CHILE - PATAGONIANBASECAMP Ho36urs on the Rio Pico PatagoniaOne

2015 started off with a bang for me, as I left Cali - Lodge: “Rio Pico”, officially named PatagoniaOne (Patagonia fornia for Chile on January 2nd to start an epic 23 day fly fish - without Borders). I had been reading and hearing about the ing adventure to South America. The trip would have me Rio Pico region of Argentina, Patagonia for close to 20 years visiting and fishing three different lodges and outfitters in and heard some amazing stories from Mike Michalak about Chile, and two lodges in Argentina – all in remote and beau - fishing this remote frontier with famed Argentina fishing guide tiful Patagonia. The trip had been planned for better than a Raul San Martin. To say I was chomping at the bit to see and year out, but underwent some significant schedule changes, fish it would be a gross understatement. A couple simple ad - when Marcel of Patagonian BaseCamp, in early December, justments to my itinerary gave me six full days with Marcel, told me about his new program in Argentina at Las Pampas plenty of time to check-out his new fishery.

The following is a day by day journal account of days, chucking baitfish patterns towards the banks, Marcel and I make it back to the lodge, have a Marcel and my experience at Patagonia Base Camp logs, or other structure in the hope that one of the well-earned beer, some snacks, grab a shower and and Las Pampas, “Rio Pico”- the latter an intense giants living in the area comes out and inhales the make our way to the lodge for cocktail hour and two days and one night fast-track in the Fonterra! fly. These days usually require hard work, dinner. Dinner is served at 10:30 p.m., squash perseverance, a bit of skill, and a whole lot of luck; soup, with queso and bife de lomo with locally 10 JAN 2015 - Saturday most of the time, some nice fish are seen, hooked, picked morels - delicious with great wines. All the After a wonderful few days with Jose Gorrono and even landed. Even on the best days, most of the guests eat at one table and the guides join us for and his team at El Saltamontes, I am headed to best fish caught with a streamer are hard-earned… dinner – I like this. One of the guide helpers is an Patagonian BaseCamp (PBC) , Marcel and Caro American named “Tucker”: young guy, just Sijnesael’s fabulous operation on the Palena River. graduated from Harvard majoring in Fungi Biology, Jose drives me to the cross roads to Puerto Cisnes a family friend of David Ondaatje, owner of Winston and Puyuhuapi, half way point between the two Fly Rods, going to start growing truffles, back east lodges. We take the back road over to Manihuales in Connecticut . Marcel and I hit the sack at 12:30 (30 +/-minutes ride) . The entire transfer takes one p.m. Tomorrow we go to “Africa” - the braids of the hour and thirty minutes – it is an easy drive, much Rio Pico! of it paved now. Marcel arrives at the meeting place exactly one minute before our agreed upon 14 JAN 2015 - Wednesday time, (love his attention to detail) and we transfer Today, we go to “Africa” a maze of spring creek luggage, I say goodbye to Jose and jump in channels of the Rio Pico in a massive valley, Carolina’s FJ Cruiser. It should be noted that Marcel surrounded by arid steppes and snow-peaked had to get special permission from Carolina to use mountains. The valley floor is covered by her personal vehicle and I think (hope) her thousands of braided spring creek channels, decision was due to my visit. We needed to be at So, floating the Palena River, pitching big dries aquatic vegetation and sweet grass - loaded with the crossroads before 11:00 a.m. as the road on a beautifully sunny day- typical of the height of browns and rainbows eating Caddis or whatever between there and La Junta (closest town/village our Patagonian summer - I really was not other aquatic insect is hatching. A short drive (5 to PBC) is under construction and they are blasting anticipating seeing the largest trout I have seen in minutes) from the Las Pampas Lodge has us driving their way through solid rock to widen and Chile since 2006. While Gypsy King fishing is quite through a locked gate and entering Nuñez’s 7,000 eventually pave the road. They closed the section productive, and watching trout of all sizes attempt acre cattle ranch where our fishery awaits. It’s an we needed to navigate between 1 and 5 p.m. every to eat this massive dry is unbeatable fun, it is quite amazing resource of small water sight fishing to day to blow stuff up. As we pass the construction rare to see the largest trout in the river come up to free rising wild trout, exclusive to Las Pampas crews working on the road, we see them packing play. Big fish eat little fish right? guests. My first good shot at an eating fish, lands explosives in drilled holes and I comment to Needless to say, when this giant brown came up a 23 inch rainbow taken on a Missing Link - thanks Marcel, “…I sure hope they know what they are for a look, it caught the attention of everyone in Mike Mercer! It’s all I can do to navigate the fish doing….” Marcel and I make the drive with no the boat. The water was walking speed, the shelf through a maze of obstacles as she leaps and runs issues or long delays. We stop in La Junta to top along the bank was littered with structure, and the