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We’ve filed quite reports on the fishing for golden dorado at La Zona on the Uruguay River but now we’re hearing about another river in Argentina, the Juramento River. The outfitter organizing trips here is Martin Carranza of Andes Outfitters, who says he recently secured a 10-year permit to fish a stretch of the Juramento starting just below the dam. There’s enough water to float a different section every day for a week, he says. The water varies from crystal-clear nearest the dam to a tea color, depending on the section and season. The fish start out from six to 15 pounds at the dam, where the water is very cold. But Carranza says the rest of the river has fish upwards of 30 pounds. Staff anglers with Wild On The Fly Travel say they got into fish as large as 40 pounds during an exploratory trip this past spring.
Fishing the Juramento requires casting large streamers against the banks and submerged trees and other structure. The river is only 50 to 100 feet wide, and Carranza says that casts over 30 feet are not required. He recommends anglers bring 8- to 10-weight rods equipped with sink tip lines. On a typical day, he says anglers can expect 20 or more strikes.
Carranza is housing anglers at the Lajitas Lodge, about 20 to 40 minutes from the river. The lodge offers double occupancy rooms with private baths and a restaurant. The season runs from September 1 to December 15 and again from March to May. Wild On The Fly Travel is hosting two trips this fall. The first is with Wild On The Fly Founder and Editor Joseph Daniel from September 27 to October 4. The Second is with Wild On The Fly Travel director Clayton Sparks from November 15 to 22. Carranza has other openings for fully-guided trips throughout the season. The cost for a seven-day trip is $4,200 per angler, including licenses, guiding, lodging, meals with wine and beer, as well as pick-up and return to the Salta airport. Getting to Salta is easy with daily flights from Buenos Aires.