Estancia María Behety Lodge Fishing Report
(March 04 - 11, 2023)
By Genaro Molinolo–Head guide

We started the week on Sunday with the biggest rain of the season, 7 mm in 8 hours, which stopped the river from clearing up and dropping. We also experienced the lowest temperatures for this time of the season in 30 years, coldest ever for EMB with a big snow over the Andes. Mid way through the week got some electrical storms plus hail which is very rare for this area. Thursday & Friday river started to clear.

Definitely all theses weird conditions affect the fishing in some way putting the fish down, but all through the week we still caught fish.

Water Conditions
Water color and visibility: colored, (30 inches)
Water temperature: 5º C to 8ºC

Weather Conditions
Air temperatures: -1º to 11ºC
Wind speed ranges from 15 to 80 km/h
Rain during the week: 14 mm

Fishing Conditions
Water colored but very fishable. Most caught fish are ocean fresh. We highly recommend wearing clear glasses for eyes protection.

Most productive flies:
Due to the colored water, leeches, intruders, bushy tubes.
The Forecast weather doesn’t call for more heavy rains so hopefully we will be fishing with smaller flies soon.

Fly lines (tips, heads, lengths, densities, etc.):
We recommend you bring a Skagit head, multi density head (game changer, 3 D, FIST)
Set of tips from 3 ips sink rate up to T-20 MOW tips, type 3-6-8 etc.
Length and strength of tippet and leaders: 4 to 8 feet. 12 to 20 pounds.

STATISTICS:
TOTAL CATCHES OF THE WEEK 119
FISH OVER 15 POUNDS : 31
TOP ROD: MIKE B. (18)
BIGGEST FISH: BUD CH. (26 POUNDS)
WEEK´S FISH AVERAGE WEIGHT: 11.65 POUNDS

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La Villa de Estancia María Behety Fishing Report
(March 04 - 11, 2023)
By Diego Motter - Head Guide

Another week just ended at La Villa, fishing was good, very similar to last week, river high and dirty all week, also we have really cold weather, and very strong winds.
Most of the fishing we did with sinking lines, Skagit and heavy tips (T17, t20), using big flies(intruders, tubes, leeches).
We used intruders in the lower and middle part off the river, and we used leeches in the upper part.
We used floating lines in the upper part of the river, with sunray shadows.
The upper part of the river improved its water levels, 65 fish were landed, 18 fish over 15 pounds, 3 over 20.
Big intruders were the best flies of the week.
Top rod of the week was Virginia Goodyear with 16 fish to the net, the biggest 21 pounds.
Seth Kopald landed the biggest fish with 23 pounds.

Water Conditions
Water color and visibility: dirty .
Water temperature: 5c. to 12c .
Water level: the lower part is high, the upper part still low, but better.

Weather Conditions
Wind speed ranges through the week: strong winds blew from the northwest most of the time.
Air temperature ranges through the week : 1c to 16c.
Weather observations (sun, rain, fog, etc.): cold week.

Fishing Conditions
Flies that are working the best: Different sizes of sunray shadows, small salmon flies, nymph (red tail, emb, prince, pheasant tail), green machine , for the last hour (intruders, leeches, sunray shadows).
Sinking lines were the best, using Skagit with heavy sink tips, with intruders, tubes, leeches.
We recommend having at least two rods, one with Scandi to use with poly-leaders, and the other a Skagit used with sink-tips. Also, a single handed rod to use in the upper part of the river.

Fly lines (tips, heads, lengths, densities): Skagit heads with different lengths of T-17, 14, 11, Scandi heads with poly-leaders (clear intermediate the best).
Length and strength of tippet and leaders: 7 to 12 feet, 15 to 20 pounds.
Most of the fish were in the lower And middle part of the river.

Fish Catch Statistics
Number of anglers for the week: 6
Total number of fish landed for the week: 65
Weight of the biggest fish landed for the week: 23 pounds
Number of fish landed over 15 pounds: 18
Number of fish landed over 20 pounds: 3
Average weight: 9.5 pouds