Marcelo Aranda - Argentina - Despedida Lodge
It is not very often that you get the chance to fish a trophy, nor even to witness the event. During the 2007 season on the Rio Grande, in Tierra del Fuego, I was lucky to guide the person who had the opportunity of such endeavor.
Danny Lajous, owner of Despedida Lodge (Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina), asked me to take Tom, an angler and client of the lodge, fishing with light tackle on several lakes in the south of Tierra del Fuego.
I met Tom at Ushuaia Airport late in the evening on 28th February and we parted towards Kaiken Inn, on Lake Fagnano. The drive was hard since it constantly snowed, a sign that we would have difficult fishing ahead. That is how it turned out. Bitterly cold and blustery. The big trouts having taken the day off, we only caught some small rainbow trouts. The best of the day was the hot bath and tasty dinner waiting for us at the Inn every evening.
Done with the Lakes, we decided to head towards Despedida Lodge, looking forward to a week of fishing on the Rio Grande.
Sunday morning, Ozzy, Head of Guides at the Lodge assigned me as guide to Tom and Bill, who I would accompany all week. Anticipating the celebration that was to come, Tom invited me to dine with the other guests on March 3rd, my birthday. We toasted to a great stay and better fishing. I really appreciated this courtesy. It is not common, as guides and the rest of the staff stay and take our meals in separate quarters.
Fishing was not good due to the low temperatures those days. The mountain peaks were white because of the heavy snowfall. The average temperature in the river waters was 3º C (37º F), which greatly affects the fish. Benumbed, they show no interest in any pattern.
We guides usually exchange information to keep updated on the conditions of each part of the river. But by Wednesday, half way through the week, we had tried practically everything, without results.
That afternoon I had been assigned to a pool called “del medio” To fish it properly, you have to wade across the river to the north bank. That is was Tom, Bill and I did. We gave it a first try with no results. Just Bill, who caught a small, female sea brown trout, not big enough to weigh up.
Then, I told the men to change places, that is to say, Bill, up river and Tom, down river, about 50 mts.(164 ft) apart. The guide always stands behind the anglers. Being high on the bank, we are above the level of the anglers. This allows a better view, both of the potential bites and the surface movement of the fish.
It was around 8:00 – 8:30 pm with the last lights of dusk. I suggested that Tom place a big, black trailer hook fly, tied with rhea feathers. I sensed the precise location, some meters down the river from where Tom was. I suggested a long cast - which, as they use a two-handed rod, was not an inconvenient – and that he let the fly drift until he felt the line totally extended. Then to give some short pulls to the fly and strip in for a new cast.
He did exactly as indicated. The line where it was supposed to be, the fly where it was supposed to drift and zzzap..it happened. A great bite. By the way the rod curved, I knew it was a big one. Minutes went by and the fish didn’t give in. I asked Tom about the resistance of the tippet, and he said: 15 lbs!!! Seeing such a fight and the tippet in use, I asked him to take things slowly to avoid the line from breaking.
Twenty minutes went by, which seemed more like two hours. The trout never showed nor jumped. By then it was totally dark, so I put on my head lamp to try to help as much as possible.
At last, the fish started to wear out and he slowly brings it to the shore. When I managed to focus my lamp, my heart leapt as I beheld the size and I prayed to the God of Guides to help me net it without complications.
I made it. I immediately took the hook out of its mouth and fastened the scale on the net. I focused my lamp on the scale and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I asked Tom to take a look, too, and confirm the weight. He could only say “ Oh my God, Oh my God.”
It reached 37 lbs! (16,78 Kg) A beautiful female. Very silvery. Tom handed me his camera and I took two pictures. Then, he gave me the fish and took a photo of me. Without delay, we put it back into the water because it was exhausted after almost 25 minutes of hard struggle. It completely recovered after ten minutes of keeping it between my feet, towards the current. It dashed away to the deepest part of the pool as if nothing had happened.
I left the net on the bank. Tom put down his rod and we embraced. We toasted with my “magic elixir” (which is another story) for the trophy. Of course, Bill had been following the episode and he joined in the celebration.
Once we returned to my truck, I took the radio and contacted the Lodge. Danny answered and I said: “Danny get out the champagne because I am sure we have the Despedida Lodge trophy. And that is how it was, it was the Lodge’s record, still unbeaten to date.
The cheerfulness shared with the anglers, the guides and the rest of the staff was beyond description. We all toasted to the success of having caught a beautiful fish and having done it right.
Tom, as the angler and I, as his guide will treasure this wonderful memory of what the Rio Grande can bestow for many years to go.
