Introduction to Fly Fishing

There was a little sun trying to burn off the Patagonian overcast on the day we had arranged to learn how to fish. Two of Huilo-Huilo's professional fishing guides led our little group on an unimproved road through an ancient, untimbered forest to a favorite stretch of the Rio Blanco, where they proposed to teach us the art of fly fishing.

James and Rebecca are old hands at the sport from years of fishing the streams near their home in Missoula, Montana, but it was a new experience for Richard, Susan and Henry.

The first challenge was putting on the waders and boots.

We learned trout are too cautious to be easily fooled by just any jig or fly. Our guides tie their own flies using designs that imitate the unique insects and river conditions of the reserve.

Miguel Sarah taught us how to cast the fly out onto the water and then float it with the current in such a way that the trout might be convinced a tasty insect is present rather than some obvious deception.

James and Rebecca moved right out into the stream working the likely trout habitats with their confident casts and clever fly handling.

Here is Susan trying to position her fly and make it move realistically.

Richard got lots of practice casting and retrieving with both flies and spinners.

Henry tried casting over a log into likely habitat so the trout wouldn't be able to see him.

Rodrigo, our other guide, didn't speak English, but he was able to help Susan find a likely location and then practice making her lure look like an enticing minnow.

Susan showed she knows how to tempt a trout.

This rotting log is covered with bright orange fungus nodules.

We were surprised at midday when a local Chilean folklore band arrived at the riverbank and started singing the regional ballads for us.

No, these are not another type of forest fungus, but chorizos waiting for the carbon or charcoals to get hot.

Milton Barros, our driver, dances to the rhythms of the music as he prepares the asado of grilled meats and vegetables for our picnic lunch.

One musician wore woolen socks with his sandals.

Another musician showed off his flashy espuelas or spurs.

Meanwhile we stomped around in our waterproof wading boots.

Then a bit of afternoon sun popped out from the clouds for a group photo.

Exploring The Temperate Rain Forest

The cool temperate rain forests characteristic of Patagonia used to extend from the coast to the tree line of the Andes cordillera. Over the last century extensive clear-cutting, agricultural development, and urbanization have steadily reduced the size and integrity of these ancient forests. The private Reserva Huilo-Huilo and the neighboring Reserva Nacional Mocho-Choshuenco are two of only fourteen natural areas in Chile being protected from further destruction, along with twenty-five National Parks and one National Monument.

We set out from the Montana Magica to explore some of the forest on bicycles.

Temperate rain forests exist because strong westerly winds off the Pacific in combination with the Humboldt Current bring ashore moisture and fog in a narrow band between the coast and the mountains.

This October day was no exception.

We turned back at the ferry dock in Puerto Fuy on Lake Pirihueico. The ferry takes cars the length of the lake to a road at the other end that crosses the border into Argentina.

At the bridge over the Rio Fuy we opted for caution and walked our bikes across.

The crossing gave us a chance to be impressed by the force of the spring runoff down a river we intended to raft a few days later the following week.

An average between three to five meters of rain falls each year in these lush green forests.

Some of the local people from the town of Neltume contributed their woodworking skills to create sculptures that decorate the forest reserve.

We found this forest dweller on the way to see the big waterfall of the Rio Fuy.

Here we are posing in our ponchos at the base of the falls.

Salto Huilo-Huilo

Departure to Huilo Huilo

Our friends in Pucón had been telling us for months we needed to see the Reserva Huilo Huilo. Since we had guests, it was a perfect time for us to visit a new part of Chile together.

So we arranged a trip with our friend, Cristian Levy, of Amity Tours, and Ben May, of Kayak Chile, to travel by van through the town of Panguipulli and southeast another eighty kilometers around Lake Panguipulli to see the reserve and go fly fishing and rafting on the rivers in the area.

Looking across Lake Panguipulli to Volcan Choshuenco which is at the heart of the Huilo Huilo Reserve.

Late in the afternoon we arrived at the Baobob Hotel, our base camp for the next five days.

The view looking down into the central atrium of the Baobob Hotel.

The Montana Magica is another part of the hotel facility at Huilo Huilo. Notice the waterfall cascading down the roof of the building.

Each room at the Baobob has a private balcony that looks out over the surrounding forest.

The hotel pool.

This sculpture of a Mapuche couple greets visitors to the spa at the hotel.

Back To Geometricas

We got lucky with the weather for our ski tour on the volcano, but the next day the clouds came back and poured rain throughout the area.

So we decided it was a perfect day to take Henry out of school early so he could join us on a visit with James and Rebecca to Termas Geometricas hot springs.

The hot springs have been beautifully designed by architect and owner, German del Sol.

Once we got in the water, it didn't matter whether it was raining or not.

Rebecca makes an underwater portrait ...

... while Richard poses.

After a long soak, we visit the little cafeteria and dry off by the fire.

The specialties of the house are grilled cheese sandwiches and pumpkin soup with tea and torte for dessert.

Rebecca braves the freezing waterfall for a few seconds of video excitement.

Skiing the Villarica Volcano

Volcan Villarica in early spring beckons skiers to it's 2847 meter (9340 foot) summit.

The resort is closed for the season but Ski Pucon still operates lift 5 on sunny mornings for the climbing community.

James Ledyard, Richard and mountain guide, Guido Schilling, made the ascent on skis and on foot starting from the top of lift 5.

We reached the summit in less than five hours climbing the firm snow.

At the summit, the fumes from the volcano puffed out of the black caldera.

James took a moment on the summit to fly his kite.

The kite caught a breeze and we enjoyed watching it fly over the peak.

Richard and James

Guido selects our descent route heading southwest toward Lago Calqafuen.

In the distance we could see Volcan Choshuenco rising above the clouds.

Guido led the way down the slope of remarkably crisp snow and we followed.

James came down last.

We stopped on the glacier where it broke into seracs.

We'd had a great run down the slope and threaded our way out through the forest below the snowline.

When we finally hiked out the apron carrying our skis, Cristian Levy from Amity Tours greeted us with hamburgers and french fries from Latitude 39.

Valdivia Arrival

Two friends from Utah, James and Rebecca Ledyard, accepted our invitation to visit us in Chile. As the Temuco airport is closed for a few months for maintainence and upgrades, the Ledyards arrived at Valdivia airport instead.

Henry was particularly happy to see his childhood nanny once again, and Rebecca was surprised to see how much Henry had grown during the year.

We headed west to the coast to see El Castillo de Niebla, a Spanish fort built in the middle of the 17th century by the force sent by Antonio de Toledo, the Viceroy of Peru, to reclaim the area from the Dutch. The fort is located on the cliff above the Valdivia River estuary that leads inland to the port.

A battery of cannons guards the north side of the estuary. We could look across the water and see another fort on the cliffs at Corral that guarded the south side. On an island in the middle there is a third fort, Castillo de San Pedro de Alcantara, that blocked the center of the channel. Valdivia became an important place for the Spanish fleet to resupply during their voyages around Cape Horn and through the Straits of Magellan.

We also visited the Kunstmann brewery for a beer tasting and lunch.

We stopped at the Valdivia fish market so our guests could see the famous sea lions.

Winter is almost over in Pucón and the flowers are starting to bloom at our little house. But the weather is still cold, overcast and rainy, so the view of the volcano will have to wait for another day.