Two fishing outings with dissimilar results

By: Mario Capovía Del Cet
 

Visited not only  by Argentinian fishers but also by many of the most recognized fishers of the world,  Junín de los Andes is considered to be both, a historical place and one of the most important Patagonic fishing places.
Among the most atractive rivers in the area, we can mention the Chimehuin  - with its brown waters and its famous huge mouth - ,  the  Malleo, Collón Cura, Aluminé, Caleufu and Curruhe. All of them are particularly suitable for fording.
In the same way, the lakes Huechulafquen, Epulefquen, Paimun, and the Big and Small Curruhe are beautiful water mirrors that may afford a pleasant surprise to those visitors who fish from their boats or want to practise fording near the coast line.
 

Río Chimehuin

Río Aluminé

Although we stayed there for only a few days, we were able to do two fishing outings  - which were certainly very short, as our timetables do not always match those of the local tour guides, who are generally very busy at this time of the year due to the opening of the fishing season.  Apart from being brief, our fishing excursions were not entirely successful, given the high water level of the rivers because of spring thawing. However, our stay was enhanced by the incredible feeling arisen by the beauty of this amazing natural phenomenon.  

Chimehuin River

As we did a three-hour-outing, we could try fishing along only a small area. We got to a amazing place to wait for the magical dusk in a large puddle nearby.  Our guide, Ariel García Cabrillana, picked this place for us. He couldn´t have gotten a better place!! The water level was very high, and the flies passed us by really fast, flying near the surface, in spite of our  fast sinking lines and the corrections we made to take them to a deeper place.
Apart from three or four bites, some jumps and some losses, we were not able to catch a single trout. However, in a few days’ time the river will go down a litlle and it will be easier to get  better results.

Aluminé River

This time our guide was Rolando “Cachin” Roa, an experimented park ranger from Junín who offered to take us a short floating along Aluminé River. 
 

We headed for an area called Circuito Mapuche, about 30 kilometres away from Junín. This beautiful place is run by  an aborigin community called Painefilu. A fee of $ 3 per car has to be paid to enter the place. There is a beautiful winding road that has sharp edges as well as steep slopes and makes driving more difficult, especially if one is taking a trailer with a non all-terrain vehicle. Later we stopped at a moor called “Huilquimenuco” where we got the rubber boat down from the trailer and carried it 30 meters towards the shore.

Although Aluminé River is much larger than Chimehuín River, its heavy waters allowed us to display our flies in a reasonable way, while fording its large stone banks. Its coast line is full of willow trees, and the stones submerged in its bends and long narrowings make up ideal shelters for brown trouts.

The fishing results were excellent. Our streamers were able to go deeper thanks to our fast sinking lines and attracted many brown trouts and rainbow fish, which delighted us throughout the three short hours that our tour lasted.  

Services: 

San Jorge Hotel: Located at the end of  Antártida Argentina Av.
Telephpone/Fax.: 011-54-02972-491147.
e-mail : hotelsanjorge@jandes.com.ar

Grill and Restaurant: “ALDEA DEL PESCADOR”
35 Necochea St. and  234 route. Junín de los Andes
Patagonia Argentina - Telephone:  (02944)-15634258

Fishing guide: Rolando “Cachin” Roa:
Telephone: 011-54-02972-492168
e-mail: cachin@chimehuinsp.com

Ariel García Cabrillana:
Telephone: 011-54-02972-491319 , 02944-1561-1893
e-mail: arielpescajunin2003@yahoo.com.ar