A cold front from the south caused fishing to slow a little during this week on the Rio Grande. This also meant that at some points during the week, fishing deeper was necessary despite the low water. Despite this, all of the main lodges on the river recorded some excellent catches with a reasonable number of fish over the magic twenty pound mark. While sudden drops in temperature are not conducive to great fishing, the gentle cooling of conditions as we start to move into autumn starts to bring some of the very large male fish onto the take as they become increasingly territorial. There is an excellent spread of fish throughout the Rio Grande system as one would expect for this time of the season, and we have been told that these fish have now started to stay in the good holding water.
Contact Olly Thompson or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.
Estancia Maria Behety Week 8
A cold front from the south throughout the week made for more challenging conditions than usual. Although, we know there is an excellent spread of fish throughout our beats the colder conditions made them slightly less active than we would have hoped on some of the sessions. This is often the case when there is a sudden drop in temperature as our sea trout can be notoriously moody fish. Despite the conditions not be idea during the week we still recorded excellent catches with twenty one fish over fifteen pounds and two large fish caught by Connor and Angus of twenty one pounds.
Flies and tactics
Due to the clear water, smaller flies have been most effective. EMB (weighted and unweighted), green machine, girdle bug, small salmon doubles, chartreuse leeches, sunray shadow, black leeches in the evening when the light drops.
Due to the colder conditions and the need to cast heavier tips to get down to the fish skagit lines were used mostly throughout the week. 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 excellent visibility.
Water temperature: 4º C to 10ºC
Weather Conditions
Air temperatures: 0º to 17ºC
Wind speed ranges from 9 to 80 km/h
Rain during the week: 4.1 mm
Catch stats
Total catch 90
Fish over 15lb 21
Largest fish 21lb
Average weight: 9.2lb
Kau Tapen February 15 – 22
We’ve just concluded the seventh week of fishing on the Rio Grande and Menendez rivers, welcoming a fantastic group of international anglers from Europe and the U.S.
The water levels remained low on both rivers, requiring a delicate approach for successful daytime catches especially on the days when there was less wind. The weather was fairly typical, though a few days of strong winds made casting and maintaining line control during the swing more challenging as it always does. With the season progressing and water levels staying low, the fish have very much begun to settle into their holding spots rather than continuing to run. This shift led us to adjust our strategy slightly, though we still covered all available water. Small, naturally coloured nymphs paired with long leaders proved to be the most effective technique and it was important to cover all the water with a thoughtful and carful approach.
Despite tougher fishing conditions, we landed some outstanding fish, ranging from 5 to 18 pounds. As always, the late hours of the day yielded the best results. The Menendez River continues to impress, leaving every guest eager to return for more.
2025 Availability
March 29 – 7 April – 1 rod (discounted rate)
Prices do not include international or domestic flights, hotels in Buenos Aires or fishing licences which cost US$595
Villa Maria February 14 – 21 February
With river conditions remaining steady, we maintained a similar approach as in previous weeks, light lines and small flies. However, on colder days, we had to rely on extra-fast sinking tips (T-17 in some cases) to reach sluggish fish holding deep. Larger flies were only needed during the final minutes of daylight, once the sun had fully set.
Looking ahead, next week’s forecast predicts stronger winds and a significant temperature drop, clear signs that autumn is approaching. This shift should shake things up, making big sea-run brown trout males more aggressive so it is shaping up to be an exciting week.
If you would like more information then please do not hesitate to contact Olly Thompson or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.