By Max Kantor - Kau Tapen Lodge Fishing Guide
Scouting Week
We are excited to once again welcome guests to Kau Tapen and the Rio Grande for 2022/23’ season. Returning to our guide team are head guide Gaston Guglielminetti (ARG), Santiago Villalba (ARG), Max Kantor (USA), Christian Windstorm (SWE), and Leandro Herrainz (ARG). We are welcoming one new member, Ramiro Acosta (ARG). As always, we pride ourselves on compiling a wealth of fishing knowledge from around the world in order to give you the best possible experience when targeting our sea trout.
As is the custom, it is important that we scout the river before guests arrive in order to look for promising holding areas, and differences from past years to determine what is working for the first push of fish. This year a number of changes were observed in the upper and lower sections of the river, as gravel and other bits of the structure have shifted around. This has led to concentrations of fish in some slightly new areas and some lesser-fished pools already producing great results. We are all excited to show you as the season progresses!
New roads were added to parts of the lower Menendez to reach a few new pools that were scouted at the end of the last season. The Menendez looks promising for the upcoming weeks, as fish have entered quite early and have been spotted throughout the lower section. Leandro visited the river in late November and observed fresh fish in some key holding areas well before the rest of the guide team arrived. While this intimate river usually comes into shape later in the season, it is fantastic to see it working so early. It provides a great alternative to the Grande with some of the most exciting single-hand fishing found anywhere.
As far as the water levels in the Rio Grande are concerned, the river is quite low at the moment. Fish have been observed in almost all beats, with a few distinct changes from the last season. The first few days of scouting were warm with strong wind, but mid-week there was a sharp drop in the temperature of both the air and the water. The spring tide of the new moon was also crucial in bringing in a fresh batch of fish into the river. This change seemed to wake up the sea trout a bit and much more activity was seen both during the day and evening periods. Lighter sinking tips were utilized throughout the week, along with a mix of low-water tactics. Most proved to be successful and fish numbers should improve as the season progresses.
Overall, the scouting week was a success with many river miles walked, waded, and analyzed. The first international group has arrived before the new year and we eagerly await all our guests for the remainder of the 2023 season. The fish are arriving and all of us here at Kau Tapen could not be more excited for guests to once again visit our waters from around the globe. For current updates from the river, be sure to follow our social media accounts (@kautapen and @nervouswaters). We wish you all a Happy New Year, and hope to see you soon on the river!
Tight Lines from the Kau Tapen Guide Team.
