Yelcho en la Patagonia Hotel
Aysen
7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days (Double Occupancy)
US $4,200 per person
Rates per person based on double room. Programs include accommodations in lodge, snacks, food, domestic transfers, one professional fishing guide for every two fishermen, and access to private and protected fishing areas. All transfers are coordinated by C&A. Rate does not include flights, fishing license, or fishing equipment.
Yelcho Lake is known as one of the best fly-fishing circuits in the world due to the abundant, large trout found there, as well as the accompanying mild weather. The national fly-fishing record is held in this zone, with the capture of a trout weighing an incredible 37.5 pounds.
Immersing in the crystal waters of Yelcho Lake and Yelcho River is a must for trout and salmon fishermen.
While the lake has an abundance of rainbow and brown trout, the biggest in the Chilean Patagonia, substantial amounts of medium-sized trout can be found in the river. They concentrate in bends and pools to feed on small insects.
Beautiful specimens of Chinook (King) and Coho salmon can also be found and at the end of the season between March and April; they create a true spectacle when they swim upstream to spawn.
Yelcho Lake owes its excellent fishing to the wide diversity of structures that its coast presents, highlighting the bays of reeds, where the rainbow trout completely catapult their bodies out of the water trying to capture the gigantic dragonflies that hatch there.
Yelcho River is born in Yelcho Lake and flows into the Chaitén Cove, in the Gulf of Corcovado. It’s fed by a handful of other rivers: Futaleufú, Correntoso, Cascada, Enredadera, and Malito. It stretches 28.5 miles, a hydrographic riverbed of 4,250 square miles that crosses the Andes. It’s sustained by rainfall and has an average flow of 360 m³/sec. Simply put, it’s truly a moving sea. It goes without saying that in a river with these characteristics lurk real monsters with fins and a tail, which occasionally allow lucky fishermen to trap and catch them.
Although the majority of the fishing doesn’t take place on the main channel, it presents countless lucky breaks, in whirlpools, ebbs, bays, and overflows, which provide possibilities of diverse fishing options.
Great fishing exists in other areas of Yelcho, like the Futaleufú River, which is famous worldwide for its rapids and rafting, but grows calmer in some sections, resulting in fantastic places to fish. There’s also really good fishing in the Palena River and Michimahuida River.
Lodging
Hotel Yelcho en la Patagonia is one of the best resorts in Patagonia, offering 8 comfortable rooms, each with a private bathroom and beautiful views of the lake. It provides all of the comforts and warmth that fishermen need in order to recharge after the day’s adventures.
Delicious food and quality wine are an important part of the Chilean culture.
The hotel is suitable for the entire family and, in addition to fishing, offers activities the whole family can enjoy.
Equipment
Recommended:
- 2 rods, one medium-action for dry fly fishing and one fast-action for wet fly fishing, 4WT y 6WT, 9 ft.
- A floating line and a sinking line, 150 and 200 grains, respectively.
- Good quality reels with more than 100 yards of backing and good brake.
- Leaders 0X to 3X
- For visible fish, dry flies and dragonflies. Streamers in opaque colors such as olive, greens, or grays, opting for the banks covered with logs and rocks, casting as close as possible to obstacles, letting the streamer sink, and reeling in quickly.
In the Yelcho River the same techniques are practiced as in the lake; however, smaller rods with ote and small, dry flies must be added to the lineup to attract selective rainbow trout, which gather around large banks to feed in the whirlpools.
Expedition specifics
To arrive at Lake Yelcho, you must fly from the capital, Santiago, to the city of Puerto Montt, and from there take a smaller plane to Chaitén, 37 miles from Yelcho. It takes approximately one hour to get from Chaitén to the lodge by truck. You can also fly to Esquel, in Argentina, which is located 3 hours away from the lodge by truck.
The fishing season starts in November and ends the first Sunday in May. You can expect to find brown and rainbow trout, and Chinook salmon, from the middle of February until the end of April. Some of these incredible Chinook salmon have weighed in at more than 55 pounds!
Activities common in the area
- Rafting in the rapids of River Futaleufú
- Horseback riding
- Biking tours
- Hiking
Extra activities are coordinated on site
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