2024 Patagonian BaseCamp Season Recap Part 3
The wonderful weather and near perfect river conditions we had in January continued throughout the whole month of February. Warm sunny days, cold water, lots of daylight – what more can a fly fisherman ask for? Dry fly fishing continued to be incredible as trout were still very much focused on big Cantaria beetles and dragonflies. As the month progressed, our summertime stoneflies started coming off and the trout went nuts for them, especially on the Rio Rosselot. These are Chile’s version of our golden stones and fish go goofy for them. The Rosselot is a large, bouldery, fast-moving river with highly oxygenated water – perfect habitat for stoneflies. In those fast sections there seems to be a trout behind every boulder waiting to ambush a well-placed dry fly – usually a Chubby Chernobyl or black Fat Albert. The guides slide their catarafts in and out of pockets while anglers lob big dries into calm water where trout wait to ambush their offerings. It’s wild and frantic fishing, sometimes a bit crazy, but man do we love this fishing!The Rio Palena, our home water, kept on producing at an incredible rate. Head guide, Max, more often than not came back from his floats with incredible tales of big trout and happy guests. Mark and Teresa – on their 10th trip to the BaseCamp – found another great reason to return, after Mark landed this 26-inch brown at the end of their float.
We are so blessed to have many guests return to us, year after year. They become more than visitors and guests – instead, friends and family. David had fished with us 6 times between 2005 to 2014. For various reasons he hasn’t made it back to Chile since, until this season. It was wonderful to see him, and this time with his lovely wife Tina and friends, Shelley and Florian. They had a blast and so did we, especially when Holly and Craig joined them at the TempleCamp. Nico was at his best pouring some great wines during dinner on the deck overlooking the Rio Figueroa. Good times were had by all.
Andy, who is on his third trip and already booked to return next season, absolutely loves the fishing on Lago Verde. When conditions are right it is hard not to love this lake. Imagine having the entire lake to yourself, sight-fishing to sipping rainbows and cruising browns with dry flies. Some of these trout get really big! Guide Esteban became an expert at finding trout on Lago Verde and coaching his guests into hooking trout after trout in the aqua-blue waters.
But it’s more than great fishing. For my family and I along with the team, it’s about connecting with people, making new friends, reconnecting with old friends and orchestrating a great experience that creates memories that last a lifetime. We never miss an opportunity to throw a party. Terri celebrated her birthday with us at BaseCamp and our pastry chef Ruby baked an incredibly festive cake for her. The birthday party continued well into the evening with dancing, laughter and good times.
The next day, Terri’s husband James celebrated his own party with guide Bill, showing off this buttery brown.
February is a special time for me as my daughters Elena, 14, and Isabel, 10, are on their summer break from school and they love to spend their summers at the lodge – our home. Our camping trip to Lago Rosselot is a yearly tradition and so special for us as a family. We usually pick a beautiful sandy beach on the lake to pitch our tent and make camp. We swim, fish, play, dive under waterfalls, cook over an open fire, tell stories and lies and just have a great time. I love it!
February was a magic month at Patagonian BaseCamp. Our guests, trout, guide team, chefs, support staff – they were all beyond imagination. Every ingredient that makes a good experience into a great experience coalesced into one of the finest months I can remember. New friends, new milestones, lots of laughs – good times in Patagonia.
Marcel Sijnesael
The Patagonian BaseCamp Lodge
