For those of you interested in how the Chaiten Volcano eruption (in May,
2008) has affected fishing on the Futaleufu, read on for the
perspective of our guide Alex Obregon who was in Futa in February…….

Ahhh Futa, so much fun. The river is running low, great fishing flow!
I didn’t have all that much time but managed to fish a good deal, my
heart is content. You were right, the fishing is great! Fish in
front of camp (good), on the Island (good, small), Puerto Ramirez (fun),
magic carpet rapid (abundant, hit them like a sniper!), Inferno Canyon
(the challenge), El Limite (the border – clear water, lots of fish), El
Rio Azul (not rated) and the Seno Muerto Lake (beautiful). Some spots better than others but man…so fun.
There is an abundant and healthy bug population, caddis, mayflies,
stoneflies, dragon flies, damsel flies…the list goes on…basically
all good signs of the good health of the water’s ecosystem.
The visibility of the water is not quite the same as before, but the
color is just as dramatic – it picks up hues of turquoise more like the
Azul. The fish are not as easy to spot, but with good polarized aid
and a bit of “know where to” look, you will find them.
The section of El Limite (the border) is still crystal clear water,
there are lots of fish up there. Some say that the fish from the
Espolon got out and headed upstream, concentrating on that short
section. Dry fly fun everywhere. The take out not so easy, right at
the eddy above that “mini zeta” rapid under the Puente Robert…long
haul with the gear to the road.
In front of camp you can go out and catch an early morning Trucha
(rainbow trout) just before breakfast, while the Yogis stretch their
muscles…or… At the end of the day a happy hour hunt down by the
Island and come back just in time for dinner. Heading downstream to Magic Carpet rapid for a little kayak surf…and fish…
This is more laid back fishing (that is after negotiating the
whitewater that guards the pool). After a couple of magic carpet rides
(hopefully without getting whirlpooled) I sat on a warm rock
overlooking the eddy, while in it, the food spins around and
around…and with it comes the target…rainbows that feed carelessly
unaware, like riding on a carousel. Much like a sniper, pick your
target and put your fly out there…all is left are a few seconds of
suspense and zaz! Set your hook! Play your fish, loading the synergy of
the rod until your fish jumps out of the water to throw some aerial
moves…we could make a fish rodeo…what you think about that..!
Puerto Ramirez is a really beautiful section of water. I especially
like that turn behind the Island in front of the beach we once camped
at. The water here is almost still and also holds the clear color. So
calm you can spot any action breaking the surface from one corner of the
Island to the other…peaceful!
I think that my favorite venture was into the Seno Muerto Lake, that
little one next to Lake Lonconao. Dude, it is amazing the color of the
water. It has a shallow section about 3-4 feet deep that extends from
the shoreline like a white rim some 20-30 feet, and then drops
dramatically into the deep blue, disappearing underneath you in between
logs and old trees that have fallen down through time and now serve as
shelter for rainbows and browns…the latter more conservative,
shy…perhaps smarter…bigger…I only caught the not so smart ones…
When you look down into the water it feels as if one is diving under,
trying to find the bottom of the lake with the fish…like an aquarium.
I wanted to share my fishing with you, I know its long and boring, more
boring than fishing itself you might think…but when and if someone
asks you about the fishing on the Fu, post volcano eruption, you will
have more to tell them… I
am very happy I went and I am even happier we are going back, the place
is great! I wouldn’t say that there is no ash, but after you are in
the town of Futa, you come back to the Bio Bio camp in the sector Azul
and it feels like the oasis it has always been, now more so. I uploaded some pictures of the fishing adventure under “Fish Report”, check them out. …Alex…

Hello friends of Bio Bio Expeditions!
Damara here – just wanting to
share some information with you about the threats facing the mighty
rivers of Patagonia (including our beloved Futaleufu). If you traveled
to the Futa with us last winter you may remember the environmental
letter I encouraged everyone to sign? Well, at the end of the season, I
sent off more than 60 letters to the President of Chile – Michelle
Bachelet. Two months later I received a formal response from the
President’s Cabinet thanking me (and all of you) for our concern and
assuring me that our concerns would be considered and sent through the
proper channels. Later in the summer I received another letter from the
President’s cabinet (see photo) also reassuring me that any hydro or
mining projects on the Futaleufu would go under rigorous study first and
that our comments would be considered. Both were very formal letters,
no promises, but I was quite pleased and impressed to have received a
response. So, thank you to all who helped me and signed a letter!!!
In other news, here are two websites you can click on to do your part
to save the beautiful, mighty rivers and forests of Patagonia. Both
the Pascua and Baker rivers, south of Futaleufu, are very threatened
right now. The power transmission lines they would have to build to
transport power from these massive dams would involve clearcutting a 400
foot wide swath (football field size) through pristine forest for
thousands of miles. You can read more about it, and send comments just
with the click of a mouse, at the following websites:

http://www.savebiogems.org/patagonia/
and
http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/latin-america/patagonia

If
you loved it down there as much as we do, please take a moment to read
about the issues and take action! If you haven’t yet traveled to
Patagonia, now’s the time! Lets show the Chilean government that
tourism and adventure travel is a better alternative for Patagonia than
destructive mines and dams. Thanks everyone and hope you have a very
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Damara

Dear friends,

We are so thankful for all the outpouring of
support during the Volcan Chaiten eruption and just as thankful that our
camp and the Futaleufu have been spared! The financial contributions
that we have collected will still make life easier for the locals as
many sold off cattle and sheep to get them out of the area. The money
will also help them deal with fuel shortages and triple price hikes. We
are also studying a way to get the rio Azul residents a web page to
help visitors to the areas enlist their services in the future. Tourists
can then book such things as a home cooked Asado, a home stay, a hike
to hidden lakes, or horse rides etc. This will be a way to get passerby
visitors in touch with the Futaleufu locals and will allow them to make
money well into the future as soon as we all get the word out that the
Futaleufu is every bit as beautiful as ever! It is true that the heavy
winter rains have taken care of the ash fall. In many places the soil
has been actually enriched and this will help grow even healthier
vegetation.

The worst possible outcome for the locals now is
that visitors stay away due to sensationalist press, which would make
carving a living out of the wilderness even harder. They really are
working hard to provide services to the growing number of tourists and
this is for many the largest source of income. So, tell your friends how
great the Futaleufu is and that they should visit soon as much as ever
before!!

Again, thank you all for your concern, support and mindfulness!