In the early 1900’s rainbow trout stocks were taken from hatcheries in northern California and southern Oregon and transplanted in Argentina and Chile.
Southern Chile, with its climate and geography very similar to that of the Pacific Northwest, is an ideal environment for rainbow trout. It’s no wonder these fish have thrived since their introduction.
You will find Rainbows in the typical spots here, just like in your favorite rivers in the northern hemisphere. Riffles, cut banks, tail outs, and areas around boulders, logs, root wads and reed beds can all hold fish.
Feeding habits are like that of any other rainbow trout that thrives in an insect infested area – nymph, emerger and adult stages of aquatic insects all provide food for our rainbows. Fishing methods include classic dry fly presentations, dead-drifted nymphs, and streamers swung or banged on the banks.
In areas off the beaten path, some rainbows may never have seen a fly before. Here it’s not uncommon to have a fish take two, three or even four times!
Fly Tackle for Rainbow Trout
Rods
We recommend 4 to 7 weight, medium to fast action rods capable of casting a heavier line and big flies, including foam dries and streamers.
Reels
A reel to match the rod with a suitable drag system.
Lines
For floating lines, we recommend lines such as “The Clouser” or “Nymph” lines by RIO or similar weight forward designs. These types of lines are great for turning over big, air resistant dry flies and can accommodate adding a heavy nymph dropper.
For sinking lines, a heavy 200 to 250 grain, 20 to 25 ft sink tip is recommended for a 7 or 8 weight rod. These rigs are used when fishing deep rivers or when the current is heavy and you want to get down fast.
Leaders
For streamer fishing, we recommend leaders tapered to 8 to 12 pound test tippets. We like dry fly leaders tapered to 3X to 5X, 5 to 12 pound tippets, anywhere from 6 to 10 feet in length. Nymph tippets range from from 4 to 8 pound test.
