Lodge

Toon Ken Lodge is the newest Lodge on the Rio Grande and guarantees an unforgettable fishing experience for a maximum of 6 guests at one time. The main building of the Lodge is located on a bluff overlooking the legendary river and impresses guests with its stylish interior and its experienced staff. Gourmet cuisine is served in the Dining Room and the Bar has an extensive list of Argentine vintage wines. The Lodge has 4 single and 2 double rooms all with shower/bath, a Lounge and a fly-tying desk. After a long day of fishing you can relax in the Jacuzzi or in the Sauna. A small tackle shop stocks all the fly fishing essentials.

Fishing

Suggested Equipment - Depending on river conditions, you may want to use different fly lines. Usually, fast sinking sink tips and full sinking lines are used at the beginning of the season. As the water level decreases, lighter lines are more convenient.

Trust your skills and bring a floating line. You won't regret it.Traditionally, fishing the Rio Grande was about deep sinking lines, but evolution in construction materials for rods and lines now allow us to use all of our tackle efficiently and with enormous success.

Leaders - Experience on the Rio Grande indicates that sea trout aren't particularly leader-shy. While reasonable stealth should be exercised, your chief concern is to bring monofilament in sizes that will turn over the array of fly sizes and patterns you'll be using. Spools of mono should include 15, 12 and 10 lbs. breaking strengths. Made-up leaders aren't necessary since a few feet of mono will do fine. Maxima Ultragreen is a good choice. While fishing, be sure to check your mono regularly for casting knots and abrasions, and after each fish caught test your leader knots. For floating lines is good to have knotless tapered leaders from 9 to 12 feet with 0X tppets.

Flies - Some fly patterns as well as a modest supply of back-up tackle will be available for purchase at the lodge, but plan to take a good selection.

Sea-run brown trout are mysterious fish. The only constant in their tastes seems to be a penchant for black, and the trout that accepted your small salmon patterns today may demand flies with white rubber legs tomorrow. Historically, most Rio Grande fish were taken on large streamers, perhaps because those were most used. In low water conditions, however, more large sea trout are taken on smaller wets, nymphs and dry flies. Packing a range of flies in various patterns and sizes, and making frequent changes when one combination of line and fly isn't working is suggested depending on light conditions, water levels, and especially on your guide's advice. Barbless hooks are strongly encouraged.

Here is a basic working fly list:

Collie Dog tube flies (3½-4½" long, both aluminum and copper bodies, with hard plastic tubing and #4 wide-gape hooks).

Bunny leech, Zonker, Woolly Bugger (black/olive), articulated string leech types, with electric blue flash, on #2-4 hooks.

Peacock (now a staple at K-T, tied on #2-4 hooks).

Girdle or Yuk Bug rubber legs(#4-12).

Bitch Creek nymphsnymphs (orange and black for preference, #4-12).

Bead head nymphs (Prince, Hare's Ear, etc. #10-14) Traditional Atlantic Salmon Flies.

Bombers or other waking dry flies (natural deer, black, green on #4-8 hooks), for use drifted or with a Portland hitch.

Include 1½-2 inch tube flies if you have them, as tubes can be very effective on the Rio Grande. Also, take any large, dark trout or salmon fly in which you have confidence. Fishing a fly that has worked for you in the past, and in which you have confidence, is half the battle.