El Encuentro Fly Fishing
middle PATAGONIA, chubut PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
El Encuentro’s roots run deep in the land of inspiring landscapes, warm people, and legendary trout. They began welcoming people to El Encuentro – “the Meeting Place” – more than 30 years ago. In their own words, “Nothing brings us more joy than to share this rich life with our guests, and welcome them back year after year as part of the El Encuentro Family. “
THE MEETING PLACE
Here at Big Sky Anglers we have deep connections with all of our partner operations, but our bond with El Encuentro Fly Fishing is especially strong. El Encuentro’s owner Benjamin Beale worked with Jonathan Heames in Chile during the early 2000’s. In more recent years, Jonathan and Steve have worked as consultants for El Encuentro helping to build and grow their business and develop their fishing programs. We consider the Beales and all of the El Encuentro clan our extended family in Central Patagonia.
El Encuentro Fly Fishing has spent years building relationships with local landowners and researching all the waters, big and small, of this area.
No matter what time of the season, we strive to provide our clients with a diverse array of productive angling options for brown, rainbow and brook trout in central Patagonia. Some of the featured and famed fisheries available to anglers include the Futaleufu, Nant y Fall, Arrayanes, Rivadavia, Corinto, Carrileufu, and Corcovado rivers, Kruger and Verde lakes, and many other smaller rivers and streams.
Some waters are floated, some are waded, and at times a combination of the two is used depending on conditions and desires. Most trout are in the 16 to 23-inch range, with many exceeding 23 inches. Trout species, size, and numbers vary depending on the waters fished with some waters that produce numbers, some that produce size, and some that produce both. The waters fished by EEFF are home to browns, rainbows, brook trout, small and large mouthed perca, and landlocked salmon. The wild strain of landlocked salmon in the Rio Futaleufu Basin were only released in two basins in Argentina!
Guests fish two anglers per guide and employ a variety of fly fishing techniques depending on water and fishing conditions. Whether casting big terrestrial dry flies, pulling streamers or working dry dropper rigs El Encuentro’s program has the experience and range to fish a huge range of water types.
Our guides utilize a combination of rafts outfitted with fly fishing frames and fiberglass drift boats to access area fisheries. Guests should arrive fully prepared with their own fishing gear including waders and boots, rods and reels, and flies. Guides will supply you with leaders and tippet and fill-in any missing gaps in your fly selection as needed to ensure that you have the right pattern for the right situation.
The main lodge at El Encuentro is located on the banks of beautiful Rio Grande River, in close proximity to Los Alerces National Park and all of its rivers, lakes, and spring creeks. El Encuentro also operates out of its awesome, remote Brook Trout Base Camp. The Base Camp is a first class “glamping” accomodation nestled in the middle of the Andes Mountains that gives unparalleled access to some truly incredible brook trout fisheries. The newest addition to El Encuentro's program is the Valle Del Carrileufu Lodge situated just north of Los Alerces National Park, in one of Patagonia’s most picturesque valleys, and ideally located close to fabulous fisheries such as the Rivadavia, Arrayanes, Carrileufu, and Chubut, as well as numerous spring creeks and lagoons. It's a beautiful place, with wide open views to the dramatic peaks of the Andes, dominated by the lovely Cerro tres Picos.
patagonia
pioneers
El Encuentro pioneered the sport of fly fishing in central Patagonia, opening the region’s first fishing lodge in 1985 - El Encuentro Lodge - and expanding into the frontier in 2016 with the Brook Trout Basecamp. Both operations provide one of a kind, riverside locations strategically positioned to optimize the best fishing. In 2021 we continued our long traditions of adventure, exploration, and friendship with the addition of the Carrilefu Valley Lodge situated just north of Los Alerces National Park.