Rio Trocoman
Ranquilco controls the entire central portion of the Trocoman and Picunleo rivers. Fortunately, they are of the exact size which does not permit rafting, which plagues many of the rivers in the famous centers to the South. They have a perfect flow for both sustaining large trout populations and inviting great wading situations. There are two large canyons on Ranquilco, where the waters are seldom fished, which provide days of excellent fishing and sightseeing.
Both rivers are filled with Pancora, a crab sort of critter which gives the trout so much of their strength and condition, as well as providing their flesh with a bright red-orange color, there are hatches along both rivers as well. The rivers are wonderfully fishable, with the trees and brush behaving themselves pretty well on the banks, and a ton of personality to the waters, which almost always run clear.
“Action on the Trocoman is nonstop… I released 5 fish over 3 pounds the first day, 15 over 3 pounds the second day, and 11 over 3 pounds on the third day. Fishing through Hour-long pool, Fast-breaking run, Horse Swimming Pool, Five-pound Pool, and The Chute, two of us frequently had fish on at the same time… the largest fish we released weighed 6 pounds.” Argentine Trout Fishing, A Fly Fisherman’s Guide to Patagonia by William Leitch
View from the lodge
The main lodge gazes down at the Trocoman river a couple of hundred feet below. Most of our fishermen prefer to head out unguided. It is a short walk to the “lion pool”, and the “sauna run”. One can begin an entire day of fishing either upstream or downstream right from the lodge, or ride or walk in either direction, arranging to be picked up later. Take a packed lunch or stop back at the lodge for a break at mid-day.
Casting a line
The Trocoman River is the main river which runs from the South to the North, a rarity in Patagonia, and good news because it is not prone to the sometimes vicious winds which predominate out of the West and bother the casting on other rivers. Below the confuence with the Picunleo, it is a mid-sized river, averaging 100-150 feet across, and maybe 2-3 feet in depth. Wet flies, wooly buggers and Pancora imitations bring up big rainbows. It is not unusual for one fisherperson to catch 25 fish a day, many over 3 pounds.
The river is filled with personality: cliffs pools, long runs, falls of water, and boulder fishing, so one never has to walk far to find the next cast. The Rio Trocoman satisfies beginning and expert anglers alike.
“In its middles reaches… the river acquires solid character. Deep, slow pools wind through steep-walled, shaded canyons, rides alternate with slickwater runs, dense willow thickets and gravel bars begin to appear and the Trocoman becomes one of those rivers with physical attributes that fly fishermen dream of… one of the great advantages the Trocoman has over almost every other Patagonian stream is a refreshing, conspicuous lack of wind. Fresh afternoon breezes sometimes ow down the valley, but compared to the hard winds that plague fly fishermen elsewhere in Patagonia, these breezes are of no consequence.”
Argentine Trout Fishing, A Fly Fisherman’s Guide to Patagonia by William C. Leitch.
The Picunleo river, which melds with the Trocoman river upstream about an hour and a half from the Lodge, is a delightful, smaller, and predominantly dry river. Trout up to 6 pounds can be taken in the almost unlimited pools and runs of this mountain river, which flows down from the high Andes, originating on the border with Chile. In its middle reaches, there are places which we still have never fished, as it stretches for some 20 miles through the wild canyons and mountains.
Camping is optional for fishermen who want to explore the upper or lower reaches of the Trocoman or Picunleo rivers, or Laguna Negra. Laguna Negra is a midsized startlingly lovely pure mountain lake nestled under the 9,000 foot peak of our mountain, Bonete, filled with trout.
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