Fishing in the Puelo River

The dramatic quality of the landscape around is unforgettable. The abrupt ravine that channels the Puelo River looks like an endless wall. The hustle and bustle of the circulating waters get multiplied everywhere.

This is a site where civilization has hardly dared to reach. It is located on the border between Argentina and Chile. In order to get here we had to cross the western arm of upper Lake Puelo and do the necessary proceedings at the Migrations office in Gendarmería Argentina.

After crossing the channel rapids, we passed onto the Chilean side, where we did the same proceedings, but this time in the border guards post.

The Segundo Corral fishing lodge, owned by Kent Schoenaver, may be interpreted as the site where mother nature has taken her time to design every detail. Rainbow and brown trout and salmons gather daily to eat, attracting lovers of fly-fishing.

We went there on a inflatable 5.5-meter wide boat, propelled by a turbine engine, in order to cross the rapids easily. The limpid and fresh morning enabled us to observe the stunning figure of the Tres Picos Mount, as we navigated towards the neighboring country.

The upper Lake Puelo has a surface of 4,595 hectares and it receives the contribution of the Azul, Epuyén and Turbio Rivers. Its crystal-clear waters reflect the surrounding landscape, giving expedition members a false water mirror that can sometimes fool the senses.


An Amazing Lodge

We crossed the class III rapids of the Puelo, and in less than two hours, we reached the lodge, located at a few meters from the mouth of the Puelo River, on a small cliff.

The quavering feeling experienced a few minutes before, when we had crossed the rapids, remained in our hearts even though it had not been a high level difficulty hazard.

On the wooden pier was John, a black Labrador retriever dog who, excited for the arrival of new guests, ran from one side to another, as indicating the way. Eric Schoenaver –the owner’s son– quickly tied the boat in the pier.

It was a pleasure to go round the lodge facilities. Apart from visiting the warm rooms of the house, we went to the organic orchard, and we stopped at the barbecue house.

Once there, Pablo De Pasquale –the lodge chef– had prepared the traditional banquet before fishing: grilled meat and small potatoes, and fresh salads with vegetables just picked from the orchard. In this occasion, we drank juice and beer.


Time for Fishing

Alter lunch, we put on the fly-fishing equipment and navigated towards the West. Eduardo Laborinnie –our fishing guide– had prepared a special place to make the first attempts at the time of “eclosion”.

First, we used float lines, dry flies and barbless hooks. The bites started when the flies began to drag.

Practicing fly-fishing in these totally rough waters, with white foam and their intense roar on the ravine is a feast for the senses.

We stop the boat in a river bend. After several attempts, we got the so-longed prey . A rainbow trout was fooled by the lure called “Chernobyl ant”, and ended in our hands, “posing” for the picture.

After the photographic shot, we released it into the river, with previous oxygenation exercises.

As the task was fulfilled, Eduardo took us to the edge of the Puelo so that we would practice some casting, as we had many things to improve for what had been evidenced.

The quietness of the water, the peace of the environment and the intense colors of the Valdivian forest made us quickly forget about time, the city and even who we were.

After correcting our movement, we started our way back to the house.

Before saying our good-byes, Kent gave us the present of a singular moment on the edge of the pier.

He started to throw bread crumbs to the water and, immediately, multiple fish specimens jumped out of the water in an unusual splashing, as they enjoyed the “banquet”.

The orange rays of sunset poked out from behind the dark silhouettes of the mountains surrounding the Puelo River and, with them, our adventure in the Segundo Corral fishing lodge, came to an end...