Rio Grande’s Sea Run Brown Trout History & How To Plan A Trip

Argentina’s Rio Grande Sea Run Brown Trout History
&
How To Book A Good Week

In 1935, John Goodall stocked 60,000 Chilean Salmo trutta eggs into two tributaries of the 70 km Rio Grande. Today, young Brown Trout spend an average of two years in the river before their first migration to the sea, where they’ll spend six months before returning with an average weight of 6 pounds. Sea Runs that spawn four times in the Rio Grande weigh over 20 pounds, and some fish have been known to complete the cycle six times. Chromed Sea Run Brown Trout begin to enter the lower pools of the Rio Grande in early December and continue to enter until May.

Studies show that the Sea Run Browns in Tierra del Fuego’s Rio Grande are about 17% heavier than other sea trout of the same length. Their size and high return rate reflect low predation, biologically rich salt waters, and a strict catch-and-release policy employed by all lodges. The Rio Grande’s Sea Run Brown Trout population was estimated at over 75,500 adult fish in 2008 and remains roughly the same today.

Today, the average daily catch rate on the Rio Grande is an impressive 2-4 fish per rod. The key to success is adapting your fly-fishing technique. Sea Run Browns are moody and will strike when the fly is presented well, at the right time and in the right spot. Be flexible with your tactics and listen to your guide. If a fly moving evenly and slowly still does not produce a strike, consider modifying the depth or the fly pattern. Fly placement is also a factor.

Like other anadromous salmonids, Sea Run Browns generally move upriver at night, congregating at the head of the pool in the evening, at the tail of the pool in the morning, and against cut banks or deep in a pool during the middle of the day. On overcast days, anglers should try targeting them in the middle water column of the pools. Like all fish, sea trout are unpredictable and don’t always follow the rules so be open to bending them too.

TIMING YOUR WEEK

The lodges on the Rio Grande open their season shortly after Christmas and close around mid-April. Peak weeks usually coincide with waves of trout entering and pushing up river. While these “pushes” are unpredictable, they fall sometime between January and March. Veterans of the Rio Grande have mixed opinions on when and where is best. Some of our client who always book late January are now focusing on after the first week in March. When you add which lodge and it’s position on the river, it gets more complicated. We have been booking anglers to various lodges on the Rio Grande since 2003 and help anglers navigate which lodges offers the best odds for a given month or week. If you are considering fishing for these mighty beasts on the Rio Grande, we exist to serve you, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

TIMING YOUR BOOKING

For those unfamiliar with the process, you have to start planning in March the year before. There is a high demand for rod space at sea trout lodges in Argentina and most of them use a First Right Of Refusal policy.  The policy means this season’s anglers have rights to rebook their spot for next year or forfeit it. Therefore, many anglers are reserving their spots for next year before they check out or shortly after. When the lodges confirm which anglers are returning, they release the remaining open spots sometime in early May. For your best chance at your preferred dates and lodge, contact us in March the year before you plan to travel. We’ll help you evaluate your options and work directly with the lodges to secure your spots before they open their calendars to the public and get filled.

The is a big difference in outcomes between letting us work for you and you waiting till late May- June to see what’s left. And remember, you never pay a dime more for our services.

That being said, late-season anglers enjoy not having to rush to secure their week since the majority of anglers compete for mid-season dates. However, anglers who previously passed off the roughly March 20-mid April timeframe as “too late in the season” are now taking it more seriously. They are learning through posts like this and their fellow anglers that the fall fishing can be just as exciting as mid-season and often more productive.

In April, all the Sea Run Brown Trout that are going to return are already in the river, so the river is packed with fish—some silvery and some in their splendor of fall colors. Water levels are usually at their lowest so fish are more concentrated, and the strong Tierra del Fuego winds are noticeably diminished.

River conditions do play a major role in success; even in peak mid-summer conditions can change quickly and adversely affect catch rates. Regardless of the month, if conditions are good, the fishing is generally excellent.

For guidance on which lodge and when, just drop us a line.
We’d be delighted to help you as well.
Contact Us Today!
434-249-1783