Golden Dorado on the Fly

Golden Dorado may be one of the most under-looked sport fisheries in the Americas. It doesn't have the mystique of Bonefish, Trout,...

Golden Dorado may be one of the most under-looked sport fisheries in the Americas. It doesn't have the mystique of Bonefish, Trout, Steelhead or Tarpon, but it probably should. These mean critters can get big, they are aggressive and they eat all sorts of flies that are used for other scenarios.

Golden Dorado live in freshwater rivers of South America, from Brazil to Paraguay to Argentina and Bolivia, in the heart of the rain forest. Most anglers target them in Bolivia or Argentina due to the ease and safety of traveling through those countries, as well as the established guide services and lodges that are available. There is a well-established industry in those countries that serve fly anglers from across the globe.

These are not to be confused with the saltwater species of Dorado, which is also a fantastic yellow color. Those are also called Mahi-Mahi or Dolphinfish in other locations. These Golden Dorado are a whole different ballgame.

Golden Dorado are gorgeous, vicious and strong

These golden fish can be brilliantly yellow with blue speckles, but they have a familiarly "trouty" look to them, especially the smaller ones. You might mistake them for a Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout if it wasn't for the tropical rain forest.

Dorado can be really aggressive, taking top water poppers and divers, as well as big streamer patterns under the surface. They have a tendency to go airborne a few times during their fight and are well known for fighting harder and longer than their size would indicate.

That being said, one other thing they are known for is being finicky and lazy as well. Sort of like trout.... How does that work? At times, they will chase and hit everything, but other times they will only lazily follow for a few feet and then give up. Sounds like a lot of trout that I have known.

Redington Predator was made for this

Dorado feed in faster currents than trout, and getting a fly to any fish that is in the thickest part of a heavy current is a tough proposition. That can be the trickiest part. The fish that is out in the current wants to eat, but you can't get a fly to it, and the fish you can get flies to don't want to eat.

Dorado can range in size greatly. In many places, they are about the size of trout, 12-18", but the big fish we are looking for can grow much larger than 20 pounds.

Tackle will include big rods and heavy lines. A stout 9 or 10 weight should suffice, but if you are going to go down there, do a couple of things. 1) Hire a guide/outfitter. 2) Ask them for a list of flies and gear. 3) Get those things. If your guide says to bring an 11wt, bring it. If he says an 8wt is good, bring that.

Cheeky Limitless will not disappoint

For rods, I would bring a stiff rod like a Redington Predator or TFO Clouser, but there are other models that are just as capable. I would get a hefty reel with a stout drag. The Loop Evotec, Cheeky Limitless or Redington Grande would make my list. For lines, I would have a floating line and a sink tip line. Water temps range from 65 to 85 degrees, so a tropical line is likely going to be a better choice than a cold water line, but check with your guides first. Rio's Outbound Short Tropical is the standard line for such scenarios. It comes in both a floating and a sink tip version. Rio's Bonefish Quickshooter is another good choice. Royal Wulff's Bermuda Short is a third great line option. It will all depend on the rod weight and what flies you are using as the Outbound Short handles larger patterns but is kinda clunky, and the Bonefish Quickshooter doesn't do XL flies, but it does make quick, easy casts.

Andino Deceiver - #1 choice

There are a lot of flies that will work for these fish. The guys that have done it a bunch will tell you that it is more about the size and profile than anything else. A big, dark fly with a nice profile (like a spun deer head) will out-fish anything else. I would recommend flies with stainless steel hooks, because of how strong these fish are, but it is not 100% necessary as you are in freshwater, not salt. Bring a bunch of flies from a size #4 to a #4/0 just to cover your bases. Make sure that you bring weighted and unweighted flies, big flies, flashy flies and topwater flies.