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Golden Dorado Helicopter Fishing Bolivia Heli Fishing Program

Bolivian Gold – Helicopter Fishing for Golden Dorado, Bolivia

This is Bolivia’s most exclusive Golden Dorado fly fishing program, offering helicopter-only access to headwaters that cannot be reached by road. It is true exploration, targeting aggressive Dorado in wild, crystal-clear rivers where flies are rarely seen.

From the lodge, helicopters fly you into remote canyons and freestone headwaters set deep in the Andes foothills. These upper reaches hold trophy Dorado averaging 12 to 18lb, with genuine chances at fish over 20lb. The setting is dramatic and isolated, combining raw wilderness with technical, rewarding fishing.

All fishing is on foot with two anglers per guide, working pocket water, rapids and pools. You will sight cast streamers into tight seams, drift flies through fast water and hunt Dorado in places that feel completely untouched. This is technical fishing that demands accuracy and patience, with the reward of powerful, hard-hitting predators.

Each day brings a new beat, with rivers carefully scouted and rotated to keep pressure low. Helicopter access ensures variety and exclusivity, giving you water most anglers will never see.

Back at camp, comfort balances the adventure. A fully staffed riverside base provides hot meals, cold drinks and fireside relaxation, with mountains and rainforest framing every evening. It is the perfect close to days spent exploring waters at the edge of what is possible in Dorado fishing.

Book your trip today with Sportquest Holidays and experience heli fishing in Bolivia, the pinnacle of Golden Dorado exploration.

FISHING Seasons

The season runs from May to October.

Golden Dorado

Season: May to October
Peak: June
Weight: 8lb to 35lb
Average Weight: 15lb

Pacu

Season: May to October
Peak: June
Weight: 1lb to 30lb
Average Weight: 8lb

Package Details

Tour code BOL005

Included

  • Golden Dorado Helicopter Fishing Native Fee - $1000
  • Golden Dorado Helicopter Fishing Park Fee - $120
  • Airport transfers
  • Fishing as per itinerary
  • Full board
  • Fully guided
  • Helicopter flights
  • Internal flights
  • International flights
  • Local alcohol
  • Lodge transfers
  • Main accommodation
  • Overnight hotel
  • Single room
  • Soft drinks
  • Taxes

Excluded

  • All fishing tackle
  • Emergency medical evacuation insurance
  • Personal holiday insurance
  • Tips
  • Visa (If required)

Optional extras

  • Airport parking
  • Flight upgrades
  • Extra bags
  • Additional nights
  • Additional activities
  • Add-on tours

Itinerary

Day 1

Any international airport - Santa Cruz

Depart Any international airport - Arrive Santa Cruz Depart Any international airport - Arrive Santa Cruz
 

Depart: TBA

Arrive: Viru Viru International Airport

General Note General Note
 

Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.

Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.

Transfer from Santa Cruz Airport to your overnight hotel Transfer from Santa Cruz Airport to your overnight hotel
 

Once you’ve landed at the airport and collected your bags, you’ll be met by a member of the Tsimane team and transferred to your overnight hotel.

Santa Cruz Standard Hotel Overnight Accommodation
 

Santa Cruz Standard Hotel in a Single Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis

Day 2

Santa Cruz - Pluma

Transfer from your overnight hotel to Santa Cruz Airport Transfer from your overnight hotel to Santa Cruz Airport
 

In the morning, after enjoying breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up at approximately 9:30am and transferred to the domestic terminal at Santa Cruz Airport. From there, you’ll board a charter flight to the Oromomo Indian Community landing strip, a journey of around 90 minutes.

