Extreme Adventure in the Wilds of Bolivia - Destination Report

When folks ask me what the coolest trip I have ever done is, this is the trip that immediately pops to mind. This was my fourth trip to Bolivia and my second Heli trip, and it still checks all my boxes for an unforgettable experience.

My group had planned to fly through Houston and then on to Panama City, and finally into Santa Cruz, Bolivia on Copa Airlines. When Copa dropped a key flight, we regrouped and went from Denver to Miami and took Bolivia Airlines to Santa Cruz.

We enjoyed an included overnight in Santa Cruz at the Hotel Tajibos, and a nice dinner out on the town. The following morning, we flew 1.5 hours in a Cessna Grand Caravan into a remote airstrip. From there, it was a short helicopter bump right into camp.

Where did you fish?

The Tsimane Heli Fishing program targets the headwaters of multiple ultra-remote, clear flowing, rugged, jungle freestone rivers. There are six productive systems within a 5 to 45 minute radius of the lodge. There are more than 50 potential beats, and the ones selected depend on previous successes, highly focused weather reports, and guests’ physical abilities. It is hard to describe how dynamic these systems are. Water levels and temperatures vary widely from day to day and week to week, and the fish move around. Some beats can be underwhelming, and five days later they can be incredible. Every day is a new process of discovery, and every day, anglers and guides alike will be experiencing and learning something new.

All of the systems are located in the steep hill country immediately west of where the base of the Andes meets the vast Eastern Lowlands of Bolivia, known as the Llanos Orientales. If the Andes could be imagined as a great Harpy eagle standing at the edge of the lowlands, the Tsimane Heli Fishing program anglers are exploring the remote spaces between its talons. These areas are so remote that not even the indigenous people have explored them, as they are too far upstream from the villages, which are located in the far less rugged, navigable, lower gradient sections of the region’s rivers. Most flights will be 25 minutes or less.

Each day, anglers will depart in pairs with a skilled, typically Argentine, guide. These guides are real pros with exceptional eyes and knot tying skills. Guests will depart with rods broken down and rubber banded together. The standard setup would be for each angler to have an 8 or 9 weight rod rigged with a clear intermediate tip line, and one additional shared rod rigged with a floating line for pacu. The guide will carry the floating line setup and trade guests out as needed. The three of you will function as a team, and one of the important ground rules is to never walk upstream ahead of your guide unless specifically instructed to do so. The guides have better fish-spotting eyes than guests, and they know where to look for fish. Often, the large dorado are not holding where one might expect, and spooking the fish of the day by being eager and hopping ahead is not acceptable. Often, only one guest will fish at a time.

When targeting pacu with the floating line setup, you will use a shorter wire tippet, and the guides often elect to try large dry flies first, as it is cool and fun. Our most effective dry was a huge bright green Morrish hopper-style fly that was as big and thick as my thumb, tied on a stout 2/0 hook. Often, one or more pacu will mill around the fly, peeking at it. Sometimes a small twitch will induce a strike. The guides will often change flies multiple times if the pacu don’t spook. If they take the dry, set the hook rather quickly and keep the drag at a moderate setting as opposed to super tight. Be patient in fighting the fish, as a 15 to 20 minute battle on 40 pound fluorocarbon and wire is standard fare for fish in the 15 to 20 pound class.

What was your fishing experience like?

This was my second time visiting the Tsimane Heli Fishing program, and while it differed from my first trip, it was spectacular overall. I think everyone in my group would consider it one of the top three angling experiences in their careers. For me, this trip checks all the boxes: true wilderness, rugged terrain, wildlife, sight fishing, multiple species and techniques, top water opportunities, big fish, and the exhilaration of flying around in a chopper is a winning combo that is hard to compete with.

There were days when big fish were hard to come by, but on those days, there was typically a lot of action with smaller fish in the 2 to 6 pound range. Then there were also days when the big fish were very much present, and it was up to us not to choke and properly deliver the goods. Most of my group caught at least one large pacu, and the majority of those were caught on huge hopper-like dries. I caught my personal best pacu, estimated at 24 pounds, on a huge bright green Morrish hopper-style dry that was as big and thick as my thumb, tied on a 2/0 saltwater hook. The pacu takes about a minute per pound to land, and the smallest ones we got were at least 15 pounds!

One of our guests (Charles) caught a big, beautiful sarubi catfish that was over 20 pounds and is considered a very rare and special catch. Many of us also had shots at the much larger and uglier maturo catfish. They were in the 50 to 90 pound class, but they were reluctant to eat the fly. They catch about ten of them a year, and I will be returning for another crack at them!

