Comprising untouched rivers, creeks, and lakes, and vast swathes of tropical and cold water, Latin American fisheries have emerged largely unscathed by the overfishing that has plagued the Northern Hemisphere. From fly to deep sea fishing, the subcontinent boasts some excellent fishing spots, posing the potential for some record-breaking angling. From jungle rivers to the open seas, we explore some of the most exciting fishing destinations that South America has to offer.
1. Osa Peninsula – Costa Rica
With a global reputation as one of the best sport fishing destinations in the world, Costa Rica’s rugged Osa Peninsula is teeming with wildlife both above and below the waves. The sleepy fishing villages of Goflito, Zancudo, and Puerto Jimenez provide the perfect base for your dream angling vacation. Species encountered offshore include dorado, wahoo, sailfish, blue marlin, striped marlin, black marlin, bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and amberjack.
2. Chimehuin River – Argentina
The most famous of all Patagonian trout rivers and widely credited with putting Argentina on the trout fishing map, the 50-mile long Chimehuin is a moderate grade freestone river that is comparable in size to the Yellowstone or Madison Rivers, boasting equally impressive fishing opportunities. Encompassing a diverse array of waters, the Chimehuin River is plentiful in wild brown and rainbow trout, with fish measuring between 21 and 24 inches frequently landed, and trophy trout occasionally available measuring up to 30 inches.
3. Estancia del Zorro – Chile and Argentina
Another prized Patagonian fishing destination, the stunning 15,000-acre Estancia presents the opportunity to fish and explore private waters spanning both Chile and Argentina, fishing for brown trout weighing in at up to 10 pounds. For those who enjoy small-water, spring creek fishing, the wonderful waters of Estancia del Zorro are ideal. Located in the Coyhaique Alto Mountains, straddling the Chile-Argentine border, Estancia del Zorro is a private ranch boasting a variety of wild trout waters within easy reach. More than a mile in length, the spring creek is reserved exclusively for Estancia del Zorro guests, although each guest is only permitted to fish for one day during their week’s stay to ease pressure on the creek’s fish stocks. For the other days, guests have their choice of numerous bountiful creeks and streams in both Chile and Argentina.
4. Cabo Blanco – Peru
When visiting the Cabo Blanco Fishing Club in 1956, Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway was impressed by the fishing cove’s natural beauty. Located in northern Peru, the bay of Cabo Blanco presents an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in nature, history, literature, and water sports. Inextricably linked to the development of international sports fishing, Cabo Blanco was an exclusive deep-sea fishing destination in the 1950s, where several world records were broken, including the capture of a marlin weighing in at a staggering 1,540 pounds. Species such as swordfish and black marlin form part of the wealth of marine species encountered in these waters today.
5. Essequibo River – Guyana
From its source in the Acarai mountains in southern Guyana, the black waters of the Essequibo twist, turn and thunder down huge waterfalls, covering more than 600 miles of pristine, untouched forests before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Fishing on the Essequibo River can be exceptional, with large payara, pacu, leopard fish, tropical pike, arawana, and peacock bass thriving in these waters, and jau, red-tailed catfish, and lau lau also found in the deeper pools below the rapids.
6. Ambergris Caye – Belize
The waters around Ambergris Caye abound with a plethora of saltwater species, the island boasting some of the best sea fishing spots in the country. Tarpon and bone fish can be caught year-round, with visiting anglers fishing tidal flats or blue water hundreds of feet deep within just 15 minutes of leaving the dock. One of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets until relatively recently, the extensive flats of Ambergris Caye are picture perfect, the white sand bottom serving as a feeding ground for unbelievable numbers of tarpon.
7. Rio Marie – Brazil
Located entirely within indigenous territory in the upper Rio Negro, the Rio Marie fishing operation occupies an area of more than 2 million hectares. Encompassing over 800 kilometers of rivers, 60 lakes, and 180 creeks, Rio Marie boasts a diverse array of waters for anglers to explore. The Rio Marie is one of the largest preserved fisheries in the whole of South America, and is internationally revered as one of the finest places on earth to fish for peacock bass.