{"id":924,"date":"2018-12-18T12:46:21","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T12:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/?p=924"},"modified":"2018-12-18T14:45:00","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T14:45:00","slug":"golden-dorado-on-ht8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/2018\/12\/18\/golden-dorado-on-ht8\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden Dorado on HT8"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photos just in from Tim Kempton who has been having a lot of fun!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

HOT TORPEDO <\/span><\/span>FOR <\/span><\/span>GOLDEN DORADO IN ARGENTINA<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

– TIM KEMPTON<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I travelled <\/span><\/span>with an Irish friend Fergus <\/span><\/span>to Argentina via Paraguay and the Iguazu Falls to the <\/span><\/span>Ibera<\/span><\/span>Wetlands<\/span><\/span> Reserve on the Corrientes River<\/span><\/span> in Northern <\/span><\/span>Eastern <\/span><\/span>Argentina<\/span><\/span>. \u00a0This <\/span><\/span>Wetlands <\/span><\/span>Reserve <\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span> 1.3 million hectares<\/span><\/span> is one of <\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span>he most important in South America<\/span><\/span>, and was established to preserve many of the <\/span><\/span>endangered fish, animals and birds. \u00a0We stayed at Pira Lodge on the border of the National Park, and fished the wetlands by flats boat. \u00a0Jose was our guide<\/span><\/span>. We marvelled at his knowledge of all the \u201croads\u201d and \u201ctracks\u201d through the marshes.<\/span><\/span> He zipped through this virtual maze at 25 knots.<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.frequently stopping to clear weed from the propeller.m<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Our fishing was from 8<\/span><\/span> am to 12, and then 4 pm to 8pm. A <\/span><\/span>3 hour<\/span><\/span> siesta is standard in Argentina. Dinner at 9. The meals were <\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>ordon <\/span><\/span>B<\/span><\/span>leau<\/span><\/span>, as they <\/span><\/span>had some of the most renowned chefs in Argentina. No ordinary fishing <\/span><\/span>camp<\/span><\/span>!<\/span><\/span> Fergus has been practising Spanish and did a great job <\/span><\/span>with the translation.<\/span><\/span>Fergipedia<\/span><\/span> was our constant source of information.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Golden <\/span><\/span>Dorado <\/span><\/span>(<\/span><\/span>Salminus<\/span><\/span> brasiliensis<\/span><\/span>) <\/span><\/span>are a<\/span><\/span> pri<\/span><\/span>z<\/span><\/span>ed <\/span><\/span>freshwater<\/span><\/span> sport fish<\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span>the central <\/span><\/span>parts of <\/span><\/span>South America<\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span>They are not related to the saltwater mahi <\/span><\/span>mahi<\/span><\/span> (<\/span><\/span>dorado<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span>The prime season is during the summer from November to April. They <\/span><\/span>are temperature sensitive <\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span>prefer the hotter <\/span><\/span>weather<\/span><\/span>(<\/span><\/span>20-28<\/span><\/span>o<\/span><\/span>C)<\/span><\/span>. They <\/span><\/span>move up and down the rivers<\/span><\/span>depending on the water tem<\/span><\/span>perature.<\/span><\/span> T<\/span><\/span>hey strike aggressively, have a large head with powerful jaws filled with sharp, fly destroying teeth. \u00a0The are a magnificent golden colour, hence the name. You kn<\/span><\/span>o<\/span><\/span>w when you have hooked a Dorado, there is a large boil <\/span><\/span>behind<\/span><\/span> the fly, <\/span><\/span>a savage strike<\/span><\/span>. Strip strike <\/span><\/span>and the <\/span><\/span>D<\/span><\/span>orado<\/span><\/span> leaps<\/span><\/span> many times <\/span><\/span>out of the water<\/span><\/span>\u2026dip the rod tip to the water when they jump and steer the fish back into the water. Don\u2019t <\/span><\/span>trout strike, don\u2019t <\/span><\/span>allow and slack or they will throw the hook.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span><\/span> fished with two<\/span><\/span> Hot Torpedo rods<\/span><\/span>, a<\/span><\/span>n<\/span><\/span> 8 <\/span><\/span>wt<\/span><\/span> rod <\/span><\/span>fitted <\/span><\/span>with <\/span><\/span>a <\/span><\/span>WF8F <\/span><\/span>(floating) <\/span><\/span>line and one with <\/span><\/span>WFS<\/span><\/span>(sinking<\/span><\/span> Rio Leviathan 250g) line depending on the depth of the water<\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span>We used mostly streamers, and mouse patterns in the late afternoon in the shallows. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes<\/span><\/span> the dorado work together like a squadron of jet fighters to school up bait fish, and strikes on surface gurglers are spectacular. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jose poled stealthily along the edges of the wetlands. We saw lots of wildlife and birds including the <\/span><\/span>worlds<\/span><\/span> largest <\/span><\/span>large rodent (<\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>apybara), <\/span><\/span>M<\/span><\/span>ar<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>h deer, <\/span><\/span>O<\/span><\/span>tters, <\/span><\/span>Caimen<\/span><\/span> (freshwater <\/span><\/span>alligator<\/span><\/span>) and lots of <\/span><\/span>water <\/span><\/span>birds \u00a0<\/span><\/span>(<\/span><\/span>including the <\/span><\/span>Jacanas and Jabiru). \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The weather was variable. Some days no wind and hot (30-35<\/span><\/span>o<\/span><\/span>C). Other days overcast, windy and cold. There had been rain the week before we arrived, the river <\/span><\/span>had <\/span><\/span>r<\/span><\/span>isen<\/span><\/span> a metre, and together with the cold snap the fish shut down for <\/span><\/span>several<\/span><\/span> days. <\/span><\/span>Plenty of casting practice<\/span><\/span> in the wind.<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.cold<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> wet and no fish!\u00a0<\/span><\/span>This was one of those trips…<\/span><\/span>Jose said \u201c<\/span><\/span>you should have been here last week<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

