We are delighted to bring you the second season fishing reports from Tariquia. Fishing the mythical Tarija River in the heart of the Bolivian Yungas, offers a wonderful opportunity for adventurous anglers to target trophy golden dorado in a pristine setting. Keep an eye on these pages for all the action.
Tariquia fishing report – 29th August to 5th September
This week we welcomed a group led by Tom: six American friends, some of them old school friends, who seventy years later are still sharing fishing trips and adventures together. One of them came with another passion besides fly fishing: photography. And for some, this would be their first trip to South America.
On arrival day, we did our homework.
We went through the helicopter and river safety briefings. Together with the guides, we checked the equipment, finalized the fishing pairs, assigned guides and prepared the flight plan for the following morning.
Everything was ready. Or so we thought. Unfortunately the Yungas had other plans for us. Dense fog settled in, making it impossible for the helicopter to fly.
So we spent the day at the lodge where, Gonza, our blessed chef, once again put on a ten-point performance.
The second day dawned completely closed in, just like the previous one, and spirits were understandably low. But by mid-morning, the fog began to dissipate. Finally, the captain gave us the green light to fly.
As the day progressed, opportunities began to appear. There was action. The fish were willing, but fishing Tariquía takes some getting used to.
Casting from a raft, sitting on a high seat, stripping with very little room to move, maintaining constant tension and then, when a dorado decides to attack the fly, being ready to deliver a solid strip-set. None of this is easy.
The first to put it all together was Hillard. After losing a couple of opportunities, he finally connected with his first dorado, setting the hook solidly and fighting the fish all the way to the net.
Minutes later, Don found himself in almost exactly the same situation, fishing from the front of the raft. After a violent take and a hard fight the fish finally came to Fede’s net, with Don following his guide’s instructions throughout the fight.
The third day looked like it was going to be a carbon copy of the previous one: heavy morning fog slowly dissipating, finally allowing us to fly around mid-morning.
But when you have a photographer in the group, time is never wasted. So we went looking for birds. And we certainly found them. While we waited for the river to open its doors, the Yungas gave us another reason to keep looking around.
By the time we reached the water, temperatures were improving and everyone still had plenty of energy for the afternoon, something worth having here. As the water warmed, more and more action began to appear.
Thomas and Hillard had a busy afternoon, losing a few fish but eventually landing one each.
Tom, meanwhile, was clearly making the most of his previous experience fishing for dorado. He adapted quickly to the conditions and to the particular techniques Tariquía demands. Among his fish was a beautiful female of around 90cm. Bob also had his moment, landing a medium-sized but hard-fighting dorado.
By the fourth day, the weather had finally settled. Clear skies and pleasant afternoon temperatures gave us the combination we had been waiting for, and the dorado responded. This time, everyone in the group connected with fish.
Don and Hillard had particularly good moments, each landing a beautiful dorado after the kind of demanding fights this river is becoming known for.
The fifth day followed the same pattern: clear skies, good afternoon temperatures and plenty of action. Hillard, Bob and Thomas all connected with strong fish, and opportunities continued throughout the day.
By the sixth and final fishing day, everyone was feeling the week. Countless casts. Long days on the water. Hard fights. And perhaps a few late nights thrown into the mix. Still, there was enough energy left for one more day.
Tom finished strongly, landing three dorado in shallow water, while Frank closed his week with two beautiful fish, including one that gave him a fight he won’t forget anytime soon.
Then came our final evening together with the inevitable promise that we would meet again somewhere in the world, fly rod in hand, chasing another fish in another river.
For a group of friends who have been doing exactly that for decades, you tend to believe them.
Tariquia fishing report – 22nd to 29th Auust
Now, the real beginning of our second season here in Tariquía has finally arrived.
We are still only scratching the surface of this place. There is so much water left to test, so much left to understand, and so much still to discover. And what better way to begin than surrounded by old friends?
This week welcomed a solid and close-knit group of anglers who have already shared adventures with us across some of our destinations: the legendary Joel Silverman group. Great fishermen, great friends, and without question, some of the most entertaining people you could ever spend a week with.
With the final operational details in place and the rafts properly distributed throughout more than 70 miles of licensed water inside Tariquía National Park, we were ready to get the season underway.
Seventy miles is a lot of river. And after only one season here, we are still learning it.
Our first day began under the lingering effects of the powerful storm that had passed through the previous week. The river was still slightly off-colour and cold, but that wasn’t about to stop six warriors from swinging rods in search of Tariquía’s dorado.
