36 hours on the Rio Pico - THE PATAGONIAN BASECAMP

C H I L E - PAT A G O N I A N B A S E C A M P
36
Hours
on the Rio Pico
PatagoniaOne
2015 started off with a bang for me, as I left Cali- Lodge: “Rio Pico”, officially named PatagoniaOne (Patagonia
fornia for Chile on January 2nd to start an epic 23 day fly fish-
without Borders). I had been reading and hearing about the
ing adventure to South America. The trip would have me
Rio Pico region of Argentina, Patagonia for close to 20 years
visiting and fishing three different lodges and outfitters in
and heard some amazing stories from Mike Michalak about
Chile, and two lodges in Argentina – all in remote and beau-
fishing this remote frontier with famed Argentina fishing guide
tiful Patagonia. The trip had been planned for better than a
Raul San Martin. To say I was chomping at the bit to see and
year out, but underwent some significant schedule changes,
fish it would be a gross understatement. A couple simple ad-
when Marcel of Patagonian BaseCamp, in early December,
justments to my itinerary gave me six full days with Marcel,
told me about his new program in Argentina at Las Pampas
plenty of time to check-out his new fishery.
The following is a day by day journal account of
Marcel and my experience at Patagonia Base Camp
and Las Pampas, “Rio Pico”- the latter an intense
two days and one night fast-track in the Fonterra!
10 JAN 2015 - Saturday
After a wonderful few days with Jose Gorrono
and his team at El Saltamontes, I am headed to
Patagonian BaseCamp (PBC), Marcel and Caro
Sijnesael’s fabulous operation on the Palena River.
Jose drives me to the cross roads to Puerto Cisnes
and Puyuhuapi, half way point between the two
lodges. We take the back road over to Manihuales
(30 +/-minutes ride). The entire transfer takes one
hour and thirty minutes – it is an easy drive, much
of it paved now. Marcel arrives at the meeting
place exactly one minute before our agreed upon
time, (love his attention to detail) and we transfer
luggage, I say goodbye to Jose and jump in
Carolina’s FJ Cruiser. It should be noted that Marcel
had to get special permission from Carolina to use
her personal vehicle and I think (hope) her
decision was due to my visit. We needed to be at
the crossroads before 11:00 a.m. as the road
between there and La Junta (closest town/village
to PBC) is under construction and they are blasting
their way through solid rock to widen and
eventually pave the road. They closed the section
we needed to navigate between 1 and 5 p.m. every
day to blow stuff up. As we pass the construction
crews working on the road, we see them packing
explosives in drilled holes and I comment to
Marcel, “…I sure hope they know what they are
doing….” Marcel and I make the drive with no
issues or long delays. We stop in La Junta to top
off Caro’s rig with fuel and drive onto the lodge.
We arrive at the lodge just in time for a super
lunch. It’s worth noting that all the vegetables,
meats, milk, all the staples that can be, are
organic and grown or produced on the ranch in a
sustainable manner. It’s a total commitment by
Carolina in offering the very best table fare made
with the freshest, home grown and produced
ingredients. I get settled into my room, unpacked
and got organized, as this will be my base for the
next 6 days. Marcel gives me a tour of the ranch,
and we check out his new boats, rafts, etc. – a
couple container loads of equipment he ordered
from the States, which arrived a week or so before.
He purchased new 17’ deep v-hull LUND boats for
the lake fishing. They’re nice boats, super stable
and clean for fly fishing, and able to safely and
comfortably navigate and fish Lago Rosselot and
Lago Verde and other lakes, much better than the
flat bottom jet skiffs. New jet motors, new rafts,
life jackets, frames, oars, two new Toyota Hilux
pick-ups, (one was crashed the week before, so he
ordered another)…lots and lots of stuff! Marcel
continues to invest in his infrastructure and
program, like no other outfitter we work with. The
lodge is in top form, the staff dialed in – Marcel
and Carolina have it going – BIG TIME!
