The Fresh Water Dorado Project

An amateur enthusiast's guide to the "River Tiger"

Welcome to the Portal

Massive Fresh water Dorado fishing catch

A nice catch from our latest trip.

Hello and welcome to our informational website! This site was created by amateur anglers to share our passion for Fresh water Dorado fishing. We are not professional guides, we don't sell trips, and there is nothing to book here. We just love researching, photographing, and catching these amazing South American fish.

The Fresh water Dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) is a highly aggressive predatory fish found in the major river basins of South America. Its strength and spectacular jumps make it one of the most respected sport fish on the continent.

Species Biology

Dorado teeth close up

Despite its bright golden coloration, the Dorado is heavily armored. It has incredibly strong jaws and sharp conical teeth used to tear its prey.

  • Diet: Mainly piscivorous (they eat other fish like sábalos and bogas).
  • Scales: Hard scales providing protection, with beautiful golden coloration and black horizontal stripes.
  • Hunting: They prefer strong currents and submerged timber to ambush prey.

Where to find them

We usually travel to these areas for Fresh water Dorado flyfishing:

Paraná River (Argentina)

Huge volume of water. This is where the biggest fish live, hiding in deep structure.

Amazon Basin (Bolivia)

Clear freestone rivers where you can sight-fish for cruisers. A beautiful jungle environment.

Uruguay River (Uruguay)

Rocky bottoms and clear water with a very high density of medium-to-large predators.

Our Fishing Gear

If you plan to go Fresh water Dorado fishing, you need heavy-duty gear:

  • Rods: 8-9 wt fast action rods.
  • Lines: Tropical fly lines (floating or intermediate sink). The water is very warm.
  • Wire traces: ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY. You need 30-40lb wire or titanium. Nylon will be cut instantly.
  • Flies: Large streamers (like Andino Deceivers) tied on 3/0 or 4/0 strong hooks.