Río Chimehuín · fly box
Patagonia's classic dry-fly river, plus a spring creek that opens three weeks later.
| Pattern | Imitates | Size | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chimehuín Caddis | Hydropsyche adult | #12-14 | Skate it at dusk on a long leader; the local evening standard. |
| Fat Albert | Terrestrial / ant | #10-12 | Wind-blown terrestrials in January; cast tight against the grassy bank. |
| Trico Spinner | Tricorythodes spinner | #20-24 | Morning flats; find a pod and cast upstream of it. |
| Woolly Bugger, olive | Sculpin / leech | #6 | High, coloured water in early season; strip it through the deep bends. |
The dressing plate
On this river
The evening caddis skate
Patagonian evening caddis fishing is done with a fly skated on the surface on a long leader, often with the rod held high. Fish it across and slightly downstream and let the current drag the fly in an arc; the take is a violent surface slash, and the fish hook themselves against the line tension.
Fishing the spring creek on foot
The upper Chimehuín's spring-creek reach is small, clear and weedy, and it is fished by sight at short range. Kneel behind the weed, use a 4-weight, and target a single fish with one cast. If you put the fish down, move 50 metres rather than waiting — on a spring creek, a spooked fish stays spooked.
Tricos in flat water
In February the Chimehuín has a morning Trico spinner fall on the flat water below the old bridge, and the fish that feed on it are large and selective. Use a #22 with 0.10 mm tippet, cast only to visibly feeding fish, and take the rise as the signal to lift rather than the disappearance of the fly.