Overlooking the Chimehuin River, Northern Patagonia Lodge boasts front-door access to the greatest diversity of trout water in northern Patagonia. Brown, rainbow, brook trout, and landlocked salmon all thrive here. You’ll wade, float, and fish untouched beats by horseback or vehicleaccess, depending on your daily preferences.
The picturesque Chimehuin River is a wade and raft-friendly river that flows for 25 miles until it meets the Collon Cura River—another Patagonia fly-fishing mainstay. Also nearby, you’ll find small, technical streams offering dry-fly, streamer, and nymphing opportunities depending on the season.
In addition to sprawling rivers and intimate small streams, this is also a land of lakes. Trophy stillwaters include the Tromen, Huechulafquen, Epulafquen, Verde, and Curruhe—to name a few. Each has its own special nuances and all are known for sizeable trout. In total, the area is home to more than 20 trout-rich lakes.
Guide services at Northern Patagonia Lodge (NPL) are provided by Patagonia River Guides (PRG). The PRG squad is the best in the area opening up exciting new possibilities for NPL guests. For instance, during a weeklong stay you can now participate in one of PRG’s renowned 2-night “Unplugged” camp trips. These multi-day wilderness floats allow you to fish un-pressured waters that are not easily reached during a day-trip from the lodge. The camps are also deluxe by design. That means delicious Argentine meals, a comfortable night’s sleep under the stars, and dynamite fishing every morning.
Unplugged Camps
PRG offers exceptional overnight camping trips on the Caleufu, Aluminé and Limay Medio Rivers. Guests choosing to “unplug” and get-away from it all enjoy long and incredible fishing days. Camping is often the highlight of the entire trip, and for those who like to fish a few more hours or skip the “chit chat” at the lodges, the Unplugged program offers the perfect opportunity.
Unplugged camps are deluxe and include a high level of service and surprizing amenities. Guests enjoy spacious eight-man tents outfitted with two comfortable beds, one for each angler in double occupancy. This is not your ordinary camping setup as beds are furnished with fine cotton linen, warm comforters, and down pillows, allowing guests to spend a wonderful and cozy night under the stars. Camps are fully catered and come with a professional chef to prepare both regional and gourmet meals – cooked over the riverside fire!
Their state-of-the-art pressurized water system offers an endless supply of hot water for the private, enclosed shower. In addition, all camps come with two private bathroom facilities and a unique 12-volt lighting system for the tents, common areas, and trails making it easy to navigate the camp at any time in the night. The camp includes a fully stocked bar with ice, mixers, delicious wines and snacks to enjoy in nature or in the spacious walled tent for dining indoors if necessary. The amenities for the anglers include fresh towels, bathrobes, soap, shampoo, and headlamps. Guests choosing Unplugged program do not need to pack anything extra or special for the trip.
Each morning, guests enjoy a healthy breakfast consisting of fresh fruits, cereals, and eggs made to order before grabbing their rods and making their first casts right from camp. The Camp staff and assistants pack up and reassemble the camp in a new location approximately ten to twelve miles downstream. Exceptional fishing is the norm with anglers commonly landing browns and rainbows over twenty inches. Everything is made ready for our anglers arrival at dusk including hot showers, a crackling fire, an impressive table of appetizers and a full bar. Dinner is nothing short of amazing often followed by memorable stories and drinks around the fire.
The Daily Program
This is a sample itinerary for the purpose of illustration only. These are the waters we typically fish from the lodge. We may vary your specific itinerary according to your fishing preferences and prevailing weather, temperature, water levels, fish migration and the opinions of our guides. We can also arrange trips to other great fisheries from the lodge.
Day 1
- Arrival in San Martin de los Andes at Chapelco Airport (around 2 p.m.)
- Drive to Northern Patagonia Lodge
- After lunch, the fishing manager will assist anglers in preparation of fishing equipment
- Cocktails, appetizers, and dinner at the lodge.
Day 2
- Breakfast at the Lodge
- After breakfast we’ll drive to the Lower Malleo River
- This section of the river is located in the Mapuche Reservation Amutuy Quime
- It is wading only. There are hundreds of pools to fish all day long and then some
- We’ll move around with the trucks to find the most productive runs
- Back to the Lodge for appetizers and dinner
- Recommended rods: 4, 5 or 6 wt with floating lines and 7’ to 12’ leaders
Day 3
- Breakfast at the lodge
- Our day starts at the Rinconada Bridge, which spans the Collon Cura River
- This is big water, like the Madison in Montana, with fish from 12 inches to several pounds
- There are brown and rainbow trout and Perca, our native fish
- Percas put up a nice fight, much like a brown trout, and eat whatever you throw at them
- We’ll float most of this river and we’ll stop and wade the many channels formed around the islands in the river
- Back to the lodge for appetizers and dinner
Day 4
- Breakfast at the Lodge
- Drive to Lake Tromen, in the shadows of Lanin Volcano and 3 miles from the Chilean border, where we will fish for trophy brown, rainbow and brook trout. We’ll fish from our rafts casting to submerged logs, weed patches, obstacles and boulders where big trout live. There is a tiny spring creek that can be fished while we cook you a traditional Argentine asado (BBQ) for small brookies, or you may fish the outlet of this creek for trophy size trout up to 7+ pounds
- If you are in the mood of walking, there is a 40 minute walk to the mouth of the Malleo River. Fishing with dry flies sometimes produces nonstop action for rainbow trout and browns
- Back to the lodge for appetizers and dinner
Day 5
- Breakfast at the lodge
- Float the Chimehuin River, from Piedra del Viento (200 yards upstream from Northern Patagonia Lodge) to the Military Bridge. It is an all day float with a lunch break around 1 pm. We’ll fish the pools that made Junin de los Andes a world class destination for fly anglers (Piedras Blancas, Currhue, and Parrot pools). A lot of fishing is done from the rafts, but we’ll stop at the best spots and wade
- Back to the lodge for appetizers and dinner.
Day 6
- Breakfast at the Lodge
- Our day starts at the confluence of the Malleo and Alumine rivers. This is big water again, with fish from 12 inches to several pounds. There are brown and rainbow trout, some landlocked Atlantic salmon and Perca, our native fish
- Back to the lodge for appetizers and dinner
Day 7
- Breakfast at the Lodge
- Fish the middle Malleo River, with a streamside barbeque. This is pretty much the same (unforgettable) fishing as the lower Malleo River. You’ll love to be back on this jewel of a river
- Back to the lodge for appetizers and dinner
Day 8
- Breakfast at the lodge
- Today we will say our good-byes and go to San Martin de los Andes for some shopping and lunch (depending on time of departure flight) and then transfer to Chapelco Airport for departure.