The fishing started slowly overall, but as the day progressed and temperatures began to rise, the first opportunities started appearing.
Everyone moved fish. Some anglers found more success than others, while a few were still dialing in the all-important strip-set. But without question, the honours of the day went to Matt and Tyler, fishing together and each landing a very good dorado.
A solid start considering the conditions.
That evening, as always, Gonza, our pro chef, was waiting back at the lodge. After a long first day on the water, a table filled with grilled meats was exactly what the group needed.
The second day greeted us with heavy fog, delaying our departure for a while. Eventually, when the sky appeared to open up, we took off. But as often happens in the Yungas, things looked very different once we reached the river. The weather wasn’t quite as clear as it had appeared from the lodge, and our pilot carefully found a safe opening to get us down. Still, we all know that sometimes a difficult beginning makes for a very good ending.
Joel landed three good dorado, including one standout fish close to 90cm that delivered a fight worth remembering, launching itself completely out of the water three times.
That was the moment when he truly experienced what makes fishing Tariquía different.
It’s not just the way we fish here, from the rafts, making countless demanding casts, constantly reading the structure and working the fly, but what can happen when everything comes together.
Meanwhile, Tyler made the most of his opportunities and put two very good fish on the board, each delivering a solid fight of its own.
At the end of the day, just as the helicopter was coming into view, a rock in the middle of a rapid played a nasty trick on the crew. The result was a couple of wet soldiers. Fortunately, Fede handled the situation perfectly and professionally, making sure it remained nothing more than an unexpected swim.
By the third day, the river was nearly back to normal.
The mornings remained somewhat cold, but temperatures improved toward the afternoon, giving us a beautiful and complete day on the water. Nate and Matt had the standout fish of day three, each landing a spectacular dorado.
Matt’s was particularly memorable. After a slow day, he finally connected while wading in low water toward the end of the afternoon. A perfect example of why you never quit casting in Tariquía.
Day four gave us one of those experiences that remind you just how wild this place really is.
Allen hooked a small dorado of around five pounds. In the middle of the fight, however, a beast came up from the depths and attacked it. The giant held the smaller fish in its mouth for a long time while Allen kept the pressure on. They actually managed to bring it close to the boat, but just as the guide stood ready with the net, the monster seemed to work out what was happening.
Somehow, it found another gear. With an explosive burst of power, it made a spectacular run underneath the boat and disappeared.
The final score? One monster dorado lost. One small dorado severely injured. And one fly rod broken into three pieces. Welcome to Tariquía!
The fifth day greeted us with clear skies and the promise of higher afternoon temperatures.
With that came the hope that the big fish would become more active. Our instincts were right.
Despite a large moon, never exactly the best friend of fishermen, we had a very good day. Matt added a couple more fish to the board, and the fishing was productive for most of the group.
But for Tyler and Joel, everything came together. Multiple fish. Action throughout the day. Some large dorado. And then the fish we had been waiting for appeared. Over one metre.
Fede read the situation and guided Tyler through it, giving precise instructions that Tyler executed perfectly. After the cast, the take and the fight, a metre-plus golden dorado finally came to the net.
A fish like that needs very little explanation.
By the sixth and final day everyone was feeling the effects of the week but the fishing day didn’t disappoint. One final push landed several fish from the many opportunities they had throughout the day.
A fitting close to the week for the first group of the season to come to Tariquía.
One of the most productive techniques of the week was mending the line to allow the fly to sink deeper and stay in the strike zone longer. And, of course, proper hook-setting technique remains absolutely critical. Keeping the rod low and pointed directly at the fly, while maintaining solid tension throughout the retrieve, is essential for achieving a strong strip-set and converting strikes into solid hookups.
Six days. More than 70 miles of licensed water. Rafts, helicopters, countless casts, good friends, and the kind of dorado that can turn an ordinary moment into something you will talk about long after leaving the Yungas.
But perhaps the most exciting part is knowing how much we still don’t know.
We are only in our second season here. There is still water to test, structures to understand, and stretches of river we are only beginning to read.
This week gave us a metre-plus dorado. It gave us a fish big enough to attack another dorado during the fight and break a 9-weight rod in three pieces. And it gave us six days with old friends who already know what a proper fly fishing adventure is about.
