Nomads of the Seas - Chile

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Nomads of the Seas - Chile - 12/10/2006

By air, land and water, Nomads of the Seas has designed a transportation system that is truely unique. To access some of the most remote and beautiful fly fishing destinations in the world, a 150 foot ship, the Atmosphere, was custom built to accommodate anglers, crew and equipment.

The first thing to catch your eye is the bright red, Bell 407 helicopter on the back deck. Imagine a Ferrari that can fly at 150 mph, carry 6 anglers and guides, and can land on mountain tops, beaches and gravel bars. Because the fishing options range from small streams to big rivers and lakes, there are boats for every situation. The most ostentatious is the 33 foot Zodiak R.I.B.(Rigid Inflatable Boat) that is used for eco trips, whale watching, etc.
Add five, 20 foot, 200 horse power inboard jet boats and one, 24 foot, 450 horse, 10 passenger, jet boat and slowly the ultimate fishing vessel, perfection and insanity start to come together. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the six smaller Zodiaks and rafts for fly-in fishing and the two dozen McKenzie drift boats stashed in the wilderness, Alaska style.

The Atmoshere has a range of 6,000 miles so if you have the time and money, a extreme fly fishing adventure can be arranged. There is nothing standard about their "standard" one week trips through the Patagonia fiords of southern Chile. Penguins dart around the ship, dolphin and whales come and go and 200 foot waterfalls are visible in every direction.

President and founder Andres Ergas, brings more to the table than just financial backing and the blueprints to the Atmosphere. One minute he is casting a tight loop, 75 feet for steelhead and an hour later he is piloting the helicopter into the Andes to collect 10,000 year old glacier ice for your pisco sour.

Andres will play down his many talents and accomplishments. He is a team player who has assembled an incredible crew that run and organize the ship, helicopter, boats, eco adventures and fly fishing excursions. They remind me of a combination of Oceans 11 and the Ritz Carlton.

Our five days of fishing only scratched, the scratch on the surface. There is a lifetime of fly fishing opportunities within the range of the Atmosphere. Over 200 million acres of wilderness, much of it unexplored by fly fishers, is just beyond the bow of the Atmosphere. Trips start in Puerto Monte, 90 minutes by jet from Santiago. On board you can sample Chilean wines while sight seeing or relax in a hot spa, have a massage, or take in a lecture on Patagonian history, flora and fauna.

Nomads of the Seas has raised the bar for customer service, equipment technology and luxurious hospitality in a safe and enviromentaly friendly application. They call it Grand Class and it is. (The beds are comfortable, too!!)

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