Patagonia Baker Lodge Chile's most southern fly-fishing lodge along the famed Carretera Austral About Patagonia Baker Lodge About fishing at Patagonia Baker Pataognia Baker Fishing program

FISH:
You will find rainbows and especially resident browns, as well as some isolated sea-run browns and silver salmon runs late in the season. However, the program focuses almost specifically on resident browns that average 3 - 4 pounds, with a serious chance of hooking double digit trophies. We rate this area as the very best resident brown trout destination all over the southern hemisphere. Rainbows tend to be smaller, with some isolated trophies specifically in the Baker River, General Carrera, Cochrane and Bertrand Lakes. All fish have seldom seen a fly before. Therefore, even beginners can expect a high number of fish landed daily. Big native perch also inhabit some of these waters.

FLYFISHING:
A surprising amount of the fishing is practiced with floating lines and dry flies, even for the biggest resident browns. Hatches here are not uncommon, but on the contrary, something to be expected frequently day after day. A wide variety of endemic mayflies and caddisflies inhabit these productive waters, providing the dry fly purist with a unique experience: matching the hatch while searching for trophies. So do beautiful golden, brown and giant stoneflies, as well as some local crayfish -- pancoras. You will use both weight forward sink tip and floating lines. When hatches arise, you might switch to specific dries and emergers, or even some traditional wet flies. A medium action 8 ½ ~ 9 feet 5 ~ 6 weight is here the all around rod. We suggest a 9 feet 6 ~ 7 weight rod when it comes to casting sink tip lines. You will seldom need long distance casting and double hauls -- fish often hold close to the bank. Your guide will stalk them with you. Small rivers might demand good roll casting ability, due to close bushes and trees. Reels must be able to hold 100 yards of 20-pound test backing. We urge our clients to carry reels with the very best drag systems available in order to protect light tippets. Long fish runs in small rivers are difficult to handle. Fish are here not as spooky as you may be used to, but nevertheless, it can be tricky to fool them. Wind is not a problem -- you will seldom feel it.

Most of the fishing is practiced by means of easy wading. Drift boat fishing is available at Patagonia Baker Lodge. Some small lakes and lagoons are best fished from a float tube and we provide excellent equipment for "tubing."

GUIDES:
All of Patagonia Baker Lodge's fly-fishing guides are professionals who have been involved in this job for years. This provides them with outstanding overall experience which not only includes the Patagonia, but also a wide variety of foreign waters.  All  are fluent in both Spanish and English and some manage fluent German, French and Portuguese.

Their expertise goes beyond fly-fishing, being highly skilled in ornithology, zoology, botany, geography, geology and history. All demonstrate exceptional rowing abilities -- all guides hold the appropriate driftboat license required in Chile. Their focus is on fly-fishing as well as catch & release -- we do not accept any other fishing method.

One of the guide's prime goal is stalking trout for clients. They will also suggest prime and feeding lies, lines and rigs, patterns and techniques, and will net the fish you catch, if necessary. Guides do not fish while guiding.

Fly-fishing guides have been trained to work on defective motors and difficult situations, and can successfully handle problems. Handy radios allow permanent communication with either the lodge, campsite or nearby towns.

This program is based on one guide per three clients for the camping portions of the trip (plus the cook/campmaster) and one guide per two fisherman at Patagonia Baker Lodge.

SEASON AND LIMITED AVAILABILTY:
Fly fishing season runs here from mid-October until mid April (week of 4/8-15).

The program is limited to a total of 12 persons, 8 of whom can fish at the same time together. 

A day trip via horseback into the Andes can put you in position to see ostrich and other birds native to the higher altitudes including flamingos in the early and late season. Neither dangerous animals nor plants inhabit here, so feel free to explore and discover as much as you want to. This is remote land. One of the last remaining pristine and untouched places on earth. Wild and undiscovered. We name it "The Untouched Wilderness Sanctuary".

FLYFISHING EQUIPMENT & FLIES:
Some nice rotatory vises are available at the lodge at no expense -- no vises available while at the campsites -- if you would like to try some fly tying. The program does not offer clients with any fly tying materials, so please bring yours if needed. There are few rods and reels for rent, as well as some fly lines, leaders and tippets for sale. A small selection of the hottest patterns is also available for sale. The program does not provide any sort of waders nor wading boots.