The Pluma River

The Pluma River is a crystal-clear freestone river, with incredibly rich and beautiful topography. It runs from south to north, parallel to the Mosetenes Mountain Range, and is therefore slightly broader and more open than some of the other rivers we fish at Tsimane. The Pluma is easier to wade due to its wide banks, mostly composed of round smooth gravel and rock. Further upstream, it does get steeper and more rugged. This river is home to all four of the main species we target at Tsimane: dorado, pacú, yatorana, and surubí.

Pluma River – Upper Section

This section is upstream from the confluence of the Pluma and Itirizama Rivers. It’s reminiscent of many familiar trout freestone rivers, full of boulders, shallow runs and riffles, and well-defined deep pools, all characterized by gin-clear water. Here, the fishing is done almost entirely on foot, walking and wading upstream. A Chiman canoe is used to carry additional gear and coolers, and is very useful to row or pole back down to the lodge at the end of the day. This section is home to a large number of resident dorado, holding in most of the pools and pocket water. .

Pluma River– Lower Section

This section of river extends from the confluence with the Itirizama River to its mouth in the Sécure River. Here, the structure is similar to the upper section, but the water volume is 50 or 60% higher, making for wider, deeper pools and more powerful runs. With more water to work in, the fish have more room to fight and aerial acrobatics are commonplace events whenever a large dorado is hooked. The jungle is less dense, and the shorelines can at times be marshy.
The Lower Pluma section features a wide variety of water types. There are steep drop offs, long runs, sand-covered flats, islands with braided channels, and deep pools. Dorado are theundisputed king in this section; however, very large pacú can be caught fishing the deep pools, which are natural food traps.
These fish are often seen slurping nuts and fruit from the river’s surface. The biggest pools, which are near the confluence with the Sécure River, have low sandy areas where one can sight cast to cruising and feeding dorado, similar to bonefishing on the shallow saltwater flats.

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The Irisama River

The Itirisama is considered by many anglers to be the “crown jewel” of the Tsimane waters. Similar in size and volume to the high section of the Pluma River, it has a steeper gradient and more rugged terrain, giving it a very different look and feel. The Itirizama runs from west to east through rugged canyons, making it a typical mountain stream with many runs, rapids, waterfalls, and large boulders. Cascading boulder gardens give way to deep pools flanked by exposed canyon walls. This is the most physically intense section of river to hike, wade, and fish, but the rewards of incredibly scenic beauty—and some of the largest dorado—make it worth the extra effort.
The Itirisama is considered by many anglers to be the “crown jewel” of the Tsimane waters. Similar in size and volume to the high section of the Pluma River, it has a steeper gradient and more rugged terrain, giving it a very different look and feel. The Itirizama runs from west to east through rugged canyons, making it a typical mountain stream with many runs, rapids, waterfalls, and large boulders. Cascading boulder gardens give way to deep pools flanked by exposed canyon walls. This is the most physically intense section of river to hike, wade, and fish, but the rewards of incredibly scenic beauty—and some of the largest dorado—make it worth the extra effort.

Waters

The Pluma River

Pluma River – Upper Section

Pluma River– Lower Section

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The Irisama River

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