Estancia del Zorro sits on the high "pampas" on the Chilean side of the border in Southern Patagonia. The spring creek meanders across the landscape with deep curling currents that harbor huge brown trout. The grazing alpaca and sheep glance up occasionally to assure themselves that you have no interest in their offspring and the Andean Condors that wheel overhead watch carefully in case you have suddenly kicked the bucket. This high prairie has few features to slow the upwelling winds from the Pacific coast line so, to catch trout here, you must be able to cast effectively with the wind pushing from different directions. Pinpoint accuracy is key to getting a drag free drift over these big fish who leisurely sip bugs at the very edge of the prolific weed beds a and tight against the grassy banks. What is a huge brown trout? For me, anything over twenty five inches is big but in this creek there are browns well over thirty inches and a few over thirty six. This is a dry fly fishery without peer, although you can fish it with nymphs etc., and people from around the world travel to sample it each season. The Galilea family has been ranching here since the 1940s and their reputation for fine wools and succulent free range meat is international. Sebastian Galilea and his brother Juan Andreas manage the fishing side of the family business and they have honed it to a fine art. To arrive at Zorro is to immediately feel welcome and like you are, perhaps, a visiting cousin or long lost family member returning to your roots.
On Tuesday, October 13th, at 6:30 pm Sebastian and, head guide, Claudio Joost will be here at the Spot to meet interested anglers and show us the beauty of this tremendous resource. We will supply the Chilean wine and some fine cheese to accompany it. Claudio will be tying some of the flies that work well in this part of Patagonia and we hope to see some of you here.
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