With the impending depature for South America, I’ve spent surprisingly little time getting ready. I’ve hardly tied a fly and – equipment wise – am relying purely on what I own.

So to get to get back on the program, here is the first of my must fish for South America.

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My first run in with a Golden Dorado was while enjoying a hearty Argentinian asado (braai) that had an endless amount of beef, pork and goat. Over the fire place was a trophy mount of a big golden fish that reminded me in some of a Tigerfish. It must have run 40lbs and my gob-smacked stare brought the attention of the one of our hosts. “Dorado”, he said in broken English. “We go fish?”

“Hell yes please!”  And so a little I found myself on the banks of the Panana River armed with a light spinning rod and a grinning host. The rods were the only ones my willing host could find and his grin seemed to hide more than it told – plus that fish on the wall did not encourage the tackle choice! “These fish are heavy, rods too small but so so.” was all he had to smile within once cracking that grin. I soon found out he wasn’t lying. I got smashed up by three in the next hour. I never hooked a small one and only ever saw them cartwheeling somewhere close to the opposite side of the river. An hour was all I had and I left with vendetta.

With all the recent rage about Golden Dorado, there’s not much more I need to say that you haven’t already heard. It’s just a matter of getting my own!

Below is a pic of Francois Botha cradling gold…  (Pic from his Tsimane, Bolivia gallery)