We enjoy a great meal that night and learn our
schedules for the next 6 days. First on our itinerary
is a two day, one night float on the Rio Palena.
At the lodge are Bob and Alice Schleusner, Rob
Thompson and Ted Buchannon (TFS clients), along
with three French friends of Marcel’s and a super
nice fella from the UK, Mr. Jim Dick. I will be
paired with Jim, and Bob an Alice will fish
together; our guides are David Souther (new guide
with AK experience, from MN, very nice and capable
young man) and veteran guide and all around
super-man, Greg Bricker.
days, chucking baitfish patterns towards the banks,
logs, or other structure in the hope that one of the
giants living in the area comes out and inhales the
fly. These days usually require hard work,
perseverance, a bit of skill, and a whole lot of luck;
most of the time, some nice fish are seen, hooked,
and even landed. Even on the best days, most of the
best fish caught with a streamer are hard-earned…
Marcel and I make it back to the lodge, have a
well-earned beer, some snacks, grab a shower and
make our way to the lodge for cocktail hour and
dinner. Dinner is served at 10:30 p.m., squash
soup, with queso and bife de lomo with locally
picked morels - delicious with great wines. All the
guests eat at one table and the guides join us for
dinner – I like this. One of the guide helpers is an
American named “Tucker”: young guy, just
graduated from Harvard majoring in Fungi Biology,
a family friend of David Ondaatje, owner of Winston
Fly Rods, going to start growing truffles, back east
in Connecticut . Marcel and I hit the sack at 12:30
p.m. Tomorrow we go to “Africa” – the braids of
the Rio Pico!
14 JAN 2015 - Wednesday
Today, we go to “Africa” a maze of spring creek
channels of the Rio Pico in a massive valley,
surrounded by arid steppes and snow-peaked
mountains. The valley floor is covered by
thousands of braided spring creek channels,
So, floating the Palena River, pitching big dries aquatic vegetation and sweet grass – loaded with
on a beautifully sunny day – typical of the height browns and rainbows eating Caddis or whatever
of our Patagonian summer – I really was not other aquatic insect is hatching. A short drive (5
anticipating seeing the largest trout I have seen in minutes) from the Las Pampas Lodge has us driving
Chile since 2006. While Gypsy King fishing is quite through a locked gate and entering Nuñez’s 7,000
productive, and watching trout of all sizes attempt acre cattle ranch where our fishery awaits. It’s an
to eat this massive dry is unbeatable fun, it is quite amazing resource of small water sight fishing to
rare to see the largest trout in the river come up to free rising wild trout, exclusive to Las Pampas
play. Big fish eat little fish right?
guests. My first good shot at an eating fish, lands
Needless to say, when this giant brown came up a 23 inch rainbow taken on a Missing Link – thanks
for a look, it caught the attention of everyone in Mike Mercer! It’s all I can do to navigate the fish
the boat. The water was walking speed, the shelf through a maze of obstacles as she leaps and runs
along the bank was littered with structure, and the in every direction – all seemingly at once. Marcel,
fish just appeared, hovering under the fly, following fishing with Anka, lands a fat brown that is easily
it downstream, all the while providing quite the 23 inches just upstream from me, minutes after my
show. He opened his mouth on the fly twice, turning bow is released. We sneak along the banks, crawl
away disinterested each time, all the while
on our bellies and wade between channels
moving away from his spot, and swimming
sight fishing to sipping trout the next
“Africa”
with the boat. Kudos to angler Pat
couple hours, (we each have our own guide)
is classic
Pendergast as he retained his composure
until the hatch finally quiets and the fish go
all the while, not moving the fly or setting spring creek rest. It should be noted that this is not tiny
the hook, and talking the fish into eating
spring creek fishing in a channel that is
fishing –
just one more time…
three feet wide, five feet deep (which is not
Finally, after what seemed like an
that uncommon in Patagonia). This water is
the real
eternity and with the fly partially
wide, up to and over 40 feet in width in
deal and
submerged, he ate it with a slow, deliberate,
some spots and with good current, cold
confident eat, and Pat set the hook! With a lot of fun! water and hard fighting fish, that won’t
the fish putting the tippet, knots, and drag
suffer being lined or a bonked on the head
to the test, I moved the boat away from the
by a sloppy cast. “Africa” is classic spring
bank to the deepest part of the run. Ten minutes creek fishing – the real deal and a lot of fun!
