I have been fascinated by foreign nature and culture since I was a child. This is especially true if you grew up in the GDR, where traveling in this way was often not possible. The idea of hunting together with very native Indians in the untouched rainforest of the Amazon was fascinating to me. That’s why I decided to fish for Golden Dorado in Bolivia.
There are numerous colorful butterflies to see in the rainforest.
Via Sao Paolo in Brazil, a major hub in South America, we went to Santa Cruz in Bolivia. Santa Cruz is a large city in the lowlands of Bolivia, near the foothills of the Andes.
You will be flown into the Tsimane area with a small propeller plane, from where you will then take motorized wooden canoes to the lodge.
You will be flown into the Tsimane area with a small propeller plane.
The jungle is very pristine, plants and animals are everywhere and if you can get involved with it, a great adventure begins in the beauty of the rainforest.
The breathtaking nature inspires great awe.
The entire team at the lodge is very helpful, always friendly and accommodating. In all my travels to very different regions of the world, I find one thing particularly important and that is the respectful treatment of nature, people and culture.
The guides are very well trained and highly motivated – this is particularly important on a trip to the rainforest. It is impressive how skillfully the local guides handle the boats.
Fly fishing for Golden Dorado in Bolivia is extremely exciting and I was quickly able to spot the first fish in the clear water. Most of these were sabalo, similar to a smaller species of barbel. These are the main food of the powerful golden dorados, which are the main goal of this journey. They are good at jumping out of the water and have very strong jaws with smaller teeth, so a steel leader should be used.
The Tsimane use the good visibility of the water to hunt with bows, the traditional way of fishing.
Here it caught a Sabalo with impressive precision.
Dorados are good at jumping out of the water and have very strong jaws with smaller teeth, so you should use a steel leader. Before you know it, the fly is attacked aggressively and the fish tries to assert itself in an exciting fight.
Fighting Dorados are a goal of the trip, landing is a particularly delicate moment.
Many beautiful butterflies can be seen on the banks. Macaws fly back and forth between treetops, screeching loudly.
Colorful macaws fly around in the Santa Cruise animal park, and the birds of the forest can be experienced up close here.
Jaguars roam through their territory and their footprints are often seen. With a bit of luck you can see tapirs who like to take a cool bath in the river during the hot lunchtime.
Fresh tracks from the tapir.
Jaguar tracks are impressive due to their size.
Kaimane ruhen am Ufer und warten auf den richtigen Moment, um Beute zu machen. Teilweise begegnet man Affengruppen. Trotzdem ist ein Bad im Fluss unproblematisch und sehr angenehm.
Caimans rest on the shore, waiting for the right moment to take prey. Sometimes you come across groups of monkeys. Nevertheless, a swim in the river is unproblematic and very pleasant.
A caiman of approx. 2.5m that is said to have been killed by a jaguar.
Bats come out at dusk. You hear a lot of noises that you can’t identify at all. What always fascinates me is when human noises can no longer be heard, only nature.
The toucan is another resident of the forest.
Due to the clear water in the rivers we were also able to regularly see dorado. Sometimes they were in a feeding mood and hunted the Sabalos. Their tactic was often for a group of dorado to drive a school of forage fish into the very shallow water so that the big feeding could begin there.
The guides navigate skillfully through the fast water.
The dorados were not afraid to go into sometimes extremely shallow water. In these moments, the peace and quiet was completely over and fly fishermen had to act (fish) quickly, but still quietly and precisely.
First schools of fish near the shore.
The first attempt should be several strip strikes, but do not neglect the tension on the line. The fish often reacts with strong jumps and a wild fight in fast water. If you are lucky enough to have caught a large Golden Dorado in Bolivia, you will realize what a powerhouse you have in your hands. The golden color with the brown and green tones of the rainforest complement each other wonderfully in photos or videos.
The first gold bar.
The river also offers extremely powerful Pacus, which can only be stopped on their first escapes by crossing the opposite bank.
A Pacu that belongs to the Piranha family and is extremely strong in fighting.
The lodges are very pleasant and relaxing, the rooms are stylishly furnished. The food is delicious. There is a small shop for essential fishing equipment as well as souvenirs.
The lodge on the banks of the river, safe from flooding.
Getting together with the guides and other fly fishermen, who have all come from all over the world, is very pleasant and informative. The idea for further fishing trips often arises on such evenings.
The guides will be happy to help you prepare the equipment.
A dream has come true for me.
Another beautiful Golden Dorado.
A positive side effect is the knowledge that my trip supports, among other things, the fishing organization’s significant protection of the area from poaching and deforestation. Unfortunately, I am aware that long-haul flights are anything but good for the climate.
We were the exotic people who were admired.
I am very concerned about the reports about the current extreme drought, which is causing large numbers of fish deaths and having dire effects on plants and animals in general.
Boat with locals waits patiently and the foothills of the Andes can be seen in the background.