Although there are some rainbows in the region, the focus is on what’s dominating this fishery, mature brown trout.
All photos by Brett Seng
Orvis vice chairman Dave Perkins has been down in southern Chile, at Magic Waters Patagonia, in the Aysén region. Also along for the trip is photographer Brett Seng, who shot these remarkable images. The landscape is incredibly diverse; you can travel from the dry, arid pampas (the Patagonian Steppe) to the temperate rainforest (Paloma River) in just over an hour. One day you can fish a meandering “Montana type spring creek” while spending the next day in a gin-clear river system of “Pacific Northwest style” in a temperate rainforest.
Riding in to a remote stream, Dave pauses to take in the incredible scenery.
Dave makes the first casts made into a spring creek that may never have been fished before.
Dave releases his first brown trout from the spring creek that meanders only a few steps away from camp.
The mainstem of the Rio Blanco is wild and scenic, and we had solid streamer action.
Dave admires another lake-caught brown.
Trout often stack up where a stream enters the lake.
This trout put a pretty serious bend in Dave’s Helios 2.
Twitching foam dries for lagoon-cruising brown trout, Dave landed this 20-incher.
Another wild brown returns to the clear waters of the lake.
For more information about fishing Magic Waters Patagonia, click here.
Such magnificent country and the fish are spectacular. Imagine fishing a creek that may never have been fished before….the brown trout are just beautiful. Thank you for the lovely, inspiring article, Phil and Brett. Chile is a most beautiful country….Pategonia is on the old bucket list for me!
My wife and I are scheduled to be at Magic Waters toward the end of February. What luck to see pictures of Dave Perkins just taken this month! Last year, we went to Estancia Tecka in Argentina’s Patagonia. We can attest that Orvis-sponsored lodges takes very good care of you!
“Yearning for a trip to Argentina”? I’ve been to both and Chile wins in terms of beauty.
Kate and I were at Magic Waters when David was there. It was nice to catch up with him after a lot of years. A great region with secrets yet to be discovered. Eduardo and his crew have built a great place to fish and relax.
Cheers