Fly Fishing for Dorado
Argentina has a long history of exceptional freshwater dorado fishing. And from the massive Rio de la Plata system to the unpressured wilderness expanses of the Ibera Wetlands, Nervous Waters has been pioneering these diverse fisheries since the beginning.
The characiformes order, found in Central and South America, as well as Africa, consists of more than 2,000 individual fish species. Most are small—less than an inch long. But some reach much larger sizes, including golden dorado and the goliath tigerfish. Probably the most well-known species within characiformes is the piranha. At least among the non-angling set.
The freshwater Golden Dorado (Salminus brasiliensis), totally unrelated to the saltwater Dorado (also known as Mahi Mahi or Dolphin), represents the apex of the Charasin family of fish in terms of sport fishing opportunities. Aggressive eaters and active jumpers, these fish are an angler’s delight.
Our guides have been exploring the area and Dorado fishing itself for more years than most. Do follow their advice, it will maximize your enjoyment of this incredible fighting fish. Although the Golden Dorado is one of the most exciting game fish to catch, there is very little written about fly fishing for them in this area. Its complex feeding regime and migratory nature ensure both challenging and rewarding fishing opportunities for anglers, whether beginners or experts.
Golden Dorado are strong and acrobatic, and their pursuit is often more about quality experiences than a numbers game. That being said, Pirá Lodge is surely the operation where the biggest number of Dorados have been caught on a fly in recent years. Our average fish ranges from 4 to 8 lbs, but many of them range from 10 to 20+ lbs’.
Today we specialize in providing expert guides, premier accommodations, and great dorado fishing at these three world-class operations.
-
- The Fishing dorado with the fly PH River wizards scaled
-
- Pira Fishing 1 scaled
-
- Captura de pantalla 2022 11 23 a las 16.44.02
-
- Pira Fishing 12 PH Stephan Dombaj scaled
-
- Pira Fishing 11 PH Stephan Dombaj scaled
-
- Pira Fishing 14 PH Fabian Anastasio scaled
-
- Pira Fishing 5 PH Stephan Dombaj scaled
-
- Pira Fishing 7 PH Stephan Dombaj scaled
-
- The Fishing 1 PH Fergus Kelley scaled
-
- The Fishing PH Fabian Anastasio scaled
THE FISHING
Dorado exhibit predatory feeding behaviors, mostly attacking minnows (sometimes not so small), frogs, mice, and other creatures that are best represented by larger-than-average flies and lures. Appropriate tackle is key. And fly fishers used to trout or salmon fishing will do fine with well-balanced rods, fly lines, and leader. The standard dorado outfit ranges from 6- to 9-weight rods—depending on conditions, river size, and the average weight of the dorado you will be targeting. Typically, 7- or 8-weights make the best all-rounders.
Throughout the system, we fish both floating and sinking tropical fly lines. Tropical-rated lines are the best. The basin also offers a mix of boat- and wade-fishing opportunities. That said, wade fishing rarely involves wearing waders. Wet wading is the rule. Specific exceptions are usually announced in advance.
Dorado fishing is not a numbers game. Generally, success comes with patience and practice. Dorado may have a reputation for attacking anything unlucky enough to swim into striking range. But in truth, those feeding frenzies can be few and far between. The thrill of fooling these smart fish, on any given day, across an array of conditions, is what makes dorado fishing so special.
Depending on conditions, the type of presentation may vary. Sometimes a splashy landing of the fly in the water is actually effective to trigger a strike, while other times, a very subtle and noiseless presentation is what is required. Your guide will coach you along the way with the preferred method of presentation considering the fishery and conditions. During the retrieve, anglers, to lessen the noise and slap of the line on the water, should submerge the rod tip slightly under the surface of the water. This will allow the fly to be stripped the line quietly without creating a heavy disturbance on the water.
During times with high winds presentation of the fly is not as important. The wind creates a lot of disturbance on the surface of the water, therefore masking any commotion that might be made when the fly and line is presented.
For more information on the technical aspects of fly fishing for dorado, visit the Nervous Waters website today.