Fabulous Fishin' in South America, 1950s

[Music] How times have changed. Tomorrow, these modern devities of Rod and Reel will be in South America, ready to enjoy some of the finest fishing on Earth. I'd like you to meet Cece Wallace and his companion, Steu Pritchard. Yep, that's quite a bit of fishing tackle going aboard, but these boys are the experts who are going to show us just about everything in the book. How about it? Want to go along? Almost before we know it, we're over Lima, Peru. The city of kings, they call it. Rich in the lore of early Spanish explorers. How the tourists love this place. Then we come down out of the skies over Santiago, Chile. We've traveled far faster than a bird in flight at an altitude of around 17,000 ft far down the west coast of South America. All with such comfortable ease. Santiago less than one day's travel from anywhere in the USA. Just think of it. How different things are today from the old horse and buggy days. That wasn't so long ago either, you know. [Music] Here we are, ready for that fabulous fishing. First to the Chilean lakes for trout, then over to the east coast of South America for something new in angling conquests and back to Chile for big game fish in the Pacific. Then home, all in three weeks time. And what scenery? Talk about trout streams. They've sure got them in Chile. Clear, cold, swift water with plenty of big rainbows and browns, too. Brother, what are we waiting for? Somewhere in the old tackle box, there's sure to be a little teaser that'll turn this balmy day with a fly rod into plenty of excitement. [Music] This sure was a place to catch rainbows. Look out there. Somebody's apt to be yanked off a rock and get wet. Makes a fella feel good just to watch, doesn't it? And there are hundreds of places like this in Chile. [Music] Oh, about 3 and 12 lb and plenty more where he came from. But shucks, this is only a warm-up. We're heading for the high mountain country where there's lots of big ones. Roughness, but you've got to go a little farther to be sure of the big stuff. A beautiful lake more than 8,000 ft up in the high Andes. Nothing but rainbows here. And what rainbows? It was windy up here and cold, too. Water temperature 40° and no hot showers. We camped out in a sleeping bag sure felt mighty good at night. But just wait till you see how this paid [Music] off. It's a darn good thing we took that outboard along. It got us to the good spots and never let us down. Flamingos, ducks, geese. We hardly had time to get an eyeful when wham, a strike. Talk about action and fight and high jumpers. We'd always dreamed about tying into a rainbow big enough to smash the best tackle ever made. And this certainly looked like the one. [Music] Taking no chances, AC. Don't blame you a bit. The folks back home wouldn't believe it if you lost this one. Handle him carefully, fella. [Music] 14 lbs. Now I ask you, isn't that a beautiful rainbow? And if you have any idea that this is just a man's sport, well chums, you've got another guest coming. The lady in our party proves she didn't come along just for the scenery. [Music] Nice going, Helen. And what lady wouldn't put a new feather in her hat after landing one like this? Then Stew ties into a whopper and up he goes. Out again. A third [Music] time and a fourth one for good [Music] measure. Six ft into the air. [Music] Wow. Slashing, splashing, and fighting like man without a letup. Looks like something a lot bigger and wilder than any trout could possibly be. But that's a rainbow and some rainbow. Go easy, big boy. Man oh man, this one weighed better than 16 lbs. And get this, in less than 3 hours, we caught 17. Yes, 17 of these babies. That is real rainbow trout fishing. Away we go flying over the rainbow to some more fabulous fishing. Next stop, Monteido Uruguay on the east coast. A favorite landing place for worldwise travelers who come to enjoy its nearby beaches and fashionable resorts. They call it the Riviera of South America. It can be reached direct from New York by one of these flying clippers. As modern as Fifth Avenue is the airport in old Spanish city of Monte Vido. But our fishermen are here to pioneer a new field of high adventure with Rod and Reel. We've flown over sea and mountains, jungles and plains to catch a freshwater game fish known as the Dorado. Ever hear of it? Well, don't go away for we've got a surprise for you. A short stop in town and fishing we go. The Sto Grande, big falls of the Uruguay River. A strange place this fast water rushing over ledges and through grotesque canyons of sharpedged volcanic rock. This is the home of the Dorado, a freshwater fighter that's in a class by himself, scientifically and otherwise, and little known to North Americans. Golden dynamite, some call them. Others say there's no game fish his equal. And that's exactly what we've come to find [Music] out. Again, we found that our outboard was a must. Those five horsepower marbles pushed the heavy boats steadily through the rough, surging current and treacherous whirlpools. Water where oras were useless and water we had to cross to reach the top fishing spots in a shallow side channel with the guide serving as a human anchor. Cease ties into one. Here's the golden dorado, folks. A fighting, jumping fool if ever there was [Music] one. Up he goes. Wow. Once they're hooked, they spend almost as much time in the air as in the water. What scrappers? [Music] Just get an eyeful of these three jumps, one right after the other. These bruisers are the nearest thing to perpetual motion scales on that we've run up against. No solid glass rod ever got a more banging [Music] workout. Look at that fish following the hooked one. And yet they're as wary