The literal translation is ‘Towers of Pain’. I read somewhere, based on a Chilean Indian language that no longer exists, it could be translated as Blue Towers. I prefer Blue Towers as it was one of the most majestic and beautiful settings I have been fortunate enough to visit.
I always accredit sources while researching areas. However, I really only ‘half-Googled’ the potential alternate definition on the overnight flight home and don’t want to be wrong. If I am incorrect, I sincerely apologize. Truly understanding a culture with limited time and information would be impossible and I mean no disrespect. I just prefer Blue Towers as the translation. And, if ‘half-Googled’ hasn’t been used before, I would like to be accredited ;).
Leaving the town of Puerto Natales heading towards the mountains, you veer to the left placing you on a dirt road for most of the drive. With the remoteness of this road, you get the feeling of an incredible adventure ahead.
Rounding a curve, I stopped to take this picture realizing why I traveled this distance:
I arrived at the lodge early in the morning. I apologized to Patrick in my introduction, knowing check-in wasn’t appropriate at this hour. I asked if he could offer advice on the river, a place to fish and I would return later in the afternoon. We were both equally confused as he didn’t have a room available for the night.
I just drove over 5 ½ hours to get there and, for a brief moment, started to doubt the entire trip based on my limited and poor planning. Although I was very calm and composed about my potential error in judgment, now seemed the appropriate time for an age-old question:
Would you rather be lucky or good?
It’s very similar in a way to the question posed after the first Gilligan’s Island episode debuted: ‘Mary Ann or Ginger?’. What they have in common is the correct answer to either question is ‘both’. Yet somehow there’s an unwritten rule that you can only choose one. So, I’ll answer the first question posed, I’d rather be good but will happily take any luck that comes my way.
With that said, luck was the only thing that was going to save me at this point.
I left out a very important part of this story… There’s a reason I drove 5 ½ hours north to fish and stay on this river. Adolfo mentioned Patrick has been a fishing guide in southern Chile and Argentina for many years. I literally pinned my hopes on a successful fishing trip throughout this region by gaining some of his knowledge and guidance. Although he had no inclination of this, he’s a good person and somehow sensed I needed help.
This is a very remote region, and everybody knows everybody. He said one of his friends who owns a neighboring lodge had a room for the night, maybe two. He explained the river access process with the National Park and said, ‘go fishing for the day, I’ll get you a good rate and we’ll discuss options when you return’.
After entering the Park, I stopped to take my first picture of the Rio Serrano in this specific spot for a reason. I’ve seen a similar picture in flyfishing advertisements. So, I parked my VW diesel 4×4 to recreate the scene.
Photo on the right provided by: https://www.swoop-patagonia.com/chile/torres-del-paine/fishing
Although I may not be on the exact spot, I’m in the neighborhood and quite frankly, the block.
Fishing w/ Guides:
I want to be crystal clear on this point… I 100% support local guides and companies providing services helping anglers find success in unfamiliar waters. If you have limited time and an unlimited budget, this is by far the best option.
Limited Budget: Don’t let the price of the trips you have read about in magazines stop you from going on these fishing adventures. It’s not nearly as expensive as you might think. When I travel to a new river, I normally hire a guide for a day to give me the lay of the land before heading out on my own. However, this was not an option on this trip. After the final post, I’ll share a spreadsheet with the costs. Remember, I didn’t say it was cheap, just less than you might have thought. Also, if you have another fisherman along, the price of the car, hotel, etc. is cut in half and almost every place I stayed for the night had two rooms.
Fly Fishing v. Spinning:
I’ve said in numerous posts, I’m not a purist and will do whatever it takes to catch fish based on the conditions. However, I was going to Patagonia. I was almost dead set on bringing fly rods only; and thank God I didn’t. It was a solo trip, and one person can only handle so many bags. So, bringing a checked rod holder with my quality spinning rods wasn’t a great option. The day before my departure, I decided to buy an average travel rod that would fit into my only checked bag. It’s the only one I could find with the time constraint.
Most importantly, the wind gusting over 60mph at times, was a major and overwhelming factor for most of the trip. If you’re going to fly 5,461 miles (8,788km) to fish, in my opinion, you leave yourself an option. It may not be as romantic, pure, pristine, or however else you wish to describe it, but at least you’re fishing.
First Fish of the Trip:
After my first day of successful fishing in Chile, I returned to talk to Patrick and figure out where I would stay for the next few nights.
My accommodations at his friend’s lodge were perfect. I had a two-bedroom cabin with a full kitchen. I would have stayed and fished for another week had the room been available. This region becomes extremely busy throughout their limited season and attracts guests from around the world. Everything here is well worth the journey, but book in advance.
Fishing the Serrano:
This was one of my best fishing and travel experiences ever.
The fishing area in the park is different from the standard entrance. You sign into an additional ledger allowing access to a road following the river. On the first day, there was only one other vehicle in this section which covers a few miles. They were only there for a short period of time, and we were never closer than a quarter mile. When I signed in the next morning, no one was at the river, and I literally signed my name in the ledger right below the day prior.
Patrick mentioned he might have time to fish on the second day around 6pm. During this time of year, it stays light until about 9:30pm. After catching the biggest fish of the trip so far, I met Patrick and showed him this picture from the morning of day two:
We headed back into the park and caught numerous fish throughout the evening. He was gracious enough to let me pick the first fishing spot as I was still smiling and probably overconfident with my success earlier in the day. We waded into the area and within two casts, we were both hooked up on a large Brown Trout and managed to land both fish. I have the video and pics which I will be sharing in the near future.
Local knowledge: It can’t be and should never be underestimated. As daylight was winding down, Patrick took me to a spot on the upper river that I would not have thought to fish without his guidance.
Here is the last fish of the night:
There is a reason this picture is important to me. It encompasses the entire essence of why I traveled so far: catching a trophy fish in one of the most amazing areas ever. You might be able to Photoshop the background, or the perfect Brown Trout I’m holding, but no one in their right mind would Photoshop the chunky old gringo in the middle fortunate enough to have been there. Most importantly, it was a catharsis. Because, no matter what else might happen on the rest of the trip, I had this moment… and it can’t be taken away.
Trout release with a smile:
I mentioned in the first post, my only fishing options for the trip were either Punta Arenas or Balmaceda. After weighing the wind and the remoteness of Tierra del Fuego, I decided to alter my plans, return to Punta Arenas, and fly to Balmaceda for the remainder of the trip. There is no doubt in my mind I will return here. However, it will be in late January or early February based on the winds and river levels. I will also return and fish Tierra del Fuego in Chile and Argentina.
And, as for the other question… It’s 100% Mary Ann.
