This is one of those adventures I had on my bucket list for a couple years and was lucky enough to have eight other anglers willing to join me on this adventure. I am fortunate enough to host several trips a year, and the majority are to lodges/destinations that we have visited before. But as we grow Got Fishing and the experiences we offer, I like to make at least one of those trips one that pushes us outside our comfort zone. This year’s destination was Pluma Lodge in Bolivia, and it checked every box.
We started in Santa Cruz, Bolivia before flying into the jungle. I really enjoyed going down town and seeing some of the unique buildings and architecture, the street vendors, and shops. How often do you get to walk the streets of Santa Fe, Bolivia? Super cool experience.
The next morning we were up early and headed to the domestic airport where we prepped for our flight into the jungle where the adventure would truly begin. The landing strip was literally cut out from the dense jungle making for an exciting entrance. And then finishing the trip with a helicopter ride into the lodge set the tone for what was going to be an adventure exploring some of the most remote water I’ve ever fished.
The annual sábalo migration had started about a week before we arrived. The big push of baitfish was still moving into the system, but there were plenty of dorado around. Every angler landed fish every day, with double-digit days being the norm. We also lost enough fish to remind us why Golden Dorado has the reputation they do.
One of the coolest things to watch was how these fish hunt. Groups of dorado would push schools of sábalo into shallow water before attacking them. When that happened, everything got exciting in a hurry. And if you timed it right, and cast your mouse pattern in the middle of the chaos it got violent attention!
We spent most of the week fishing 9’ 8 wt rods with floating and intermediate lines. Forty-pound leaders with an 18-inch section of wire handled the business end. Large baitfish patterns produced consistently, but the mouse fishing stole the show. Watching several dorado chase one mouse across the surface never got old.
Getting to the different sections of water was part of the experience. Depending on the day, we traveled by helicopter, dugout canoe, wooden boats with long modified props, or moto-carts to reach different sections of the river. It was a different adventure every morning.
The native guides were exceptional. Their ability to read water and position anglers was impressive, and they worked hard every day to put us in front of fish. The lodge staff took great care of us all week, and by the second day it felt more like staying with friends than checking into a fishing lodge.
The jungle was every bit as memorable as the fishing. We saw caiman, monkeys, parrots, tapir, stingrays, and more wildlife than I could list. There was always something happening if you took a minute to look around.
One thing everyone agreed on was that this trip is physical. You’re hiking, climbing over rocks, wading, and covering water from morning until evening. That’s exactly what our group was looking for, and I think it made the experience even more rewarding.
Looking back, what stands out most isn’t any single fish. It’s the week as a whole. Great fishing, great people, incredible scenery, and an adventure from the moment we left Santa Cruz until we headed home. It certainly didn’t hurt that we caught a lot of fish!
We will be Hosting another adventure to the Pluma Lodge so contact us for details at 208- 271-9653 or visit our website at www.gotfishing.com for more information.