Depart Santa Cruz - Arrive Oromomo Village Depart Santa Cruz - Arrive Oromomo Village
 

Depart: El Trompillo Airport

Arrive: Oromomo Indian Community Landing Strip

Travel from Oromomo Village to Pluma Lodge Travel from Oromomo Village to Pluma Lodge
 

Once you’ve touched down on the landing strip, the Pluma guides will be waiting to welcome you and transfer you to the lodge. The transfer is by boat and takes approximately one hour, depending on water levels. Upon arrival at the lodge, you’ll be met by the team, shown to your rooms, and have time to unpack and prepare for the exciting week of fishing ahead.

Pluma Lodge Overnight Accommodation
 

Pluma Lodge in a Single Room on a All Inclusive basis

Days 3-4

Pluma (Fishing Days)

Fishing Fishing
 

On your first two fishing days and on each day of your holiday, you’ll be fishing the remote, untouched waters of the Bolivian Jungle. Each morning, you’ll be transported by helicopter to a range of different waterways, approximately 5 to 20 minutes away, depending on the location.

Each piece of water will vary from deep pools to rugged, terraced pocket water, offering a different challenge. It’s the ideal destination to try all the fly fishing styles, from spey casting to throwing a popper into a feeding frenzy, to a sight cast in a pocket.

Pluma Lodge Overnight Accommodation
 

Pluma Lodge in a Single Room on a All Inclusive basis

Days 5-6

Pluma (Fishing Days)

Fishing Fishing
 

On your third and fourth fishing day, and throughout your holiday, you’ll be fishing what is unarguably the best Golden Dorado fishery on the planet and, in the opinion of most experts, one of the top 10 fly-fishing destinations worldwide. 

Each year, Pluma is responsible for producing some of the largest Dorado in the world, and trophy-sized specimens over 30 pounds get landed every season.

Pluma Lodge Overnight Accommodation
 

Pluma Lodge in a Single Room on a All Inclusive basis

Days 7-8

Pluma (Fishing Days)

Fishing Fishing
 

On your last two fishing days, if you’d like to go all out for a bigger fish or revisit an area you particularly enjoyed fishing, let your guides know, and they will do their best to make it happen.

Note: All the fishing at Pluma is based on two anglers to one guide.

Pluma Lodge Overnight Accommodation
 

Pluma Lodge in a Single Room on a All Inclusive basis

Day 9

Pluma - Santa Cruz

Travel from Pluma Lodge to Oromomo Village Travel from Pluma Lodge to Oromomo Village
 

In the morning, after breakfast and once you’ve packed your bags, the guides will transfer you back to the Oromomo Village. The journey is by boat and takes approximately one hour, depending on the water levels.

Depart Oromomo Village - Arrive Santa Cruz Depart Oromomo Village - Arrive Santa Cruz
 

Depart: Oromomo Indian Community Landing Strip

Arrive: Viru Viru International Airport

Transfer from Santa Cruz Airport to your overnight hotel Transfer from Santa Cruz Airport to your overnight hotel
 

On arrival at the domestic terminal at Santa Cruz Airport, a member of the Tsimane team will meet you and transfer you to your overnight hotel.

Santa Cruz Standard Hotel Overnight Accommodation
 

Santa Cruz Standard Hotel in a Single Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis

Day 10

Santa Cruz - Any international airport

Transfer from your overnight hotel to Santa Cruz Airport Transfer from your overnight hotel to Santa Cruz Airport
 

After breakfast at the hotel, and at the agreed time, you will be transferred back to Santa Cruz Airport to begin your return journey home.

Depart Santa Cruz - Arrive Any international airport Depart Santa Cruz - Arrive Any international airport
 

Depart: El Trompillo Airport

Arrive: TBA

General Note General Note
 

Please note that depending on what international airport you wish to return to, travel from this destination may involve an overnight flight and/or an overnight hotel. Once flights are available, your itinerary will be finalised.

Dates, Prices & Availability

Prices are shown per person and are based on single rooms and two anglers per guide unless stated otherwise. All prices are accurate at the time of publication but may vary slightly depending on factors such as travel dates, booking time, airline pricing, or fuel surcharges set by the operators.
Flights are always priced at the most competitive rates available at the time of enquiry to ensure you receive the best possible value when booking.
Proudly an ATOL bonded company, our trips are complete packages, including all flights, transfers, accommodation, and fantastic fishing and shooting experiences.

