The Gorroño family - Jose, Erica, Natalia, Lucas, and Nicolás - have set the standard for top notch Fly fishing operations in Patagonia for many years.

Jose and Erica met snow skiing in Chile’s famed resort of Portillo. As newly weds in the early 80’s, their search for a life on the land as graziers, led the young couple to the Southern Chilean region of Aysen. The first property they purchased was situated on an inaccessible lake in cold rainforest. This is now the site of the Dragonfly Lodge…but that is another story.

After two of years of battling the elements in the cold jungle, resulting in a sharp learning curve and the birth of a daughter, they realized that the lake land was not suitable for cattle ranching. Fresh opportunities arose however, when they discovered and settled in the mountain valley of Arroyo el Gato. The new property was named “Fundo Adelaida” after Erica’s home town in South Australia. For ten years they were content to raise Herefords and a young family.

In 1990, Jose’s adventurous spirit took hold again and the family life took on a new direction. The couple sold their cattle and purchased a 47ft ketch. The yacht was renamed “Patagonia” and became their home for two years. With two young children, they embarked on a sailing odyssey that took them across the entire South Pacific Ocean, to the East Coast of Australia. Their third child arrived soon after landfall.

The Gorroños then sold the boat and returned to Chile and ranching. Together with cattle and the first embryo transplants in the region, they introduced alpacas to their property. In the late 1990’s they exported a large herd of breeding alpacas to the USA where they farmed and marketed these South American Camelids in New York State for four years.

The children’s’ avid interest in equestrian sports led the family to diversify horse breeds, introducing Arabs, Thoroughbreds and Holsteiners to their basic Chilean stock.During all of this, an angling friend alerted Jose to the quality of the fishery on his property. A providential meeting with Mike Michalak of The Fly Shop was the final impetus needed to begin the creation of El Saltamontes Lodge. The Gorroños began hosting anglers in their own home on Fundo Adelaida.

The operation was a success and they forged ahead and built El Saltamontes, the first established lodge in the region. The rest is history. El Saltamontes and The Fly Shop continue to host discerning anglers, many of whom are now sincere friends, returning year after year to share the feisty trout and good times in the Patagonia.

To ensure that returning guests are satisfied, El Saltamontes underwent a recent overhaul. The original cabins were re-roofed and the bathrooms were refitted and modernized. A new deluxe duplex cabin was built, on a hidden bend in the river, with huge granite bathrooms, and spacious suits. The new cabin is especially popular with the ladies and makes single occupancy available for some of the gents.

More importantly, the fishing program has been extended and expanded to include exclusive access to a huge nearby lake, equipped with boats and teeming with trout. More river miles have been added to the Lodge’s private waters and now include floating options as variety from the usual free-stone wading.

Returning guests are greeted by many familiar faces amongst the guides and staff as they too like to return year after year.

The Gorroño family and their staff welcome you all, to enjoy this beautiful, remote corner of the world with them.