I would like to thank both Fly Dreamers and Golden Fly Fishing for making this trip happen. It was everything I expected as then some!
I decided to plan my trip to Argentina to fish with Golden Fly Fishing in Paso de la Patria, Corrientes, Argentina around my 50th birthday. I arrived in Buenos Aires after a 10 hour flight from Miami without incident. AeroLineas Argentina does a fabulous job in making such a long trip very comfortable thus bearable. I stayed in BA Saturday and then caught an early Sunday afternoon domestic flight from BA to Resistencia. From there the last leg of my journey would include about an hour long drive to Golden Fly Fishing Lodge in Paso de la Patria.
Vittorio Botta, one of the lodge founders and guides provided the ride to the lodge and we spoke of the excitin View more...I would like to thank both Fly Dreamers and Golden Fly Fishing for making this trip happen. It was everything I expected as then some!
I decided to plan my trip to Argentina to fish with Golden Fly Fishing in Paso de la Patria, Corrientes, Argentina around my 50th birthday. I arrived in Buenos Aires after a 10 hour flight from Miami without incident. AeroLineas Argentina does a fabulous job in making such a long trip very comfortable thus bearable. I stayed in BA Saturday and then caught an early Sunday afternoon domestic flight from BA to Resistencia. From there the last leg of my journey would include about an hour long drive to Golden Fly Fishing Lodge in Paso de la Patria.
Vittorio Botta, one of the lodge founders and guides provided the ride to the lodge and we spoke of the exciting fishing action that lay ahead. Once we arrived to the town of Paso de la Patria I noticed an incredible large, cast iron welded sculpture of an angler clad in a ball cap holding what appears to be a large golden dorado. I ask Vittorio to pull over so I could snap a couple of quick pics. He obliged and once we got back in the car I vowed to him that I too would be holding a large golden dorado in the exact pose. It was my hope that my vow would come true sooner than later.
Rio Parana is a beautiful place by any standard. This South American river is second in length only to the Amazon. It is wide with strong current and harbors many gamefish to keep any angler occupied. My first views, while relaxing along its banks upon my arrival, included partaking in the Argentinian custom of drinking Yerba mate tea. It is a healthy drink that many Argentinians drink instead of coffee. There is an interesting ritual when serving and drinking it. The Botta Brothers presented me with a mate gourd and bombilla to commemorate my 50th birthday so I could continue to enjoy it back in the States. It was a very nice gesture and I was honored to have received it from them.
The fishing days were broken down into two sessions starting around 7am until 12pm and from 4pm until dark. The midday rest comes in handy especially if you are fishing alone! Our targets for the week included the coveted golden dorado, pira pita, boga and pacu. Both the pira pita and pacu are fished the same way casting fruit flies into heavy cover and fishing them on a complete dead drift. It is challenging fishing that requires solid and accurate casting skills and quick hook sets on bites are a must in order to be successful. Pira pitas offer a great experience but the pacu really test your skills! Their takes of the fly are very subtle and once hooked will try to get back to the heavy cover they came from. Truly a unique and challenging gamefish that tugs and digs hard for the bottom once hooked.
Now that brings us to the Golden dorado. My first encounter with these prized fish was during the first morning on the Parana. We had been fishing for only about 15 minutes when we noticed a school of sabalo (the main forage food for golden dorado) in a deep cut along the sandbar we were facing. A cast in front of the school and half a strip of the fly before there was an explosion and violent take of the fly. As I tried to strip strike for a good hook set the large Dorado I could not come tight. I tried again then realized as I looked down in front of me as the Dorado had eaten my fly and made a bee-line to the bow of our boat. Once seeing the boat the fish shot off in a blistering run that ended with two cartwheeling jumps before my line went slack! This fish was estimated to be close to30lbs by Vicente and left us both disappointed and shaking our heads.
While my first encounter was spectacular I would hook, play and land a few dorado in the 5-8lb range and enjoyed the action they provided but was still anxious to hook another large dorado. On the last morning in terrible windy, raw and rainy conditions I got my second chance at a large dorado and this one wouldn’t come loose!!
While out of the boat on the sand bar I positioned myself near a school of sabalo that had congregated in a deep cut along the shore. It was early in the morning and we had seen dorado hunting and chasing down schools of sabalo along the entire sand bar we were on. Instead of trying to chase these fish we thought it best to post up near a school of sabalo and wait for the dorado to show. The plan worked like a charm! 20 minutes into waiting and blind casting around the school of sabalo, being very careful not to spook the school from their safe hiding spot, a school of 5-6 large dorado swam into range. One cast to the side of the pod moving along the sand bar edge resulted in a vicious take and solid hook up on a 20lb class fish. After many jumps and a hard fought battle the fish was brought to hand, photographed and release to fight another day!
My overall experience fishing with Vicente and Vittorio Botta at Golden Fly fishing was nothing short of spectacular. Although the weather did not cooperate for the entire 5 days I was there we more than made the most of the conditions and were successful in landing more than our fair share of pira pita, boga, pacu and golden dorado. If these fish and Argentina are on your bucket list then Golden Fly Fishing should be your choice. The accommodations and food were both excellent as was the guiding provided by Vicente and Vittorio!
Rio Parana is a special place and I cannot wait to return next year to Golden Fly Fishing Lodge to continue to pursue these outstanding gamefish!
Thanks again to the Botta Family for the wonderful experience that will not soon be forgotten!!