First cast <\/span><\/span>Fergus weighed some at 8 lbs<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>..most<\/span><\/span> were 5-8 lb range. <\/span><\/span>One morning he caught <\/span><\/span>another<\/span><\/span> fish on his first cast.<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.in his classic Fergus <\/span><\/span>Irish <\/span><\/span>brogue he said<\/span><\/span> to me<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.keep casting until you <\/span><\/span>catch<\/span><\/span> a fish\u2026two hours <\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span>250 casts later Jose declared it was time to go for lunch<\/span><\/span>. They just weren\u2019t feeding. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We were fishing 40\/30lb Green Maxima leaders with 30lb Rio <\/span><\/span>PowerFlex<\/span><\/span> Wire Bite Tippet. \u00a0This setup seemed <\/span><\/span>at first <\/span><\/span>an overkill and prevented the fish making <\/span><\/span>m<\/span><\/span>any runs<\/span><\/span>\u2026we did not fight them on the reel.<\/span><\/span> We soon discovered that <\/span><\/span>this was required to keep the fish out of the <\/span><\/span>weeds<\/span><\/span>..<\/span><\/span>once<\/span><\/span> in the weeds they were hard to dislodge<\/span><\/span>. \u00a0The <\/span><\/span>D<\/span><\/span>orado usually destroyed the flies after 2-3 fish. They mangled the Rio bite wire and it had to be replaced frequently. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A fish over 10lb is regarded as a trophy. I hooked one, it dived into the weeds and the weed acted as a <\/span><\/span>dehooker<\/span><\/span>. I hooked another that looked like a suitcase under water.<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.all was going well until the only <\/span><\/span>small <\/span><\/span>pi<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>ce of weed floating down the river became entangled around the line\u2026it ran down the line and again \u2026 another <\/span><\/span>dehooker<\/span><\/span>\u2026the<\/span><\/span> fish won\u2026the<\/span><\/span>re is a lot of weed<\/span><\/span>!<\/span><\/span> The biggest Jose has seen landed was 23lb.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We caught other species.<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>.San Antonio, Pira Pita and <\/span><\/span>Palomata<\/span><\/span> (a species of <\/span><\/span>wetlands <\/span><\/span>Piranha<\/span><\/span>).<\/span><\/span> Piranhas have one of the strongest bites found in bony fishes.<\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span>he <\/span><\/span>Piranha<\/span><\/span> ha<\/span><\/span>ve <\/span><\/span>awesome teeth and completely destroyed the flies.<\/span><\/span> It is apparently a myth that Piranhas attack people\u2026make<\/span><\/span>s for good <\/span><\/span>comics and <\/span><\/span>movies!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When the weather was kind to us, the sight fishing was spectacular. The water was gin clear and we <\/span><\/span>could<\/span><\/span> to hunt the <\/span><\/span>D<\/span><\/span>orado. Long casts and delicate placement of the fly. Land the fly near <\/span><\/span>t<\/span><\/span>he fish and they would attack it. At other times, <\/span><\/span>we <\/span><\/span>fish<\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span> the fast<\/span><\/span>, deeper<\/span><\/span> water<\/span><\/span> with the sinking lines.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span><\/span> totally <\/span><\/span>amazing experience.<\/span><\/span> Dorado are a great sportfish\u2026they give aggressive <\/span><\/span>takes, \u00a0jump<\/span><\/span> and lot and fight hard.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fergus!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photos just in from Tim Kempton who has been having a lot of fun! HOT TORPEDO FOR GOLDEN DORADO IN ARGENTINA – TIM KEMPTON I travelled with an Irish friend Fergus to Argentina via Paraguay and the Iguazu Falls to the IberaWetlands Reserve on the Corrientes River in Northern Eastern Argentina. \u00a0This Wetlands Reserve of … Continue reading “Golden Dorado on HT8”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=924"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":947,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924\/revisions\/947"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sexyloops.com\/htoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}