I knew that where we would go that day with Juan Ramón, dry fly fishing was particularly productive. The point is that when you spend too much time fishing safely in the waters of Coyhaique, foam flies are your main weapon for lifting good-sized trout, which is why, at times, the world of foam flies occupy your attention by Complete, leaving several of the classic traditional patterns for dry fly fishing relegated to oblivion, and those with several productivity records when it comes to catching trophy trout on the surface.
The skill of Juan Ramón Astorga is something that I always highlight, since with his more than 20 years of experience as guide and owner of " Ríos Patagónicos - Lodge and Guide Service " ( www.riospatagonicos.com) knows perfectly the different situations that a fisherman may face when visiting the waters of Coyhaique. Not that he's a super man or anything like that. Juan Ramón is what one expects from a fishing guide; measured and assertive in his analysis of fishing spots, and the one that is able to convey confidence without raising the expectations of fishermen. But above all, it is someone who assists you when you do not know what to do, when fishing becomes complex or critical in a place that you do not know well, or that you visit for the first time. For the same reason, I don't doubt a minute of your indications and / or tips when I fish in your company.
Before starting to fish, Juan Ramón looked at my box of dry flies and pointed out a " Swisher´s PMX - RedIt is also a perfect imitation of grasshoppers and stoneflies, as well as other large land insects. Summer days in the waters of Coyhaique are a paradise for dry fly fishing, since the environment combines windy days with the outbreak of hundreds of hatches of all kinds of aquatic and terrestrial insects, so it is only a matter of searching a pattern that covers some of the trout's preferences, and you already have much of the work done to catch some good fish.
I started by launching a few meters upstream and to the side of the main power line that was visible in the river. The second launch was a little longer and always worrying that this fly would land on the side of the fish feeding line. The third shot was essential, since the previous presentations had helped me understand how the pattern traveled on the surface and how I could ensure a good drift of it. It was then that when we landed the pattern in the water, a few meters higher than the previous launchings, we were able to stimulate a trout that did not hesitate to emerge and take the pattern. The fly disappeared from the surface as sucked by the trout's jaws. The rest, were 6 minutes of pure adrenaline and jumps everywhere while the trout tried to free itself from the dry pattern.
The trout was a beautiful fario of an intense coppery brown color with marked dots of black hammering and with flashes of blue tones. A precious specimen worthy of any magazine cover, and of which only nature can sculpt in this place in the Southern Patagonia of Chile.
Get a good floating line: Fishing with a dry fly without a good floating line is impossible. Keep in mind that you can find a variety of fishing lines at local stores. Some are very good and others not so much, looking for the best option is not always a matter of "price", but rather of "balance and strategy". Find a suitable fly line for your fishing gear, considering rod number and action. Weight forward float lines They are the most used among fishermen, but it is not always the best option to present a dry fly. Weight forward lines have the weight on the front, so they are thicker tip lines, and those that decrease in thickness until they reach the average diameter of a running shoe. They became popular with anglers, as they favor distance casting, but are not always good for dry fly fishing. While the tapered linesThey are tapered lines on one side, which offer good casting characteristics and fly presentation over crystal clear waters. They are ideal for dry fly fishing and are especially good for roll cast casting.
Presentation is always the most important thing. In dry fly, presentation should be more than a catchphrase, it should be the cornerstone of your fishing strategy. 95% of dry fly fishing involves making a good presentation in free drift on the current. For this the inn and the drift of its pattern is essential to fool some fish. Trout are able to distinguish insects that float on the surface from other non-food items, so the fly inn should not aim to draw the trout's attention to the pattern, but rather that the fly can subtly fall to advance across the surface of the water, until entering the angle of vision of the fish. If the fly has a good silhouette and the drift is adequate, the trout will not resist the pattern.
