The freshwater dorado (Salminus maxilosus) is a member of the tenacious-toothed Characidae family. It has a massive head and a body sheathed in distinctive golden scales and appointed with crimson-tipped fins.

The Parana River is the eighth largest in the world, twisting 2,500 miles through its basin. Its relatively clean headwaters lie in the Brazilian rainforests to the north, but its waters do become muddy in Argentina.

From Corrientes all the way to Buenos Aires, which is about 600 miles away, the Parana River is muddy. South of Goya, the waters spread out and form a delta marsh, called Esteros del Isoro Reserve, where catch-and-release restrictions prevail, allowing only fly and lure fishing. The maze of waterways meanders about 65 miles to the south, where the marsh waters flow together and back into the river proper.

The Parana offers numerous dorado of 7 or 8 pounds, and does yield trophy-size fish. From September through April, chances of catching a giant dorado here are good, according to the outfitter.

Male dorado up to 17 pounds and females up to around 44 pounds are taken in the deep main channel runs, called “corridas,” by trolling in the fast currents around a very rocky stretch near Goya. Huge boulders sit on the bottom of the Parana, and the dorado take refuge there from 8- to 10-knot currents. In November and early December, however, there are often big rainstorms that raise the river and muddy the water even further, and fishing suffers. When the waters clear and begin to fall, the larger dorado initiate the bite.

“In December during the dorado spawn, you can’t keep any fish from the Parana,” cautions Dickie. “It’s catch and release only, by law. Overall, fishing in the tributaries for numbers of smaller dorado is usually better than in the main channels. During the spawning season, you find the fish moving up the feeder streams of the Parana to spawn in the marshy lagoons, so you have better chances of catching bigger fish.”

In the Rio Parana Basin, dorado always feed better when the sun is out, Dickie contends, and we found that to be the case. During our stay, the water had a visibility of only four inches or so, and long casts to the edge of the current on the opposite side of the cut proved most productive. The dorado would strike when the lure began to swing with the current into its feeding lane. The Delta reserve normally produces good fishing, even at low water, because there are great conditions present with the vegetation structure and moving water.

Vegetation in the marsh is abundant and fairly efficient at absorbing nutrients from the water. It is composed of submergent vegetation and lots of floating islands (moved by the winds and currents) with cattails, reeds, lily pads and various types of water hyacinths. The predominate grass is called “carrico” and grows both on soil and in the water. A large leaf plant that is abundant all along the nearshore waters is “achiras” and a rooted hyacinth-looking plant called camalote thrives in all places it reaches water. In some shallows, huge lily pads up to three feet wide lie on the surface.

Interestingly, we fished in an area where long ago, the Chana Indians (rivermen) fished and hunted. They were wiped out by the Guarani Indians in the 1500s, but artifacts of the Chana still remain. We found cracked pottery pieces on our visit to one of their camps on high ground.

There is plenty of wildlife to see in the marsh. Bigger animals include caiman (called jacare in Argentina), capybaras, otters and swamp deer. Birds that feed heavily on baitfish included herons, eagles, hawks and cormorants. Other birds that feed on shellfish, insects or larvae included ibis, stork and the famous Southern Screamers. Rheas, the largest birds in the marsh at a height of five feet, feed on mice, grass and insects.

While the marsh areas offer some interesting vistas, so does the town of Goya. Horse-drawn carriages compete with cars and pickups for space on the narrow streets. Bicyclists are everywhere, and leather-skinned gauchos ride their horses along the roads and streets. In the midst of a mostly poverty-stricken town is the very nice Estancia La Pousada, which lies on three acres along the Parana River. Large bedrooms with private baths, air conditioning and even television make for comfort that is nice to come back to each evening. Famed Argentine grass-fed beef is the norm, and the selection of other meats and vegetables and salads is tremendous.

We were greeted each morning by our guide in one of two boats. One had a 35-hp outboard and the other sported a 40-hp engine. They use grappling-type anchors to position the boat to effectively work a run. The fishing grounds near Goya allow communication by radio with the Coast Guard. Cell phones also work throughout the main Parana River channel, in case the boats have engine trouble. When you are dancing with dorado in thousands of acres of marsh, that’s nice to know!

Getting to the Dance

Several air carriers including American Airlines make daily flights from Miami to Buenos Aires. Upon our arrival and after the transfer of our bags from the International airport to the Domestic Service airport, George and I had an interesting tour of the cosmopolitan city with transfer agent Leticia Acosta. We then took the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -hour jet flight to Resistencia, where we were met by one of Dickie Miles’ bilingual guides with their van. He drove us the final two hours to La Pousada.

Although you can fish the massive Rio Parana year around, Miles & Miles Outfitters book clients from mid-December through March, which is their summer fishing season. The typical package includes four days of fishing, with accommodations in one of their excellent lodges. The Miles brothers also offer a second dorado fishing venture, and you can combine the two lodge options for an 8- or 9-day itinerary.

They will also take you to Rio Claro Lodge, which is located on the Rio Santa Lucia and Ibera Marsh, a 3-million acre, subtropical wetland and wildlife preserve. The Rio Claro Lodge is a beautiful African-style safari lodge with electricity and hot water. It’s located on a working cattle ranch of 2,000 acres.

Water in the shallower Rio Santa Lucia watershed is generally cooler and cleaner than Rio Parana.

The U.S. booking agent for the Miles brothers’ two Argentine dorado lodges is The Detail Company in Houston, Texas. For more information, contact Jeri Booth or Briggs Vest at The Detail Company, 3220 Audley, Houston, TX 77098; phone 800-292-2213 or visit www.detailco.com.