Golden Dorado River Cruiser - 2024 TRIP REPORT

March 22-30, 2024
ARGENTINA

by Brad Staples

I recently hosted two fishing trips back-to-back in Argentina for one of my favorite freshwater species, the Golden Dorado. I enjoy fishing for dorado and have fished for them in Argentina in eleven locations and two in Bolivia. The Dorado are one of my top freshwater species, along with Steelhead and Peacock bass. Dorado aggressively attack flies and lures and, when hooked, they jump a lot.

My trip report for my second hosted week will go out sometime in the next few weeks and covers the Golden Dorado Fly Fishing Experience, where we stayed at two lodges on the Upper Parana River and in the Isoro Marsh.

During my first week, I hosted a group of seven anglers on the Golden Dorado River Cruiser, a 66-foot liveaboard. I have been hosting trips on the Cruiser since 2017. It is one of my favorite fishing destinations.

Trip Start in Buenos Aires:

On Wednesday morning, March 20th, I left Portland, Oregon, arriving in Buenos Aires around 9:00 the next morning. I flew on United Airlines, my choice of airline. Steve, Sandy, Danny, and Esmerelda arrived about an hour later on American Airlines. While I waited for their arrival, I arranged and paid for the shuttle van. I like to use Tienda Leon for transportation to and from the international airport in Buenos Aires. The package usually includes the ground transfer from the airport to the Marina, but since we arrived a few days early, we booked our own ground transportation.

Sandy had reserved an apartment for the five of us in Recoleta, an affluent neighborhood in the northern part of the city, where we spent time dining and walking. We took an Uber to a restaurant near our apartment one evening. Danny is of Argentine heritage, and we met his cousins, whom he had not seen for 25-plus years! On Friday morning, I scheduled a tour of the city with a guide that I have used in the past. We toured some government buildings, other important architectural buildings, and the famous Recoleta Cemetery, which contains the graves of famous people, including Eva Perón. Afterward, we had a nice lunch at a café. That night, Danny’s cousins invited us to their home for dinner. We had a lovely evening.

Getting to the Liveaboard:
The following day, Adrian, the shuttle van driver for the Golden Dorado River Cruiser, picked Bob up from the airport and met us at our apartment around 10:30 a.m. Adrian drove our group three hours to the Marina, which is downstream from the town of Arroyo Seco. Here, we met up with the father and son who completed our group of seven. (They had traveled around Argentina before meeting us at the Marina.)

The Captain (Cappie) was there with the Transport Boat; we loaded our gear and group. I rode in a separate boat with Chquito, one of the fishing guides. We arrived about an hour later at the Cruiser location. The liveaboard crew welcomed us aboard. Bones, the manager; Alan, the chef; and Maugi, who helps prepare food and with housekeeping.

We got settled into our rooms, had a great lunch, and got our rods ready to go with the help of the fishing guides. We fished for a few hours that afternoon, and everyone caught some dorado—a great start to our trip. That evening, we had appetizers, drinks, and dinner and called it a day, a BIG day!

The Parana River: The Parana River is the second largest river in South America, with the Amazon being the first. The Cruiser normally fishes the lower Parana River Delta. This system is very diverse, with many dorado fishing options. This trip differs from upstream locations near Esquina, Goya, Bella Vista, Corrientes, and Itati. I have fished at those locations and have enjoyed them all.

Fishing Guides: As always on the Cruiser, we had a great team of fishing guides—Fabi, Martin, Chiquito, and Altamar. Altamar is new to the Cruiser. I have spent time with his brother, Pelado, in Brazil. Both of them are excellent fishing guides and humans! Since I have hosted many weeks on the Cruiser over the last eight years, I am often in contact with the guides. Through these friendships, I've been able to stay up-to-date with the fishing conditions and appreciate their updates throughout the year.

We fished two anglers per guide and boat. Dorados averaged 2 to 5 pounds, and the fishing was good most days.

On this trip, I supplied the fishing equipment except for the flies. The Dorado have VERY sharp teeth, and you can easily go through two dozen flies. We work with a fly-fishing shop in Portland, Oregon, that can order the flies, wire leaders, and anything else you need for this trip. I supplied the rods, reels, and lures.

Bob and I fished together most days. Bob was a single angler from California and strictly fly-fished.

The other anglers mixed it up with flies and lures. The other anglers in our group were spin casting using a ½-ounce inline weight with an 18-inch section of wire leader material with a streamer fly, and the setup worked very well. They also casted lures like Brad’s Wigglers in large sizes. Before the trip, I bought some lures made in Argentina from a friend who is a fishing guide. Due to the low water conditions, some lures dived too deep, while some worked just fine.

