Report by Helge Vetås
When the weather and temperature are perfect. The river conditions are very good, and you as the fisher are in the right place at the right time. Then the fishing can be very good.
That is exactly what we experienced in Esquina on our Golden Dorado trip this January, and that is what this report is about.
Pictures and film from the stay follow below.
My fishing companion on the trip, Lars J. from Sweden, has joined Golden Dorado fishing twice before in recent years. But fishing like this trip was beyond all expectations. One fine Dorado after another was hooked, and many were landed.
Absolutely fantastic Helge, Lars exclaimed after only a few days' fishing. This surpasses most of what I have experienced so far.
Yours truly also landed a very large number of fish. Some of them very large fish too. Fish and situations that will be remembered for a long time. Like when I got Lars's fly at full speed straight into my cheek. That is the sort of thing that can happen when, as a fisher, you have made your back cast and are on the way forward with your overhead cast, just as an unexpected gust of wind hits. But after a short break and a quick trip to the local hospital, it was straight back to the boat to continue fishing. It became an extra story, and the sort of thing that can happen to even the most experienced fisher.
A story that shows the brutality, aggression and rock-hard instinct these fish have developed.
During the stay, we saw a film clip from the same area where some local fishers were playing a Dorado of around 8 kg. Just as they were about to net the fish, a monster Dorado suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked the 8-kilo fish, which was almost ready for netting. The monster Dorado clipped/bit, in one snap, the 8-kilo fish clean in half. This happened in one second, and the fisher and the two other fishers were more or less in shock. They assumed the monster Dorado was over 20 kilos. This shows the hard instinct, and that the jaws and teeth of a mature Dorado are not to be taken lightly. You must be careful, while at the same time large flies trigger large fish :-)
I have fished for many years for many different species, both in saltwater and freshwater. But none of the species I have fished for and landed has come close to the brutality of a mature Dorado when it takes my fly.
It is completely wild and incredibly fun / Helge.
We have experienced that a Golden Dorado takes many different flies, both in terms of colour and size. What we strongly recommend is a proper high-quality hook, regardless of fly size. We also feel that a black wing shows well under many conditions. On this year's trip, a black wing between 10 and 15 cm was best. Here are some details that may be useful for those of you considering a Golden Dorado fishing trip.
We recommend:
Hook: Owner or Gamakatsu. 5/0.
Wing: Black with touches of red or yellow, wing length from 10 to 15 cm
Fly line: SA Floating / Intermediate tip #8. Titan Jungle Sonar or similar.
Steel wire from fly to leader approx. 15-20 cm, 50 lbs.
On this and the previous trip, our N2 fly rod at 9.6 ft in class 8 with Diablo reel 5/7 SE was the combination that produced the most fish, and it is now also used by our guides for private fishing. This is a very good combination, which we strongly recommend together with the lines, hooks and more mentioned above.
Many thanks to the lodge team and guide for a brilliant stay. We are already looking forward to returning in November. ARRIBA.
Yes, that was another fantastic Golden Dorado trip story. Thanks to Lars and everyone else who made this such a pleasant and good trip. November is not far away, and we hope the conditions are just as good and that we can once again experience the Tiger's brutal take.
If any of you reading this would like to join 2instincts in Argentina for Dorado fishing in Esquina in November, you are very welcome to get in touch for details.
We will also soon update details on 2instincts.no
Golden Dorado regards
Helge Vetås
+47 92410513
helge@2instincts.no