Each day angling pairs fish one of the many beats in the Pluma area, returning to the lodge at the end of the day. There are options to fish the upper Pluma and Itirizama river headwater camps, including overnight options at the out camps for one or two nights during the fishing week. Each headwater camp is suited for two anglers; this means two anglers in upper Pluma camps and two anglers in upper Itirizama camps. We recommend the upper Pluma/Itirizama camps only for well physically fit anglers, as all of the fishing is done walking and wading upstream and there is considerable hiking involved in reaching the upper camps. These headwater options aren’t for everyone, but allow the more adventurous anglers to extend their stay on the headwaters of these unique virgin mountain rivers, for a once-in-a-lifetime sight casting jungle experience.
Pluma Lodge Waters:
The accommodation offered at the lodge and camps allow anglers to access three rivers, which are each different in nature and character. The Pluma River, Itirizama River and the lower Sécure River. Its wide variety of waters and pools allow groups not to repeat beats during their 6 day stay. They can be caught in a wide variety of waters and using different techniques. Near those places there are magnificent fishing spots for pacu, yatoranas and catfishes such as tiger surubíes (South American striped catfish).
The Pluma River is a clear, medium-size freestone river whose structure is immensely rich and beautiful. The fact that it runs from south to north and parallel to the Mosetenes Mountain Range (without going deep into the mountains) makes it wider and more open; it is easy to wade there due to its wide banks composed by round shaped gravel and rock beds. Further upriver it gets narrower, its structure similar to a classic trout freestone river: it is full of shallow runs, boulders, and well defined deep pools and clear water. Fishing on the Pluma is done by walking and wading upstream, and at times using a Chiman canoe (no engine) which is very convenient especially for returning to the lodge at the end of the day. The lower Pluma extends from the confluence with the Itirizama River to its mouth in the Sécure River. The structure of this sector is similar to its higher reaches but with 50-60% more water volume. The pools are wider and deeper and the runs are more powerful. The increase in the water volume results in even more spectacular battles with the fish! The lower Pluma River beats are very accessible, and the fishing is carried out on canoes (without engines) running down stream. Anglers come back to the Lodge traveling by land on 4x4 vehicles through a jungle path. There are a wide variety of waters here, including steep drop offs, long runs, sandy flats, islands and deep pools.
The Itirisama River is similar in nature to the headwaters of the Pluma River; however, the Itirisama – considered by many anglers “the jewel in the crown” in Tsimane – has some extremely different features including swift runs, rapids, waterfalls and boulder-strewn pocket water. Very deep pools are found among those geographical features and they are generally on exposed stone slopes. Undoubtedly, this river offers the hardest hikes to access, so it is recommended only for anglers in very good physical condition. Its water is the coldest and the clearest of all Tsimane, so fishing can be very technical at times. The Itirisama is a fishery where one typically won’t catch as many fish; but it is home to the largest resident fish in the entire system.
The Lower Sécure River is the sector that goes from the confluence with the Pluma River to the Oromomo community. Here the Sécure River bottom has fine sediment and there are many sunken logs lining its banks. This is home to “Coruya”, one of the most active fishing beats in Tsimane due to the large number and the size of the dorados. There’s a large Delta region with numerous braided channels, sand bars and other features to concentrate baitfish, and therefore dorado, in good numbers.
At Pluma Lodge there will be two “super dugouts” with comfortable casting and poling platforms. These custom-designed skiffs will allow anglers to fish more and better in comparison with the smaller dugout canoes. We will keep the dugout canoes for the upper Pluma and Itirizama Rivers since they really perform best in the smaller water there. The skiffs will have a base at Coruya port on the lower Sécure River, to fish all the lower Sécure, the delta area and 30 miles of new, never-before-fished water, below and downstream of the Oromomo community, only accessible with these new and faster boats.
Besides the golden dorado (the king of the river) there are other species to pursue, such as pacu (our jungle freshwater permit) and yatoranas. Together these species make a trio very difficult to match in warm freshwater fly fishing. The rivers we fish are very similar to freestone trout rivers with similar looking pools, runs, pocket water, and riffles. If you are a good and pragmatic trout angler, you will feel comfortable reading and fishing our rivers.
Fishing in these rivers, regardless of the huge populations of fish, represents several challenges for the angler. These fish can be spooky in such small and clear water and every pool and run must be thought-out and a plan developed with your guide before casting a fly into it. Dorado are very fast swimmers, super aggressive and flies must be placed not only with accuracy but also at the right time. Anglers who are able to shoot 60 feet of line with one or two false casts will have a big advantage. Being able to double haul in order to generate line speed will be a huge advantage. The flies we use are generally quite large and most anglers find it difficult to cast them accurately, with distance – in a hurry. We encourage guests to practice in order to get familiar with their equipment, flies and lines.
It's also worth noting that it is important to go light, carrying what you need in your shirt and pants pockets; a few flies, a spool of mono and wire is all you need with pliers on your waist and nothing else. Leave the rest of the gear in the boat, which will always be located close by in case you need something out of your kit.
Setting The Hook:
Golden dorado, yatorana and pirapitinga have extremely bony and hard mouths. A low rod strip-set is the only method that consistently buries the fly hook into these fish’s mouth, just like a tarpon set. If you are not familiar with the strip-set, it might take some getting used to.
Catch & Release:
Tsimane practices a strict catch and release policy on all species. Avoid unnecessary handling of the fish. Barbless hooks are mandatory. Handling these fish requires special precautions, not only to avoid harming them but also to prevent injuries to anglers. All of these fish have very strong jaws and razor sharp teeth. And they know how to use them.
Wading:
Most of the fishing at Tsimane is done by wading in the river or fishing from the bank. The river structure varies tremendously, from sandy and small gravel beaches to sharp volcanic rock shoals transitioning through all kind of freestones and boulders. Wading is not difficult or dangerous; however there is a lot of it. We recommend guests to at least do some walking/running the weeks prior to their visit.
We strongly recommend our guests to wade behind their guides and to keep their eyes open. Stingrays are rare, but present in these waters and an unfortunate misstep can result in an extremely painful ordeal. For protection, stingray guards will be provided when necessary (you can bring yours if you want to). Together with a sturdy wading boot, keeping your eyes open and moving slowly you should experience no problems. It is very important to listen to your guide, follow behind him and his experienced and sharp eyes.