The Parana River system is an extensive drainage with a diverse landscape. After the river system flooded last year, I hoped for larger dorados during this trip. High water levels help tremendously increase the forage base for all fish species. The Parana River water level dropped fast during my two weeks in Argentina. The lower level caused the water to get very muddy, which fortunately did not adversely affect the dorado fishing like it does for so many other species. As I write this report in the second week of May, the water levels are increasing.

Out of 6.5 days of guided fishing, we had one poor day. Our fishing was affected by the lack of current and dorado like moving water. When the water is calm, dorado leave the area searching for current and baitfish. The guides did their best to find moving water for us. We spent some time traveling to locations that had better fishing conditions, and Bones moved the cruiser closer to the areas where we were fishing. This is the nice thing about the Cruiser being a liveaboard operation. They have some flexibility in following the water conditions. Usually, the Cruiser only moves about once a week and sometimes not at all, depending on the fishing conditions.

The Cruiser is air-conditioned and has electric lighting, and as of this month, it has complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi. There are four rooms with two single beds per room and one smaller room with a single bed. All rooms have plenty of storage and an ensuite bathroom with hot water showers.

A Typical Fishing Day: The usual program is breakfast around 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., guided fishing on the boats for four to five hours, and a midday lunch break. You’re back on the boats around 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. and fish until dark, which this time of the year is about 7:30 p.m. Drinks and appetizers and dinner about 9:00 p.m. If you do not want to fish both sessions, that’s not a problem.

Sandy had a couple of Zoom meetings for her work, so she stayed onboard and then fished when the time was best for her. You can also have shorter fishing sessions if desired. Just let your guide know when you are ready to return to the Cruiser.

We mixed up the boats on some days to fish with other anglers in the group. I prefer the week-long fishing program, which increases the opportunity for great fishing conditions.

The Cruiser will work with your schedule if you can only book a three- or four-day fishing package. This also applies to our hosted weeks. You can book for as many days as desired. For shorter stays, the Captain will take you back to the marina in a transport boat while the other guests are out fishing.

I have talked about Chef Alan’s fantastic meals in my previous trip reports. They are SO GOOD that I gain five pounds every time I am on the Cruiser! All alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages are included in the package. The owners supply quality Argentinean wines for your enjoyment without an added cost.

Spinning Equipment: For our hosted trips, I can loan spinning equipment and lures if needed. I can also supply fly rods, reels, and lines. The flies are an added expense as we’ll go through many of them due to the golden dorado's sharp teeth!

I have been hosting trips for Dorado in March and the first couple of weeks of April for a few years. The Cruiser operates year-round, with some time off from mid-August to mid-September for annual maintenance.

Due to my Steelhead fishing guide business on Oregon’s Deschutes River (July through October) and my other hosted trips, March and April are best for my hosted trip program. I've also fished on the Cruiser in November with success. It’s challenging to predict the water and weather conditions, but the dates have historically been very good, except during the drought of 2020-2022.

Duck Hunting Program: The Golden Dorado River Cruiser also offers a unique Duck Hunting program from the end of May to mid-August. (Request an information packet for details.) They take the hunters out in the early morning to the duck blinds they have set up. Then, you’ll return to the Cruiser for a break or fish for a couple of hours for dorado, then another session of hunting ducks until dark.

I will host two weeks again in 2025 and 2026.

2025 Hosted Weeks
with Host Brad Staples

• March 21-29, 2025
• March 28 - April 5, 2025
7-nights and 6.5 days guided fishing
$5,400.00 per person
Eight anglers + host
2025 will be Brad's 8th year hosting trips here.

2026 Hosted Weeks
with Host Brad Staples

• March 20-28, 2026
• March 27 - April 4, 2026
7-nights and 6.5 days guided fishing
$5,400.00 per person
You are not restricted to our hosted weeks. Book anytime.

If you are interested or have questions about this fun fishing adventure, please call Guy Schoenborn or me.
Call or Email:
Brad Staples
Cell (503) 250-0558
1-800-205-3474 ext. 3
Email: brad@fishingwithlarry.com

Guy Schoenborn
1-800-205-3474 ext. 1
Email: guy@fishingwithlarry.com

Request a Golden Dorado River Cruiser
Information Packet

The 66-foot Cruiser Liveaboard

Steve with a Golden Dorado

Danny with a Golden Dorado

Bob with a Golden Dorado

"I very much enjoyed the Golden Dorado Cruiser cocktail: Add explosive fishing, unlimited Malbec wine, outstanding food, skillful guides, helpful host, great companions – then add ice and stir." - Bob