Southern Chile Fly Fishing Guide Lu Warner and owner of the Valle Bonito Lodge ( www.vallebonitochile.com ) shares his tips and secrets with us for planning that dream South American fly fishing trip to the Patagonia. Lu covers the fly fishing equipment list you will need in Southern Chile including what type of rods to bring, Tippets, and clothing. He also covers the casting techniques you will want to master at home before trying for that big fish in Chile.

Southern Chile contains a myriad of excellent trout waters for the fly fisherman. For the North American angler coming to fish in Chile there are a few things that can make your trip there as memorable as it is fun.

To begin with, the fishing in Southern Chile is not easy. Rivers are big and hard to access, lake fishing can be moody and the weather can be temperamental. Additionally, there are nowhere near as many fish per mile in Southern Chile as there are in the Western U.S. and the hatches are less predictable and epic.

The best thing that you can do when visiting Chile to fly fish is to hire a reputable Guide service that knows the area you are fishing in. This can save you lots of time and money in trying to figure out where to go. Most Chilean Rivers are HUGE and the walk and wade angler is at a serious disadvantage. Access can be tough and fishing the big rivers can be intimidating to say the least.

In preparation for your trip to Southern Chile, the best thing that you can do is to become a proficient caster. Practice makes perfect and good casting can greatly increase your odds of hooking into a trophy Chilean trout. The wind can blow hard down here so practice casting into the wind and learn techniques such as the Belgian wind cast to use the wind to your advantage. Eliminate unnecessary false casts and learn to shoot your line quickly and efficiently to take advantage of sudden opportunities.

In conjunction with becoming a proficient caster, when fly fishing in Southern Chile, it is important to carry a variety of lines to meet the current conditions. While we would all like to use a floating line and dry fly, many times this is not the most effective technique in Patagonia. The key to success often lies in figuring out where in the water column the fish are holding. In both the rivers and the lakes, a variety of sink tip and full sinking lines will enable you to experiment until you find the fish. Practice casting your sink tips before coming to Chile as you will find them very different than your weight forward floating line. Combine a big, heavy fly with your sink tip lines and things change yet again.

When floating many Chilean Rivers, it is a good idea to carry 2 rods in the boat with you. Many times, you will find very selective trout sipping tiny midges in the eddies and yet as soon as you leave the eddy, a sink tip and large streamer become the weapon of choice. Be flexible and ready to change techniques if what you are doing isn't working.

I find that for most of the fishing I do in Chile, a 5 and a 6 weight rod are the best. Bigger rods can be helpful at times but have a tendency to wear one down after a long day of fishing. One of your rods should be a stiff one and even though I am generally a soft rod advocate, there are times when the wind is howling and the fish are biting and the stiffer rod is a better choice for penetrating the wind. Reels are of minor importance and as long as your reel has 75 yards of backing and winds in the line, it will be fine. A worthy consideration in purchasing a fly reel is the cost of extra spools for your lines as you may want 4-5 extra spools per reel. Tippets in Southern Chile lean towards the heavier dimensions of 1x-3x yet be sure to bring some finer material for dry fly fishing as well.


Before heading to the Southern Hemisphere, make sure that your gear is in good order. It is very hard to buy replacement gear in Chile so you want to have your bases covered before leaving the U.S. Obviously, double check your waders for leaks and bring a repair kit for streamside accidents. Good rain gear may be the best thing that you can buy to prepare for the Southern Chilean climate. Lightweight raingear is best left at home as it tends to leak during extended rainstorms so make a wise choice and buy some gera that will keep you dry all day. Polaroid glasses (and an extra set) are a must. Not only do they help you see fish, they can make wading much easier as you can see where you are putting your feet.

While the fishing in Southern Chile can be tough, with correct preparation and planning, a good guide, refined casting techniques and persistence, your odds of success skyrocket and you may just find yourself attached to the biggest trout of your life.

In the next article, I will discuss effective fly patterns and techniques for fishing in this incredible land.

Fly Fishing in Southern Chile