Week 10: March 28 – April 4, 2014
Guiding and fishing the best beats on the best sea-run brown trout river in the world is a luxury. Every morning brings a heightened sense of anticipation, knowing the big-fish potential that lies within reach of every good cast. This is why I love the Rio Grande. And this season has been one of the best in recent memory.
Weather was generally tough. It was windy through late March. And during a couple of days we registered nuking speeds of up to 75 MPH! The river was low and clear during this time and factors such as sunlight, time of the day, cloud cover, water speed, and angler skill had to be weighed carefully in order to achieve results.
Thankfully, the river was kind. Villa Maria anglers, for instance, landed 1,479 fish weighing more than 5 pounds; 402 fish weighing more than 15 pounds; and 119 were over 20 pounds. We also landed 3 fish over 30 pounds: Two males weighing 33 and 32 pounds, and a chrome female that stretched the scale to 30 pounds.
Other staggering statistics included: 10 weeks of 90+ fish caught, while 147 sea runs were landed during our best week of the season.
These successes wouldn’t have been possible without our expert guide staff: Jason Jagger, Alejandro Bianchetti, Gaston Guglielminetti, and Alejandro Aloras. It was a superb effort all around! You showed professionalism, experience, great attitudes, and unwavering patience, and I hope to see you all again next season!
In addition, I’d like to thank all the guests that listened to our advice and put the skills we preached to work on the river. I was fortunate to share time on the water with many of you, and it’s always a pleasure to guide fisherman that I truly consider friends.
Finally, I want to thank Andres, Claudio, Florencia, Alejandro, Erika, and Alejandra for making our lives easier and doing a terrific job with the guests. See you all next year.
Total Number of Fish: 1,479
Fish Over 20lbs: 119
Fish Over 15lbs: 402
Alejandro Martello
Fishing Manager
Villa Maria Lodge