Golden Dorado and Brown Trout:
Similarities and Differences

by Mat Claretin Dorados, newson Posted on

Golden Dorado

and

Brown Trout

Similarities and Differences

For trout anglers who have not had the opportunity yet to fish for golden dorado, we thought it might be helpful to discuss some of the similarities and differences with large brown trout living in small streams. This comparison will help you better understand the dorado’s behavior and the methods we use to catch them.

Trophy browns and dorados are experienced hunters that patiently wait for the right moment to ambush their prey. For this reason, we rarely witness them feeding. Both species are also opportunistic and prefer to feed on large meals spaced relatively far apart. For example, both species will eat mice and any other protein-rich food they can catch. Consuming a lot of food all at once (such as a mouse, lizard, or frog) makes brown trout and dorado very efficient hunters, since they are gaining more energy on each hunt than they are spending. A big brown trout, for example, does not need to expend much energy to wait along a riverbank for a mouse to fall into the water and become an easy meal. The same holds true for golden dorado.
The feeding habitats of dorado and brown trout make them challenging for anglers to catch, since there are only small windows of time when we can find them actively feeding. When they are not in a feeding mood, they tend to be lethargic. However, with the right stimulus we can trigger them to react. But to be successful, our fishing game must to be executed to perfection. It is also very important to be persistent and remain focused, since the number of opportunities to catch big browns and dorado on flies is limited. We want to make the most of each opportunity we have.

Like fishing for big brown trout with streamers, when you are fishing for dorado the strike is very visual and happens in a fraction of a second, so it’s key to always keep tension on the line immediately after the fly lands in the water. Dorado have a very hard and bony mouth, so it is very important to strip-set the fly. This will give you the best chance of keeping the fish on the hook. Also, once you see the strike or feel the tension, it’s very important to keep stripping until connected with the maximum possible tension with the fish without breaking it off… and then the fight begins.

The most noticeable difference between brown trout and golden dorado aside from their colors and size is their teeth. The mouth of the dorado is armed with very sharp teeth and powerful jaws, allowing them to efficiently cut their prey quickly. And of course the size of their meals is a major difference too. Whilea big serving for a large brown trout could be a fish (baitfish or another trout) in the ½ pound range, a dorado will eat fish in the 2 to 4 pound range (sabalos, a carp-like fish, are their favorite choice). This means that for dorado we often need to use bigger flies, with larger, stiffer fly rods to match. While a 6 or 7 weight rod is ideal for brown trout streamer fishing, an 8 or 9 weight rod is ideal for golden dorado fishing.
The sharp teeth and powerful jaws of golden dorado require us to use wire shock tippets with our flies. The strength of golden dorado, and almost any other fish in the Parana River Basin, can be easily compared to the power of most common saltwater species targeted with a fly. Another easy comparison is that dorado has similar power to a snook, the agility and spectacular jumps of a tarpon, and the meanness of a barracuda!

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