The_Waters
Mañihuales Eco Lodge has a privileged location for the practice of fly fishing. Located in one of the areas with the greatest diversity of water resources in Chilean Patagonia, it is not necessary to travel long distances to find a wide and diverse variety of waters that offer a spectacular panorama for the angler.
Rivers, lakes, lagoons and spring creeks combine to provide the widest fishing possibilities, where it is possible to wade small rivers and streams, as well as float those with a greater flow. For still water fishing lovers we also have lakes and lagoons abundant in salmonids.
Among the rivers we visit most often for our fishing trips are the Mañihuales, the Ñirehuao, the Emperador Guillermo and the renowned Simpson River to name a few. Additionally, we know rivers and streams located in remote areas where fishing pressure is virtually non-existent and we keep in a permanent exploration to find those wild and virgin corners that give our anglers an unforgettable fishing experience.
Lakes Pedro Aguirre Cerda and Las Torres, along with lagoons and lakes explored especially for our passengers, provide the perfect complement for an unforgettable fishing trip.
The Rivers:
The Mañihuales River is located in the Aysén region of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo; within the province and commune of Aysén.
It has an extension of 62 kilometers, from its source in the National Park of the same name to its mouth in the Simpson River. Its crystal clear water flow varies depending on the time of the year, being advisable, most of the time, to fish it in floats that allow access to an infinity of spots that are presented thanks to its varied structure and the numerous trunks and fallen trees that form ideal conditions for the habitat of numerous fario and rainbow trout.
During the months of March and April it is possible to find King or Coho salmon going up the river to spawn.
In Mañihuales Eco Lodge we know our flagship river to perfection, with different fishing stretches oriented to the different objectives and characteristics of each angler. Private accesses allow us to reach stretches with exceptional characteristics for fly fishing, which at the same time have very little fishing pressure.
The Simpson River is located in the Aysén Del General Carlos Ibáñez Del Campo Region, in the province and commune of Coyhaique. This river also flows through Argentinean territory, where it rises in the northern flanks of Cerro Rojo.
This river is also located within the Simpson River National Park. This river is in charge of providing humidity to the intermountain valleys in the Chilean territory, where it flows.
The Simpson River is 40 kilometers long; its waters give life to a variety of ecosystems typical of the pampas, the coast and the mountain range through which it flows. Among the predominant flora that surrounds the Simpson, we find lengas, also known as land of fire oaks or white oaks, as well as ñirres, also known as Antarctic beech.
The waters of the Simpson River are constantly visited by sport and recreational fishing enthusiasts. In its waters you can find species such as fario trout and rainbow trout. The Simpson is also popular because of the annual festival held there, known as the Patagonian Kayak Festival, practiced in the rapids of its waters.
The surroundings of the Simpson River also facilitate the practice of other activities, such as hiking and landscape observation while walking along natural trails, as well as the possibility of hiring horseback riding services, taking photographs and contemplating the natural wealth.
Its total length is 46 kilometers, presenting a bed of 50 meters on average. It is born in the Andes Mountains and flows into the Mañihuales River, becoming one of its main tributaries.
It has an abundant population of fario and rainbow trout that are characterized by their aggressiveness when attacking especially terrestrial imitations in different patterns. Its fishing is carried out by wading its extensive riverbank.
The Emperor Guillermo River, which is the main left tributary of the Mañihuales, has its largest tributary in the Mano Negra estuary that connects from the south and comes from the north slope of the Colmillo hill.
It has an increase in its flows in August and October, as a result of winter rains and spring thaws respectively. The dry season for dry years occurs in the February, March, and April quarter, due to the low rainfall in that period and the thaws occurring in the spring months.
It bears this name because its documentor, the naturalist Hans Steffen, a geographical explorer commissioned by the Chilean government, named it in honor of Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany in 1924, because this river was discovered on his birthday. on January 27, 1897.
Throughout its journey of more than 130 km, it runs from its source in Argentina to its mouth in the Mañihuales River.
Its greenish waters cross the plains of the landscape offered by the Patagonian pampas in the easternmost sector of the Aysén region.
The king during the summer months is the grasshopper, which invades the entire valley where the Ñireguao zigzags, where they fall carried by the wind, becoming a feast for the abundant resident trout of the place, so fishing with imitation hoppers will be the most common technique to use.
Fishing along its waters is done by wading and the sizes of its trout do not exceed 2 to 3 kgs even though it enjoys a great abundance of them. In its final stretch the structure of the river undergoes an important change, which allows the spawning of King salmon during the months of March and April. March and April.
Stillwaters:
Pedro Aguirre Cerda Lagoon: It is 90 km from Coyhaique by route 7 north. It is a lagoon surrounded by Chilco and Quilas bushes, excellent for sport fishing in its embarked modality, finding in its majority, the fario trout.
This lake is accessible by the famous Carretera Austral, an iconic destination in southern Chile, and is located 19.2 km away by road from our lodge, a distance that usually takes approximately 30 minutes.
Lake Pedro Aguirre Cerda is surrounded by hills on its west side and to the east by the La Llave hills. Located near the sector known as La Cadencia, this lake has the benefits of maintaining its native beauty in a privileged location due to its easy access.
It is named in honor of a Chilean president who governed between 1938 and 1941.
Located in the National Reserve of the same name and surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, crowned by the Picacho hill and a great mountain range, the Las Torres Lake offers extraordinary fishing in still waters.
Big brown trout can be found in its waters, which can be attracted by terrestrial imitations especially along the reeds of its shores or with big streamers in deeper waters.
This sector of Chilean Patagonia has a trans-Andean climate with steppe degeneration, of continental characteristics, with a considerable thermal amplitude and less precipitation than in humid coastal areas.
At Mañihuales Eco Lodge we keep in a continuous exploration of nearby waters, which allows us to offer our anglers access to virtually untouched rivers, streams, lakes and lagoons, which not only present almost zero fishing pressure, but also offer unparalleled fishing conditions surrounded by exuberant nature.
Thanks to our privileged location, we can access remote areas that provide our guests with exclusive and unparalleled fishing depending on their objectives.
In general, access to these waters is scarce and sometimes non-existent, so fishing must necessarily be complemented with other activities such as trekking and horseback riding, which makes travel times much longer than usual, which in any case will be amply rewarded.
For our passengers who wish to privilege fishing time above all else, there is the possibility of experiencing Heli Fishing, with which you get fast and direct access to our special waters. For more information about Heli Fishing conditions, please contact contacto@manihualesecolodge.cl
The_Fish
Mañihuales river
Simpson river
Ñirehuo river
Lake Pedro Aguirre Cerda
Mañihuales river
Simpson river
Ñirehuo river
Mañihuales river
Simpson river
Mañihuales river
Ñirehuao river
Simpson river
What to_Bring
This is an important list to have available before you travel to Mañihuales Eco Lodge. You can download a PDF version by clicking on the button below: