In Search of Gold
Argentina or Bolivia?
by Lucas Mora
I was lucky to be born and raised near the largest tributary of the La Plata basin, the beautiful Parana River. In my early teens my friends and I started fishing, first with conventional tackle and live bait, then artificial lures, and finally making the leap to fly rods. And from the beginning, Golden Dorado were the fish we chased.
I spent many hours learning how to find them and entice them into striking flies, but with the infinite variables of a large river the process can be overwhelming. Seasonal floods, constantly changing wind and water levels, current speed, storms, water temperature, bait fish migrations and spawning runs – all of these factors can influence where, when, and how to catch dorado.
My obsession with dorado led me to guiding in order to fulfill the need for learning and spending time on the water chasing these marvelous fish. I started guiding in 2016 in Bolivia and continued through 2021, which was an overwhelming experience. When not guiding in the Amazon jungles, I returned to Argentina and also guided at Itati Lodge on my home waters of the upper Parana, and more recently guiding in the Ibera and Isoro Wetlands.
Most fly anglers begin their journey with trout and view the dorado as a rare species with limited range, but my education as a fly fisherman began with dorado. In truth, it is a fish that thrives in most of the rivers in the entire La Plata basin from northern Argentina to Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia. You can find dorados swimming in the waters next to the domestic airport in Buenos Aires all the way up to the Andean foothills of Bolivia.
Unfortunately, this wide distribution of the Golden Dorado does not automatically translate into catching them on a fly anywhere. Much of their habitat has a very narrow window of time when the temperature and water clarity are predictable enough to become a destination worth traveling to.
For those anglers in the process of trying to decide the best location for their first dorado trip, either the mountain streams of Bolivia, or the diverse fisheries of Argentina, I’d like to share my own experiences in both destinations.
Over the years, both destinations have earned a reputation for fantastic Golden Dorado fishing, but while the dorado is the primary draw for Bolivia, Argentina is also widely famous for world-class trout fishing in the far reaches of Patagonia. Despite the fame of trout, few realize that the dorado is actually Argentina’s national fish.
The mountain rivers of Bolivia are unique in many ways: the remote locations, scenery, wildlife, and the fishery itself. Fishing these waters presents a special challenge, as it involves wading through difficult surfaces and covering vast distances under the heat and humidity of the Amazon jungle. The rivers are clear and equal to the size of a medium trout river in North America.
During five seasons of guiding in Bolivia, I’ve seen many fly fishermen whose previous experience has been largely with trout, making the decision to come to the jungles of Bolivia with the misconception that it will feel more familiar to fish a mountain stream for dorado. But the reality is that the size and flow of the water is where the similarity ends. The weather is subtropical with blistering temperatures and constant humidity. Dorado are completely different from trout, they are more wary and require far more stealth to keep them from going on high alert in the clear water and close fishing conditions. Other than basic casting and mending skills, much of what you might have learned as a trout angler will mean very little here.
What Dorado does have in common with trout is that their behavior will change in accordance with the environment where they live. Just as the techniques for catching trout in big rivers with riffles and broken water is very different from those employed for fish in small calm spring creeks, dorado also adapt and may change after being fished for a few seasons. For a better understanding and comparison, it’s worth reading the article: Golden Dorado and Brown Trout, similarities and differences.
Fishermen often want to hear about the average numbers of fish-per-day when considering a destination, but remember, everything is related to averages. Some days might yield double the numbers of strikes or landed fish, and others may be only half that number. And when discussing dorado, the landed number is also highly impacted by the fisherman’s ability to master a sequence of strip sets to properly set the hook in a dorado’s hard, toothy mouth, and then doing everything right to get him to the net. The odds tend to always favor the dorado.
Bolivia has multiple different rivers that can be fished. If focusing on going after a trophy class fish in the jungle (15-20 lbs, with an occasional 30 pounder), the number of strikes you can expect will be lower, and landing one fish this size in a week of fishing is considered a success. In any fishery, concentrating on trophy size fish requires more time and effort.
Argentina has a wide variety of Golden Dorado fisheries, from small streams, vast marshlands, and large river systems. They all connect somewhere along the way, though they are very diverse in characteristics and they all produce excellent fishing opportunities.
Fishing in Argentina is normally done from a powerboat because of the distances that can be covered in each fishery. At Itati Lodge and Jetu’u Cabañas de Esteros, guides will drive to the fishing spots and then use trolling motors to keep the boat positioned for casting. At La Alondra Lodge in the Ibera wetlands, smaller boats and push poles are employed to quietly navigate along the waterways and hunt for dorado.
The Ibera Marsh in Argentina is one of the most pristine environments imaginable. It is the second largest wetland in the world, isolated and protected from the encroachment of civilization. It gives you the feeling of being in connection with nature with daily wildlife encounters, and you will never see another boat or person fishing because we have exclusive rights to operate here.
Jetu’u and Itati are both literally a few steps from the docks. With short boat rides to the fishing spots, it allows for coming back to the lodge for lunch breaks and shelter from the midday heat with air conditioning at the dining area and each bedroom.
As for Bolivia, it’s a unique experience that can’t be repeated anywhere else. Many streamer fishermen and adventure lovers willing to walk a few miles a day in the mountain streams, should try it at least once in their life.
On the other hand, Argentina has a more inviting experience for the average angler, that does not require minimum physical conditioning, the only limitation is how long the angler is willing to cast and stay out on the water. The Argentina Dorado Experience offers the possibility to explore three completely different fisheries, each with different styles of fishing and options for either more fish of moderate size, or the chance of landing a true trophy Golden Dorado. And, all three lodges are relatively close and easily connected with private plane flights.
I hope this offers some clarity to choosing your next destination in search of the Golden Dorado, a fish that continues to mesmerize fly fishermen from around the world.
Lucas
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