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Sea
Trout fly fishing
Villa Maria Lodge - South Patagonia
Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego province /
ARGENTINA |
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Rate:
Start
from U$S
6200.-
January
- April
Package
/ Per person
7
fishing days / 6 nights
Minimum
2 anglers
Terms
& Conditions
>
Included:
Transfer Rio Grande / lodge / Rio Grande, 7 night accommodation
in single-occupancy rooms, all meals and beverages,6
fishing days, 1 bilingual guide per 2 anglers, fishing
in private waters.
> Not included:
Airfare
from and to Buenos Aires, fishing equipment and flies,
phone calls, laundry, personal insurance, other expenses
and gratuities.
>
Extras:
- License: U$D 50.-
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GENERAL
INFORMATION:
Located in the Province of Tierra del Fuego. The nearest
town is Rio Grande.The lodge is located in a renovated
farm house within the working Jose Menendez Estancia.
The main house is situated a short drive from the river.
Anglers fly into Buenos Aires international airport
and take a 3 hour flight to Rio Grande. The transfer
from the airport to the lodge by four wheel drive takes
20 minutes.
The success at Villa Maria illustrates where nimble
thinking can take you. The lodge rests on the grounds
of the Jose Menendez Estancia, where the water and
the sea trout are fresh. Here you will be able TO see
the gulls and smell the salt. Typically big rods and
big pools are used FOR fishing in the river. A 20-pound
trout has plenty of room to run and fishing hours are
allocated when the fishing is best. The origins of our
lodge can be traced back to the pioneering days of Patagonian
History.
The "Estancia" (ranch) on which the lodge is located,
was carved out of the wilderness in the last decades
of the nineteenth century by an ancestor of the family
that still owns it: José Menendez - a man who, having
started out in life as a penniless Spanish immigrant
to Argentina at the age of thirteen, came to be known,
by the time he was fifty, as the "king of Patagonia".
His "reign" had no political connotations. The term
was coined by the local population as a tribute to the
impact of his presence in the region, the scope of his
interests and initiatives, and the sheer quality of
his tireless entrepreneurial spirit. There is one aspect
of his many achievements which is of particular interest
to us for a very special reason. The manager of José
Menendez's estancias, where Villa Maria is located was
an Englishman: John Goodall. He was a remarkable man
in many ways, and had all the qualities required for
a position of responsibility in a pioneering enterprise
which was far more demanding than mere farming. But
there was another aspect of Goodall's life to which
we owe a debt of gratitude. He was a passionate angler,
with a preference for trout, who worked (and lived)
in an area of the planet where trout did not exist.
Encouraged by Menendez, Goodall took the only logical
step: he sailed to England and returned with an adequate
supply of trout eggs. We like to think that by introducing
the "catch and release" philosophy to Patagonia in 1984,
and by continuing to promote it, Menendez's great-grandsons,
Jorge and Fernando de Las Carreras, are preserving the
work of a man who, perhaps, died without being aware
of the dimension of his legacy to anglers who come to
Villa Maria from all over the world every year.
The lower Rio Grande is larger than the waters 40 to
50 miles upstream and anglers encounter nickel-bright
sea-run browns in these pools. Access is strictly
controlled by the ranch, so beats are assigned to our
guests and the river is monitored to ensure that there
is adequate water. The Lower Rio Grande will appeal
particularly to the confident casters, and those anglers
familiar with the two-handed rod. Like the water farther
upriver, the lower Rio Grande is shallow and easy to
wade, although it is deeper in places. Fishing schedule:
approx 9 hours of fishing. Lunch is taken at the
river and is followed and its followed during the early
season by a siesta in conveniently placed and comfortable
trailers. The afternoon session starts later during
the months of Dec. and Jan. to capitalise on the magical
dusk fishing hours.
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ACCOMMODATIONS:
Villa Maria Lodge is situated in one of Patagonia's
biggest and oldest working estancias. It has four spacious,
perfectly furnished bedrooms with 4 bedrooms, featuring
a cozy dining and living area, as well as a bar, well
stocked with local spirits. Our chef takes charge each
evening, offering a selection of local and international
cuisine accompanied by the best Argentine wines. A brand
new cabin will be your home for lunch and a nice siesta
before the afternoon session. Our staff, composed of
our host, chef, maids and professional guides will assist
you during the week in all your needs.
The house will accommodate only 6 anglers per week and
is available on a limited basis, due to high demand
by repeat parties. The staff working in the lodge consists
of the managers (hostess and head guide), a chef and
his helper, professional fishing guides, and housekeepers.
All of them, from their own job, will guarantee unforgettable
vacations, putting all their knowledge and experience
at your disposal, to meet your expectations and even
surpass them.
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HOW
TO GET THERE:
Villa
Maria lodge is reached from Rio Grande city. There are
daily flights from Buenos Aires to Rio Grande airport
where a member
of the staff will be waiting to drive you to the lodge.
Domestic flights can be arranged.
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Fly Fishing tackle and
Equipment:
Wading
All of our fishing is in rivers and streams, wading
from the coast. One pair of fly weight chest waders
and one pair of neoprene chest waders is recommended.
The new waders "non-condensation" is the best for walking.
The comfort of your wading shoes is very important also.
Rods
Bring 2-3 rods. A good combination is:
-- 12-14; 8/9 weight spey rod.
-- 9-91/2; 7/8 weight single handed rod.
Lines
We suggest:
--Floating lines for each rod.
--Sink tip lines 7-9. (like Scientific Angler Ultra
2 wet tip IV 10 or Tenny Nymph Tip)
--Shooting head sink tip line 7-9 weight (Teeny T200
or T300 or shooting line sink V).
--Optional: Intermediate sinking line. Baking 75-100
yards is sufficient.
Leaders
From 4 to 12 feet long. Tippet material is extremely
important in Argentina. The trout are very strong and
powerful. Your tippet material should be sheer resistant
as well as have the maximum breaking strength in small
daymeters.
Flies
Bring plenty of flies. You can lose 6-10 flies a day
on snags, in trees, by breaking off fish or on stones.
Streamers: Wooky
Bugger, black and olive (from size # 4 to 10); Rabbits,
cinnamon and black (size #2 to 8); Matukas, green and
olive (size #8 to 12); Blonde, white (size #2 to 6);
Cone Head Marabou Muddler, brown and white (size #2
to 8).
Nymphs: Prince
(size # 10 to 14); Hare´s Ear, natural and black (size
#10 to 16); Soft Hackle, cinnamon and black (size #
8 to 14); Kauffman´s Stone black (size # 6 to 10); Montana
(size # 8 to 14).
Dry
Flies: Adams (size # 10 to 16), Elk Hair Cádiz,
natural and black (from sizes # 10 to16); Red Humpy
(sizes # 10 to 14), Blak Gnat (size # 12 to16), Goddard
Cáddis, natural (size # 10 to 14) and Irresistible (size
# 12 to 16).
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