This New Lodge Offers Virgin Trout Fishing
Posted May 2004
(Editor Note: Subscriber Gary M. Gradke tells us he was one of the first anglers to visit a new Chilean lodge so remote it can only be reached by boat. We are putting Gradke on our Subscriber Honor Roll and sending him an Honor Roll fishing cap for taking the time to share his experience with the rest of us. See page 2 for more information on our Honor Roll Program.)
I was one of the lucky people who fished the newly opened Dragonfly Lodge in Chile this past February. It is located in the Patagonian Andes at the mouth of the Rio Picacho on Lago Copa. The Rio Picacho is a tributary to the famous Rio Cisnes. The lodge is owned by Jose and Erica Gorrono, who also own the successful El Saltamontes Lodge.
Our party was met at the Balmeceda Airport by the lodge staff and taken to the Gorrono’s home in Coyhaique, Chile. We enjoyed a traditional pico-sour cocktail and were joined by our guides, Adam Henderson and Skip Mullen, who reviewed with us our planned activities for the following week. After a short nap, dinner was served, accompanied by excellent Chilean wines. We retired soon after, so we would be ready to start our adventure early the next day. After an early breakfast, we loaded into the vehicles for a two-hour trip through the Andes. Upon arrival at the river, we all got into our waders and rigged our rods with large dry flies in preparation for our 40-kilometer floattrip to the lodge.
The cata-rafts we used for our trip were boats designed especially for this river by our guide, Adam Henderson. Formerly the head guide at El Saltamontes, Henderson was instrumental in the design and building of Dragonfly Lodge, too. Without his ingenuity and diligence, it probably would not exist.
While floating to the lodge, we caught many browns and rainbows averaging 16 to 17 inches. During slow fishing periods, we used jet motors to get us to more likely spots. We passed several beautiful feeder streams and one large tributary, the Rio Roosevelt, which was still slightly off-color from a large glacier that broke off and spilled into the upper river two weeks prior to our arrival.
We reached the lodge at sunset and were greeted by our hostess, Natalia Gorrono, Jose and Erica’s daughter. The lodge is an amazing structure, built by Chilean wood workers who used only chain saws to cut the native timber. All the pieces fit together perfectly. The windows, furniture, concrete, etc., were hauled in by rafts down the river, the same way we came in. You have to see it to believe it. When we left, they were adding a large hot tub that will be very popular with subsequent guests. All of the meals were prepared by Carlos, the resident chef, who previously was the chef at El Saltamontes. The food and wines were excellent.
We spent the rest of the week fishing the lakes and rivers in the area. There is no lack of water to explore. I personally was able to fish in two streams that had never been fished, catching beautiful brown and rainbow trout. One of the streams we named after our hostess, the Rio Natalia. The fish ranged in size from 16 to 26 inches. I estimate the average fish to be 22 inches in this lower part of the river and lake. One day we explored the lagunas, which yielded several 24-inch browns and one very fat 26-inch brown. All of the fish were healthy and heavy, and they fought well.
The weather was quite pleasant, with only one day of light rain and wind. The wind can be challenging in Patagonia at times, but we were very lucky this trip. The scenery is spectacular! At the lodge, you are surrounded by towering mountains and glaciers. Waterfalls abound in all of the areas we fished.
The last day, we made our way out by jet boat, upriver to our departure spot. There, we transferred our gear to the trucks and headed back to Coyhaique for our final night. Again, we were guests at the Gorrono’s home and had another great Chilean meal. On Sunday, we visited a Chilean rodeo before we caught our flight back to the US.
Of all the trips I’ve been on, this ranks as one of the best. I’ve already reserved my week next year. I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with Henderson the last four years in both Chile and in his native British Columbia. He is an excellent guide and great person to spend your day with. He handles all the bookings for the lodge under the company name, Picacho Adventures. He can be reached until December in British Columbia at 877-262-0736. From December to April, he can be reached in Chile at 011-56-67-232-779; or you can send him an e-mail at info@TheDragonflyLodge.com. The web address is: www.TheDra- gonflyLodge.com.
The cost for a week’s trip with five days of fishing is $3,950 per person, including transfers from Balmaceda Airport to Coyahaique and the lodge. A maximum of six anglers are accepted per week, and at this writing the lodge was almost full for next year. Better hurry if you want a spot! - Gary M. Gradke.
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