Villa Maria Lodge – Week 8: Febuary 16th to 22nd, 2024

Another week has passed at Villa Maria Lodge, filled with friends, laughter, and plenty of stories. As predicted, the weather played tricks on us. While we didn’t face strong winds or low temperatures, the winds came from all cardinal points, and the week unfolded with intermittent rain in the valley and even snow in the mountains.

These rains didn’t cause major rises, but there were several water pulses throughout the week. Though not overly murky, these pulses carried small algae and various debris like grass, feathers, and tiny sticks found scattered on the shores.

Naturally, these weather fluctuations led to ups and downs in fishing, but the team stood strong and did an excellent job. Among several sizable catches, I want to highlight Ed (who made it to Villa Maria Lodge’s Wall of Fame with the largest catch of the 2023 season) and this year, once again, landed a 20+ pounder. Also, kudos to Alan, in his first sea run brown trout experience, who hooked an impressive 21-pounder.

Due to these rises, we had to adjust our gear. Short and light sink tips gave way to longer, faster sink tips, including T17’s due to the speed of some pools. Fly size adjustments were inevitable during rising water days. Leeches and intruders showcased their profiles in sunny hours for the first time this season. However, as these were water pulses and not a constant rise, smaller flies also saw action at different times.

The upcoming week promises more stable weather, so we’ll likely see the river on the drop, with cleaner waters and new challenges ahead. Cheers!