The fly to use. A dry fly seeks to imitate the silhouette of an insect seen from below, which is the angle that fish have when they see an insect from the depths. Trout have a lot of food to eat on the surface, just make some assumptions about what trout might be eating and risk it for a pattern that mimics those insects. If that doesn't work, recheck your strategy and select a different pattern more suited to the conditions of the time or place. Ideally, start with the correct pattern, but it's also important to know when it's time to change and start fishing with another fly.
Match the Hatch. Matching hatching is important, but not always the key that opens all doors in dry fly fishing. Matching hatching involves selecting a fly similar in gender, size, and color. This formula is very effective when the hatches are of a particular type of insect (or they are mayflies, or they are caddis, or they are midges, etc.) and when these hatches are not so massive. But if the hatchings are massive, and in turn are mixed or compound, you have to select a pattern that the trout can distinguish or differentiate from the rest of the insects. The idea is that these patterns, being similar to those that hatch,
I wade in silence. Displacement is essential when fishing by wading, do it stealthily and silently. Half of the dry fly fishing depends on the work of approaching the trout. Try to look at the water and try to understand the behavior of the trout, this will help you find the fish before the fish notice their presence.
Sight Fishing. Fishing in sight is one of the most exciting times when it comes to dry fly fishing. But don't be fooled, this is not always possible on a fishing day. The greatest number of dry fly catches are achieved with an accurate bet on where to drop a dry fly, and it's like playing blind. Look for power lines that are notorious for the foam that floats in the water. The promising places are always the same: places with large rocks, near submerged trunks, in the folds of water in the stream, under the bushes, in the center of a gentle current, among others;
Dry and floating fly. Keep your dry pattern dry and always afloat. Many fishermen believe that the dry patterns will float on their own. Certainly dry fly patterns are made from buoyancy aids, but if you want your buoyancy patterns to be prolonged, you should use fly float to help permeate the water pattern. For this you can use some oil or buoyancy gel, supported with silicone powder. This will give your patterns more buoyancy. When these lose buoyancy, pat dry and reapply float.
Upstream. Most fishermen in South America tend to do almost all of their fishing downstream. This is a custom rooted in the evolution of fly fishing in the region, where fishing with streamers and, to a lesser extent, nymph fishing, mainly took place. The greatest efficiency in dry fly fishing is achieved by fishing upstream, so it is important to try to change that habit, even if it seems like you are fishing backwards at first. Fishing upstream has several benefits when it comes to a dry fly strategy, since it allows a silent approach to the fish with the advantage that your flies will be able to drift more time in the current, with adequate control of your line. The closer you can get to the trout, the better your chances of catching.
Leader and tippet in good condition. Fishing with dry flies often requires lowering the graduation of their leaders and tippets, keeping them in good condition is essential if you do not want to lose trout and / or flies. Check your leaders and keep them well stretched. Make sure of the resistance of your tippets and feel free to change them if you show signs of fatigue or wear.
Control of the line. Stay in control of your line so you don't miss out on hooking your fish at the time of the bite. Avoid keeping excess line at the end of your rod, retrieving it with your free hand. This also helps maintain your fly buoyancy and drift in the proper dredging direction.
The art of patience . The term "slow I'm in a rush" applies like a ring to your finger when it comes to dry fly fishing. Before starting or continuing to launch a trout that has either refused its fly, or left it on alert, stop for a moment before continuing to launch on the fish. If a trout does not catch its flies on the first or second release, it is because something is not going to work. If you continue casting over the fish, it will only end up scaring you. Stop for a few minutes and let the fish rest, change flies, check your tippet and try again a little later, badly, dry fly fishing,
Fishing guides and dry fly. Many of Coyhaique's professional fishing guides spend an average of 200 days fishing on the river, and they know dry fly fishing to perfection. If you don't have the knowledge to put these tips into practice, get advice from a good professional guide, as not all of them are; the overvalue of guides who start working alone can cause problems. The costs of professional fishing guides are not unattainable and you will be able to fish and learn about dry fly fishing and much more.