We had some really good top water fishing, and my group was able to fish the first RIO production versions of my new 3/0 Skate Rat. It is basically a RIO Morrish Mouse on steroids, designed for jungle and taimen fishing. The factory flies were well tied, easy to cast, and durable. One of my group members (Tim) caught a 20 pound golden beast on it—one of the top five fish of the trip.

One of my favorite moments was photographing Dan land and release a 91 cm golden dorado. It was the largest dorado I had ever seen in person. Shortly thereafter, while still buzzing, I cast across a bunch of fast water and was stripping my fly through some slower flow structure. As my fly entered the seam, it was really moving, and behind it I saw a big golden face and shoulders chasing the fly. I could see its eye clearly, and it looked fiercely intent on getting my fly. I kept stripping, and after chasing it at high speed, straight downstream for 40 feet, it caught it! It fought really hard, and after we released it, a rain squall moved in and cooled us off after all the action.

While this trip checks all my boxes, it is a rather extreme offering. It is a trip where guests must navigate lots of physically challenging terrain, and at times, swim across rivers or long, deep, cliff-sided eddies. There are bugs and wild critters, and the remoteness cannot be underestimated. Global Rescue is only moderately helpful here. While the lodge’s safety record and emergency contingency plans are solid, this is a trip that is best suited to folks who enjoy a high level of adventure and the associated risk that such trips entail.

What was your go-to tackle setup for the trip?

I had intended to fish an 890-4 SAGE R8 Core most of the time but ended up loaning one of them out. Instead, my main rod was a 990-4 SAGE R8 Salt. I liked it more than I thought I would (as I tend to like slightly softer rods). Despite it being faster than the SAGE R8 Core, it fished great. I think that I prefer a 9 weight over an 8 weight for this fishery, as the flies tend to be rather large. I fished the 9 weight with a clear intermediate-tipped RIO Warmwater Predator line. I love this line! The 890-4 R8 Core was great for the dry line fishing, and the softer action was great for the shorter casts we often employed for pacu.

I tied heavily for this trip, building and improving upon prototypes that I fished there in 2023. Most of the flies were 3/0, 4/0, and even 6/0 patterns. The streamers were all baitfish designs constructed to be big, but most importantly, to cast easily. In terms of production flies, the new RIO Skate Rat was great, as were RIO’s King’s Kinky Muddler in 4/0, and Brammer’s Imposter in 4/0.

I also designed a fly line for this trip, and RIO was good enough to get me several prototypes for my group to use. The concept was to create a taper that was accurate and loaded rods with very little line out (as some of the shots are really short), but also create a line that turned flies over strongly with mid and long range casts. While I can’t disclose the name of the line yet or be 100% assured that it will be produced in the very near future, it performed really well, and I think it has a very bright future! More to come!

What was your accommodation and meals experience like?

We were treated like royalty. All received private hotel rooms in Santa Cruz coming and going, we were the first plane in and out of the lodge, and had nice single accommodations at Pluma Lodge. Pluma can take eight Heli guests and eight standard lodge guests, and each group of eight has its own lounge, bar, and dining area. The lodge is tastefully built out of mahogany-like hardwood milled on site. It is rustic and classy at the same time, with squeaky floors, attached bathrooms, ceiling fans, comfortable beds, and a chair and table on the main porch for gearing up and futzing with tackle. The long front deck has river views, and in the morning, there are tons of birds singing loudly. The helipad is located very near the upstream-most cabin and is super convenient.

All guests have access to an open self-serve bar and plenty of beer. Dinners are accompanied by nice Argentine wines. Breakfast includes fruit and pancakes, fresh juice, strong coffee, as well as eggs to order. Lunches are super simple, as space in the guide pack is limited. Two basic sandwiches or wraps in foil and a drink is it. Eat fast and keep moving towards the pick-up spot! Dinners are nice, especially considering where you are. They tend to be protein-forward but tasty.

The vibe in the private lounge is all about the specific group. Our vibe was awesome and full of laughter, superlatives, and occasional profanity. We had a blast every night.

This trip is the poster child for exotic fly fishing adventure travel. I felt that way back in 2009 when I first visited, and now that the Heli Program is in full swing, I feel that way more than ever. With that said, it is not a trip for everyone. It is pricey, but in my mind, it is worth two trips due to its uniqueness. It is physical, and like planning a winter steelhead trip, it is not terribly predictable. The rivers rise and fall, temperatures swing, and fish move around and are subject to their own special mood swings. With that said, it may be my all-time favorite trip. The rivers are so pristine, gorgeous, and full of the potential for spectacular fish that you will remember for a lifetime. One morning, when I stepped out of the chopper onto the beach with only a tapir and jaguar track on it, and saw giant catfish and a huge pacu the size of a trashcan lid, my pulse raced for a full hour. I was simply overwhelmed by all the good fortune that made it possible for me to be in such a unique place where humans are and will remain strangers.