Estancia de Los Rios

Saturday

It’s a short one hour flight from Puerto Montt to Balmaceda where we start the next part of our adventure. We shall be staying  at Estancia de Los Rios, which is a huge ranch – 360,000 hectares with 60 miles of river. It is remote and approximately a 4-5 hour drive on pretty good roads apart from the last 75km which is on gravel. Bumpy, narrow and not that comfortable! We are met at the airport by Javier who is one of the fishing guides from the lodge. An hour’s drive takes us to Coyhaique where Javier lives. He recommends a small restaurant, where he says they make superb burgers. He is not wrong. There is a big choice and they are really welcome after a morning of travel.

Part of the reason it takes so long to reach the lodge is that there is no direct road and we need to take a u-bend route, which involves crossing the Andes twice. However the wonderful thing about this is that there is some truly spectacular scenery. Beautiful green valleys are cut with glistening rivers. And of course there are snow-covered mountain peaks. Yet again we have superb weather – clear blue skies and it is very warm.

We arrive at the Estancia at about 6:30 and are welcomed with Pisco sours which go down exceedingly well after the long journey. In total there are ten guests staying at the lodge. We dine together in a comfortable dining room with panoramic views out over the countryside. We are wowed by our first meal – really delicious and beautifully presented. Everybody is introduced to their guide. Ours is Marcelo. He lives in Chile but splits his time between guiding on fishing expeditions in Chile and Mongolia, which is where Paul met him on a recent trip. We are here on his recommendation and so far, so good.

Sunday

Our first morning’s fishing involves a 2 hour horse ride to reach the river. Now, I am a little apprehensive as I have not ridden seriously for over fifty years. We are given leather gaiters, which prove to be 100% necessary to protect our legs from the thorny scrub. My horse is called Chocolate and my first problem is mounting him.

Not to worry, Bernardo (who looks after the horses) is on hand to help. He offers me his knee which I have to step on with my right foot and then put my left foot into the stirrup. I am sure if you are right handed this is easy, but I am left-handed and ideally would prefer to be mounting from the other side. Hey ho! I just need to get on with it. In all honesty it is not the most elegant of procedures, but at least it is the cause of some hilarity and Bernardo asks if I have been drinking:). After a certain amount of pushing, shoving, wobbling and leg waving I am finally sitting astride Chocolate. Then we are off. This is going to take some getting used to, but I have little time to dwell on it as we are shortly ascending a steep, dusty track with loose shale and rocks. Every so often Chocolate slips a little. This is not re-assuring!! We reach the top and I start to relax.

Marcelo has a lovely dog – Jack – who is a sort of labrador/poodle cross (with maybe something else thrown in) and a truly lovely temperament. He is energetic and zooms across the plains, chasing hares and becoming liberally covered in burrs from the spiky brush. We make our way to a ridge where we dis-mount and walk along a precarious path along the cliff edge to look down at a pool several 100ft below. It’s a view that is seriously vertigo inducing.

We eventually arrive by the river where we shall be fishing. Marcelo has encouraged me to fish on this trip, which was not my intention. Consequently, I have not come prepared and have borrowed some waders from the camp and wading boots that are at least three sizes too big. If done up tightly they seem secure enough. I do however feel like I have clown feet. It takes me a while to remember how to cast, but there is lots of space and time.

Marcelo is patient and little by little I improve my technique, though catch nothing before lunch. In the meantime Bernardo has set up a table and chairs under the shelter of a willow tree, lit a fire and is grilling us lunch.

The weather here changes by the second and it is now seriously windy and has started raining. However, we are well attired and warm enough when we re-start fishing.  We walk to the river and spend another couple of hours fishing. Paul is pretty successful and catches quite a few trout and eventually, I manage to catch a couple as well. The skies have cleared but it is exceedingly windy. We sit on the stony banks while Bernardo packs up and prepares the horses.

The ride back to the lodge is much shorter and I think the ride out was deliberately challenging in order to test out our riding ability. Marcelo and Bernardo have a plan for tomorrow…

Monday

Today we shall have a long, hard ride for three hours to the salt lakes where we shall camp overnight. I am much more relaxed today and do not struggle to mount Chocolate. I feel comfortable and feel no need to hold on to the saddle, my stirrups are the right length and I feel secure (except when Chocolate loses attention and trips…!! He does always manage to recover himself, thank goodness).

Much of the ride is over open flat and scrubby grassland. We feel like we are in High Plains Drifter and should be wearing a poncho and chewing a cheroot. The sky is clear blue, we can see The Andes in the distance and occasionally condors soar high above. We disturb caracaras and lapwings as we pass.

After two hours we enter the forest and the horses pick their way carefully over and around trees, tree roots and fallen branches. Occasionally we cross small brooks. There is one which is a challenge. It is only a couple of feet wide, but with a 4ft vertical drop into it. The horses are reluctant but one by one they cross. I have to stand in the stirrups and really lean back in order to stay on and quickly do the opposite as we climb the opposite bank. Eventually we catch a glimpse of the first lake and a group of flamingos. What a view! The forest gives way to lush green water-meadow which is criss-crossed with small channels. The horses take a very welcome drink…

…and we make our way to the campsite. The scenery is breathtaking-taking. This is going to be a very special experience indeed.

We drink a beer and soak in our surroundings, whilst Bernardo prepares lunch.

Then it is out on a float boat on the lake for some fishing.

I have decided not to fish. I find it too difficult on a boat. It feels too confined and too easy to tangle my line on anything other than fish and I certainly do not want to snare Jack who is accompanying us. The lake is very big, we motor for 20 minutes and then Paul casts his line. Almost instantly he catches a large brown trout…

…and then proceeds to catch heaps more of equally large size during the rest of the afternoon.

