Alejandro Haro of Juramento Fly Fishing lives a unique experience as a guide. Based in the Salta Region of Argentina, Haro takes on golden dorado on the fly. And in the process, he is working to protect this fish. Haro recently sat down to interview with The Venturing Angler:
What draws you to operate where you do?
I was born and raised in Salta. My dad introduced me to conventional fishing when I was a kid, and after sometime I finally got to meet a fly rod. Since 1992, I started Juramento Fly Fishing, moved by the beauty of the places where we fish, the strength of golden dorado, and the strong desire to protect and save this fish and these rivers.
How would you describe fly fishing for golden dorado to someone who has never fished for them?
I would say, without fear of being mistaken, that it would be the most mind blowing fishing for a freshwater specie on the fly they have ever done. And this is a mix of remote locations (fishing in the middle of the jungle in Salta, in pristine free-flowing small rivers, sightfishing with dry flies for huge GDs!, and just a two hour drive from the main airport), the GD attack, its ferocity, speed and agility, and because of all the nature you see in your way.
What is your favorite thing about doing what you do?
What all my team really love overall, is using fly fishing as the best tool to generate new “Nature Warriors” and to reinforce our decision to be one. While we are out there, guiding and introducing people to this fantastic sport, we are not only transferring values and a way of life, but we are protecting as we are fishing the river.
What is the most memorable trip you’ve had and why?
We had many, but two moments I wont forget, is when Francisco Mariani, Fish Simply founder, came to fish with us for the first time. Since that day, not only did Juramento Fly Fishing’s reality change dramatically for good, but even better, the whole GD protection scenario, has had a blast since that day. He was the one behind the first ever GD Blood Sampling, geo-tagging studies to better understand best C&R practices, he has been the force behind the creation of the Fundacion Rio Juramento, and he is actually talking with the guys at Fly Fishing Collaborative to run a new project together in January 2018. He was also the guy that led Patagonia into the dorado market, helping raise awareness in the importance of protecting this native specie. For sure, that day, proved to me and all of us here that if you want things to happen, anything is possible.
The other one, was two years ago. While fishing the closing day of the season with my beloved father, and he managed to catch a 24 kilo dorado! That day I felt the circle had closed as it was meant to!
What is it that makes your region so special?
Honestly, I think that is a bunch of things, but our geography, our food, our easy way to access different rivers and also being so close to the airport. But what in terms of fishing we offer, the unique ways to fish for GD in Salta are what make our destination so special. You can float on a raft on a fast flowing river, fishing with an 8-weight rod big with streamers, using every inch of the river to put your fly in and with the chance of getting a 20+ kilo GD. And just a two hour drive from there, we are wet wadding in a crystal clear, free flowing river in the middle of the jungle, chasing big GDs, sightfishing them with dry flies. All that can be in the same trip, and just a six hour drive from there, we have our Dorado Golden Route partners at Alto Parana, where you get other different ways of combining GD fishing in all its possible ways, making your trip a trip of a lifetime.
What makes your guide service great?
Our service is the result of more than 20+ years working in the field. We could say we were one of the golden dorado fly fishing pioneers in the world. We provide great fishing options, with good accommodations and good food and drinks. We also have great guides, and we aim not to be a super fancy guide service, but rather a way of fishing at a super accessible cost.
If you had only one day off all year, where would you fish and what fish would you target?
Without any doubt, I will chase golden dorado in the Juramento River — where all this began. NO DOUBT AT ALL.
What are your favorite three flies?
The flies we use here have local names, but those three are:
Tarija
Ututu
Yunga Rat
Do you have any other passions?
I do. I paraglide and am a scuba diving instructor. With any free time I have in between seasons I go flying!
How are you working to protect golden dorado?
The work to protect dorado is impossible as a one man show. That’s why we created Fundacion Rio Juramento. We have a 10 permanent member team that drive a lot of initiatives, controls, and fundraising efforts all together to generate a real change. We have short and long term plans in order to give a real solution to this issue. In the short term, we conducted studies, and we are helping create some extra controls and law enforcement initiatives. We are also planning for mid and long term, free fly fishing lessons in Salta, presentations in schools, and we are expanding a project together with Fish Simply & Fly Fishing Collaborative in order to set some aquiaponics farms, in order to give poachers an alternative of getting fish meat instead of having to predate our wild fishes and rivers.
To check out more from Juramento Fly Fishing, please click here.
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Disclosure: Juramento Fly Fishing is in a professional relationship with the Fly Fishing Guide Directory and the Venturing Angler. Though potentially benefiting from this relationship, we do not post what we do not believe to be true. To read more, click here.