Sign Up for the Anglers All Newsletter:
Get special access to event announcements, sales & promotions, tying videos, fishing tips & tricks, gear reviews and insider stories from our staff!
We’ve created a quick checklist of essential tasks to make sure you’re fully prepared for the journey ahead. If questions come up or you need anything at all, just give us a call, we’re here to help every step of the way.
To-Do List:
✓ Arrange flights to/from Buenos Aires, Argentina
✓ Arrange hotel in Buenos Aires, as needed
✓ Arrange transfers in Buenos Aires
✓ Arrange flights to/from Ushuaia, Argentina
✓ Purchase medical and evacuation insurance
✓ Get travel cash
When we travel to Villa Maria Lodge, we always bring at least two rod set-ups to best address the wide range of water and weather conditions that can be experienced over the season. Three set ups are best to not lose time between switching lines.
The Rio Grande is a long-undammed river and is heavily influenced by rain events in its headwaters that cause the water levels to rise and fall each week over the season. Villa Maria Lodge is located in the lower section of the Rio Grande where the river is wide and best suited for Spey rods under normal conditions.
Our first set up would be a fast action 13’0” 8-weight Spey rod. The guides prefer shorter rods in the 12-foot to 13-foot lengths and 8-weights with a matching Skagit floating head. 8-weights can be used for high wind conditions, but they do not like rods heavier than 8-weights because guests tend to lose more fish with heavier rods. Rods longer than 13’6” also get pushed around a lot in the wind, so they prefer shorter spey rods.
We always bring a matching line wallet with a variety of interchangeable tips from floating to fast sinking, as well as full straight sinking tips of T-11, T-14, and T-17 in 10-foot lengths and this will cover most fishing situations.
Our second set up would be a fast action 12’6” 7-weight Spey rod paired with a matching floating Scandi-Versitip line. We like to have both the Skagit rod setup and the Scandi rod setup available for each day to be able to adapt quickly to the different pools and conditions.
A 9’6” 8-weight single hand rod is also very useful for specific pools and during low water / no wind conditions. This allows anglers to fish the pools without disturbing the water. We recommend choosing a medium to fast action rod for the best combination of feel, presentation, and control. Rods that are 9’0” – 10’0” and 7- to 8-wt will work well, and the extra length will help with mending and line control during the retrieve. We always bring a floating line for fishing surface flies, and secondary line that is a sinking line, such as the RIO Premier 24ft sink tip in the appropriate grain weight for your 7- or 8-weight rod, typically 200-300 grains.
Villa Maria Lodge Provided Equipment:
We recommend guests bring their own equipment, although the lodge does have a limited number of single and two-handed rods available as backups. There is a small fly shop on site for any small tackle needs.
Our primary set up is a 13’0” 8-weight with a floating Skagit head. We always bring a line wallet with a variety of interchangeable tips from floating to fast sinking, and this will cover most fishing situations. The guides lean on the side of shorter and lighter spey and switch rods with floating lines, with rods in the 12 – 13’6” lengths and 7 – 8-weight category. Rods greater than 8-weights are not recommended, as they have found they lose more fish with heavier rods, and rods over 13’6” and longer are not recommended because they get pushed around a lot in the wind.
Our secondary set up is a 12’6” 7-weight with a floating Scandi line. If possible, it is best to have this rigged in addition to the primary Spey set up, but having the Scandi line available for when conditions dictate can work as well. We like a versi-tip set up that has matching collection of floating, intermediate, fast and extra fast sinking tips.
A 9’6” 7-weight or 8-weight single hand rod is also very useful for specific pools and during low water / no wind conditions. This allows anglers to fish the pools without disturbing the water. We recommend choosing a medium to fast action rod for the best combination of feel, presentation, and control. Rods that are 9’0” – 10’0” will work, and the extra length will help with mending and line control during the retrieve. We always bring a floating line for fishing surface flies, and secondary line that is a sinking line, such as the RIO Premier 24ft sink tip in the appropriate grain weight for your 7- or 8-weight rod, typically 200-300 grains.
Presentation, size, and correct depth are the most important factors in fishing the Rio Grande. When preparing your fly selection, keep in mind that having flies in various weights and sizes is often more important than having the exact pattern or color. Most importantly, all flies must be tied on stout hooks that are 2X - 3X heavy wire suitable for landing fish in the 10-20+ lb range.
The primary fly is going to be a simple black bodied fly with white rubber legs that is tied on a stout hook in sizes 10 – 12. Having an assortment of other productive patterns is also important to switch between something different when the fish are particularly picky. Other productive flies include rubber leg nymphs, such as copper johns in bright and dark colors in similar sizes. It is important to also have flies with a larger profile and some weight for when the water levels comes up, these include wooly buggers in black and the classic “yellow yummy” for when the water gets dirty. We always make sure to have a small collection of medium-sized string leeches in black. Surface patterns can also be every effective, with a favorite being the Sunray shadow in sizes 1-inch to 3-inch length tied on tubes. Classic Atlantic salmon patterns, such as skunks and blue charms also have a place on the Rio Grande and if you have some favorite patterns, be sure to bring them along.
Top 5 recommended Villa Maria Lodge Sea-Run Brown Trout Flies
The Rio Grande is a classic windswept Patagonian steppe, and despite the fishing season running through the heart of the summer months of January – early April, wind, rain, and sun can be found every day of the season. Be sure to pack a quality rain jacket, which also doubles as a windbreaker. Most importantly, you will want to dress in layers, so you can change with the conditions. Expect daytime highs to range from the mid-50s to low-70s °F, while nights cool into the upper 30s to mid-40s °F. Typically, March and April are cooler and bring a higher likelihood of precipitation as the seasons shift.
Contact our travel advisor, Blake Katchur, below for more information about this unique destination and to inquire about setting up the perfect trip to match your goals.
303-794-1104
Blake@anglersall.com
