When to come

The fishing season in Chile runs typically from the beginning of December until the end of April. Our seasons are the exact opposite of North America. Our Summer Solstice is on December 21.  Rio Palena Lodge operates through the peak season, which lies from Jan - April. Here’s an idea of what to expect:

Spring  November – December

November through December is roughly our springtime. This can have inconsistent water flows with our rivers often being high. The rivers gradually recede throughout December. We’ll start the season fishing weighted streamers, cone head woolies, and large sculpin type patterns on sinking lines.  Very few hatches appear until mid to late December.  By the end of December we have increasingly better dry fly fishing.  The first major hatches you will see will be the dragonflies on the lakes and rivers.  They will often bring up the biggest fish and provide exciting action.

Summertime:  January - February

With the drastically dropping water levels, January will have solid hatches and we will experience excellent evening dry fly action, especially in the eddies and rock wall ledges above the lodge.  Both mayfly and caddis hatches bring the fish up early and late in the day.  Terrestrials play an increasingly important role in the daily diet.

Fall: March - April

As fall approaches, water temperatures begin to cool and the fish become more active. Evening fishing is characterized by a brief flurry of activity right before dark while most daytime fishing is with streamers or large attractor dry flies. Big rubber legged dries work well in the lakes.  April is when the big browns become aggressive prior to spawning season.