in every direction – all seemingly at once. Marcel, off Caro’s rig with fuel and drive onto the lodge. fish just appeared, hovering under the fly, following fishing with Anka, lands a fat brown that is easily We arrive at the lodge just in time for a super it downstream, all the while providing quite the 23 inches just upstream from me, minutes after my lunch. It’s worth noting that all the vegetables, show. He opened his mouth on the fly twice, turning bow is released. We sneak along the banks, crawl meats, milk, all the staples that can be, are away disinterested each time, all the while on our bellies and wade between channels organic and grown or produced on the ranch in a moving away from his spot, and swimming sight fishing to sipping trout the next “Africa” sustainable manner. It’s a total commitment by with the boat. Kudos to angler Pat couple hours, (we each have our own guide) Carolina in offering the very best table fare made Pendergast as he retained his composure is classic until the hatch finally quiets and the fish go with the freshest, home grown and produced all the while, not moving the fly or setting spring creek rest. It should be noted that this is not tiny ingredients. I get settled into my room, unpacked the hook, and talking the fish into eating spring creek fishing in a channel that is and got organized, as this will be my base for the just one more time… fishing – three feet wide, five feet deep (which is not next 6 days. Marcel gives me a tour of the ranch, Finally, after what seemed like an the real that uncommon in Patagonia) . This water is and we check out his new boats, rafts, etc. – a eternity and with the fly partially wide, up to and over 40 feet in width in couple container loads of equipment he ordered submerged, he ate it with a slow, deliberate, deal and some spots and with good current, cold from the States, which arrived a week or so before. confident eat, and Pat set the hook! With a lot of fun! water and hard fighting fish, that won’t He purchased new 17’ deep v-hull LUND boats for the fish putting the tippet, knots, and drag suffer being lined or a bonked on the head the lake fishing. They’re nice boats, super stable to the test, I moved the boat away from the by a sloppy cast. “Africa” is classic spring and clean for fly fishing, and able to safely and bank to the deepest part of the run. Ten minutes creek fishing – the real deal and a lot of fun! comfortably navigate and fish Lago Rosselot and later, we were on the gravel bar, taking photos, We meet up with Rob and Ted that have been Lago Verde and other lakes, much better than the shaking our heads, and grinning ear to ear. floating the main Pico, once the myriad of braided flat bottom jet skiffs. New jet motors, new rafts, An amazing fish, a painstaking eat, and a great spring creek channels combine to form a single life jackets, frames, oars, two new Toyota Hilux fight- nothing more to ask for.” channel and enjoy a quick and delicious lunch pick-ups, (one was crashed the week before, so he steam side, then Rob and Ted head to Africa and ordered another) …lots and lots of stuff! Marcel The rest of the afternoon we fish Gypsy Kings we jump in the raft with Martin to continue the continues to invest in his infrastructure and and Fat Alberts with some action. We switch to Rio Pico float Ted and and Rob were on this program, like no other outfitter we work with. The streamers and get a few fish, rainbows and browns. morning. We have about 1.5 hours to fish, before lodge is in top form, the staff dialed in - Marcel Jim lands a nice rainbow on a fly called the “Dirty we have to bail on the fishing, head back to Las and Carolina have it going - BIG TIME! Hippie”. We start to motor our way to the lodge Pampas, grab our gear and head back to Chile and We enjoy a great meal that night and learn our and have some issues with the outboard, so Greg Patagonian BaseCamp. The border crossing closes schedules for the next 6 days. First on our itinerary rows us out back to the lodge - not too late for at 6:00 p.m. As we are getting into the raft, a fat is a two day, one night float on the Rio Palena. dinner, arrive about 8:00 p.m. We enjoy another 20 inch brown cruises by us, Marcel casts his Fat At the lodge are Bob and Alice Schleusner, Rob wonderful meal, venison tenderloin - delicious! Albert in front of it and it eats - this is going to Thompson and Ted Buchannon (TFS clients) , along Tomorrow Marcel and I are off to Las Pampas “Rio be good! This is super slow water, barely moving with three French friends of Marcel’s and a super Pico” to see the new program – PatagoniaOne and bordered by a thick wall of willows that are nice fella from the UK, Mr. Jim Dick. I will be partially submerged. We are actually fishing up paired with Jim, and Bob an Alice will fish 13 JAN 15 - Tuesday stream, blown by the wind. Marcel and I cast a Fat together; our guides are David Souther (new guide Marcel and I are off to Las Pampas today. We Albert to the submerged willows, back bays, weed with AK experience, from MN, very nice and capable drive to the TempleCamp, taking the shorter route patches and cut banks and absolutely wail on the young man) and veteran guide and all around past Lago Claro Solar - one hour drive. Marcel has fish - all on dries, great takes, nothing less than