CHAITEN VOLCANO NEWS May 22nd, 2008 On May 2, 2008, a volcano, which remained dormant for 2000 years, erupted on the coast of Chile near the village of Chaiten (120 kilometers from Esquel). The volcano emitted ash for several days, covering the ground in the surrounding area. The government of Chile forced the residents of Chaiten and the surrounding 50 kilometers to evacuate their homes where up to 16-inches of ash has blanketed the area. Ash has been rising as high as 15-miles into the air and drifting across the border to Argentina. A light coat of ash has been deposited in and near the border towns of Trevelin, Esquel, and Corcovado. (Because of the direction of prevailing winds, the Rio Pico area was not affected and still has no ash.) Rance’s wife, Ellie, and their children spent a week in Esquel during the eruption. Ellie described the ash as fine powder and reported that less than an inch had accumulated during the week they were in Esquel. Schools and work were suspended for two days and airline flights have been canceled. Ash has been reported as far away as Buenos Aires and Santiago. We have received many emails and phone calls checking to see how everyone is doing in Patagonia and how it might affect the coming fishing season. We are happy to tell you that all your PRG friends in the area are doing fine and going about business as usual in Esquel. Everyone is back to work and kids are back in school. The ash is more of a nuisance than a health hazard at this point as the volcanic ash has been determined to be non-toxic. Yesterday it started to rain and snow, and the much needed moisture is helping control the airborne ash. We expect winter rains and snows to take most of the remaining ash into the ground. We are very optimistic after talking to Esteban Oszust, our expert in-house biologist, and the rest of the crew about the ash, and don’t expect the eruption to seriously affect the fishing habitat nor vegetation in our region. Esteban reported yesterday that there was little ash remaining in Trevelin and Esquel (See above photos of La Paz) after his trip to his families place at Lago Futalaufquen. He reported that the lake is still clear with a different tint to the water (more like the Caribbean he reported). He mentioned that there was still ash on the trees in the area, but he didn’t think the quantity would be of any consequence. We consider ourselves very lucky because no one was hurt in this natural disaster and at this point there are no signs that the aftermath will affect the fishing in Argentina. However, our thoughts are with the people of Chile and can only hope for the best and that the volcanic activity will subside soon. Our business requires advance planning and bookings, and we are currently working on the 2009 season. With little ash in the Esquel and Los Alerces areas and no ash whatsoever in the Rio Pico area, we are confident that the fishing will be as good as ever. We recommend reserving your spots with the same confidence we have and our philosophy of fishing the best rivers at the best times with the best guides, will ensure you have another adventure of a lifetime. Please call us for an update and with any questions. We will keep you posted if we hear any negative reports concerning the fishing in the area. |