Tariquia fishing report – 15th to 22nd August
And just like that, we were back in the Yungas. Here we are, beginning the second season of Tariquía’s life, making adjustments, fine-tuning the operation, and getting everything ready to welcome the anglers who have placed their trust in us.
Tariquía may be hidden away in one of the most remote and inaccessible corners of the world, but even here, weather and river conditions leave their mark. More intense events and increasingly severe conditions have reshaped the river since our first season.
On our initial reconnaissance flight, we found a totally different river. New obstacles. Different structures. Changed channels. New places to land the helicopter and, most importantly, a completely different puzzle to solve.
That ever-changing dynamic is part of what makes this place so special and, frankly, part of the reason we chose this profession in the first place.
For our first scouting week, we welcomed Marcelo Perez, CEO of Untamed Angling, and his wife, Michela. Together with the team, they would be the first to fish Tariquía again and help us understand what the river had become after months away.
Once the programme was designed, new helicopter landing zones identified, and the rafts positioned throughout the river, we were ready for our first day on the water.
And, as always at Tariquía, we had plenty of questions and very few answers about what that blessed river was going to throw at us.
Our first morning started with cold water (we arrived a couple of weeks earlier this season) and absolutely no signs of fish. As the morning progressed without a single take, the doubts began to grow.
Then, close to midday, a solid eat finally came out of nowhere. A firm take was enough to put our souls back into our bodies, especially Juanchi’s, one of our highly qualified guides. The first golden dorado of the 2026 season went onto the board.
Marcelo officially opened the season with one of the fish we affectionately call “the small ones.” Anywhere else, that fish would be more than enough reason to stop everything and raise a glass.
As the water warmed, the activity increased. A few missed opportunities, a couple more fish landed, and we had made it through the first test. On the other raft, Michela had her own opportunity, and she certainly did not waste it. A take, a solid hookset, an endless run, a hard fight.
And after several minutes, the fish finally surrendered to Fede’s net. Fede had guided her beautifully, giving her the right instructions at exactly the right moments. A photograph, a few big smiles, and the fish went back into the river.
Day two began under a blanket of fog, which quickly burned off and gave us another spectacular day in the Yungas.
With guides and beats rotated, everyone was back on the water, searching for those big-tailed predators that make this river so addictive. Michela quickly added the first of her two fish of the day.
Fede gave her very precise instructions on where to place the fly and, more importantly, how to work the streamer once it was in the zone.
The result was another beautiful dorado that put up the kind of fight worth remembering.
Meanwhile, on the other raft, Fidel was guiding Marcelo. Every cast came with precise instructions, while both angler and guide kept a close eye on the rocks and structure constantly sliding past the boat.
Marcelo never stopped fishing the bank. Not for a minute. Tariquía demands a lot from an angler. Lots of casts. Physical effort. Constant concentration. And very little room for mistakes. After landing a couple of “small ones,” the reward finally came.
A long cast, a couple of strips to straighten and load the line, a mend. Then the fly was worked quickly, aggressively, just the way a big dorado likes it. The fish attacked violently. Marcelo delivered a hard strip-set to drive the hook home.
Then came the real fight. After several intense minutes, Fidel finally got the fish into the net.
A few hugs and smiles followed. We were beginning to find the rhythm again, not only with the fish, but with a river we were still learning to read.
Everything was going according to plan.
We were rediscovering the river, learning its new structures and beginning to understand the changes.
Then Tariquía reminded us how little plans can matter out here. Day three arrived with low fog and a completely overcast sky. Flying the helicopter safely was simply impossible. So instead of heading to the river, we had a lodge day and our chef, Gonzalo, took over.
He treated everyone to his latest culinary creations, combining international cuisine with his own Argentine style and technique.
But apparently, even that wasn’t enough to convince the weather to cooperate. That same night, torrential rain arrived together with a cold front.
And just like that, the fishing week was over. The river rose, turned cold and became heavily stained. Cold, dirty water, a lethal combination for golden dorado.
We had come back to Tariquía expecting to rediscover the river. In two days of fishing, it had already given us a few answers: new structures, new water, and the first dorado of the season.
And, once again, the unmistakable feeling that we are fishing somewhere truly wild.
Hidden deep within the heart of Parque Nacional Tariquía, Tariquía remains a place where the river writes the rules, and where every fish has to be earned.
If you you would like further information Tariquia, or would like more information on fishing in Bolivia in general, please contact Charlotte Chilcott or call us on +44 (0) 1980 847389. Alternatively, click HERE if you would like us to contact you.
