I was bouncing around the Coyhaique region fishing in my old van with my friend Skylar. After a week of exploring, she wanted to see an old friend in the area. Turns out, her friend Pancho is the owner of Chile Trout and we were unexpectedly welcomed into a beautiful lodge for a few days of fishing with new friends. The program here is unique and the exceptional level of service and privacy make it one of the best lodges you will find in the Coyhaique region.
The Main Lodge and Staff
The main lodge is custom crafted by Pancho himself and has an absolutely stunning view over Lago Frio, roughly halfway between Coyhaqui and the Balcemeda airport. The bar, lounge area, deck and rooms are all just perfect and comfortable. It’s an idyllic place to sit by the fire, reading and swapping stories between meals and days on the water.
The operation is small and personalized. They will actually allow you to book out the entire lodge if desired so your group has the property without other guests. While most lodges are working to maximize capacity, Pancho sees the value in fewer guests and a more intimate experience. I had some of the best food in Chile here as well and hands down the best steak in Chile. Keep in mind, this is after 3 months of eating my way across the country. The staff members and Pancho’s family felt more likely friends and family than hosts and the entire operation was smooth and exceptionally well managed.
The Mobile Fishing Lodge
I didn’t have the chance to experience the mobile lodge but the concept is fantastic. This region of Chile is loaded with lakes and rivers, some being a few hours driving from Coyhaique and just as far from any town or service point. I drove and camped at a few of these remote lakes and they are way out there, without services or towns anywhere near and very few guides are operating here. Day tripping is possible but the long drives are taxing. Pancho solved this geographical inconvenience by building a mobile lodge. The tiny house design is a work of art and it allows for pure comfort on remote lake and river systems. If you want to really get away from it all and experience the wildest sections of Patagonia, the mobile lodge offers a rare opportunity.
The Fly Fishing Program
The most difficult thing about fishing this region is choosing from the insane amount of options. Open a map and look through the lakes and rivers and you will quickly realize how it would require a lifetime of exploring to get a grip on this place. Pancho and his guides regularly use dozens of lakes and rivers and are on point with the fishing. They even have a coded naming system to avoid talking about their secret fisheries with any name identifiable on a map. They rotate through waterways based on customer desires and their own intuition on where teh big fish are going to play ball on any given day.
We had one day to fish before the lodge was booked and wanted to work hard for a bigger trout. Pancho took us to a large lake and we motored to big cliff walls and rowed through waves where we moved some big specimens early in the day. They were trailing flies but not eating and we got to see several in the two-foot plus range. Skylar landed one twenty inch brown trout and I picked up a small rainbow before things heated up on a long beach covered with driftwood and logs. I walked the banks and cleaned up here, catching 18-20 inch browns in succession. It was phenomenal. I can only imagine what would happen with a week or two of fishing at the lodge.
How to Book with Chile Trout
You can get in touch with me directly for more information about their program. Reaching out to Pancho with ChileTrout directly is also easy. He speaks perfect English and is very responsive.
