Fishing Program

You might wonder how these Brown Trout, which is a western European species, got to such an isolated location near the bottom of the world. 

In 1935, John Goodall stocked 60,000 Chilean salmo trutta eggs in 2 tributaries of the Rio Grande.  Enough of the eggs survived to hatch into what became a large population of Brown Trout that spends part of the year in the highly fertile estuaries and open ocean. 

Young Sea Run Brown Trout in the Rio Grande, will spend an average of 2 years in the river before their first migration to the sea where they’ll spend 6 months before returning to the river at an average weight of 6 lbs.  

Brown Trout that have spawned 4 times in the Rio Grande weigh over 20 lbs and some fish have been known to complete the cycle 6 times.  They experience less predation than other anadromous fish so the number of fish returning to the Rio Grande is greater than in other rivers. 

The fly fishing lodges and ranches along the Rio Grande practice a strict Catch and Release policy which is also a major factor in the maintenance of their successful annual return to their spawning areas of the Rio Grande.

Peak season for fly fishing in Tierra del Fuego is mid January to Mid March.  Because the Estancia Maria Behety lodges are located at the lower end of the river, their section is the first to see fish in the early part of the season. 

These bright fish that have just left their home in the ocean are in their peak condition and provide the ultimate fight for anglers fishing during this time. If you time your visit right you luck into a 20 fish day during this time of the year. 

Later in the season, around the end of March and early April, the water is lower and the fish are more concentrated making them easier to find. 

The lodge’s guides speak fluent English and are renowned for both their intimate knowledge of the Rio Grande and consistent success in bringing monster sea trout to the net.  All guides are Argentines with most having grown up on the river.  

Best Fly Fishing Seasons:

mid January to Mid March

Accommodations

We at Kiene's Fly Fishing Travel are very “nit-picky” when we select destinations for our clients and the La Villa Behety Lodge more than meets our standards.  Not only is the fishing for some of the largest Brown Trout incredible but the luxuriousness of the accommodations is beyond compare.  

The maximum combined occupancy of all the Rio Grande lodges (three lodges operated by other outfitters are located on the other side of the river) between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chilean border is about 50 anglers. That's an average of nearly a mile of private water for every single fisherman.

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The lodge has 6 bedrooms with private bathrooms that open up to a central area. The central area has comfortable furniture around a fireplace, and the bar

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Lodge Amenities

Satellite TV

Wi-Fi & internet

Recreation room with pool table and TV

4000 bottle wine cellar

Fly Shop

Bar

Getting There

After traveling to Buenos Aires/Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) you must transfer to the Domestic Airport to catch a flight to either Ushuaia or Rio Grande which are close to the lodge. 

We recommend that you arrive in Buenos Aires on a Friday and spend the night. By arriving in Buenos Aires on Friday the day before you reach the lodge, you will have time to acclimatize to the time zone and visit one of the most beautiful cities in the western hemisphere. 

The next morning you can travel to the Domestic Airport by cab to catch your flight to Rio Grande where you will be met by a lodge representative and driven to the lodge.