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Tatman Boats Go to
Chile One of the great truths of fishing is that there
is always one more river to fish. This last year
that one more river for me became a river more than
a quarter of the way around of the world in
Coyhaique, Chile. Carlos Munoz, the owner of Paloma
Lodge bought two of our boat kits last fall (of
'93) and invited me help him put the kits together
and to fish with him at the lodge for two weeks. As
it turned out, Carlos hired two very talented
woodworkers to bear the brunt of the boat building
and we mostly lined them out each morning, then
made tracks for the nearest river. I can say I had
a tremendous time as well as some excellent
fishing. This was my second fishing trip south of
the equator. I had built a driftboat in New Zealand
in 1985 (the first in the country as far as I
know). I didn't have help building the boat in New
Zealand, which left time for only two days of
fishing. Since I could turn over the building to
the crew on my trip to Chile, leaving me more time
to fish, and because I am a better fisherman now
than I was in 1985, the fishing was by far the more
productive. The high point of the trip was hooking
a twelve pound Brown in a small lake. I can still
see the angry fellow leaping three feet out of the
water and reentering with a deep, throaty splash,
sounding just like a big King jumping in the
McKenzie. Chile is probably the most politically and
economically stable country in Latin America. I am
fairly familiar with Mexico, as I lived in
Guadalajara for a semester during my college days.
Chile seemed more European than Mexico. The food
was more "meat and potatoes." The architecture and
people also seemed more European, similar to what I
imagine Spain might be. A lot of Germans and other
Europeans have settled there. I even met a Chilean
of Latvian extraction. Believe me, a
Russian/Spanish accent is something to behold! The weather in Chilean Patagonia can make
fishing challenging. In November and December the
wind blows, making for casting with heavier rods,
which is OK because one has to fish a fair amount
with weighted nymphs. Later in the summer (I
returned for another week in March), the wind dies
down, but still be ready for showers. If you would like to contact Carlos, the best
way is to call his fax-message (in English) phone
at 56-67-231257. The 56 is the country code. I also
have some of his brochures that I can send you. You
could also view the new Paloma
Lodge Home Page
Greg checking out the competition in Puerto Aisen,
Patagonia, Chile
Two Chilean woodworkers assembling one of our kits
in Coyhaique, Chile.
A 17 1/2' driftboat on Chile's Paloma
River
or e-mail at woodn@gregboats.com