From To Days Price Availability
12/06/2026 21/06/2026 10 £15,560 Sold Out
19/06/2026 28/06/2026 10 £15,560 Sold Out
26/06/2026 05/07/2026 10 £15,560 Sold Out
03/07/2026 12/07/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
10/07/2026 19/07/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
17/07/2026 26/07/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
24/07/2026 02/08/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
31/07/2026 09/08/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
07/08/2026 16/08/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
14/08/2026 23/08/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
21/08/2026 30/08/2026 10 £15,560 Enquire
28/05/2027 06/06/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
04/06/2027 13/06/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
11/06/2027 20/06/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
18/06/2027 27/06/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
25/06/2027 04/07/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
02/07/2027 11/07/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
09/07/2027 18/07/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
16/07/2027 25/07/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
23/07/2027 01/08/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
30/07/2027 08/08/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
06/08/2027 15/08/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
13/08/2027 22/08/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire
20/08/2027 29/08/2027 10 £16,600 Enquire

If your preferred week or travel dates do not appear in the calendar above, please get in touch. Many lodges release availability in stages, and some dates depend on tides, seasons, guide schedules, or short-notice changes. By speaking with us directly, you will receive the most up to date availability and clear guidance on securing the strongest options before popular weeks fill.
Enquire now and we will check live availability for the dates you are considering.

Book with confidence

Our ATOL protection, means you have financial security on your booking.

All our destinations are thoroughly researched by our team of experts.

We have worked hard to be able to provide you with the best prices possible.

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Accommodation

When one thinks of remote destinations in the heart of a jungle, they probably do not realise that the accommodation on offer can be of a high standard. Guests of Tsimane Fishing will enjoy complete relaxation and comfort during their stays.

Pluma Lodge, upgraded for 2023, is a comfortable jungle lodge with stylish log cabins designed to cater for eight guests per week. It offers travelling rods on this first-class helicopter programme, single rooms with private bathrooms, a queen-size bed, a desk, an armchair, hot water, and electricity. As well as this, there’s a private dining and living room, exclusive to anglers on this trip, a small spa, jacuzzi and massage room. Free Wi-Fi, laundry, fly shop and heliport.

FOOD & DRINK

As well as upgrading the living quarters, the food and drink menus have also been revamped, with Pluma and Secure offering a range of international cuisine paired with great Argentinean/Chilean/Bolivian varietals in a well-fashioned living and dining room. There’s also an all-inclusive bar with a wide variety of liquor, spirits, and special drinks. So if you’re looking for the best in jungle accommodation, amenities, food and beverages, this tour has it all.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

As these are remote fishing lodges, they are not ideal for non-anglers and would only suit people who are there to sample the excellent jungle fishing on offer.

Bolivian Gold

If you’re looking for an exclusive, adventurous freshwater fly fishing holiday, with the chance to wet a fly in some of the most remote water in the world, this trip is perfect for you. New for 2023, we’re very excited to announce our helicopter fishing trip, venturing to the deepest depths of the Bolivian jungle for the hard-fighting, beautiful Golden Dorado. This trip offers adventurous travelling rods the chance to fish some of the most untouched waters in Bolivia and the whole of the South American continent.

Our partners Tsimane, have an unrivalled geographical location, thanks to their proximity to the headwaters of many rivers in the Moseten mountain chain, enabling them and us to offer this new tour for giant Golden Dorado, Pacu and Yatorana, in incomparable quantity and quality. The rivers and tributaries where the fishing is based are wild, and the waters are untouched, seldom seen by humans, let alone anglers. Moderately sized and crystal clear, with stunning topography, they’re the ideal waterway for all the freshwater fly fishing styles, from throwing a popper into a feeding frenzy to sight casting in a pocket and even spey casting.

