Fly Fishing in Paraguay

The following are my observations on close to three years of living in Paraguay and making semi-frequent attempts at DIY fly fishing in various types of water. While Paraguay has  many of the exotic freshwater fish people travel to South America to fish for, they are difficult to find as a fly angler. I believe constant fishing pressure by both commercial fisherman and casual angling is likely responsible for this. Perhaps exploratory angling in the more remote areas would reveal good opportunities for adventurous

 fly anglers. 

Hot weather, bugs, torrential rains, and regular flooding also add to the challenge of connecting with good fish.

Two major river systems offer endless opportunities for anglers to explore: the Paraguay and the Paraña. I believe the Paraguay river has about 350 species of fish so even deciding where and how to fish can be a challenge. I have attempted many different types of flies and rods from four to ten weight. These rivers can also be accessed from Argentina, which often offers more paved roads in areas near the rivers and the possibility to hire boat drivers who have some understanding and appreciation for fly fishing.

Wire leader is a must for many of the fish that will go after a fly. Above are clouser minnows, one of which had some piranha encounters.

Fishing small poppers can be fun with lighter tackle for several species of fish. Frog imitations are a good bet for wolf fish or tere'ye. This approach is especially effective in flooded backwaters, soft spots in smaller rivers, and farm ponds.

Streamers are usually my go to style of fly in water that is always fairly off color. When things get slow or in small streams, nymphs and dry flies will catch small fish.

Bahía de Asunción

Dientudo

Salmón or pira pitá

The Rio Aquidabán. When rivers are lower, covering more water from shore becomes easier.

I don't know the name of this cichlid, but I've heard people call it tres ojos, presumably because of the eye spot on the tail.

Paraguayan Golden Dorado near Ayolas

Farm pond tilapia and
wolf fish (right)

Flooded creeks create fishing opportunities when high rivers make other fishing a challenge. Above - Paraguay river pira jaguá or payara.

Lots of interesting fish are are highly unlikely to take a fly (like this stingray inadvertently snagged in the Paraña). Spending some time fishing with bait is a good way to get a look at some other species.

Small Dorado

Pirhana

Laguna Blanca and Kayaking the Rio Ypané

                      Return to Laguna Blanca

In April, we made a second trip to Laguna Blanca, a privately run preserve in central Paraguay.  This is our favorite place to go camping in Paraguay because the lake is uncharacteristically clear for water in Paraguay and there are nice white sand beaches.

It was significantly colder than when we were here last year. We skipped swimming and spent our time this year relaxing with our friends and hiking.

Kayaking Río Ypané

After a successful kayaking trip earlier this year with Ben, Matt convinced me to go on another trip with him.  We spent one day on the Río Ypané and one day on the Río Paraguay in a double kayak.  We organized this trip with the help of Peter at El Roble in Bélen, a small city near Concepcíon. Peter runs a working farm that caters to travelers. He is knowledgeable about traveling in Paraguay and happy to help backpackers make travel arrangements.

The Río Ypané had flooded the road to the bridge where Peter was going to drop us off, so we started at the edge of town.  There was a small crowd gathered, including several police, and they were highly amused at the crazy foreigners loading a kayak and walking it to deeper water. 

Flooding has inundated many houses and this public bathroom located near what is normally the town beach.

Despite high water we found a pleasant place to camp. The weather cleared up and a beautiful sunset turned into a great starry night.

On day 2 we were treated to a beautiful sunny day on the river. While on the Ypané we saw 5 groups of monkeys, toucans and one river otter.

An "armado," or armored catfish is one of the common catfish species in Paraguay. It is truly prehistoric looking with spiny fins and a nasty row of spikes running along its sides.

For our second night we stayed at a beautiful estancia on the banks of the Paraguay river called Puerto Arroz. 

For lunch at Puerto Arroz, we were treated to Pirañha soup.

While we were out on the river, the Ypané had risen even more and Peter could not come to pick us up.  This meant an hour long ride on the back of motos with all of our camping gear to get back to Belen. 

Once we were back at the river's edge, we discovered we would be getting in a boat to cross to the pick up point.  The boat was full of motorcycles and guided to the other side by several of the town's men.  By the time we were crossing, the water had risen to chest high in some places and it was dark and raining and I was terrified the wobbly boat would tip over mid ride.  It was the perfect ending to another Paraguayan travel adventure. 

Kristi Reels in an Armado

I can't remember the Guaraní name for this toothy fish. In other parts of South America it is called a Payara.

Puerto Arroz

Paraguay River

Puente Nanawa