Heart Pounding Gold

Golden Dorado cruising the warm rivers and vast marshes of Northern Argentina are sure to leave visiting anglers thrilled for months! "Dorado, dorado!" our guide Javier Enriquez yelled as I turned to see the golden flash beside my partner’s hooked piranha. George Liska had hooked the toothsome fish while casting in the marshes.

Javier, who calls this section of brown water in the Parana River his "casa," quickly explained that on occasion, the following dorado can be caught.

"Arghh," my partner grimaced as he set the hook into another four-pound yellow piranha. Fortunately, this time, I had just retrieved my lure and was prepared for the quick response. I lobbed the plug 20 feet toward George’s fish as Javier again noticed the crimson-tipped fins and unique reddish black spot on the tail of a following marauder. The strike was immediate.

The big dorado grabbed the vibrating plug and pulled drag as it grey-hounded off toward a clump of bulrushes. It made a spectacular turn, quickly dove into the depths and took off across the channel. Unable to free the unfamiliar tether, it took to the air, repeatedly somersaulting above the shallows. The lure attached to its massive head rattled loudly with each jump. It was a typical aerial display for which exciting golden dorado are famous.

Fortunately, my Rat-L-Trap hooks stayed implanted in the fish’s jaw as I gained line after each jump. The brilliant fish used the current to its advantage until I was finally able to garner some control over the situation. Finally, the golden tired and Javier placed the BogaGrip in its gaping maw. It was my second 13 pounder’ of the morning and a beautiful specimen.

We were fishing what the locals call, "The Delta Reserve," an area just off the Parana River. South of Goya, the waters spread out and form the delta marsh, formally called Esteros del Isoro Reserve. Catch and release restrictions are in full effect here, and only artificial lure and fly-fishing is permitted. The delta runs about 65 miles to the south, where the Parana River rejoins the Salada River.

Under normal conditions, four main tributaries move through the delta. At the back of the delta, about an hour’s boat ride from the main Parana channel, lie La Catorce and Arroyo Aleman where George and I spent some time. The water there was a little clearer than the main river, but was still coffee-stained in color. During low water conditions, like when we were there, the marsh is primarily only three to five feet deep, and a mudline is often present where the sloughs with minimal current abutted the muddy streams that push water through the area.

Cuddy Parana River Impacts

The mighty Parana is the eighth largest river in the world meandering 2,500 miles through its basin. From its relatively-clean headwaters lying in the Brazilian rainforests to the north, its waters become highly stained in Argentina. The Parana is intersected by the Paraguay River at the Argentina/Paraguay border just north of the Argentine sister cities of Resistencia and Corrientes. A few miles before that confluence, the muddy Bermejo River enters and introduces silt from the Argentine farmlands.

The waters of the Parana normally fluctuate up to 17 feet from low to high water in the Goya region. The Parana is a fast flowing river averaging more than a mile wide with sections as much as five miles wide. The Delta Reserve fluctuates also but has many smaller channels and protected lagoons throughout its labyrinth which normally produce good fishing throughout the numerous runoffs around scattered, land-based islands. Patches of open water with interspersed sandy bottom are everywhere, and the marsh is dotted with a few small, weatherworn willow trees.

Trophy golden dorado up to 25 pounds are not uncommon and an average catch may consist of 10 to 25 fish per boat per day. We found great fishing on the streams or "runs" throughout the delta and while neither George nor I caught any real whoppers, we did have a day where we hooked 27 dorado which all took to the air. As is usually the case with these powerful high-flyers, far from all were landed.

On a few occasions, I experienced a lucky streak of three or four successive fish landed, but my good fortune never exceeded that. The fish just seemed to have an aversion to joining us in a photo shoot. One surprising strike came right at the boat and just as I set the hook, the ferocious dorado leaped into the air and literally bounced off my partner’s lap. It left the spoon in George’s pants but thankfully, no physical harm was done. Overall, we landed approximately half of our opportunities, including a few very respectable fish in the mid teens. I had one fish of about 10 pounds jump eight times, proving that golden dorado rank high on the acrobatic list.

