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2019 Season End Report
We had a remarkable opening season at the new Suinda Lodge on the Paraná! Although the Paraná frequently misbehaved with fluctuating water conditions, and finding fruitful spots was a challenge, our anglers reeled in some amazing dorado!
Throughout the summer we concentrated on prospecting and covering loggy structure waters, but we also found success fishing rocky riffles and shorelines. Using a wide range of lines and flies to accommodate the river’s temperament, we used floating and intermediate tip lines, classical dorado streamers, as well as flies in an array of earth tones. Also slow and fast sinking lines with bulky streamers were the key on the shorelines. When the river ran very low, we had the opportunity to explore some amazing sandbars, where we hooked some huge Dorado. On average, the Dorado caught this season were between 20 and 26 pounds, but some were as large as 10 pounds past that number! We netted 24 dorado that weighed 20 pounds or more– as well as another 17 fish ranging from 15 to 20 lbs.; very promising numbers of big dorado for the first season!
In addition to the success of the Dorado season, the Pacu and Pira Pita fishing this season was also very plentiful. Time and time again, big Pacu were fooled with streamers and big fruit flies, but the crowd favorite this year was the floating fruit lines, where anglers could see a fish coming to the surface right before they tried to steal from the fruit bowl. Increased Pira Pita populations this season ensured fast action each week. Although their size was not staggering, they were in abundance and were fun to catch on floating lines close to the shoreline.
Congratulations to those who released the biggest dorado of the season!
Dorado:
37 pounds Fabian Anastasio
34 pounds Don McLaughlin
31 pounds Stephan DombajPacu:
19 pounds. Fabio Lazzaroni
17 pounds Harrison Beck
16 pounds Marc GignacPira Pita:
5 pounds. Harrison BeckWe would like to extend an enormous amount of gratitude to those who joined us for our opening season at Suinda, thank you for joining us in the search for gold. We hope to see you again next season!
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February 2019
February has passed with some great fishing memories.
The level of the river was lower than ever for many days, but lately rising a bit every day. In spite of difficult conditions, the amount of big fish landed has been spectacular. The possibilities on this section of the Parana River always gives us great chances to find these golden bars.
The clarity and temperature of the waters made us work hard on presentations and style/ size of flies, as well as leaders and wire tippet.
Some guest were very fortunate to have had chances to connect with 20 pound fish. Dunnan for example landed two and some more small ones as well as pacu and Pira Pitas. Luke had many possibilities to cast to some very big dorado on sandbars, one was fooled and landed. Aside from the fishing experience, to see those big dorado smashing baitfish is something imposible to forget. Sandbar fishing is a very difficult type of fishing But it can be extremely rewarding.
For the Clark group it was probably the toughest week, lower than ever, the River made the fishing for big dorados difficult, on the other hand Pacu and Pira Pita were stunning and the group landed several of these omnivorous fish every day.
After that week, the river started rising, and a group of Italian anglers and our friend Robert were here at just the right moment, and we put them in the right place to be able to land some really good fish.
Specially, for Fabio a Dorado of 27 pounds, and Robert with his 28 pound fish,”. Robert landed another nice dorado later in the week that was also about 25 pounds. Not many fish for these gentlemen- but good ones! biggest Pacu landed by Fabi was 19 pounds.
The rest of the guests during the last days of February also were lucky to hooked some 20 pounders as well as some nice Pacu and Pitas.
Guide Fabi during a day off with guide Pablo was able to land the biggest fish of this season, a real monster of 1,03 cm long, 69 cm girth 37 pounds on an electronicThis has been a big fish season no doubt! Maybe not the numbers we have wished for but some very big fish each and every week!
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January 2019
Suinda is located on the Upper Parana River, also known as the Alto Parana. Home of the Golden Dorado and other freshwater species, this river provides the main artery for the great migration of thousands of Sabalo, a baitfish that the Golden Dorado follow up and down the river. Suinda Lodge is perfectly positioned close to Itati, Corrientes and allows anglers new opportunities to pursue these beautiful game fish. From log structures near the bank to sand bar flats in the middle of the river, rocky shores to underwater reefs and structure, this river provides its inhabitants with ideal ambushing situations.
The first month of our very first season at Suinda Lodge was challenging with the water levels constantly changing accompanied by unstable weather, both which are rare for this time of year. Luckily, conditions began to stabilize last week and Stephan Dombaj, from the Fly Fishing Nation, landed a monster 31lbs Golden Dorado, the largest seen by any of our guides this year. These are the fish, anglers dream about and come to the Parana hoping to catch. But let’s back up a bit.
The month started with Oliver White coming to open the new Lodge with Photographer Matt Jones. Both donning puffy jackets and rain coats the entire time due to a strange cold front that hit the area. Daily, they braved the conditions and had a blast catching Pira Pita on dry flies rigged on a 5wt. Week Two, Will Stephens rom Southern Drawl Fly Shop came with his wife and landed some nice Dorado. Week Three, German photographer, Stephan Dombaj, mentioned above and record chaser, Meredith McCord came with client Trey Gurley, as well as Dorado seeking family: Gene, Jamie and son Michael from Kentucky. With the rains gone, temps returned to normal January heat. Even with the weather conditions being up, down and all around, the fish are here. All anglers saw monster dorado rolling all throughout the river, the key is to just keep casting, as you never know when the big one will bite. It is all about being at the right time and place when they turn on.
Thus far, the number of Sabalo in the river system is extremely healthy. Anglers are seeing thousands and thousands of these baitfish holding and migrating along the shorelines of islands and flats. The Dorado are often found patrolling the areas, calmly and collectively around and within the schools of Sabalo until they suddenly decide it is time to eat. The attacks are violent and quick. Each fisherman’s hope is that he or she will be there with a fly in hand when the Dorados appear and make their ambush.
While the dorado fishing has been not up to normal standards, several dorados between 15-22lbs were landed, finding fish both in shoreline structures and one on the sand flats. On the other hand, Pacu fishing has been excellent. Thus far, almost every Suinda visitor has caught 1-3 Pacu using both berry and fruit flies, even had some takes on the dorado streamers. The biggest pacu of last month was 16lbs found between the logs eating fruit. Other species that entertained our anglers during the month of January was the Pira Pita, cousin to the Golden Dorado, but usually smaller and more silver or white in color. These fast predators eat just about anything and live under brush overhangs and around wood structures near the bank. Fighters, like their cousins, our friends and clients found these fish especially exciting to catch on their 5wt and 6wt rods rigged with a dry fly.
The forecast: The fruit trees are full and the berries ripening on the branches. With the shedding of these tasty morsels, I am sure we will see more and more Pacu and Pira Pita being sight casted to in our reports and with the increase of numbers, I believe we will see larger ones as well.
Bottom line to this fishery is to never give up and to keep hammering the fishy spots. They are here, just got to trick them, just like Stephan did with his 31 pound beast.
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