Tariquía
The Margin for Error
Week six of our second season in Tariquía brought a very different river from the one we had seen just days before.
Temperatures were rising. Fish were moving.
Opportunities were increasing.
But easier conditions did not mean easy fishing.
Our group arrived on Saturday from several corners of the world.
A Brazilian family of three, a father traveling with his daughter and son. Big Fish Bill from the United States, an expert angler, an old friend and a familiar face from previous Untamed adventures. And Oleg from Russia, together with Vicente from Argentina, manager of Pluma Lodge at Tsimane, our sister destination.
The afternoon was spent recovering from the journey, preparing gear and getting ready for six days in the Yungas, and, of course, enjoying some of the incredible food coming out of Gonza’s kitchen.
Day 01 | First Opportunities
The first morning opened under clear skies, with the Yungas stretching ahead and temperatures already beginning to climb.
After the helicopter and river safety briefings, the teams headed out. As the day warmed, the fish began to show.
Fede was fishing with Oleg and Vicente, both experienced golden dorado anglers. Oleg had arrived with an injured wrist, hardly ideal in a fishery where casting is such a fundamental part of the game. Working around the injury and following Fede’s instructions, both anglers found fish, with Oleg landing one of the better dorado of the day.
On another section of river, Juanchi was guiding Catarina and her father.
For Catarina, this was her first encounter with golden dorado. It became a memorable one.
She connected solidly with her first fish and stayed calm throughout the fight, following Juanchi’s instructions until a 92 cm golden dorado finally reached the net.
First dorado. Ninety-two centimeters. Not a bad
way to begin.
Congratulations, Catarina!
Day 02 | The River Gets Technical
Conditions continued to improve, and the increase in fish activity was immediately noticeable. In a single day, we landed more fish than during the entire previous week.
But the river was far from easy. It was technical.
Every extra foot of casting distance mattered. Line control was critical. Retrieve speed could make the difference. And when a dorado finally committed, a solid strip-set often separated a fish in the net from another missed opportunity.
The river was making its rules clear.
Oleg and Vicente kept finding fish, adding a
couple more to their growing tally.
Congratulations, guys!
But once again, the day belonged to Catarina.
She connected with another dorado measuring over 90 centimeters. This fish took her deep into the backing twice and cleared the water several times during the fight.
What stood out most was not the size of the fish. It was Catarina’s composure. She listened to Juanchi, never rushed the fight and kept control until the fish finally came to hand.
That is how big dorado are landed.
Late in the afternoon, however, the week took an unexpected turn.
A strong southern wind arrived quickly, making the helicopter pickup unsafe. Two of the three teams would spend the night on the river.
Our guides are used to operating in remote sections of the Yungas, and the teams settled in for the night with the rafts as mattresses and a wood fire for warmth. The only real hardship: missing Gonza’s cooking.
It was not part of the plan. But in Tariquía, the river and the weather always have a say.
Day 03 | A Day to Reset
After an uncomfortable night on the river and a significant drop in temperature, the team decided to spend the day at the lodge.
Time to recover energy and muscles and, perhaps most importantly, to make up for the culinary deprivation of the previous night.
The Yungas would still be there tomorrow.
Day 04 | Making Every Chance Count
By Day 4, conditions looked almost ideal again. Clear skies. Comfortable temperatures. A warming afternoon ahead.
Oleg was now fishing with Juanchi, who adjusted the approach around his injured wrist. Short instructions. Minimal unnecessary movement. Maximum efficiency.
The idea was simple: use as little effort as possible in an environment that demands plenty of it, and make each opportunity count.
Oleg landed two beautiful dorado.
Great job, team!
Over with Fidel’s team, Big Fish Bill would have his moment.
He put a beautiful fish on the board, along with a couple of mistakes that he would pay dearly for.
In this fishery, lifting the rod at the wrong moment when the fish eats is something the river charges you for, every single time.
Congratulations, Big Fish Bill!
On the Brazilian team, Catarina was now fishing with Fede. Different guide, same approach: listen carefully, stay composed and execute when the opportunity appears.
The result was another powerful dorado brought cleanly to the net.
Day 05 | Less Room for Error
The fifth day brought conditions almost identical to the previous one. Temperatures continued to rise and the sky was completely clear. Perfect on paper.
But clear skies also meant greater visibility underwater. The fish could see better, casts needed to be longer and clean presentations became increasingly important. The margin for error was getting smaller.
Fede’s team started with several opportunities that did not convert before Fabio finally put one in the net. One fish was enough to change the mood of the whole boat.
With Fidel, Oleg experienced just how fine that margin could be. He had seven eats during the day, and three became fish in the net. One of them was big enough to make him forget about his wrist for a while. That one definitely earned its place on the board.
A useful reminder that in Tariquía, finding the fish is only part of the equation.
That evening, guides, staff and guests gathered for our traditional empanada and pizza night, moved forward by one evening because two of our guests would be leaving early the following day.
Day 06 | Followers
By the final morning, six days in the Yungas were beginning to show. Conditions still looked good, and everyone headed back to the river with whatever energy remained.
Then a familiar pattern began to emerge. The fish were following the flies, but they were not committing. Some tracked the fly for a considerable distance, only to turn away at the last moment.
There were fewer real eats, which made each one more important. Oleg and José made the most of theirs and turned those limited opportunities into fish.
The day finished slower than expected for the conditions. Perhaps the full moon had something to do with it. Or perhaps the river was simply reminding us, once again, who gets the final say.
Gear & Flies
- Lines
- Intermediate clear-tip lines were the most effective setup this week.
- Flies
- Large sábalo patterns in gray / white and yellow / green produced the best results.
- Casting
- With bright skies and clear water, casts needed to be longer than usual. Once again, line control was one of the keys to success.
Fishing Technique
This week made one thing particularly clear.
Getting a dorado to follow the fly is not the same as getting it to eat. Getting it to eat is not the same as hooking it. And hooking it is still not the same as putting it in the net.
Longer casts. Clean presentations. Controlled retrieves. Line control. A solid strip-set when the fish finally commits.
Simple in theory.
Very different in practice.
Another Week in Tariquía
This week brought more fish activity, more eats and more opportunities. It also showed just how little separates a successful shot from a missed one.
Catarina landed her first golden dorado by staying composed and listening to her guide. Oleg adapted his fishing around an injured wrist and kept converting opportunities. And across six days, fish followed, ate, missed flies, broke away and came to hand.
That is part of what makes Tariquía what it is. The opportunity may appear in front of you. What happens next is up to the angler.
And just like that, as quickly as you made it to the end of this report, another week in Tariquía has gone: big fish, missed opportunities, epic battles, an unexpected night in the jungle, laughter, friendship and plenty of stories that will probably get even better with time.
Thank you, as always, for reading all the way to the end.
We’ll see you next week for another chapter of adventure deep in the Bolivian Yungas.
Tight lines,
JP and the entire Tariquía Lodge family
Tariquía Lodge, 2026
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