Fishing Season Opening in Patagonia

Junín de los Andes is one of those cities that anglers use as a base to find the best fly-fishing spots to catch trout in the world. Besides the Collón Cura, Malleo, Aluminé and the famous Chimehuín Rivers, the first attraction visitors to Junín de los Andes observe is the Fly-fisherman's Monument, a sculptural silhouette that shows a real fly-caster and a large rainbow trophy. Junín de los Andes is a special site for fly-fishing and enthusiasts of trout and salmonidae fishing. A mecca of fly-casting ever since the early years, when the trout coming from Europe and the United States were planted in Argentina, thousands of anglers reach this city and the mouth of Lake Huechulafquen (also the source of the Chimehuín River) in search of its trout.

History goes that famed Bebe Anchorena and Jorge Donovan (well-known fly-fishermen), Chimehuín Inn -which still welcomes guests- and the huge trout in this river are some of the indelible traits of this small town in Neuquén. An opening float trip is organized every year on the Chimehuín River by fishing guides to symbolically cut the ribbon that crosses from side to side. Thus, the continental fishing season is declared open in Argentinian Patagonia.