later, we were on the gravel bar, taking photos,
We meet up with Rob and Ted that have been
shaking our heads, and grinning ear to ear.
floating the main Pico, once the myriad of braided
An amazing fish, a painstaking eat, and a great spring creek channels combine to form a single
fight- nothing more to ask for.”
channel and enjoy a quick and delicious lunch
steam side, then Rob and Ted head to Africa and
The rest of the afternoon we fish Gypsy Kings we jump in the raft with Martin to continue the
and Fat Alberts with some action. We switch to Rio Pico float Ted and and Rob were on this
streamers and get a few fish, rainbows and browns. morning. We have about 1.5 hours to fish, before
Jim lands a nice rainbow on a fly called the “Dirty we have to bail on the fishing, head back to Las
Hippie”. We start to motor our way to the lodge Pampas, grab our gear and head back to Chile and
and have some issues with the outboard, so Greg Patagonian BaseCamp. The border crossing closes
rows us out back to the lodge – not too late for at 6:00 p.m. As we are getting into the raft, a fat
dinner, arrive about 8:00 p.m. We enjoy another 20 inch brown cruises by us, Marcel casts his Fat
wonderful meal, venison tenderloin – delicious! Albert in front of it and it eats – this is going to
Tomorrow Marcel and I are off to Las Pampas “Rio be good! This is super slow water, barely moving
Pico” to see the new program – PatagoniaOne
and bordered by a thick wall of willows that are
partially submerged. We are actually fishing up
13 JAN 15 - Tuesday
stream, blown by the wind. Marcel and I cast a Fat
Marcel and I are off to Las Pampas today. We Albert to the submerged willows, back bays, weed
drive to the TempleCamp, taking the shorter route patches and cut banks and absolutely wail on the
past Lago Claro Solar – one hour drive. Marcel has fish - all on dries, great takes, nothing less than
made some enhancements to the TempleCamp, 19 inches and fish up to 23 inches – amazing. I
including covering the porch off the quincho, loose count of how many eats we have and fish we
building a dry room with heater for guests’ gear land, but it was non-stop action for just better
11 JAN 2015 - Sunday
Breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m.: cereal, fresh and adding a separate DOMO for the guides and than hour and Marcel and I are slack-jawed over
fruit, cook-to-order eggs, bacon, toast, ham staff to stay in. In the past the crew stayed in the the quality of the fishing and the fish!
cheese, yogurt, raw milk fresh from the cow, fresh quincho. The new set-up allows guests to stay up
We hurriedly get off the river, get the raft loaded
ground coffee from Argentina - whatever you at night if they like, while the guides and crew can on the truck and beat it back to Las Pampas to
want…We are out the door and loaded into the go grab some sleep. The TempleCamp looks great, gather up our gear and head to the Argentine
Excursion (like a Suburban) by 9:30 a.m. We drive very clean, and cool. It has to be one the most Border Outpost. We quickly clear Argentina, drive
approximately 1.5 hours to the put in sight, unique and all-time greatest out-camps, anywhere to Lago Verde, re-enter Chile and motor back to
pulling a trailer with stacked pontoon rafts with in the world. We head out of the TempleCamp PBC arriving 9:15 p.m. The entire drive from Las
small outboards. Jim and I will fish the first day toward the town of Lago Verde, a 45 minute drive, Pampas to Patagonian BaseCamp, door to door,
with David. It’s windy and quite cloudy and I where we will clear Chile Immigrations -very easy including the two border crossings takes 3 hours suspect we are in for some rain as the sky looks and simple. From there we motor into the Frontier, flat. Marcel and I enjoy a simple and quick dinner
pretty menacing down river. According to Marcel, ”no man’s land between Chile and Argentina” to and reflect back on the last 36 hours of our lives.
