Working as a fishing guide for many years in Chilean Patagonia, I have had experience with literally hundreds of fly patterns.  Here are suggestions for some common flies useful for different situations in the region. They have all been successful and should always be considered in any fly fishermans’ box.

 

The Adams parachute, a dry fly that adjusts to many situations when there are mayflies emerging. The colors of this fly adapt to a wide range of natural colors. Hook numbers between #12 and #20. They are especially good for rivers in the Palena and Aysén regions.

The Chernobyl Ant is a successful fly because it imitates various insects at once; it can be a beetle, grasshopper, dragonfly, or any large bug that has fallen into the water. It is very good in almost all lakes in Patagonia and also in rivers where there are lots of creatures falling into the water, especially grasshoppers. They can be used in a range of colors. Hook #4 to #8. They are used by moving them to give them some life. I like it because it is very adaptable and exciting to fish when they attract those violent bites that make you jump with emotion.

 

Cantaria is large beetle with long feet that inhabits the southern zones of Chile and is a food that really makes trout go wild. During migrations, many fall into rivers and sometimes in lakes. It is a very common pattern for Patagonia and cannot go missing from any fly box. Hooks #1 and #2.  They are so large that they can be confused with that of a small hummingbird.

 

Pheasant Tail is another of my favorites. This nymph is mostly used in rivers around the world and as well in Chile, since it can almost perfectly imitate the majority of nymphs. The smaller ones can be used as a dropper.

 

The Dragon Fly is commonly used in summers here, bugs that are in almost every Patagonian lake, especialy from Palena on south.  It is an interesting food for the trout, which are capable of jumping a meter high out of the water to capture them.  The best hooks are #2 to #4.