El Dorado Apk

[Sophie Reynolds]

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Out ahead was Agustn Garca Bastons. He was walking at a brisk pace, passing in and out of the light and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. Wafts of blue smoke lingered behind him in the heavy air. The aroma reminded me of days spent fishing with my grandfather.

When I first heard its name, the Ro Dorado was barely a whisper. Somewhere in northern Argentina, up near the Bolivian border, there was a place called Salta. Golden dorados swam in spring-fed rivers tumbling out of the jungle there. These fish lived in water akin to a trout stream, but dwarfed their counterparts in size, splendor, and ferocity. Word was that in Ro Dorado these fish would rise to dry flies.

There is a passion and a comradery among dorado anglers here that is impossible to describe. You need to be on the water and in the fishing lodges of Argentina to appreciate the passion they have for their native fish. And San Fernando Lodge, which provides access to the Ro Dorado, is among the best places in the country to immerse yourself in the culture of Argentine dorado fishing.

Operated by Tuku Hunting & Fishing, San Fernando Lodge is set in the foothills of the Maz Gordo Mountains and surrounded by 65,000-acre Estancia San Fernando. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from Salta winds you through the landscapes of Parque Nacional El Rey to the small agricultural town of Las Lajitas. From here, a four-wheel-drive track leads into the jungle. Fields of sorghum, soybeans, and sugarcane plantations circled by massive flocks of doves give way to a forested landscape inhabited by toucans and tyrant flycatchers of exceptional variety.

San Fernando Lodge hosts just six anglers at a time and is all that remains of a former timber town that existed in the area in the early 1900s. Except for the occasional avocado, lime, or pomelo tree that now offer delightful treats for hungry anglers, the jungle has completely reclaimed the area and the landscape appears now as it may have prior to colonization.

The jungle in Salta is part of the Yungas bioregion which extends north into Bolivia and Peru. The Yungas is a warm, humid environment with high levels of annual rainfall. It defines a transitional zone on the eastern slope of the Andean Cordillera, extending from the highlands to the forested slopes below. The Yungas is home to a spellbinding diversity of plants and animals including South American tapirs, ocelots, and white-lipped peccarys.

There are many ways to catch dorados, but the techniques familiar to anglers on fisheries like the Paran River and the Iber Marshlands are less effective on the Ro Dorado. The fish that swim here inhabit a spring-fed river less than 50 feet wide in most sections. The river flows with luminous clarity much of the year and is flanked by dense jungle. These fish are hyper-aware of their environment. Streamers catch some dorados, but more often the noisy presentation and the vibration of the line spooks the fish here. Even a splashy dry-fly cast can shatter an opportunity.

The Ro Dorado is connected via a network of waterways to the Paran River, where sbalo are endemic. While knowledge of how dorados first arrived in Ro Dorado is unknown, the thinking is that dorados pursued sbalo up the Paran and Paraguay rivers into Ro Bermejo. The Bermejo is fed by Ro Teuco which connects to a wetland providing a migratory route for fish to reach Ro Dorado. But that connection to the outside world is fleeting.

The fishing season on Ro Dorado runs from March 1 to Nov. 30. Dorados spawn between December and February. Water levels must rise and remain elevated for several weeks to initiate the spawn, which coincides with the annual migration of sbalo on the Paran River. Millions of fish move through the system as they travel upstream. When the rainy season does provide enough flow for Ro Dorado to flood the wetland, fresh dorados swim into the river. These fish are evident by the red streak in their tail, an indicator of the stress of the migration. Migratory fish are typically less challenging to catch than resident fish, but develop behavior unique to Ro Dorado over time.

Dorado are open-water spawners. In an incredible feat of fecundity, the larger females release eggs that are fertilized by males and hatch in a mere 14 hours. The fry feed on insects in the shallows before gaining the size to feed on other fish. Caparrs said dorados in the Ro Dorado put on an average of two pounds annually. A massive flood in 2015 wiped out most of the dorados in the river, but the population has rebounded. Today, the biggest fish again tip the scales at more than 20 pounds.

