EMB – Rio Grande Report Jan 24-31, 2015

We had a great week at Estancia Maria Behety Lodge, with wonderful old friends and terrific fishing!

212 fish were landed. 52 fish over 15 pounds, 4 of these were over 20 pounds. The average weight was 10.2 pounds.

Fishing dramatically improved this week. The river is in excellent conditions, low and very clear water and dropping a little every day. We had some showers during the week but not enough to make the river rise. Weather has been good, warm and not windy. The fish that were travelling last week and made fishing tough, have now settled into the pools and were much more grabby and our fishing was good! Stripping tube flies at dark worked very well.

Air temperature: from 49° F to 77° F
Water temperature: between 48° F and 64° F

Rods, lines and tips: 6 to 9 weight spey rods. Skagit and Scandi lines with medium, heavy and extra heavy mow tips. Floating and intermediate tips for some of the pools worked well.

Flies: Nymphs like EMB, Aurelia Prince, red tail, tdf prince, prince, scudds. Green machine, titanic. Black and olive wooly buggers. Tube flies like sunray shadow, monkey. Big leeches and intruders.

Top Rod: Dave Parkes with 31 fish landed. Four over 15 pounds and one over 20

Notable Catches:
– John Downs landed two 19 pounders
– Jari Enberg, from Finland, landed a 20.5 pounder and a 20 pounder
– Taft Ring landed a 20.5 pounder
– Dave Parkes landed a 20.5 pounder

Federico Molinolo
Maria Behety Lodge Head Guide