When the first hardy fishermen travelled to the end of the continent to wet a line half a century ago, they were after "monster" sea run brown trout that averaged five or six pounds. Small and average Rio Grande fish were (and are still) considered huge by world standards and they are phenomenal to Europeans who have elevated fishing for sea trout to a cult status. Travelling to Tierra del Fuego was an ordeal in those days, but the fish were considered well worth the effort. Now it's easy to get to Tierra del Fuego, the island at the end of the Americas, the fish are much, much larger, and there are lots more of them!

God only knows why the sea run brown trout of the Rio Grande are suddenly getting so big, and biologists argue as to why there are now so many of them. But the fact is, most of the browns on the Rio Grande tip the scales at nine or ten pounds, and one in five is over fifteen pounds. One fish in fifty will be a monster weighing between twenty and twenty-five pounds.

Treat yourself to the fish of a lifetime and call us for reservations at any of our three luxury lodges on the spectacular Rio Grande. these are more than world-class fishing trips, they're wonderful cultural experiences, and something that every serious fisherman deserves.
The Season on the Rio Grande begins in November and continues through mid-April. Like any anadromous run of fish, the timing of the arrival changes a bit from year to year. Normally, the sea-run browns start pouing into the river by Thanksgiving. That's spring in South America. A month later the Rio Grande is loaded with big, aggressive fish and by New Years Day more than 80% of the run has returned. Silver bright fish keep coming into the river every day until well after the season closes. This season, the browns arrived early in November and en masse. Locals can't remember fishing like this.

Techniques on the Rio Grande are not complicated, though experienced steelhead and Atlantic salmon fishermen immediately feel "in their element." Dead drifting or quartering downstream with either nymphs or streamers is deadly, and skated dry flies work well. Anglers choose from a broad range of lines depending on the pools and river conditions.
Though the level of success of an angler usually corresponds with their skills and the fishing conditions, most fishermen on the Rio Grande can expect to land four to six fish in the 10 to 20 pound class each day. Think about that!