Why Did San Huberto Lodge Win Best Fishing?
The San Huberto Lodge is a badly kept secret. At the time this is published, you’ll have just a few weeks to book your trip if you want to make it for the 2015-2016 season; the lodge’s 10 rooms are fully booked seven months in advance from late December to March. San Huberto is fairly typical of the lodges that topped our polls. A cozy main house with wi fi, bar, dining, and social areas; a spacious estancia with big stretches of private river. Unlike Tipiliuke, San Huberto is a fishing lodge exclusively: no horseback, no hiking, no trips to town.
The source of all the hubbub is The Malleo River. We’ve written about it before, giving high marks to the river’s private waters for their quality and low fishing pressure. Well, the San Huberto Lodge is among the best.
The Malleo River tops worldwide lists for fast, technical dry fly fishing. San Huberto encloses a remarkably well protected 16 mile stretch. An angler will be challenged to watch the hatch, while casting and presenting to an exceptional variety of waters. Meeting those challenges frequently rewards daily catches of 30 fish or more. They don’t skimp on size, either: healthy brown and rainbow trout grow to an average of 14 to 20 inches, and max out around 30 inches. This balance of difficulty, diversity, and generous reward is why San Huberto wins best fishing lodge.
Fishing & Typical Itinerary
The upper Malleo is in transition as it crosses into the estancia. Canyons funnel it into an active freestone stream with long runs and pocket waters. Lower down it slows and meanders. This part of the river is often described as a jumbo spring creek, wandering through meadows with intermittent riffles, runs and pools. Hoppers become a viable option here, but more traditional dry flies are the rule.
The San Huberto also offers good sight casting along 6 miles of Huaca Mamuil creek, a tributary of the Malleo that deserves at least a day trip. The fish aren’t as large or numerous, but the dash of flavor it adds makes it a nice secondary destination.
San Huberto fishes the Malleo with a walk-wade-truck itinerary; walk-wading stretches of the river, then driving to the next good section. This part of the river doesn’t support float tripping, so your day will begin and end at the lodge. The lodge is run by the Olsen Family, who offer local cooking as part of the package. The Olsens limit the lodge to 16 total guests and 12 anglers at a time to keep pressure low and preserve the special, isolated experience.
In terms of when to go, the high water season of November and December is considered the best time, especially for fishing the upper section. Recall that you’ll need to start planning now if you want to make it for next year’s season; San Huberto fills up quickly. Inability to plan so far in advance is the only reason I can think of not to give this lodge a deep look. I guess it’s possible that there’s someone for whom dry fly fishing is a 3rd or 4th favorite, but the action here is so excellent that I think you’d have more fun here than you would at another, lesser river that’s more suited to your tastes.
