Week 5 saw a great team of experienced anglers having very good fishing. The weather was kind and temperatures topped 30 degrees Celsius meaning the fish got very active. The latter 3 days of the week the temperature dropped out but fishing remained brisk. At La Villa the 5 rods landed 121 fish with 35 fish over 15 pounds. The biggest being 25 pounds to Gareth J. Up at Estancia Maria Behety the 10 rods landed 151 fish with 42 over 15 pounds. The biggest being a 23.5 pound fish for Mike P. Many fisherman landed more than 20 fish for their week and Brad W landed 34 fish.
The lower and middle river are fishing well but the river is very clear and still dropping. The upper river is very low and, whilst not fishing as well as the rest, has picked up. The water temperature was between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius. The wind blew from the North East as normal but not as strong which certainly helped fishing. The air temperature fluctuated between 9 and 30 degrees.
Flies that are working were EMB, Rubber Legs, Wonder Bug and differing sizes of sunray shadow. In the last hour Intruders and leeches. Nymphs mainly fished on a sunk line and small sizes with bead heads popular. Heavy skagits and scandi bodies with T-11 and T-14 tips as well as a few full floaters with polyleaders. Aluminium tubed sunrays were also good on floating line. 9 to 12 feet of 15 pound leader was the order of the week.
All in all an excellent week fishing in somewhat improved weather but the river continues to drop so with this in mind floating lines and poly leaders will be more and more useful unless the conditions change drastically. Lovely photos sent in by Gareth J