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Helicopter Fishing in Patagonia

Spending a week onboard the expedition vessel Atmosphere was an incredible experience, the ultimate catch-and-release that I will never forget. The service was first-class, prompt and one step ahead of your every move. We drank champagne in glass flutes while we soaked in the natural hot springs. You wouldn't have realized you were at waters' edge during daily lunches. Guides prepared an extravagant meal while we sipped a variety of local wines. My favorite highlight was the access to the Chilean wilderness. Fishing remote lakes, rivers and streams only accessible by our onboard helicopters. Giant prehistoric looking Brown Trout and brightly colored Rainbow Trout lurk in the untouched waters and provide tight lines for all fishermen. The up close encounter with the far-flung mountains, volcanoes and glaciers are only witnessed by the lucky few onboard the Atmosphere or on the Hollywood big screens.

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Want to go? Atmosphere: Ultimate Fly-Fishing

I went to: South America, Chile, Patagonia

Pre-boarding treats at the private marina
Pre-boarding treats at the private ...
Waiting to board
Waiting to board
My cabin on the Atmosphere
My cabin on the Atmosphere
Coming in for a landing
Coming in for a landing
Ship Cabin
Ship Cabin
Loading on the rib boat for our excursion to the hotsprings
Loading on the rib boat for our ...
Rib boat ride
Rib boat ride
Our home for the next week
Our home for the next week
Seculeded farm, only reachable by chopper or boat
Seculeded farm, only reachable by ...
A little extream football
A little extream football
Nature trail to the hotsprings
Nature trail to the hotsprings
Slippery steps along the nature trail
Slippery steps along the nature trail
Ahhhhh - the first pool
Ahhhhh - the first pool
Lichen
Lichen
Would you care for champagne while you soak?
Would you care for champagne while you ...
But of course!
But of course!
The sun shines on us as we come out of the forest
The sun shines on us as we come out of ...
What a view
What a view
Blue glaciers at the peak
Blue glaciers at the peak
The inlet water has less run-off
The inlet water has less run-off
More glaciers
More glaciers
The care takers homestead
The care takers homestead
Care-takers homestead
Care-takers homestead
The Ship
The Ship
The Atmosphere
The Atmosphere
The Ship
The Ship
Self portrait
Self portrait
Waterfalls out my cabin window
Waterfalls out my cabin window
Another look out my window
Another look out my window
What a view
What a view
First fish
First fish
First chopper ride!
First chopper ride!
Chopper ride at sunset
Chopper ride at sunset
Chopper ride at sunset
Chopper ride at sunset
Sunset over the fiord
Sunset over the fiord
Comin in hot
Comin in hot
riding in the helicopter
riding in the helicopter
And were safely back on board the Atmosphere
And were safely back on board the ...
Sunset
Sunset
Our chariot
Our chariot
Taking in the view from the landing deck
Taking in the view from the landing deck
All systems go
All systems go
Grettas big brown w/ Pato
Grettas big brown w/ Pato
Look at those lips!
Look at those lips!
Oh yes
Oh yes
My big brown
My big brown
How sweet it is
How sweet it is
Smooches!
Smooches!
Pato has a look
Pato has a look
Delicious streamer
Delicious streamer
Coctails
Coctails
Mike, Ken, Palma, Evelyn and Lloyd belly up
Mike, Ken, Palma, Evelyn and Lloyd ...
A work in progress
A work in progress
Ah, the final product
Ah, the final product
Dinner
Dinner
Dessert
Dessert
Gretta Gains - live and uncut
Gretta Gains - live and uncut
Local wildlife
Local wildlife
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
Reflection below the fog
Reflection below the fog
Touchdown
Touchdown
Hey, get a picture of me in front of the chopper
Hey, get a picture of me in front of ...
The fog starts to lift
The fog starts to lift
Mike and Ken head out on the lake
Mike and Ken head out on the lake
Early morning catch
Early morning catch
Releasing the big brown
Releasing the big brown
The sun comes out
The sun comes out
Pato guides us to the sweet spot
Pato guides us to the sweet spot
My happy face aka fish-on!
My happy face aka fish-on!
Reel em in
Reel em in
Not bad for the first fish of the day
Not bad for the first fish of the day
Have another look
Have another look
A little closer
A little closer
Releasing the beast
Releasing the beast
Pato ties on another fly
Pato ties on another fly
Nice rainbow
Nice rainbow
Just chillin
Just chillin
Mike and Ken hard at work
Mike and Ken hard at work
What a view
What a view
Pato ties on another fly
Pato ties on another fly
Ah yes, to another sweet spot we go!
Ah yes, to another sweet spot we go!
