Fly Fishing on
the Gallegos River |
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 Text: Juan Manuel Biot
Born of the confluence in the province of Santa Cruz of the Penitente and Rubens rivers
flowing from southern Chile, the Gallegos River receives the waters of the Turbio, Zurdo
and Gallegos Chico along its course of 200 km before emptying into the Atlantic. The
tributaries increase its volume and, depending on rainfall, darken its water.
With the river’s location in the southern part of the province usually comes an
element that is particularly undesirable for fly fishermen: Patagonian wind, which can
blow up to 80 km/hr and make it difficult to carry out any outdoor activity.
The habitat of sea-run brown trout that swim from the Atlantic upriver to their spawning
beds, the Gallegos is considered one of the world’s best fishing rivers. It yields
catches that would surprise any fisherman; fish of over 12 kilos have been caught on
several occasions.
The many holes along its course insure lots of strikes. Accesses to the river are public;
all you have to have to fish there is a permit.
On this river, fly fishermen use Nš 6 or Nš 8 rods; streamers like wooly baggers, black
matukas and brown rabbit zonkers, and nymphs such as a montana with a yellow and
olive-green thorax, stone flies, scudds and gray hare’s hair. The best dry flies are
grey stag hair caddis, humpies, royal gulfs, and imitations of land insects like
grasshoppers or spiders on Nš 6 and Nš 8 to Nš 14 hooks.
For spinning, spoons should no smaller than 7 grams and no larger than 18. Hooks must be
barbless.
What to take:
- Waders, as it is difficult to cross
this river in most places.
- Warm clothing (early and late in the
season) and a windbreaker.
- Mosquito repellent.
- Camera.
- Sunglasses.
- Sunblock.
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