super-man, Greg Bricker. made some enhancements to the TempleCamp, 19 inches and fish up to 23 inches - amazing. I including covering the porch off the quincho, loose count of how many eats we have and fish we 11 JAN 2015 - Sunday building a dry room with heater for guests’ gear land, but it was non-stop action for just better Breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m.: cereal, fresh and adding a separate DOMO for the guides and than hour and Marcel and I are slack-jawed over fruit, cook-to-order eggs, bacon, toast, ham staff to stay in. In the past the crew stayed in the the quality of the fishing and the fish! cheese, yogurt, raw milk fresh from the cow, fresh quincho. The new set-up allows guests to stay up We hurriedly get off the river, get the raft loaded ground coffee from Argentina - whatever you at night if they like, while the guides and crew can on the truck and beat it back to Las Pampas to want… We are out the door and loaded into the go grab some sleep. The TempleCamp looks great, gather up our gear and head to the Argentine Excursion (like a Suburban) by 9:30 a.m. We drive very clean, and cool. It has to be one the most Border Outpost. We quickly clear Argentina, drive approximately 1.5 hours to the put in sight, unique and all-time greatest out-camps, anywhere to Lago Verde, re-enter Chile and motor back to pulling a trailer with stacked pontoon rafts with in the world. We head out of the TempleCamp PBC arriving 9:15 p.m. The entire drive from Las small outboards. Jim and I will fish the first day toward the town of Lago Verde, a 45 minute drive, Pampas to Patagonian BaseCamp, door to door, with David. It’s windy and quite cloudy and I where we will clear Chile Immigrations -very easy including the two border crossings takes 3 hours - suspect we are in for some rain as the sky looks and simple. From there we motor into the Frontier, flat. Marcel and I enjoy a simple and quick dinner pretty menacing down river. According to Marcel, ”no man’s land between Chile and Argentina” to and reflect back on the last 36 hours of our lives. the fishing on the upper Palena had been meet the Las Pampas guides, Martin and Pablo, We fished 6 different moving water fisheries, half challenging the last couple weeks. Jim and I cover nickname “Anka” as in Paul Anka from the Rat a dozen lagoons, a lake, spring creeks, freestoners, the water well with big dry flies and streamers and Pack. We shuttle Marcel’s vehicle back to the and amazing variety of remote and incredibly move a few fish, one good brown on a black and Chilean Immigration Office and then drive back productive trout water. We didn’t scratch the white Dali Lama and Jim lands some small to into Argentina and down out of the mountains to surface of what Las Pampas has to offer and even medium size rainbows. The wind is getting stronger the river valley. We immediately climb into our more remarkable, touched everything Marcel has to and then the rain opens up, heavy rain most of the waders and fish some lagoons (all this before we offer on his side of the Andes in Chile. afternoon. As we pull into the Palena Camp – it’s clear Argentina Immigrations & Customs!) . Marcel The new PatagoniaOne program combines the pouring buckets… We move camping supplies and I hook and land half a dozen nice rainbows best of Las Pampas with the best of Patagonian (coolers) and our gear into our Domo Shelters, big and browns, all with big, foam body dry flies. It’s BaseCamp. It is well-choreographed, a perfect white dome tents, and get out of our waders, still all sight fishing to large trout and a lot of fun. We blend of the large mountain-water fishing that PBC raining hard. The NEW Palena Camp is in a great also fish a brief section of the Rio Pico for a short specializes in with the new small water, high desert location and Nice! There are two large DOMO stand- period before driving to the Argentina wade fishing in Rio Pico - the very best of both up height tents for each two guests with real beds, Immigrations and Customs Outpost. The entry is worlds. This new program will no doubt redefine fresh linens, towels and pillows. We have lights, relatively painless and easy, albeit the posturing what an ultimate Patagonia Trout Fishing Safari is. night stands, a place to hang our waders, of the officers, which are bored out of their skulls everything you need – this is deluxe camping. The in this uber remote outpost. 15 JAN 2015 - Thursday tents and kitchen (also a DOMO) are all built on We drive to Lago 5 to meet Augustine Fox We decide to take the next morning off. Marcel elevated wooden decks, connected by walkways, “Augie” (manager and partner of Las Pampas Lodge) has some lodge and business things to handle and built in an ancient forest of Lenga. There is and fish the lake with him. We enjoy a I take advantage of the WIFI connection (it is now a flush toilet and sink for cleaning up. The great lunch with Augie, his family and the fully functioning at PBC and works quite well with main DOMO is where a simple kitchen is This has to guides before our lake fish. The wind is decent speed) and catch up on emails. I have lunch located and a divider in the large tent rate as one really strong, probably blowing 35 - 40 mph at Marcel and Caro’s house with Elena and we separates the kitchen from where the with stronger