Tsimane opens the possibility to fly fish for huge dorado in clear, small mountain rivers surrounded by virgin rainforest. Although the fish population remains completely untouched and feeding frenzies are frequent, anglers should also be prepared for more technical situations in which dorado appear more selective. Sight fishing in clear, shallow waters requires an accurate cast and a stealthy approach. Drye fly fishing during these hunts requires good speed and reflexes.
We fish with larger flies than most of our guests are accustomed to, and therefore it is essential to always pay attention to the recommendations of the pro guide.

We fish during the dry season, from May up to and including October, a period in which the most astonishing migration of sabalo and dorados in South America takes place. These fish arrive by the millions every year, seeking to find the breeding grounds where they then spawn from December to January. In addition to dorado, large pacú and yatorana can be caught, as well as occasionally striped surubi and a rare variety of dorado endemic to the Amazon basin. In order to provide a high-level program in such a remote and geographically complex area, we’ve designed a fishing program to help our guests to get the most out of their Tsimane experience.

OUR GOALS:

• Give our guests full access to the incredible richness this area has to offer.
• Rotate the beats to minimize fishing pressure.
• Fish with small groups in large areas to relieve the pressure.

90% of the fishing at Tsimane is done by wet wading in the river or fishing from the banks. The river structure varies tremendously from section to section, from sandy and small gravel beaches to sharp volcanic rock shoals, and then transitioning through all manner of freestones and boulder-strewn rivers. Wading is not difficult or dangerous, however there is a lot of it. We recommend guests to (at minimum) do a bit of walking or running the weeks prior to their visit.
Tsimane practices a strict catch-and-release policy for all species. We encourage avoiding unnecessary handling of the fish, and barbless hooks are mandatory. In this way we not only release the fish with minimal injuries, but also take care of you and fellow angler’s safety. A big fly crashing into somebody at almost 125 miles per hour might result in a serious wound, and a barbed hook is difficult to remove. Handling these fish requires special precautions, not only to avoid harming them but also to prevent injuries to anglers. All our fish species have very strong jaws and razor-sharp teeth. The release of the fish should be done carefully, taking the necessary time for the fish to eventually heal.

Tackle

We recommend 8- or 9-weight rods for one hand. The ideal is to carry two 8/9 rods, one rigged with a floating line and the other with a clear-tip intermediate line. It is recommended to bring one or two extra rods. The leader is an eight-foot 40 lb. straight fluorocarbon shock leader tied to a 40 lb. 15/20” wire tippet.We strongly recommend Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS 350 rods, Nautilus NV-G 9/9 reels, Scientific Anglers Mastery Jungle Titan 9 lines (special for the jungle), Absolute Fluorocarbon shock leader and Absolute Predator 7x7 knottable wire from Scientific Anglers.We will have a small fly shop with lines, fluorocarbon, wire and an assortment of flies at the hotel.

Wading

The outfit you need is simple: long quick-drying pants, long-sleeved quick-drying shirts or hoodies, felt sole wading boots, neoprene socks, and a 100% waterproof backpack for transporting your gear while wading. Please do not bring rubber-soled wading boots; they do not work on the slippery bottom of the headwaters and could be uncomfortable.

Flies

We chiefly use imitations of baitfish, large insects, and fruits, as well as poppers, sliders, and divers. Black-colored streamers or deceivers with red, yellow, orange, green, or violet tails are the most frequently chosen. The most popular pattern is the Andino Deceiver (created by Carlos Ingrasia from Argentina) in black with different combinations of tails, 4 to 8 inches long, with 3/0 or 4/0 barbless hooks. The strength of the fish in Tsimane requires high-quality saltwater hooks. The Andino Deceiver is similar to other deceivers, save for its muddler head and chain or bronze eyes (depending on how deep it´s intended to work). However, other fish imitations have also proven to be truly efficient, such as Puglisi streamers in medium and large sizes, Lefty Deceivers, the Sabalo Snake from Umpqua, and others. Flies with excessive flashabou are not recommended. Foam poppers, Titanic Sliders, mice, Dahlberg Divers, and Pole Dancers are excellent options to lure dorado on surface. Flies such as the Chernobyl Ant and other large imitations of ground insects are great for pacú and yatorana.

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