The Coig River.

Fly-Fishing at the Coig River Shore.

The Coig river, also known as Coyle, is located in the province of Santa Cruz in Patagonia, the southernmost region of Argentina. It runs through a very desolate area with few access roads and without any towns nearby except at its mouth. Like other rivers in the area, the Coig is excellent for trout fishing. Its source is the "Rio de las Piedras", (River of the Stones) and it ends in the Bay of Coig in the Atlantic Ocean. Its general course is from West to East dividing the Patagonian Plateau into four sections.

The northern branch of the river is born in the Esperanza lake, also receiving the flow of the "Rio de las Piedras". It flows with an Eastern course joining the main northern branch very near Estancia El Chingolo. The Southern branch takes its tributaries to the tableau known as La Torre. Flowing also in an Eastern direction, it cuts through the plateau of Güer Aike before joining the Northern branch.

The waters of the Coig are diminished considerably by the action of strong winds and infiltration underground. Before arriving to its estuary, the river splits into two branches creating Isla Alargada (Elongated Island). The estuary is 28 km long and has a maximum width of 3 km, it is oriented from SW to NE and lacks favorable characteristics for the propagation of oceanic tides. The mouth of the Coig is narrow and not very deep, but fit for navigation by small boats. A great bank of gravel and sand projects in front of it.

In 1789 a Spanish expedition carried out a survey in Argentina's Southern coast, from the parallel 36º 30' to Cape Horn, which produced as a result the "Carta de América Meridional" (Chart of South America). The river was then given the official Spanish name of "don Claudio Coig y Sansón", who was the brother of the notable Chief of Squadron Luis Coig Sansón, in recognition for his work in the reconnaissance, especially in the zone situated between Port Santa Cruz and the Gallegos River.

Coig River from Space.

Click here to see a Flash animation of the Coig River viewed from Space.

Technical File:

System: Patagonian Rivers
River basin: 26376 km2
Watershed: To the Atlantic
Length: 250 km
Location: Coig River–Santa Cruz, Latitude: -51° 02, Longitude: -70° 57.
South Branch–Santa Cruz, Latitude: -51° 26, Longitude: -71° 10.

Map:

Click here to see a map of the Santa Cruz area.

Fauna:

Chigolo

Brook Trout