If you’re looking for a first-class, all-inclusive fishing adventure, fishing virgin water, for fish that have never seen a fly, then this is perfect for you.

Best Golden Dorado Rivers

The fishing at Pluma Lodge on our exciting helicopter fishing trip has the advantage of fishing three different rivers, the Pluma River itself, the Itirizama and the lower Sécure River. Each piece of water varies from deep pools to rugged terraced pocket water.

PLUMA RIVER

The Pluma is moderately sized and crystal clear with a rich and stunning topography. It runs from south to north, parallel to the Mostenes Mountains, which gives it a slightly broader and more open feel than some of the other rivers available. However, the Pluma is more suited to easier wading due to its vast banks, covered in smooth gravel and rock.

ITIRIZAMA RIVER

The Itirizama, known as the ‘Jewel In the Crown’, is considered by those who have fished in Bolivia as the premier river system of the Tsimane programs. The size of the river is very similar to the upper stretches of the Pluma River, with the main difference being a steeper gradient and more rugged terrain, which gives it a different feel and appearance. The Itirizama River runs from west to east through a selection of stunning canyons, making it a typical mountain stream with a whole host of runs, rapids, waterfalls and large boulders. This waterway is the most physically demanding section to hike, wade, and fish, but the rewards are incredible for those who choose to fish it.

SÉCURE RIVER (LOWER SECTION)

The lower areas of the Sécure River offers travelling rods a range of easy wading opportunities in broad, flat and expansive sandbars and shallow flats. The river’s bottom is lined with fine sediment, and dotted along the shoreline are many sunken logs. When the Sabalos (baitfish) are here in numbers, the Dorado go on a mass feeding frenzy and hunt their prey in significant numbers.

Fishing For Golden Dorado

The main species travelling rods target on this heli fly fishing trip is the Golden Dorado, also known as the ‘River Tiger’, ‘Jaw Characin’ and the ‘Steel-Jawed Hunters’. In the river systems of Bolivia, they’re a true apex predator with a diet consisting of a wide variety of fish and small vertebrates, such as rodents, lizards, and birds. The size of Dorado typically ranges from 8lb to 35lb, with an excellent average of around 15lb.

The fish are highly sought-after by anglers and a true challenge. Their sharp teeth and powerful jaws will bend hooks and cut wire, and their highly aggressive nature attracts travelling rods from all corners of the globe. From the early 2000s onwards, they have been recognised as a fly-fishing species. Their initiative in taking flies, paired with excellent fight energy, frequently going airborne to loosen themselves from the hook, make them a true gamefish.

As well as Golden Dorado, it’s also possible to target and catch an array of other jungle species, as the remote rivers are home to Pacu, Yatorana, Surubi and Pirapitinga, to name just a few.

To learn more about the Golden Dorado and this helicopter fishing trip, visit our YouTube channel.

Helicopter Fishing Trips

This exciting new jungle fishing holiday utilizes the camps Robinson R44 Raven II Helicopters, flying anglers daily to some of the most remote parts of the Bolivian jungle. Limited to just a capacity of eight rods per week, with a professional guide assisting each pair of anglers, it offers the opportunity to explore areas where no other anglers and, in some cases, humans have ever stepped foot.

In the morning on each of the six fishing days, the helicopter will transport you, your fishing partner and a guide to a range of remote and untouched headwaters of the Tsimane rivers and creeks, a flight of which will be approximately five to twenty minutes depending on the location. The guides will pack lunch and beverages for the fishing day, and at 5 p.m. (approximately), the helicopter will pick you up and return you to the lodge. All the guides will have satellite communication to ensure permanent contact with the helicopter pilots and the lodge.