the fishing on the upper Palena had been meet the Las Pampas guides, Martin and Pablo, We fished 6 different moving water fisheries, half
challenging the last couple weeks. Jim and I cover nickname “Anka” as in Paul Anka from the Rat a dozen lagoons, a lake, spring creeks, freestoners,
the water well with big dry flies and streamers and Pack. We shuttle Marcel’s vehicle back to the and amazing variety of remote and incredibly
move a few fish, one good brown on a black and Chilean Immigration Office and then drive back productive trout water. We didn’t scratch the
white Dali Lama and Jim lands some small to into Argentina and down out of the mountains to surface of what Las Pampas has to offer and even
medium size rainbows. The wind is getting stronger the river valley. We immediately climb into our more remarkable, touched everything Marcel has to
and then the rain opens up, heavy rain most of the waders and fish some lagoons (all this before we offer on his side of the Andes in Chile.
afternoon. As we pull into the Palena Camp – it’s clear Argentina Immigrations & Customs!). Marcel
The new PatagoniaOne program combines the
pouring buckets…We move camping supplies and I hook and land half a dozen nice rainbows best of Las Pampas with the best of Patagonian
(coolers) and our gear into our Domo Shelters, big and browns, all with big, foam body dry flies. It’s BaseCamp. It is well-choreographed, a perfect
white dome tents, and get out of our waders, still all sight fishing to large trout and a lot of fun. We blend of the large mountain-water fishing that PBC
raining hard. The NEW Palena Camp is in a great also fish a brief section of the Rio Pico for a short specializes in with the new small water, high desert
location and Nice! There are two large DOMO stand- period before driving to the Argentina wade fishing in Rio Pico – the very best of both
up height tents for each two guests with real beds, Immigrations and Customs Outpost. The entry is worlds. This new program will no doubt redefine
fresh linens, towels and pillows. We have lights, relatively painless and easy, albeit the posturing what an ultimate Patagonia Trout Fishing Safari is.
night stands, a place to hang our waders, of the officers, which are bored out of their skulls
everything you need – this is deluxe camping. The in this uber remote outpost.
15 JAN 2015 - Thursday
We drive to Lago 5 to meet Augustine Fox
tents and kitchen (also a DOMO) are all built on
We decide to take the next morning off. Marcel
elevated wooden decks, connected by walkways, “Augie” (manager and partner of Las Pampas Lodge) has some lodge and business things to handle and
and fish the lake with him. We enjoy a I take advantage of the WIFI connection (it is now
built in an ancient forest of Lenga. There is
great lunch with Augie, his family and the fully functioning at PBC and works quite well with
a flush toilet and sink for cleaning up. The
main DOMO is where a simple kitchen is This has to guides before our lake fish. The wind is decent speed) and catch up on emails. I have lunch
located and a divider in the large tent rate as one really strong, probably blowing 35 - 40 mph at Marcel and Caro’s house with Elena and we
with stronger gusts. We load up in the 14 decide to float the lower Palena from the lodge in
separates the kitchen from where the
of the most
foot NRS Otter raft, top it off with some the afternoon with Greg Bricker, who is leaving
guides sleep and supplies are stored. David
enjoyable,
more air and head out on the lake. The tomorrow on the same flight to Puerto Montt,
gets the short straw and has to cook dinner
outside over an open fire “disco” in the successful and swells are no less than 3 feet high and headed home for a few weeks before returning and
Augie does all he can to hold the raft back finishing out the season.
