Flies for Fishing Patagonia

As you ponder gathering up your gear for your Patagonia fishing adventure, which flies to bring always rises to the surface of questions. El Encuentro will send you a packing list that includes what flies to bring. But do you really need to bring all the flies they list? Aren’t there some that particularly appeal to Patagonian trout that do not appear in your vast collection of fly boxes?

Pam and I have had the privilege of fishing with El Encuentro over many delightful seasons. We have learned, with good success, to rely on our EEFF guide not only for his recommendation on which fly to use but also to go ahead and take him up on his offer to use his flies. The EEFF guides have been fishing the waters through all seasons, over several years, and they know well the waters, the location, and the feeding patterns of the trout. Trust your guide! He knows what dries the rainbows will take on Rio Pico and what nymphs work best in which runs on the Futaleufu. If you feel you need some flies for your own use that the guide doesn’t have, bring them or buy them at the lodge. They have an excellent assortment.

We have found over the years that we enjoy sharing some of our flies with our guides — seeing if perhaps we can’t surprise a big brown with one of our streamers that the trout has never seen. So, bring a few of your favorite flies — streamers, dries, and nymphs — to share and try. But leave most of your flies at home, and work with your guide(s) to tap into his knowledge about what works best.

Tight lines!

— The EEFF Team

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Early Season Fishing with El Encuentro

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Video: Here in the Sun