The helicopter used has no incidents on its record and meets the Bolivian Air Regulations part 135, Aerial Operator requirements. Piloted by highly experienced crewmembers who are former Bolivian Air Force pilots, formed in the model of the U.S. Army and under its safety culture and doctrine, you will be in incredibly safe hands. Crewmembers have an average of 6,000 flight hours in single and twin-engine helicopters, and most of the crewmembers’ experience is in the jungle environment.

Videos

Watch the latest videos from this destination.

Alternative destinations

Hosted Piracuá Lodge Argentina

This exclusive hosted trip to Piracuá Lodge in Argentina gives solo anglers and pairs of friends the chance to join Sportquest Holidays CEO Peter Collingsworth for an exciting Golden Dorado fly fishing adventure on the mighty Paraná River system. With explosive fishing, expert local guides, comfortable accommodation and a group of like-minded anglers, it offers the perfect blend of world-class sport, adventure and camaraderie.

Piracua Lodge Argentina

Piracuá Lodge offers travelling anglers the chance to experience explosive Golden Dorado fishing in the heart of Argentina’s mighty Paraná River system. With expert local guides, comfortable lodge accommodation and prime river access just minutes away, it delivers the perfect blend of adventure, comfort and authentic South American sport fishing.

Delta Eco Lodge Argentina

Delta Eco Lodge is the perfect ‘add-on trip’ for anglers visiting or passing through Argentina and looking for a couple of extra days of Golden Dorado fishing at the start or end of their holiday. Situated in an ideal location, less than an hour from downtown Buenos Aires, it’s the perfect stop for travelling rods before the flight back home.

Suindá Lodge Argentina

Suindá Lodge is a Golden Dorado anglers dream and is a first-class program for those searching for exciting freshwater fly fishing opportunities combined with some of the most technical yet rewarding fishing out there; it’s also a destination where double-figure Dorados are a possibility all season long.

Pira Lodge Argentina

If you have ever wanted to experience fly fishing for Golden Dorado in stunning surroundings, then Pira Lodge is the perfect destination. Explore this huge expanse of creeks, lagoons and rivers from our Hells Bay flats boats, searching for Golden Dorado in the crystal clear water that is eagerly awaiting your fly.

Latest Reports

Tsimane Fishing Report Week 12 2024

HELI FISHING During the tenth week of the season in the heli fishing program, we had excellent catches of resident Dorado ranging from 15-18 pounds. These were caught using mouse patterns and streamers. The temperature...

Tsimane Fishing Report Week 11 2024

HELI FISHING During the ninth week of the season in the heli-fishing program, we caught resident Dorado ranging from 10-14 pounds. These catches were made using mouse patterns and Titanic Sliders. We also landed some...

Tsimane Fishing Report Week 10 2024

HELI FISHING The eighth week of the heli fishing program season, we saw catches of large resident dorado weighing up to 17 and even 20 pounds, as well as large pacú up to 15 pounds....

FAQ

The adventure is based in Bolivia’s Amazon jungle, exploring remote headwaters of the Sécure, Pluma, and Itirizama rivers by helicopter.
The main focus is Golden Dorado, with additional opportunities for Pacu and Yatorana in the pristine jungle waters.
These rivers are home to trophy Golden Dorado with catches averaging at 15lb, though some may reach up to 35lb.
Daily helicopter access allows anglers to reach untouched jungle headwaters and fish rivers that are otherwise inaccessible.
The season runs from May to October, aligning with the migration of Sabalos baitfish and prime Dorado conditions.
A helicopter transfers small groups directly to remote jungle rivers, where fishing is done by wading.
Guests stay in a jungle lodge with comfortable wooden cabins, each featuring en-suite bathrooms, hot showers, electricity, and Wi-Fi.
Yes, the trip includes full-board dining with a variety of meals, plus soft drinks and local alcohol.
Anglers are supported by experienced professional fly-fishing guides who specialise in Golden Dorado.
The trip is limited to just 8 rods per week, ensuring an exclusive experience on these remote Amazon rivers.
Enquire