Malleo river Anecdotes, by Jorge Trucco

Today San Huberto lodge offers access to some of the best stretches on the Malleo river. However, San Huberto was originally built by Carlos and Carmen Olsen in the mid 70's as a hunting lodge. At the time, they had European clients who encouraged them to build the lodge that they named after the Patron Saint of hunters in Europe: "Saint Hubert". They probably didn't know then, the real potential the Malleo river could have as a fishing destination. The Malleo has always been one of my favorite rivers anywhere. My story with the Malleo goes back to my early youth …

In the late 70s, when I decided to start my fishing organization, I held a meeting with Carlos and Carmen proposing the idea of using the lodge for American and

A tribute to Adam Cohen

international fly-fishermen who would probably love to fish a river like the Malleo that in my eyes resembled and even bettered some of the most famous spring-creeks anywhere in the States. I could feel there was an opportunity and I had decided to go for it. They were excited with the project and supported my initiative. That was the beginning of a long and rewarding relationship. The fishing programs in San Huberto were a success and dry-fly fishing in the Malleo is hard to match anywhere in the world. Not too long after I began my fishing operation in San Huberto the lodge changed its essence. It turned from mainly a hunting lodge into the fishing lodge it is today.

There were worries, though. Regulations allowed people to kill four fish per day and some would take advantage of that. I was convinced that "catch and release" was the next goal not only for the Malleo but also for the rest of the rivers in the region.

I decided to take the initiative to start a campaign that ended up with the Malleo becoming a "catch and release" river in 1985. It wasn't easy; there was a lot of resistance, especially from local people. That was the first step; today all of the rivers in the province of Neuquén are "catch and release".

Early in my career I realized that the Malleo was my favorite river to guide and I soon became "The Malleo guide". Guiding in the Malleo was not work, it was pleasure. The Malleo is the perfect river for beginners, being able to cast comfortable distances and being exposed to numerous fishing situations on dries or nymphs. Yet the Malleo is a delight for the expert fisherman that takes pleasure sight fishing for big elusive rainbows feeding on small dries or nymphs in very difficult places. Spotting big rising or showing fish in the Malleo is Heaven too for the guide. The Malleo has a special place in my life as a fisherman and as a guide.