By Max Kantor - Kau Tapen Lodge Fishing Guide
We were visited this week by a small multinational group from Switzerland, the USA, the UK, and France, which allowed us to take advantage of the best-producing sections of water all along the Rio Grande and Menendez.
It was very much a teaching week, as most fishermen and women were picking up a fly rod for the very first time. The rest were new to spey casting and anadromous fish, but all were eager to learn. The first warm-up session was spent as a group, with all of the guides individually working on the points of the spey cast one-on-one.
At Kau Tapen, we fish from both sides of the river and in a variety of different wind directions, so being able to cast on either side is critical. With at least a roll cast or double-spey for everyone, we were ready to begin the week.
The weather and conditions for the week were characterized by dropping water in both the Grande and Menendez. There was a slight rise on the graph for the headwaters of the Rio Grande, but it was negligible downstream. On the bright side, rain was present for the last couple of days of the week with a bit more on the horizon at the moment. The wind was variable and very light throughout the week. We began with one day of gusts, but all from the West. Temperatures were hot, exceeding 20 degrees Celsius for a few days, and a number of guests even chose to enjoy a rare mid-afternoon swim in the Rio Grande.
Guides witnessed moving groups of fish throughout the beats and a mix of fish were caught between those that had just entered the river and ones that had been in for a few weeks. Fishing picked up later in the week, as guests had time to hone in their presentation and conditions became more favorable.
The big fish of the week was 16 pounds, joined by a number of fresh ones in the 14-pound class- quite the accomplishment for a first-time sea trout and spey angler!
The week was unique in that guests were able to take advantage of other attractions Tierra del Fuego has to offer including horseback riding outside Ushuaia. The wild landscape of Tierra del Fuego never fails to impress and all had a fantastic time both on and off the river. All of us could not be more excited for guests to once again visit our waters from around the globe.
For current updates, be sure to follow our social media accounts (@kautapen and @nervouswaters).
For any questions regarding our preferred tackle setups, information about the river, or our preferred fishing techniques, please visit our website for a thorough list of information. We wish you all the best and hope to see you soon on the water!
Tight Lines from the Kau Tapen Guide Team.
