South Australian Angler – June 2018

combination handled it brilliantly. A
17 pounder was also controlled with
relative ease, despite the thin rod blank
walls. Green Hornets were the most
successful flies.
There are few trees on the Rio
Grande, which has a similar landscape to
the barren hills of the Broughton River
north of Adelaide. The temperatures are
always bitter because of the latitude and
snow-covered mountains nearby. The
Lodge shuts over winter. The winds are
horrendous. On our first day, pebbles
from the river edge were being driven
into our backs, but it didn’t stop us
catching fish.
Six days of fishing Kau Tapen, 12
sessions, was exhausting, especially
after a week at Jurassic Lake plus
the dorado sessions. The time zone
difference and the fact that we didn’t eat
our main meal until after midnight each
night left everyone drained.
Argentinians love their afternoon

siestas, then come out to play late into

the evening. I was thankful of organising

two days in Buenos Aires to rest up

before flying home. But, we fell into the

allure of the B.A. party atmosphere,

and watching Dave celebrate by joining

in a deafening, drum-fuelled Samba

street dance rivalled the happiness of us

scoring the Holy Grail of trout – double

figure rainbows and browns on fly.

Later, while enjoying another midnight

street meal, I realised how the trip had

reinforced the fact that you really need

to get the most out of life.

As the Argentinians put it:

“La vida es un relámpago entre dos

largas noches.” (Life is a flash of

lightening between two long nights.)

Dave Bennett’s 22 pound brown was fish of the trip

Rio Grande hook up

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