Every serious angler deserves to hook a giant brown trout sometime in their life. On the Rio Grande at Maria Behety fishing lodge, it's an everyday experience! Trout here are measured in kilos, not inches, and what makes this river different from all the others is that every cast into the Rio Grande might attract a strike from what would be the fish of a lifetime anywhere else! Hooking up with a big sea-run brown is an emotional fishing experience that defies accurate description.
Data collected over a three-year study conducted by the University of Montana Flathead Research Team support showed that the average size of brown trout in the Rio Grande is over nine pounds. One trout in five is over fifteen pounds and one in fifty will be between twenty and twenty-five pounds.
While angling
View more...success has some correlation with skills and fishing conditions, most fly anglers on the Rio Grande land between three and six fish every day, and many hook twice that many. Consider then, the odds are extremely high that most guests at Maria Behety Lodge will land a trophy fish over twenty pounds sometime during their stay. Of course, that’s assuming that the average nine and ten pounders aren't thought of as trophies.
What makes this marvelous river different from all others on Earth is that every cast has the potential to entice a strike from what would be the fish of a lifetime on any other river.
Most fish grab a streamer or nymph on the swing, the line comes completely tight, starts to hum and your first notion is you've hooked a snag. But there are damn few snags in the Rio Grande and when that three-foot-long “snag” starts shaking its head, it’s time to plant your feet and get ready for a fight.
Maria Behety Lodge fences surround hundreds of square miles of grazing land and the huge estancia borders nearly 32 miles on the north bank of the river. Guests at the two Maria Behety lodges alternate daily the use of more than 50 kilometers (102 pools) with the four lodges on the opposite side of the Rio Grande in a friendly, organized rotation that insures quality, private fly fishing experience for everyone.
Species
Sea-Trout, Brown trout
At Maria Behety Lodge Fishermen start each morning with a light breakfast of fresh fruit, cereals, yogurt, toast, and coffee, as well as a full American Breakfast (if they have the room), followed by a full morning of fly fishing. Every two anglers share a guide and vehicle. Their beat usually consists of two to four pools, all for themselves. Fly Fishermen typically return to Maria Behety lodge by 1 p.m. where a delicious midday meal, perfectly complemented by local wines, is served, followed by a well-earned siesta.
Anglers, well-fed and rested, fish the evening session right up to (and sometimes beyond) the brilliant Tierra del Fuego sunsets. They'll then return to the lodge, in time to regale each other with tales of giant fish, then sit down to yet another meal that would put many fi View more...ve-star restaurants to shame. By this time you have been ridden hard and put away wet, only to rise the next morning and start it all over again. What a wonderful way to be treated!
Much is said about the winds of Tierra del Fuego and it is seldom that any of it is good. The truth is that the Rio Grande isn't super wide, casts are seldom seventy feet, and rarely directly into the wind. Competent casters have little difficulty adjusting to the almost constant gusts and even those that struggle to agree quickly that the results are worth every effort.
Tackle and techniques on the Rio Grande are not very complicated. Anglers choose from a broad range of lines, tips, and terminal tackle according to the water conditions. Experienced steelhead and Atlantic Salmon fly fishermen immediately feel "in their element." Quartering downstream with streamers or dead drifting nymphs are the most common methods used and skated dry flies are terrific when the conditions are right.
The Rio Grande is one of the easiest streams to wade in the Americas. The river is seldom more than thigh deep and can be easily crossed between pools. There's little moss on a bottom made of nothing but perfect spawning habitat ranging in size from pea gravel to golf ball-sized rocks. Leave your studded boots at home because there isn't a rock big enough on the Rio Grande to trip over.
The Estancia Maria Behety fishing Lodge sits on a promontory overlooking the Rio Grande with panoramic views of vast pampas and the remnants of the Andean cordillera framing the background.
The lodge was constructed during the summer and winter of 1999 and its architectural style is typical of structures built in Patagonia in the early 1900s with the addition of all the modern convenience and amenities you would expect in a 21st-century fly fishing lodge. There are 8 double-occupancy rooms in the lodge that can accommodate a maximum of 16 guests, though we limit it to 12 anglers total. The extra rooms allow a handful of anglers to secure a private room for a nominal, additional cost. Each large guest room is attractively decorated and features two double beds with a shared nightstand, a f View more...ull dresser, and ample closet space. A full bath with two vanity/sink areas and a walk-in glass shower complete each guest room. Each two guest rooms share a sizable common room which is a terrific space to store extra gear, get organized, tie some flies or sit and relax with a good book while anticipating the next fishing sortie.
The timber-framed great room features 20 foot plus high ceilings with banks of elevated windows allowing streaming sunlight to naturally illuminate the space and add warmth. A roaring fireplace anchors the main room and several sitting areas are the gathering spot to relive the fishing of the day and relax with wonderful appetizers and a cocktail. A full bar is well stocked with all the right libations including the finest Argentine wines and plenty of ice-cold beer. Dinners are served in the main dining room just off the great room and for those who enjoy a good smoke a special room at the front of the great room "The Bad Boys Room" is available. Additionally, there is a computer with internet service to check emails as well as a complete gift/tackle shop.
Maria Behety Lodge is nearly 30 kilometers upstream from the entrance to this huge estancia. The location places guests within quick and easy striking distance of the very best pools of the Rio Grande. With more than thirty miles of exciting river available, they’ll likely have picked of the litter of the best trophy water every day of their one-week stay. The Maria Behety fishing lodge accommodates a maximum of a dozen anglers and the two lodges combined are self-limited to 18 fishermen. If La Villa has more than half a dozen, occupancy at the lodge is reduced. The result is there are never more than nine pairs of fishermen sharing more than 30 miles of the Rio Grande.
The angling week begins in the Rio Grande air terminal on Saturdays. Guests depart a week later following a visit that includes everything but tackle and gratuities.
Spoken Languages
English, Español
Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina 