pouring rain – it’s a new guide thing. Disco
unique
lake
from the shoreline as we tear down the lake
is a giant cast iron disk (plow disk) with
We launch the raft from the lodge and start our
hammering
casts
to
the
bank,
#2
Gypsy
three welded legs that is set over open
float on the Lower Palena. Marcel is fishing a 24 ft
fishing
King and #4 Fat Albert. We are going to sink tip, me a floater, both of us throwing
flame and all kinds of vegetables, meat,
rice and herbs are cooked into a delicious experiences cover the entire lake in about an hour – streamers. I start with a black Home Invader with
speed fishing! Everything is going fast and little or no luck and switch to an olive Home
stir-fry. I have had this dish before with
I have
furious, everything but the incredibly slow Invader and bingo, start to move some fish. Marcel
PBC on over-night floats and it is very
ever had.
and methodical eats on our dry flies by BIG and I hook 5 or 6 nice browns up to 21 inches and
tasty, filling and hits the spot after a long
rainbows and browns - we land trout to 24 a lot of smaller rainbows. Marcel and I cover the
day on the river. There is an open bar, wine,
dessert - what more can you ask for. It’s still inches, nothing under 20 inches. I hook one brown water well, hitting all the right places; a wellraining hard when I turn in for the night 11:00 (resident) that literally took me into my backing - placed fly gets some very aggressive strikes,
first time for me! We pound the bank and rock probably due to the water color and clarity
p.m. ready for some sleep.
walls, move and land a dozen fish and then it’s (glaciated) with meltwater coming from the Rio
over – we are done. This has to rate as one of the Frio upstream due to warm temperatures; overall
12 JAN 2015 - Monday
Up for a quick breakfast, “simple” coffee cake, most enjoyable, successful and unique lake fishing there is about 30 inches of visibility. The fish don’t
fruit, cereal, cheese and ham and French press experiences I have ever had. The wind, the speed have time to think, they just strike fast! We all
coffee - just right after a big meal the night in which we moved, the quality of the fish – all on enjoy a nice afternoon with friends, lots of laughs
before. We are pulling out of the Palena Camp by dry flies, what an amazing hour of fishing! Martin and stimulating conversation.
9:45 a.m. Greg Bricker, Jim and I are fishing the and Anka meet us at the take out and we are off
Tomorrow I travel to Buenos Aires to continue
day together. We fish big dries and streamers to the Las Pampas River and Terramoto my epic Patagonia Adventure.
through the morning off floating lines and move (Earthquake) Spring Creek where Rob Thompson
and catch some nice rainbows. The day is a and Ted Buchannon are fishing. Marcel fishes for
spectacular early summer day in Patagonia, clear about 45 minutes on the Las Pampas, a beautiful
skies, some wispy clouds; a sky so blue it glows. creek out in this arid dry valley. The creek is a
Massive and rugged mountains are set in the classic trout fishery, gin clear cold water
background, freshly sprinkled with snow on the serpentining back and forth with all kinds of
peaks. It’s warm, bright and the day has a structure, root wads, clay banks, and undercut
promising feel about it. I take a lull in the action, banks – loaded with rainbows. I mean LOADED! I
to tie on a new tapered 2X leader, just on hunch bet you could have a 100 fish day on this creek.
that we are going to hit some big browns as we There must be some moss-back brown trout under
drift down stream into Hog Johnson water. Right those cut banks, but we don’t see or move any.
If you have any questions, or would
before lunch, across from our designated lunch
We make our way upstream and find Ted fishing like to make a reservation, please
site, while fishing a clay bank wall with a medium to an aggressive, actively feeding brown (22 contact us at:
sized Gypsy King I hook a BIG Brown as described inches). Ted has been on this amazing fish for
by Greg Bricker:s
better than an hour and is not going to give-up.
We leave Ted and Rob to their fishing and decide
But the story of the week is told by guide Greg to head to Las Pampas Lodge. An amazing day Bricker when Pat caught a 28.5 incher on a dry fly Marcel and I have seen and fished no less than 5
4140 Churn Creek Road • Redding, California 96002
in his boat. “Like most anglers in search of big different, unique and amazing fisheries - incredible
530-222-3555 • 800-669-3474 • fax: 530-222-3572
brown trout, I usually anticipate seeing my largest small water diversity, the perfect complement to
browns of the season on dark, overcast streamer PBC’s mountain rivers.
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