The freshwater golden dorado are a fantastic specie that strike with ferocity and as mentioned, offer explosive jumps as part of a memorable battle. The strong adversary is unique to south-central South America. In four trips to the region, I have fished them in Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. They are also found in Paraguay and Uruguay.

Conquistadors who ransacked South America looking for gold reportedly gave the dorado its name, which means "golden." The fish, with its muscular, salmon-shaped body sheathed in distinctive golden scales, is a member of the tenacious-toothed Characidae family. Its illustrious relatives include the fierce tigerfish in Africa and both the Dracula-fanged payara and toothy piranha in South America.

Clearer Ibera Marsh Waters

A favorite dorado area that I’ve fished during a couple of trips is the Esteros del Ibera or Ibera Marsh, a 10,000 square mile, subtropical natural reserve of rich fauna and flora. From the northeast, clear runoff meanders through Ibera, which means "shiny water" in a native Indian language. The Rio Corriente, the principal drainage of the marsh, is born in a large lagoon called Laguna Itati, and it and the smaller Rio Claro and Rio Santa Lucia flow gently southward for about 130 miles to their confluence with the Rio Parana through vast estancia cattle pastures which also harbor a fishing lodge or two.

The marsh itself consists of about 2,500 square miles of lagoons and swamplands that vary in depth between three and seven feet with some deeper pools in the middle that typically drop to 20 feet. The remote, uninhabited upper section of the sand-bottomed rivers emptying the marsh has an average width of 50 to 100 feet and depths that average eight to 15 feet. All three of the rivers feature dark, clear waters that flow at speeds of five to seven mph.

Visibility in the marsh under normal conditions can range to 15 feet but strong currents moving sand and silt often make it only half that. Golden dorado prefer moving water, and prime feeding conditions occur when an abundance of bait moves through shallow runs or areas of current over hard clay bottom. In the rivers, the rapids and heavy ripples in three to seven feet of water are where dorado can notoriously be found. River bends, submerged boulders and humps, points and eddies are also worth investigating.

The average size dorado from Ibera and the outflowing rivers weigh around five pounds, but larger specimens to the mid-teens can surprise you at anytime. Plus, a few fish in the 30-pound class are caught each year on heavy-duty lures capable of holding up to the fish’s powerful crunch.

One of my largest dorado from the marsh was a 16 pounder that hit a deep-running crankbait. My boat companion, Jace Spencer of Atlanta, tallied an "assist" on the catch as I was trolling a plug through a series of bends on the Corriente near where the Ibera marsh empties into the river. I handed my rod to Jace for a second while I slipped off my rain gear, and that is exactly when the big fish hit. My partner was kind enough to set the hook before handing me back my rod so I could battle the fish to the boat.

Dorado are wanderers and unpredictable. They are super-strong fighters that seem to bite best in the mornings and late in the afternoon. Weather does, however, affect the action. When it is cloudy, dorado feed in the marsh for longer periods, and you can experience explosive strikes throughout the day. During my visits to Ibera, high winds swept across the marsh making for some interesting wave patterns in the river when current and surface chop were in opposing directions. The shallow mouths of these same marshy outflows typically attracted small vegetarian fish called sabalo, which provide prime forage for the golden dorado who use their superior speed to chase down and devour the baitfish.

Ideally, the best time to chase these magnificent freshwater fiends in the Ibera marsh is during what the locals call their "summer fishing season" which ranges from mid-November through March. On the Rio Parana and Delta waters, dorado are taken year-round. In Northern Argentina, dorado are most active when the water is warmest during the late spring, summer and early fall.

Interestingly, various baitfish species migrate up the rivers to spawn. Large concentrations of small, inch-long minnows move all the way from the Parana River to the marsh and drive golden dorado wild. This happens throughout the season, as the minnows and other prey such as sabalos and bogas roam the river. The San Antonio is a species of cichlid that grows to a couple of pounds and hangs near the bank adjacent to moving water.

When not being harassed, these frisky-fighters rarely hesitate attacking lures. It’s this by-catch of other species that keeps the Argentine golden dorado experience interesting. Surubim catfish and payara are taken occasionally. My largest was a 27 pound beauty taken on a trolled Yo-Zuri. Of course, piranha are commonly caught and I have taken as many as 15 of the three-pound fish in a single day.