gusts. We load up in the 14 decide to float the lower Palena from the lodge in of the most guides sleep and supplies are stored. David foot NRS Otter raft, top it off with some the afternoon with Greg Bricker, who is leaving gets the short straw and has to cook dinner enjoyable, more air and head out on the lake. The tomorrow on the same flight to Puerto Montt, outside over an open fire “disco” in the successful and swells are no less than 3 feet high and headed home for a few weeks before returning and pouring rain – it’s a new guide thing. Disco Augie does all he can to hold the raft back finishing out the season. is a giant cast iron disk (plow disk) with unique lake from the shoreline as we tear down the lake We launch the raft from the lodge and start our three welded legs that is set over open fishing hammering casts to the bank, #2 Gypsy float on the Lower Palena. Marcel is fishing a 24 ft flame and all kinds of vegetables, meat, King and #4 Fat Albert. We are going to sink tip, me a floater, both of us throwing rice and herbs are cooked into a delicious experiences cover the entire lake in about an hour – streamers. I start with a black Home Invader with stir-fry. I have had this dish before with I have speed fishing! Everything is going fast and little or no luck and switch to an olive Home PBC on over-night floats and it is very furious, everything but the incredibly slow Invader and bingo, start to move some fish. Marcel ever had. tasty, filling and hits the spot after a long and methodical eats on our dry flies by BIG and I hook 5 or 6 nice browns up to 21 inches and day on the river. There is an open bar, wine, rainbows and browns - we land trout to 24 a lot of smaller rainbows. Marcel and I cover the dessert - what more can you ask for. It’s still inches, nothing under 20 inches. I hook one brown water well, hitting all the right places; a well- raining hard when I turn in for the night 11:00 (resident) that literally took me into my backing - placed fly gets some very aggressive strikes, p.m. ready for some sleep. first time for me! We pound the bank and rock probably due to the water color and clarity walls, move and land a dozen fish and then it’s (glaciated) with meltwater coming from the Rio 12 JAN 2015 - Monday over - we are done. This has to rate as one of the Frio upstream due to warm temperatures; overall Up for a quick breakfast, “simple” coffee cake, most enjoyable, successful and unique lake fishing there is about 30 inches of visibility. The fish don’t fruit, cereal, cheese and ham and French press experiences I have ever had. The wind, the speed have time to think, they just strike fast! We all coffee - just right after a big meal the night in which we moved, the quality of the fish – all on enjoy a nice afternoon with friends, lots of laughs before. We are pulling out of the Palena Camp by dry flies, what an amazing hour of fishing! Martin and stimulating conversation. 9:45 a.m. Greg Bricker, Jim and I are fishing the and Anka meet us at the take out and we are off Tomorrow I travel to Buenos Aires to continue day together. We fish big dries and streamers to the Las Pampas River and Terramoto my epic Patagonia Adventure. through the morning off floating lines and move (Earthquake) Spring Creek where Rob Thompson and catch some nice rainbows. The day is a and Ted Buchannon are fishing. Marcel fishes for spectacular early summer day in Patagonia, clear about 45 minutes on the Las Pampas, a beautiful skies, some wispy clouds; a sky so blue it glows. creek out in this arid dry valley. The creek is a Massive and rugged mountains are set in the classic trout fishery, gin clear cold water background, freshly sprinkled with snow on the serpentining back and forth with all kinds of peaks. It’s warm, bright and the day has a structure, root wads, clay banks, and undercut promising feel about it. I take a lull in the action, banks – loaded with rainbows. I mean LOADED! I to tie on a new tapered 2X leader, just on hunch bet you could have a 100 fish day on this creek. that we are going to hit some big browns as we There must be some moss-back brown trout under drift down stream into Hog Johnson water. Right those cut banks, but we don’t see or move any. If you have any questions, or would before lunch, across from our designated lunch We make our way upstream and find Ted fishing like to makea reservation, please site, while fishing a clay bank wall with a medium to an aggressive, actively feeding brown (22 contact us at: sized Gypsy King I hook a BIG Brown as described inches) . Ted has been on this amazing fish for by Greg Bricker:s better than an hour and is not going to give-up. We leave Ted and Rob to their fishing and decide But the story of the week is told by guide Greg to head to Las Pampas Lodge. An amazing day - Bricker when Pat caught a 28.5 incher on a dry fly Marcel and I have seen and fished no less than 5 in his boat. “Like most anglers in search of big different, unique and amazing fisheries - incredible 4140 Churn Creek Road • Redding, California 96002 brown trout, I usually anticipate seeing my largest small water diversity, the perfect complement to (530) 222-3555 • 800 669-3474 • fax: (530) 222-3572 browns of the season on dark, overcast streamer PBC’s mountain rivers. e-mail: [email protected] www.theflyshop.com