Fly-fishing in the Calcurrupe River

Lovers of fly-fishing have the opportunity of challenging one of the most exciting torrents for the practice of this activity: the Calcurrupe River.

The Calcurrupe River connects the waters of Lake Maihue with the Ranco and offers incredible landscapes resembling paradise at the foot of Mount Llifén, where sport fishing is best enjoyed. A new day broke in “the city of smoke clouds”. The natural charm of Futrono had already captivated us. A clear sky and the feeling of going out fishing led us to Fundo Chollinco once again. It is well-known that the rivers surrounding the Fundo, such as the Calcurrupe, the Nilahue and the Caunahue or Cumilahue offer the possibility to cast from the shore or from a boat. This time, we were invited to go down the Calcurrupe, which was once compared to the famous Chimehuín River, located in Argentinian Patagonia. As we reached the Fundo, everything was ready. The guides, Cesar and Víctor, were expecting us with their waders on and their rods ready to go out as soon as possible. The occasion demanded that we used the large Mackenzie boat, in which we could fish in a standing position.

All aboard. Going fishing in the company of a guide is a clever way to take full advantage of the excursion. The guide’s experience and knowledge of the river are very important to have a successful outing. They know what flume to take us to or the right hatch moment to show off our fly-casting skills. It is necessary to point out that fishing in the Calcurrupe demands a strict catch and release policy. Besides, only the use of artificial lures with single barbless hooks is permitted.

The place where the Calcurrupe is nestled is simply fascinating. The Valdivian rainforest lying on its shores and the Andes Mountain Range bordering it in a zigzagging fashion turn this meltdown water river into an ideal place for the practice of this amazing sport. The roar of its waters would make us feel astonished and even paralized. The Mackenzie soon found its course. We practiced our casting several times. We reeled in a hundred times. Our fly was a “Montana Rubber Legs” created to fish in the Limay River and other rivers in the area of the Nahuel Huapi in Argentina. This is an impressionist nymph made with rubber legs and tied in # 10 and #8 hooks. According to specialists, tackle ranging between 4 and 6 has produced very good results in the Calcurrupe.

After a few moments, the fly managed to fool a hungry trout which wandered about in the crystal clear waters. The fight put up by this fish was undescribable. Little by little, we reeled in the line trying to avoid making the fish feel too exhausted. To our surprise, it was a brown trout which weighed about 2 kilos. After taking it out of the water for a few seconds in order to take the picture, we performed the necessary exercises to release it into the water and the trout was free agin. Man and animal had met and from then on, nothing would be the same again for any of them. As far as we were concerned, feeling a bit more satisfied because we had obtained our first trophy, we resolved to enjoy the outing and continue fishing quietly in this majestic southern river.