My lucky streamer
My lucky streamer
Fish on
Fish on
Rainbow
Rainbow
Another Rainbow
Another Rainbow
Release the Rainbow
Release the Rainbow
A fatty Rainbow
A fatty Rainbow
It was a great day of fishing - too many to count
It was a great day of fishing - too ...
Lunch appetizer
Lunch appetizer
Lake side lunch
Lake side lunch
Lake full of fish
Lake full of fish
Getting personal with the glacier
Getting personal with the glacier
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
Hey, get a little closer
Hey, get a little closer
The Andes
The Andes
Glacier
Glacier
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
Wow, look at the fishing possibilities
Wow, look at the fishing possibilities
View from the chopper
View from the chopper
10-4
10-4
The peak we just flew around
The peak we just flew around
Nice
Nice
Sweet
Sweet
Safe landing
Safe landing
Rib boat tour
Rib boat tour
Any whales?
Any whales?
...no whales
...no whales
Beautiful scenery despite the lack of whales
Beautiful scenery despite the lack of ...
Volcano smoke
Volcano smoke
Ahhh - dolphins playing in our wake
Ahhh - dolphins playing in our wake
One of our guides on the look-out
One of our guides on the look-out
Ken and Palma enjoying the ride
Ken and Palma enjoying the ride
The Atmosphere awaits our return
The Atmosphere awaits our return
All the toys hav their place on the back of the boat
All the toys hav their place on the ...
The moon rises
The moon rises
Another look at the Atmosphere
Another look at the Atmosphere
Hell of a landing!
Hell of a landing!
Lloyd gets his first fish on his 69th birthday!
Lloyd gets his first fish on his 69th ...
That was a fun one!
That was a fun one!
Underwater shot
Underwater shot
Nice spots!
Nice spots!
Another lunch on the shore
Another lunch on the shore
Lloyd
Lloyd
Sporty Rainbow
Sporty Rainbow
Lloyd gets another!
Lloyd gets another!
Lloyd and Pato
Lloyd and Pato
Glaciers and volcanos
Glaciers and volcanos
Patagonia sunset
Patagonia sunset
Too many glaciers to count
Too many glaciers to count
Clouds roll in
Clouds roll in
Winding river  - View from the chopper
Winding river - View from the chopper
More sweeping clouds
More sweeping clouds
Unbelievable views
Unbelievable views
Dessert
Dessert
A little salsa lesson
A little salsa lesson
Ken at the bar
Ken at the bar
Glaciers loom over the lake
Glaciers loom over the lake
On board
On board
A few boats on the back of the Atmosphere
A few boats on the back of the ...
Another look at the storage area
Another look at the storage area
Breakfast after a hard night
Breakfast after a hard night
Take off
Take off
We were a little hagard that morning
We were a little hagard that morning
That last tequila shot was a bad idea
That last tequila shot was a bad idea
Angela pulls in a big en
Angela pulls in a big en
Wow - it put up a fight!
Wow - it put up a fight!
Up river
Up river
Fun day on the river
Fun day on the river
Pato enjoying the day
Pato enjoying the day
Ken fishes a nice hole
Ken fishes a nice hole
The lake was calm that day
The lake was calm that day
Nice view
Nice view
Beautiful glacier
Beautiful glacier
We meet for lunch
We meet for lunch
A pre-lunch appetizer
A pre-lunch appetizer
Pato prepares lunch
Pato prepares lunch
Mikes fly awaits to be casted
Mikes fly awaits to be casted
Lunch is served
Lunch is served
Hungry little sucker
Hungry little sucker
The fly that snagged the monster
The fly that snagged the monster
A typical Nomads drift boat
A typical Nomads drift boat
Time to go
Time to go
Tic Toc River
Tic Toc River
Our reflection on the clouds
Our reflection on the clouds
Our group meets for lunch - by chopper and jet boat
Our group meets for lunch - by chopper ...
Lunch is prepared
Lunch is prepared
Not a bad place for lunch
Not a bad place for lunch
Super delicious seafood dish
Super delicious seafood dish
The jet boat ride back along the Tic Toc river
The jet boat ride back along the Tic ...
It was fast
It was fast
An island of sealions
An island of sealions
Our guides and crew
Our guides and crew
We say good bye the Atmosphere
We say good bye the Atmosphere
The marina
The marina
The Atmosphere is docked
The Atmosphere is docked
Specimen
Specimen
The market of Puerto Montt
The market of Puerto Montt
Local goods for sale
Local goods for sale
Fishing boats wait for the tide to rise
Fishing boats wait for the tide to rise
A fisherman preps his boat
A fisherman preps his boat
Sacks of potatoes wait at the port
Sacks of potatoes wait at the port
Colorful, but simple boats
Colorful, but simple boats
Waiving the Chilean flag
Waiving the Chilean flag
Georgina and Marcia await their captains
Georgina and Marcia await their captains
Mussels at the market
Mussels at the market
More booths at the market
More booths at the market