The Ñirehuao River - "The Home Water"

Much of this river flows through high desert grasslands, reminiscent of Wyoming's portion of Yellowstone National Park. In addition to the many miles of 4-wheel drive accessible river that flows through the ranch, El Saltamontes also has the fishing rights to all of the best off-property water, including some beautiful canyon stretches accessible only on horseback. The Ñirehuao is a wonderfully fisherman-friendly stream, with open banks for easy backcasting, and washed-gravel bottoms that make wading a pleasure. The fishing, season-long, is heavily oriented around large terrestrials, with hoppers and jumbo-sized beetles standard fare. Average fish will run 15-17 inches, with specimens over 20 inches common. As a bonus, the lodge is located right on the river - very convenient for those hardcores that want to put in an extra hour or two before sundown!


Creek Fishing - Outside the Ranch
In addition to the main river, El Saltamontes has a number of outstanding small streams for the adventurous flyfisher - many of which offer nearly virgin fishing. One little waterway connects two small lakes- when the stillwater warms up, the big browns move into the moving water to cool off a little. The water is very clear, so the fish are edgy, but are suckers for a well-placed beetle.

This is visual fishing at its best. Another little freestoner has miles of miniature riffles, runs and crystalline pools, full of aggressive 12-18 inch trout that absolutely annihilate hoppers. Yet another stream pours out of a lake and winds through a spectacular Andean setting.

The fishing in this creek's fast-moving flows is wonderful, though the scenery is so incredible, it is very hard to keep your eye on the fly! Finally, there is the upper Nireguoa itself - this tiny spring creek flows through the Chilean "Valley of the Moon" for miles, with each miniature meadow bank and riffle chock full of gorgeously-marked browns averaging 14 inches, with an occasional "surprise" fish in excess of 20 inches.

While hoppers work as well here as downriver, there are more aquatic insects present, meaning more diverse hatches - mayfly emergences and spinner falls are common. Serious birdwatchers will love this area, as condors and other indigenous bird species are often observed here.


Lagoons
Falling under this broad category of "lagoons" are a large number of what can best be described as ponds, ranging in size from pools the dimension of a small automobile, up to small lakes of 1-2 acres.

Some of these are actually ancient river oxbows, while others are spring fed. They are fascinating fisheries, and consistently hold browns of larger proportions than the average of the main river, often in the 18-20 inch range, with fish over thirty inches