Río Grande · access
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina · Argentina
- Río Grande townThe only real settlement; fishing is arranged from here or from the lodges.
- Estancia María BehetyThe most famous water on the river; rod weeks sell out a year ahead.
- Estancia José MenéndezMiddle-river water with tidal influence in the lower pools.
Licence and rules
Licence and rules. Argentina requires a provincial fishing licence, obtainable in Río Grande or Ushuaia, and the Tierra del Fuego season is set by provincial decree. Nearly all of the fishable water is private estancia land and access is by arrangement with the estancia or a lodge; there is no meaningful public access to the good pools. Catch-and-release is the norm and the guides enforce it strictly, because the whole fishery depends on it.
Season
Season runs roughly December to mid-April; the sea-run fish enter from January
Flow
1,000–5,000 cfs; the river is tidal in its lower 30 km
The Río Grande's lower 30 km is tidal, so the water level moves twice a day and the best fishing often happens on the last of the ebb and the first of the flood. Rain in the Chilean Andes colours the river quickly, and a big spate can put it out of action for three days — but a fresh run of sea trout usually follows. Wind is constant: 40 km/h is an ordinary afternoon and gusts to 100 km/h happen.