Omnivorous Fish:
The "Side B" of Golden Dorado Fishing
The upper stretch of the Parana River, where our Itati Lodge is located, is famous for its trophy golden dorado, which can exceed 40 pounds. The chance to battle these monster fish is what draws most anglers to the Parana River, but there is also a “Side B” for this adventure: fishing for multiple omnivorous species.
Even if golden dorado didn’t inhabit the Parana River, it would still be worth making the trip just to fish for the omnivorous species that also call this diverse river home. These species include pacu (piaractus mesopotamicus), pirapitas (two species: Brycon orbignyanusand Brycon hilarii) and boga (Megaleporinus obtusidens).These omnivorous species adapt their diet throughout the season and focus on what is most available to them, but they will also still feed opportunistically on a variety of food and prey. These fish are a lot of fun to catch and very strong, especially the pacu, which has a size and shape similar to the famous saltwater species, the permit.
The section of the Upper Parana River that we fish has multiple side channels and streams beside the powerful main channel. The banks and almost every island are covered by a subtropical jungle, whose trees, bushes and plants overhang the water. This dense vegetation is a source of food and prey for the fish, providing them with mice, lizards, insects, fruits and nuts. We fish around trees that overhang the small channels and streams, since this where the fish often position themselves to feed. The best known trees and plants are: inga (produces a large yellow bean), laurel del rio (close to an olive in shape and size), tala (small round and orange fruit) and Francisco Alvarez (small red/purple fruit).
Most trout anglers are familiar with the use of terrestrials, attractor dry flies, and mouse patterns. We fish many of these patterns on the Upper Parana River when targeting the omnivorous species, but the size flies we use are muchlarger than you would use for trout. We tie the flies on strong hooks designed for saltwater fishing.
Our experienced guides will teach you some simple yet very effective strategies for catching pacu, pirapita, and boga. These strategies include twitching the flies, casting at the best angles, and reading the water that holds the fish. Our guides will also teach you how to mimic the sound the falling fruit makes when it lands in the water. This sound draws the fish to the area. When you mimic this sound with a fly and allow the fly to dead-drift, it triggers the fish to attack. It is also important to match the color and shape of what the fish are feeding on. Flies can be designed to sink or float back up to the surface, and tied with different materials, such as plastic beads, weighted foam, or silicone.
These omnivorous fish have adapted and grown teeth to effectively crush and feed on hard nuts and fruits. In the case of pacu, they have teeth very similar looking to human molars, letting them cut regular monofilament or fluorocarbon and occasionally even bend the strongest saltwater hooks available. So the use of short 30-pound wire tippets and the highest quality hooks are necessary. 6 weight or 7 weight rods are ideal and warm water floating lines are best.
