The 10th week of the 2022 season at Villa Maria Lodge started with higher and coloured water. It was not a surprise as we were expecting some changes due to the rain we had the prior week all along the Rio Grande valley and its headwaters. The bump in the level was quite substantial, but we have to remember that the river was shallow, so it remained crossable (with care and knowing where to try), and it wasn’t out of bounds. The visibility was seriously compromised for a day or two, especially the last day of the fishing week when it started to carry an important number of debris, feathers, grass, and algae.
We received a group of Villa Maria old-timers, from Switzerland, the heart of Europe. With some of them, like Hugo, Uli and Thomas we met like 15 years ago in the old & beautiful Toon Ken Lodge. It’s great to sip a fine Islay’s single malt while remembering good stories for old fishing adventures together. Mike and Duff integrated the rest of the party and they added their share of fun!
According to the conditions, we had to change and adapt the fishing setups. Single-handed rods and floating lines were put to a side and the big boys came into play. Big rods between 13 & 14 feet were the best option to deliver heavier lines and a big arrange of flies. Skagit lines (both in floating and sinking versions) were matched with long (12 to 15ft) and heavy sink tips to present the flies as deep as possible in a faster and murkier river.
The flies used were changing along the week. We started with colourful and big silhouette streamers, but throughout the week, the water dropped and cleared to the point that we caught fish on green machines. But by the end of the week, the river coloured again, and we had to return to the big streamers.
The week ended with the river with a substantial colour in it but still in good shape and speed in most of the pools. We will wait for the next week, which looks promising, but always keep an eye on the forecast as rain is still present. Autumn is here and the chance of a big cock fish is present in every cast!
CONTACT US
Our fly fishing specialist Peter Collingsworth has been over to Villa Maria Lodge, fishing the banks of the famous Rio Grande many times, so if there’s anything you would like to know about the fishing or if you have any questions you’d like to ask him, you can contact him on 01603 407596 or email at peter@sportquestholidays.com.
