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CHILE FLY FISHING GUIDE. SPECIES
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Chile has a great number of
wonderful places to go fly fishing, and also offers an attractive variety of
species.
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RAINBOW
TROUT OR STEELHEAD / TRUCHA ARCO
IRIS O SALMON CABEZA DE ACERO
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Oncorhynchus mykiss
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Form:
robust body, compressed, longer in females than in males. Short and convex head. Round, small terminal mouth (except for adult males). From 100 to 140 scales in the lateral line.
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Color:
Variable. The upper part of its body
ranges from bright green to brown, and its lower part is silver. Along its sides, there is a red-violet stripe, iridescent,
which is characteristic of this species. The head, operculum, the body and dorsal, caudal and anal fins, are densely covered by small black spots.
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Size:
It can reach
to more than a meter long, fish usually caught measure between 30
and 60 centimeters long.
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Distribution:
It is one of the most
common trout in the country. It is mainly found from the central zone to the extreme south of the country.
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Customs:
They can
tolerate temperatures greater than 18º C, and
their growth-rate is very fast. They
reproduce in waters with a current, spawning at the end of winter and spring.
Preferably, they are found in fast-moving waters and deep lakes. They are essentially
carnivore.
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BROWN TROUT
/ TRUCHA FARIO O
CAFE
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Salmo trutta
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Form:
Long and compressed body with a high caudal peduncle. Big and long head.
Round and long mouth. The maxillary exceeds the upper rim of the eye (longer in bigger fish). From 120 to 130 scales in the lateral line,
fatty second dorsal fin.
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Color:
Variable. The upper part is dark, with olive green or greenish brown shades. Lateral parts are lighter. An important characteristic is the presence of black and red spots on
its sides. Red spots, and some black spots almost always have a wide light rim. Red spots often appear on the back dorsal fin, that in all trout is reduced to
an adipose stump.
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Size: its dimensions are inferior to those of a rainbow trout, reaching up to 80 centimeters long.
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Distribution: from the V to the XII Regions. Sometimes, it invades sea coastal waters, especially the fjords and channels of the south zone, XII Region.
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Customs:
It preferably dwells in rapid waters, but they are able to develop satisfactorily in lagoons, whose maximum temperature does not exceed 20º C. It gets to its sexual maturity when it is 2 or 3 years old. They reproduce in
clear, fast water; their spawning has taken place by the end of fall and winter.
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TRUCHA DE
ARROYO
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Salvenilus
fontinalis
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Form:
oblong, long and moderately compressed body, big and terminal mouth; the maxillary exceeds from behind the back rim of the eye.
The mouth is slightly rounded. Small cycloidal (round) scales. Small and adipose second dorsal fin.
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Color: the upper part is pale green or olive green, speckled with typical long or irregular greenish yellow spots. Sides: a lot lighter, with red blots, which are generally surrounded by intense blue margins; the inferior part is pale yellow (carmine red
around time of reproduction). Pectoral, abdominal and anal fins are of a color ranging from orange to red; they are limited by a light white margin.
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Size:
the average size is 25 centimeters, though it
can reach up to a meter long. Some fish weighing
around 7 and 8 kilos have been found.
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Distribution:
it is the least common trout in the country. It is found in some cordilleran places
in the Aconcagua Province, in the V Region, and
there are also some references of its presence in the Province of Magallanes, XII Region.
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Customs:
of all the species introduced in Chile, this is the most demanding fish in terms of temperature, oxygenation and water transparency. Temperatures higher than 16º C are not adequate for it. Its spawning takes place in fall.
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SILVER SALMON,
PACIFIC SALMON / SALMON PLATEADO O COHO
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Oncorhynchus
kisutch
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Form:
fusiform body, moderately high and laterally compressed. Conic head (bigger in adult males). Very small eyes. Normally blunt mouth (thick and bent in the extreme in adult males). Terminal and a bit slanting mouth, deformed in adult males, with the inferior jaw long and its tip bent upwards. The maxillary stretches well behind the eye. Small and cycloid scales.
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Color:
males are characterized by black spots on the back and the tail upper lobule, and a silver coloration on the sides and abdominal region.
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Size: in natural conditions, it reaches up to 98 centimeters long, and a weight ranging from 2 to 5 kilos.
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Distribution: X, XI and XII Regions.
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Customs: it is an anadromous carnivore of cold waters. Introduced species.
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STEELHEAD
OR RAINBOW TROUT / SALMON
CABEZA DE ACERO O TRUCHA ARCO IRIS
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Oncorhynchus mykiss
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Form:
robust, compressed body, more elongated in females than in males. Short and convex head, round, terminal and small mouth (except for adult males). From 100 to 140 scales on the lateral line.
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Color:
Variable. The upper
part of its body ranges from bright green to
brown, and its inferior part is silver. Along
its side there is a red-violet iridescent
stripe, characteristic of this species. The
head, operculum, body and dorsal, caudal and
anal fins are densely covered by small black
spots.
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Size: it is a fish which can reach up to more than a meter long; nevertheless,
the fish commonly captured measure between 30 to 60 centimeters.
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Distribution: it is one of the most
common trout in Chile. It is found from the central zone to the extreme south of the country.
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Customs:
they tolerates temperatures higher than 18º C.
Growth-rate is very fast. They reproduce in current waters, spawning at the end of winter and spring.
They live preferably in troubled waters and deep lakes. They are essentially carnivore.
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Note:
Steelhead trout belongs to the same species as the rainbow trout; the difference lies
in the fact that the steelhead comes back to the sea and may spawn several times.
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KING SALMON
/ SALMON
REY O CHINOOK
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Oncohynchus
tshawytscha
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Form:
fusiform and robust body, conic
with a slightly sharp and pointed head in young females and males. Adult reproductive males have a bigger head, long mouth, with both tips of the mouth bent to the inside as a hook, with strong teeth. Maxillary stretches far behind the eye. Very small eye. Small and cycloid scales.
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Color:
Pinky gray, with spots on the back and upper lobule of the tail.
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Size: In natural conditions, it may reach 80 centimeters long.
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Distribution:
X, XI and XII Regions
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Customs:
it is an anadromous carnivore, cold waters. Introduced species.
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ATLANTIC
SALMON
/ SALMON
DEL ATLANTICO
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Salmo
salar
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Form: fusiform, robust body.
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Color:
mature males have numberless black spots often in X form on the back region.
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Size:
In natural conditions, it weighs from 4 to 6 kilos.
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Distribution: mainly X
Region.
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Customs:
carnivore, cold waters,
anadromous. Introduced species.
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