There is also plenty of fauna to view. Wood storks and even larger Jaga birds often take flight as the boat approaches a river bend. Cattle from the estancias’ herds usually slosh through the shallow swamp outflows along the banks of the rivers. All make for great photo opportunities.

Larry Larsen, an inductee in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, travels the world in search of prime fishing opportunities. He has fished South America 70 times and has published numerous magazine articles in regional and national outdoors and travel publications. He is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association (FOWA) and the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA).

Where To Toss The Bags

Several U.S. airlines offer direct flights to Buenos Aires International Airport in Argentina. Most international flights are overnight from Miami, and anglers are usually transferred the morning of arrival to the national airport for a commercial flight to Goya or other small city north of the capital. Most of the lodges that cater to golden dorado enthusiasts are a few hours van ride from the smaller airport. Most standard itineraries include two overnight international flights, one night at a first class hotel in Buenos Aires, and four or five days of fishing.

I’ve visited the region a few times and the comfortable accommodations near the action are fairly similar. The typical lodge or "Estancia" offers full electricity, hot and cold water, and is on a working cattle ranch surrounded by beautiful pastures. In-town accommodations are usually in quaint villas with flowering gardens and massive landscaped lawns. Guides, who are often conversant in English, are typically excellent, as are most lodges’ boats, motors and equipment. The first-class food, wine and service at most facilities can only be described as "Old-world hospitality."

Bring Your Camera

The Northern Argentina countryside offers a myriad of interesting sights including ranch lands, gauchos on horseback and many small villages. There are plenty of alternate tours before or after your fishing expedition to experience the area. Horseback riding, rodeo adventures, trekking though valleys and visiting adobes, waterfalls or nearby mountains are all options.

Iguazu Falls and Iguazu National Park are "must sees" on the northern border of Argentina, if you have a day or two to spare. The green foliage of the Misiones Rainforest surround the immense waterfalls. The park is home to more than 2,000 species of plants, such as leafy ferns, bromeliads, orchids, palms and gigantic trees that support a great variety of climbing plants. They provide the fruits needed by monkeys, coatis and deer. There are also some 450 species of birds, including toucans, jays, parrots and swifts, and over 80 species of mammals that run through the shadows of the rainforest.

Black caimans are seemingly everywhere in Northern Argentina’s huge system of rivers, streams, channels and ponds. We saw a dozen each day just sitting on the banks as we drift-fished and trolled the main river that twisted through the marshes. A large capybara ran along the riverbank ahead of us on one bend before jumping into the river. A tremendous variety of birds including, herons, egrets, hawks, ducks and others endemic to South America added to the interesting scenery along the rivers. We even saw a couple of rheas, the South American version of the ostrich, socializing with herds of cattle at pasture.

In the tropical marshes, plains and flooded grasslands along the river, you may spot wild boar, coatis, hairy armadillos, river otter and/or marsh deer. Howler monkeys populate the forests and the plains. They are a few wolves, fox, cats, and goats living in the estuaries and even jaguar, however, they roam mostly at night and are rarely seen.

While the lands around the marshes are normally very flat, just a few miles west lay the backcountry of the Andes Mountains. There, evidence of the peoples’ ancient culture sets the stage for impressive landscapes and breathtaking contrasts. Forested valleys with crystal clear water streams lie adjacent to deserts and multicolored mountains.

You should also get to know the cosmopolitan Buenos Aires on one of your international transfers. The beautiful city, often called the Paris of South America, is certainly worthy of setting aside a day to explore. Stroll by the widest boulevard on earth, 9 de Julio Avenue or visit the Obelisk monument that commemorates 400 years of Argentine history.

Other Notes of Interest

About Argentina

• Official Name: Argentine Republic
• Area: 2.8 million square kilometers; second-largest country in South America.
• Capital: Buenos Aires
• Government: Republic with Executive, Legislative and Judicial
• Population: 39,000,000
• Climate: Predominantly temperate and subtropical
• Religions: Roman Catholic 70%, Protestant 9%
• Language: Spanish
• Currency: Argentina Pesos (1 USD = 3.13 ARS)