a surface fly!
So as you are planning your trip to Patagonia, consider carefully the months of November and December and ask yourself, “When do the guides most love to fish?”