The season on the Rio Grande is starting to draw to a close with icy rod guides in the morning signalling that autumn is very much here. These cold nights mean that the middle of the day can produce some of the best fishing and this certainly seems to be the case. It can be an exciting time of the season as the cooler temperatures can bring some of the large male fish onto the take. Over the last week the average size of fish has been excellent with rods Estancia Maria Behety logging fish that average a stunning 11.7lbs.
Look forward to next season Villa Maria and Kau Tapen have released their 2026 availability. There are some excellent weeks that promise not to hang around for long so if you are interested in any of these dates please contact Olly Thompson or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.
Estancia Maria Behety March 29 – 5 April
As the season winds down, the colder weather has started to settle in, with frost present in the morning and evening. The river remains clear, with water levels typical for this time of year and the fishing throughout the week has been steady. We have found that the middle of the day has fished best when the water and air and water temperature is at its highest which is to be expected given the cold nights. The size of fish this week has been very impressive which is not unusual for this period of the season.
Flies and tactics
Skagit lines with heavier tips have been very effective during the colder parts of the day but as the temperature has increased scandi lines have come into their own. The most effective flies have been EMB (weighted and unweighted), green machine, girdle bug, san juan worm, small salmon doubles, chartreuse leeches, sunray shadow, black leeches in the evening.
A mix of skagit and scandi lines were used throughout the week, depending on the wind and how deep we needed to fish. Throughout the week we fished a range of tips from type 3 up to T20 depending on the pool and how active the fish were at the time.
Water Conditions
Water colour and visibility: Low water and clear with slight colour.
Water temperature: 3º C to 8ºC
Weather Conditions
Air temperatures: 5º to 12ºC
Wind speed ranges from 4 to 66 km/h
Rain during the week: 5.2 mm
Catch stats
Total catch 84
Fish over 15lb 27
Largest fish 21lb
Average weight: 11.7lb
Villa Maria March 14th – 21st
We wrapped up Week 12 at Villa María Lodge, and there’s no denying that autumn is beginning to make its presence known across the river system.
The week kicked off with colder water temperatures, ranging between 7°C and 8.5°C, which significantly slowed the fishing. As is often the case with sudden temperature drops, the fish needed time to adjust before resuming normal behaviour. By day three, it became very windy which churned the water and reduced visibility to just 30 centimetres. Surprisingly, brought the fish onto the take and the fishing turned on.
On day four a bitter north wind made casting a challenge for all the rods. Towards the end of the week the wind strengthened again, reaching up to 80 km/h and the clearing water once again became coloured. With the weather constantly shifting, we had to stay flexible, testing various strategies to stay productive. The most effective setups combined long, heavy sink tips with large-profile flies to ensure visibility in the turbid water. We landed plenty of trophy fish throughout the week, but the highlight came from Bob. In the final moments of his last session, he hooked and landed a stunning male trout weighing over 20 pounds, which was an unforgettable end to his trip.
Villa Maria 2026 availability (Friday to Friday)
March 6th – 13th, US$12,950 (4 available rods)
March 13th – 20th, US$12,950 (6 rods available)
March 20th – 27th, US$12,950 (6 rods available)
Includes: 7 nights 6 days fishing on a shared guide basis, round-trip transfers from Rio Grande to the lodge, all meals, private, single occupancy accommodation, and all alcoholic beverages (open bar), loaner fishing equipment (Rods, reels & Lines)
Excludes: Internal and international flights, gratuities, fishing permits/ license ($595), transfers from/to Ushuaia, accommodation and arrangements in Buenos Aires
Kau Tapen
We are waiting for the most recent catch report but we have some recently released availability for the 2026 season. Some of these dates are wonderful prime weeks that will not stick around for long so please let us know if you are interested.
2026 Availability
January 17th – 24th, US$14,950 (6 rods available)
January 24th – 31st, US$14,950 (6 rods available)
January 31st – February 7th US$14,950, (8 rods available)
February 7th – 14th, US$14,950 (4 rods available)
February 21st – 28th, US$14,950 (8 rods available)
March 14th – 21st, US$14,950 (6 rods available)
March 21st – 28th, US$12,950 (10 rods available)
Includes: 7 nights 6 days fishing on a shared guide basis, round-trip transfers from Rio Grande to the lodge, all meals, private, shared or single occupancy accommodation, and all alcoholic beverages (open bar), loaner fishing equipment (Rods, reels & Lines)
Excludes: Internal and international flights, gratuities, fishing license ($595), transfers from/to Ushuaia, accommodation and arrangements in Buenos Aires
If you would like more information then please do not hesitate to contact Olly Thompson or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.