We arrived in Mercedes in the pouring rain. We left early, 3 days later, in the pouring rain.

According to the locals Hurricane Sandy helped the crazy weather systems that met us in the Corrientes area.

We had planned to fish the Rio Corrientes as it leaves the Ibera Marshs. Not easy to access but full of fish.

I must at this point thank Mario Battiston for his honest advice and willingness to share information about the region.

Look him up at Dorado Adventures, he runs a neat outfit with a great reputation and offers an affordable package.

We did have some very interesting game viewing though, including anacondas, armodilla, capibaras, caimen, seemingly limitless birds, otters and Marsh Deer. And although I didn’t even put a line into the flooded Ibera Marsh, I can only imagine how good the fishing gets out here.

Below are some examples of what does come out the Marsh, courtesy Mario Battiston (note how the tails and fins have been eaten by pirahnas):