Fly Fishing the Chimehuin and Malleo

The Chimehuin River, which runs through the town of Junín de los Andes before joining the Collon Curá, is one of the most celebrated fly-fishing rivers in South America. Clear, cold, and fed by the snowmelt from the Andes, it holds good populations of brown and rainbow trout in the 1–5 kg range, with larger fish possible in the deeper pools. The upper Chimehuin, above the lake, is smaller and more technical; the lower river is broader and more forgiving.

The Malleo River, accessible from the road between Junín and the Lanín volcano, is narrower and more densely forested, with excellent hatches in early season (November–December). It is considered one of the more challenging and rewarding rivers in the region. The Aluminé, further north, is another option for longer trips.

The season runs from November to April (closed May to October). A fishing licence is required and is issued by the Administración de Parques Nacionales; lodges and outfitters in Junín can arrange the paperwork. Guided fishing is the norm for visitors unfamiliar with the river systems; good guides know exactly where the fish hold at different water levels and times of season.

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A story
The brown and rainbow trout that fill these rivers are not native — they were introduced from Europe and North America in the early twentieth century by a government programme that wanted to develop sport fishing in Patagonia. The fish adapted so successfully that they now reproduce naturally throughout the river system. The Chimehuin's lower reaches, where it joins the Collon Curá, produce some of the largest brown trout in Argentina — fish of over 10 kilograms have been landed there.