Pescador Solitario is Spanish for Solitary Angler and the name means everything. We do not like crowds! I began saltwater fly-fishing and outfitting about twenty years ago and dedicated my time to finding the next great undiscovered fly-fishing destinations. This has expanded well beyond saltwater, as you will read below. We believe that to create a life event, you have to create a life event situation. That is what we do for you in our fishing efforts.

The search began in Central America with great success on the Belize/Mexican border, near the small fishing Village of Xcalak. Bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook are the primary targets. Some of our clients have made over twenty trips to this location since we started the service 18 years ago. The flats of Chetumal Bay are user friendly and the fishing, in a word, is awesome. Pescador Solitario and our clients were the FIRST to explore this region and guides trained by Pescador Solitario know more about these waters than anyone. If you are a permit junky like me, call us about the best months and moon phases. This is one location where the fishing just keeps getting better.

In Alaska is our premier operation is on the Karluk River. This is perhaps the fishiest cold water system I have ever had the pleasure of standing in. Our primary target here is Steelhead. Most clients hook 8 to 15 steelhead a day….nuff said. Trophy class chrome bright silvers, char and dolly varden to 30 inches, and a scattering of rainbows and sockeyes are the bonus. The Karluk is 22 miles long, and we are in the middle. We add a mid-week fly out for some upriver char fishing, but concentrate on the best steelhead runs for most of the week. This is an October thing and steelheaders should give us a call to see when the next availability will be. We only take four clients per week. 

Also in Alaska, Painter Creek Lodge provides classic Alaskan fly-fishing in an incredibly remote and beautiful setting. King salmon are generally the target of my trips because this location provides the unusual opportunity to fly-fish for these 20 to 50 pound, sea bright bruisers. Historically all of the five Pacific salmon and arctic char were plentiful. Five years ago the partial eruption of a volcano changed the PH level of the water, and all but the kings have been more or less absent. However, the silver salmon run has come back in force, and for those of you who like chrome bright silvers on poppers, this is the place. We are monitoring the situation, and still run trips for Kings in July. The fishing for kings remains reasonably good downriver and we are pleased to have a sister relationship with Painter Creek Lodge.

Down in Argentina, our new location is the river side lodge of Amokañi. The primary target is the now famous Golden Dorado. We have a long history of dorado exploration in Northeastern Argentina, and are thrilled to have the quality of facility and guides at the new lodge. This is a Clearwater fishery with the bonus of Pira Pita and Pacu. As to the dorado, imagine a golden, giant brown trout with pit bull jaws and lives in the river with piranhas....a rough neighborhood. When hooked the fish essentially acts like a tarpon. I believe that as a combination fishery for all three species, the High Parana and Amokañi is the best destination in the world.

Also in Argentina is Laguna Larga Lodge in the Chubut Province. Imagine Montana 30 years ago. There are 14 river systems and a large lake. Your base is Laguna Larga Lodge, an incredible facility located right on the lake. From there day trips take you to different water every day. Expect river rainbows on dry flies up to 20 inches, with a scattering of mid-20’s browns, and browns in the lakes up to 10 pounds. Add a wine cellar with 1,800 bottles and the exemplary hosting of Andres Stewart and his family, and you have a pretty darn nice excuse to catch argentine trout. Combine Laguna Larga with Dorado fishing and you have…well…the Argentine dream trip.

Down on the Costa Rica/Panama border is a small quiet lodge that started as a dolphin research center. The draw? GIANT tarpon. This Atlantic tarpon fishery gets very limited pressure and when you add tropical jungle, wildlife, magnificent beaches, and a coral reef, you have paradise. We call it Tarponville. This small Manzanillo, Costa Rica lodge has been in operation for only a few years and much of the area is still to be explored. Guides are fairly seasoned but still learning and boats are being improved. The fishing is awesome. It is important to go at the prime weather and moon phases so give us a call for info on the best time of year to plan your trip. 

You are probably thinking South Padre Island is famous for college spring break and a bazillion t-shirt shops. What you might not know is that this area as the very best wadeable flats for redfish and seatrout in the United States. We were looking for a good location and facility to offer shorter, more affordable trips, and this location has it. Raquel and I love to walk those flats, and Raquel has a peculiar affinity for redfish. Casting to tailing reds is nothing but fun, and you can be doing this the same day you fly into Harlingen or McAllen, Texas.

The Laguna Madre is an extensive Texas bay system protected from the gulf by a barrier island. Most of the Island itself is designated as a National Seashore. The “Laguna” is filled with flats that redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, tarpon, and snook call home. By far the most beautiful of these are located just north of South Padre Island, Texas. These “east side” hard bottom flats cover literally thousands of acres.

Tanzania Tiger Fish is the ultimate fly fishing experience, and not just because it is in Africa. Your destination with us is the Mnyera and Ruhudji rivers, located in an extremely remote area of Tanzania. The rivers are located in a private game concession of about 2,000,000 acres. The 100 km or so of fishable water is your private playground while in camp. Except for an occasional native tribesman, there is no one else on the water and you can’t help but feel a little like a kid in a candy store. The rivers are divided into beats, and in a week of fishing you don’t fish the same water twice. Habitat ranges from fast rapids and rocks in the upper sections of the rivers to slower, meandering deep water cut banks and sandbar drops. Tiger Fish look like a bad dream, and have an initial strike unparalleled in the fishing world. Expect 10 to 20 grabs per day from fish in the 5 to 20 pound range. These rivers have reset the standards of trophy tiger fish.

The locations you will find on this site are remote and pristine, and all have excellent and unique fishing. Few are easy to get to but the fish are fast and big, and the expert guides work long hours. There is something to be said for blind enthusiasm..and we just can’t seem to get over it.

One more cast to all.
Mark Cowan and Raquel Moncada
Pescador Solitario