The Río Chimehuín is widely regarded as the most famous trout river in all of Patagonia — and arguably one of the premier fly fishing destinations in the world. Flowing from its origin at Lago Huechulafquen at the base of Volcán Lanín, this legendary freestone river travels approximately 53 kilometers (33 miles) through the foothills of the Andes before merging with the Río Aluminé to form the Río Collón Curá. Comparable in size and character to the Madison or Yellowstone Rivers of the American West, the Chimehuín passes through the city of Junín de los Andes — a small but well-equipped town of roughly 16,000 people located three hours north of San Carlos de Bariloche and just 40 minutes from San Martín de los Andes. The river's crystal-clear waters flow over a cobblestone riverbed through a landscape of basalt hills and Andean foothills, offering an extraordinary variety of water types including wide riffles, deep runs, cut-banks, back-eddies, side channels, and boulder-strewn pocket water. The Chimehuín has been ground zero for traveling fly anglers in Patagonia since it was first discovered by international sportsmen in the 1960s, and its reputation for large, wild trout rising to dry flies has never diminished.