He is one very happy man. I have taken the camera, so capture the action as well as flamingos in flight.

The campsite is much better than expected. There are two large tents on platforms with camp-beds inside, sleeping bags with liners and a duvet too. Hopefully we shall be nice and snug overnight. We are high so it will get cold. I am very pleasantly surprised that every need has been catered for and I am led down a windy path through the woods to Bernardo’s throne. There’s a hole in the ground loo mounted on a wooden stand and there is a tap with soap, water and a towel.

In the evening, a campfire has been lit and Bernardo cooks a chicken casserole with sausages washed down with a fine Chilean vino tinto.

We sit and chat and as evening draws in we are treated to the most spectacular sunset.

Tuesday

Next day the weather is still fine with clear blue skies and no wind. It was cold overnight with a ground frost, but we were snug and cosy in our tent, and slept very well indeed. It is so peaceful. Flamingos are feeding in the distance and I creep around the lake and over the boggy ground to try and get closer. I achieve that but really need to be 2 foot taller to see over the bushes and would prefer the sun to be behind me!

Whilst I try to capture some wildlife, Bernardo prepares eggs, bacon and toast.

This morning we walk to the second lake which is very shallow. The idea is to spot the fish and then aim the fly at them, but as there is no wind the fish can see us just as easily as we can see them. This morning they are elusive and just not biting. After an abortive couple of hours Paul snags some tiddlers and one large one.

Jack sleeps through it all.

As it is so hot, we decide to have a relaxed lunch and siesta, and let it cool off a bit, before riding back to the estancia. Even so it is still exceedingly warm. I wear my windproof jacket to protect me from the bushes but that means I am ridiculously hot and I feel for the horses. There is not a breath of wind and there is so much dust, which generously covers every inch of us. We have panda eyes and very dirty faces. It’s a long ride back and the memory of some of the difficult terrain we need to traverse is still fresh in my mind. However, we soon settle into an easy rhythm and just soak up the scenery. This has been a truly once in a lifetime experience. Exhilerating, challenging and very, very special.

Wednesday

New day. New scenery. Just breath-taking and it is impossible to capture the scale on camera. 360 degree wow!

We stop off at a large sheep shearing shed. It is huge and you can imagine the noise and smell when shearing is in progress.

Today Paul is fishing a spring creek, which is narrow and challenging. Accuracy is key and so I do not feel that it is for me. I shall stick to photography today. Yet again it is windless and hot. There is zero shade so a pretty exhausting day for us all, but Paul absolutely loved it and caught a decent number of fish in the end.

I spent much of my time dangling my feet in the water to cool down. I looked for photo opportunities but there was a surprising lack of insect or bird life apart from annoying little black flies. The scenery of course never fails to please. On the way back we spot two eagles. They are a little distant for the lens but I still leap out of the car to give it a go.

Thursday

Paul will be fishing in three different locations today. Marcelo is trying to show us as much of the estancia as possible. We start with an exceedingly bumpy ride over rocky terrain to reach the National Reserve of Lago Carlota, which is actually just outside the estancia. Jack waits patiently as our guides assemble the gear, then it is a twenty minute walk along a dusty, sometimes boggy, sometimes thorny and rocky downhill trail.

There is a stunning orange daisy-like flower bursting through the scrub. it looks completely out of place – as if someone has just placed it there.

We emerge on rocks overlooking a stunning river.

Marcelo, Paul and Jack climb down to the river. We have been joined by Jota who is working at the ranch during his university vacation. He stays on the clifftop with me and acts as spotter. The water is crystal clear and he has spotted huge trout below, which are the size of salmon and this is the target. Paul finally catches one but it is strong, snags the line on a rock and then it is gone….

Lunch is spent on a hillside overlooking a wide shallow river. There is a charismatic though derelict farm building next to us. Ibis are perched on the roof and they launch themselves in a squawking cloud as we approach.

The grass is alive with grass-hoppers which are providing the numerous lapwings and ibis with a magnificent feast. Marcelo has bought a Spey rod which he would like Paul to show him how to use. I leave the men to the fishing…

… and I concentrate on wildlife photography,

Our final stop for the day is by a quiet pool, which is surrounded by lupins. They are now in seed but must have been spectacular when in full bloom. The grass here is lush.

Dragonflies dart across the water and there is that lazy English summer’s day feel to the place. Of course Paul catches even more fish…

This has been another wonderful day and totally different. It hsas however been very hot again so I am looking forward to a pisco sour and shower back at the ranch.

Friday

All too soon it is our last day and I have decided to give the fishing one more go. It is still very hot and the idea of wet wading in a stream is actually pretty appealing. I have quick dry shorts, so do not wear waders – far too hot for that. I don the oversized wading boots but realise that I should have put thick socks inside them. It is a longish walk from where we have parked to the river. The ground is uneven and pebbly. As we walk from the van to the river the left shoe is rubbing my ankle.

Jota is going to help me and Marcelo will guide Paul. Jota has a very calm, gentle manner and eventually my casting improves and before I know it I have bite. It’s not big, but it is a start. I proceed to catch five more fish during the morning the last of which was a good size. I really enjoy myself. This is like paddling with a fishing net as a child. I do not even mind that the water is deep in places and goes up to my waist. Surprisingly it is not particularly cold and we dry quickly over lunch.

More fishing follows in the afternoon but the fish have stopped biting. The weather is on the change. Clouds are forming and the wind is strengthening. Time to pack up and return home for our last evening.

Our stay at Estancia de Los Rios has been wonderful. The staff have looked after us well and the food has been fabulous. For Paul the fishing has been awesome – he says amongst some of the best he has experienced. For me the highlight has to be horse-riding into the wilderness and sleeping out in beautiful surroundings far from civilisation. Perfection!