Agua Negra
The Hunt After the Rain
Week 11 brought a great group to Agua Negra, with Mark Lewis as host, joined by Ross Currier, Dave Lange, Scott Currier and Ralph Carter.
Fishing remained excellent throughout the week, even as heavy rain raised the rivers and transformed the conditions. Rather than shutting things down, the new water triggered remarkable activity: sábalo were moving, dorado began hunting throughout the system, and large concentrations of cormorants gathered along the banks.
What followed included Ross’s biggest dorado of the week, Mark’s first pacú on a fly intended for dorado, and an extraordinary final session in which Ralph and Dave landed 11 dorado in a single hour.
It was one of those weeks when changing water didn’t simply alter the fishing. It created the story.
5 Mark (host), Ross, Dave, Scott & Ralph.
The first two days brought very good weather before several significant rain events arrived and began changing the rivers. Despite the rain and rising water, fishing remained excellent. The dorado responded actively to the new conditions, and the week continued to provide opportunities even as the environment around us changed.
The rain raised the rivers and created a particularly interesting scenario. Dorado began hunting sábalo throughout the system, while huge concentrations of cormorants gathered along the banks to take advantage of the remains. The combination created an impressive spectacle above and below the surface, and concentrated dorado in several areas. This week, the rising water wasn’t simply something to work around: it became part of what drove the fishing.
Catch of the Week
One Short Cast
Ross landed the largest dorado of the week on Agua Negra, and he didn’t need a long cast to find it.
The opportunity appeared almost directly in front of the boat. A very short cast was all that separated Ross from the fish, followed immediately by an incredible fight.
There were encounters with even larger dorado throughout the week, several of which came frustratingly close to being landed. But Ross’s fish was the one that made it all the way.
A brief window, a short cast, and one of the week’s defining battles.
Memorable Moments
The Wrong Fly, the Right Fish
Mark landed his first pacú on the Sécure, but not in the way he might have expected.
The fish took a large dorado fly, surprising Mark not only with the fight that followed, but with the size of the fly the pacú had decided to eat.
His first pacú became another reminder that these rivers don’t always follow the script.
Eleven Dorado. One Hour.
Ralph and Dave saved something extraordinary for their final day.
Fishing the Lower Agua Negra, they landed 11 dorado in a single hour of fishing.
After a week in which the rain had repeatedly transformed the rivers, their final session became perhaps the clearest expression of just how active the fish had become under the new conditions.
Scott’s Final-Day Turnaround
Scott had already experienced several excellent opportunities during the week, but too many of them had slipped away.
Then came the final day.
He found himself in repeated hunting situations and finished the trip with more than seven dorado, turning a week of near misses into a remarkable closing session.
Looking Ahead
Week 11 showed the rivers in motion.
Rain raised the water, sábalo moved, cormorants gathered, and dorado responded by hunting throughout the system. From Ross’s short-range encounter to Mark’s unexpected pacú and the extraordinary final sessions for Ralph, Dave and Scott, the changing conditions became part of what made the week so productive.
By the end, the river had made one thing particularly clear: high water doesn’t always mean fewer opportunities. Sometimes, it creates entirely new ones.
Ezequiel, Guides & Staff
Agua Negra Lodge, 2026
Gallery
