Fly Fishing Patagonia - Fly Fishing Argentina, Freshwater Dorado: Argentina Golden Dorado Fly Fishing, Rio Corrientes, Esteros de Ibera

Our Argentina Dorado fishing waters are the Corriente and Parana rivers, as well as the Parana River Delta. This delta is a labyrinth of water and vegetation channels created by the convergence of the two rivers at the town of Esquina. Esquina and Corrientes province recognized the ecological importance of the area by designating it a natural reserve.

The Corriente River starts 350 kilometers upriver from Esquina, where it is formed by waters draining from the Esteros de Ibera (Ibera Marshlands). Although the still waters of the Ibera Marshland hold Dorado, success depends on precise and delicate casts. However, the moving waters of the Corriente River and Parana River Delta have significant current that creates eddies, runs, fast channels, and drop-offs. These characteristics make it easier and more exciting than Dorado fishing in slow or still water. We consider these waters to be the greatest Dorado fishing in Argentina.

We use only the finest Argentina fishing guides in Corrientes, and offer fast access to these diverse and Dorado fly fishing waters. You will be wading and casting from a comfortable and spacious motorized boat similar to a Carolina Skiff.

Hot spots are narrow, shallow channels, mouths of channels, and drop- offs. The Golden Dorado mostly eats other fish, including piranha, but will attack almost any well-presented 4 inch fly or crank bait. Dorado fly fishing is the most popular however, bait casting rods are also extremely effective. (Note: bait casting does not mean bait fishing!) Crank baits can induce incredible strikes on the surface or subsurface.

Most angler catch is about 20 dorado per day and 50 fish days are not unheard of. Average size is 8 pounds but 17-20 pound fish are also common.

The waters hold many species including Surubi catfish, Tararira, Palometa, Piranha, Sabalo, Boga, Pacu, Chafalote or Dogfish and Pira Pita. The Dorado, Dogfish, and Palometa are the most common species caught by fly or crank bait in the Esquina, area.
The sub tropical climate of northern Argentina is teeming with exotic animals in and out of the water. While fly fishing for Dorado you will see water buffalo, the caiman, flamingos, the capybara and many other exotic species

Dorado fishing Argentina

Despite the hostile demeanor of the Dorado, it is actually quite sensitive. When a Dorado is exhausted it will asphyxiate faster than even trout, so special care is taken while fighting and releasing the fish. If they are not revived completely before released, they will likely fall prey to piranha. Taking the hook out and taking pictures should happen within seconds.

Dorado Fishing Argentina Season: All year
Best: Nov 1 - May 31
Good: May 31 – Sept 31

Please note that a good day of Argentina Dorado fishing depends more on the conditions of rivers and weather, and less upon the particular time of year.

Many of our guests wish to combine Golden Dorado fly fishing with trout fishing in Northern Patagonia or Central Patagonia for a complete Fly Fishing Argentina adventure. We can put you in touch with various guests who have done this program. Please contact us for availability.

Dorado Fishing Guides
Our Dorado fishing guides are capable of guiding both fly and crank bait casting anglers. They will help you select a fly or lure, demonstrate presentation, and put you in front of fish at any given time or water level. It has taken our guides years to know the hundreds of square miles of the Corriente and Parana River Deltas, which are a disorienting labyrinth of channels, islands and wetlands. Our guides know this area well enough to find their way home in the dark.

Hunting Guides
If you are an angler who also likes to hunt, rest assured, our hunting guides are also the finest in the area. They have years experience, local knowledge and a great deal of enthusiasm. Our professional wing shooting guides are proficient at duck, dove, Perdiz and pigeon hunting. Some of which bring ducks into the spread by mouth calling only while others have trained the retrievers and Brittneys you will be hunting with.

Ruben Casares (fishing)

Local head guide, Ruben Casares, has years of experience fishing northern Argentine waters and has been featured on covers of popular fishing magazines. Ruben is also the frequent winner of well known and very competitive fishing competitions in this area. You can see him accepting yet another trophy at the Fiesta de Pacu in 2005 at www.e-portalsur.com.ar/fiestanacionalpacu/.

When he first came to Esquina from Buenos Aires to guide, he had little more than a fishing pole. Today, he owns 5 boats all equipped with 80-90 horsepower outboard motors. He is well known in the area, Buenos Aires and even Brazil, for no guide knows these waters better than Ruben.

When you first get in Ulysses’s boat, you may look at his serious face and think it’s going to be a long day. But when you see how fast he put you on fish and how well he positions the boat for the casters you’ll think differently. See how long it takes you to figure out how he maneuvers the boat so perfectly.

His sense of awareness also makes him an excellent bird hunting guide. He has over 10 years experience of guiding dove and ducks in the region of Corrientes. He started as a bird boy in his early teens and has since developed into a highly skilled guide. He is known for his ability to effectively call in ducks with nothing but his hands and mouth. Oh and don’t be fooled by the quiet serious face, Ulysses has a great sense of humor.

Oscar’s organizational skills and level of professionalism assure our international guests they have made the right choice. He is a cofounder and chief guide for Wing Shooting Argentina and Fly Fishing Patagonia.

Oscar grew up in Buenos Aires, were he spent the weekends with his father fishing for Golden Dorado on the Corriente River. As a teenager, he traveled several times to fish in Patagonia. In the early 90’s, he had a fishing shop in Buenos Aires but gave it up in 1993 to be a guide and live in Patagonia.
Oscar has worked in Italy, Mexico, and British Columbia, and fished from Venezuela to Colorado, and New York to the Florida Keys. His ability to catch fish is uncanny and his guiding skills are simply unbeatable. His lightheartedness can brighten the gloomiest fishing day with a laid back smile and a “No problem” attitude.

Marcelo Gianecchini is a bilingual native guide whose talents stretch farther then his several years fishing and guiding for Dorado on the local waters. On dry land, Marcelo is a wildlife oil painter and sells his art work locally, in Buenos Aires and in Patagonia. Most of his paintings are on pieces of clothing such as T-shirts, fishing vest or aprons. His favorite animal to paint is the Dorado, although he paints almost all the animals in the area, as well as some animals from Patagonia. He is the illustrator for the book "Patagonia and Antarctica Field Guide," by Marcelo Beccaceci.