Ro Dorado is one of several spring-fed dorado rivers in Salta, and not long ago many of the other rivers in the area also produced exceptional dorado fishing. Ro del Valle rises in the mountains not far from Ro Dorado in Parque Nacional El Rey. Ro de los Gallos flows just north of Ro Dorado from a canyon on the eastern slope of Cerro Ceibal. But despite a nationwide ban on the harvest of dorados, these fisheries and others have been decimated by poaching. The reason Ro Dorado remains a pristine fishery is due to its remote location, which makes access difficult, and the efforts of guides like Bastons and Caparrs who care deeply for the river and its fish.

The upper reaches of Ro Dorado snake through a precipitous gorge with rust-colored bluffs rising to verdant forest. Bromeliads cling to the cliffs, dotting the rufous stone with pockets of life. This day, the clouds above churned beneath an impossible sky. Agustn, Jos, Christine, and I had hiked nearly 10 kilometers upstream through the jungle, crossing the river countless times. My feet were swollen in my wading boots, my hands covered in bug bites. I was hungry and tired. But there were dorados here.

This time a dorado rose to her fly. A flash of gold surged from the river. Christine fought the fish to shore. Gone were thoughts of exhaustion and hunger and bugs. We were all laughing, consumed by a joy felt only by anglers on this river, out in the Yungas. This was the moment we came for, to witness this world and to be amazed.

Simms makes a BugStopper SolarFlex Hoody ($95) with UPF 50 sun protection and a camouflage pattern ideal for stalking dorados. The fabric is treated to ward away insects, which helps to keep the no-see-ums at bay. These shirts breathe well, dry quickly, and are just about perfect for the needs of anglers on Ro Dorado.

Moving through the jungle demands long pants or leggings. Simms BugStopper Leggings ($110) are a great choice for women. They have a camo design and are durable enough to withstand the rigors of the Yungas. Orvis Jackson Quick-Dry Shorts ($98) are a good choice for men to wear over a pair of leggings.

Saltwater lines like the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Infinity Textured Salt ($130) are the best bets for Ro Dorado. These saltwater lines resist abrasion and coiling, and the taper allows precision casting with smaller flies. Lines like the Jungle Titan are overweighted to cast larger streamers in other jungle rivers, but may not be delicate enough for sight-casting with smaller dry flies on the Ro Dorado.

Spotting fish is an essential skill on Ro Dorado, and quality polarized lenses are as essential as your rod and reel. We fished with Costa Jose Pro ($284) and Waterwoman ($224) sunglasses, and while Christine proved much more adept at spotting fish than I, the fault did not lie with the sunglasses. The degree of clarity Costa achieves with their performance lenses is exceptional for dorado fishing. Copper Silver Mirror lenses are best for the often shaded areas of the river.

Tuku Hunting & Fishing operates San Fernando Lodge and provides exclusive access to the upper Ro Dorado. The lodge hosts a maximum of six anglers. There are four beats for anglers to explore, three on the Ro Dorado and one on the Ro Seco, a spectacular dorado fishery in its own right. San Fernando Lodge is rustic, but comfortable. What it lacks in luxury it more than makes up for in warmth and character. Meals feature classic Argentine cuisine and regional wines that are sure to hit the spot after a long day on the water.

Ben Pierce and Christine Marozick own and operate Side Channel Productions in Belgrade, Montana. Both graduates of Montana State University, they produce fly-fishing and adventure travel films, photography, and stories for clients around the world.

Fly-fishing competition guys like Lance Egan and George Daniel figured out that you didn't always need to strip a streamer to draw a trout's attention. Sometimes a very slow, swinging and even hopping motion down deep was just what the fish were after. Egan has debuted his latest jig-hook streamer offering, and dubbed it the Poacher. It is not only a compelling fly to tie and fish, but the logic and thought process behind it are interesting as well.

A look back at Pandion Creative's film The Tightest Line that profiles several guides across the globe, after 10 years. Huge dry-fly browns, fly-eating sharks, Pacific Northwest steelhead, and a charming collective of thoughts and personalities on fly fishing.

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