as anything you'll find. And there's something else. You handle them carefully. They have teeth like razor blades. He's good eating, too. And that, my friends, is a Dorado. Take it from me. He's a Finny fighter, if ever there was [Music] one. In the meantime, Stu's found another good spot closer to the big falls. Using a long two-handed casting rod, he gets out a heavy lure because he's after a big one. [Music] A strike up he goes. Man alive. Look at that rod action. Dynamites busted loose again, brother. This fish is like a rocket. [Music] You just don't land one of these fish until he's completely got himself out. And after catching a few of them, we all agreed that the golden dorado is certainly the wiiest, fightest, and most spectacular jumper of all freshwater game fish, bar none. [Music] Once again on the Clipper, we fly away over Monte Vado. Our visit here had been something of a piscatorial gamble, but it paid off handsomely. And now we look forward to the big climax of our excitement. We make a short stop in sophisticated Buenosiris. [Music] Then we wing our way comfortably through one of the passes of the lofty Andes back to the west coast of South [Music] America. Leaving Ikiki, picturesque little North Chilean port on the Pacific, we're outward bound for the Humbolt current. This is what we'd all been looking forward to. Big game fishing with rod and reel for giant stripe marlin and broadb bill [Music] swordfish. The mate rigs a swordfish bait. Yep, that's a whole bonita with two big hooks skillfully laced inside. Gives you some idea of the sort of trouble we're looking for right now. Down here, a bait is never put out until we see our game. The lookout spots one swordfish. There he is on the surface. CE gets into his fighting saddle and everybody goes into action as the bait goes over the stern. Will he see it? Will he take it? Will we even hook him? At best, the odds are always 10 to one against hooking a sword and 100 or more to one against landing him. He hit it. Yes, he took it. C strikes him. Is he still [Music] there? The line tightens. Yes, he's on our first broadbill. So darn mad, he tears up the surface. Although it seldom these bulldog like gladiators of the seven seas ever jump. But their swords are like battle axes that'll slash the toughest steel eater. and their mouths are so tender the hooks can easily pull out. Sometimes it takes six or eight hours of backbreaking struggle and all the luck in the world to win a fight with a swordfish. Many experts never succeed. Even when he's finally brought in close to the boat, anything can happen. It's not over yet. Not by any means. If he decides to go again, it may be hours before we get another glimpse of him. And a sudden lunge will slash the wire leader through the mate's hands like a knife. But this time he was in to stay, although it took all hands to hold [Music] him. Boy oh boy are we happy as he finally comes aboard. Well over 400 lb of angry violence finally subdued. Landing a swordfish is one of the greatest of all conquests with rod and reel. Yes, sir. Fine. Going cease. [Music] But don't go away, chums. We're just getting warmed up on this big stuff. Wait till you see what this bait brings forth. There he is. Strike Marlin and a big one. Swing that boat around, Captain. Out goes our invitation to trouble. If he takes it, things are really going to happen. He's after it and he's got it. Helen goes into action and he's hooked. Sister, you've got yourself tied on to a lot of fish and you ain't seen nothing until you watch a big stripe marlin put on a show. There goes 300 lb of fight and fury tearing up the [Music] ocean. Who said this was just a man's sport? Take a tip from this, girls, and don't let the old man kid you. It's as much your game as tennis or [Music] golf. Stay with him, Helen. [Music] You're never sure of these big marlin until they're gathered and the rope is cinched around their powerful tail. [Music] It takes block and tackle to hoist him aboard. Doesn't seem possible, does it, that such a mighty giant can be conquered with that little fishing [Music] line. Homeward bound? Hardly. We still have that really big one to get. Two marlin tailing on the surface. This is good [Music] luck. Cease gets set for his second battle in a single day. The bait goes out and we circle them. Come and get it, big boy. One of them grabs it. And the hook is set. Away he goes with lightning speed and busts up the water like a series of depth [Music] charges. Watch these terrific slow motion jumps. And this is really a big fish. 30 ft through the air. Wow. Then he does it [Music] again. Hold on to him, CeCe. It's do or die now. This bruiser just won't tame down. What a show of streamlined speed and power and fight. Is he ready to give up? Not by a darn sight. Even after an hour and a half of this with never a letup. [Music] But Rod and Reel and man come home the winner over this grand silver warrior with the neon blue stripes. Our mate has the leader and the gaff is set. But what a scrapping finish he puts on. [Music] He didn't hurt us, did he, Cece? No, not much. Oh, my aching back. But it sure was worth it. 442 lbs and every pound a bombshell of excitement. For spectacular display, you're really tops in all the briney depot, boy. and we'll never forget the marvelous moments you've given us. Our trip for fabulous fishing in South America comes to a pleasant end entirely too soon. All this used to be far beyond the wildest dream of any of us. But with a new tourist rate, such a trip now is well within the means of the average American sportsman. Flying high through the skies to the finest sport on earth with rod and reel enjoyed with such remarkable ease and brief laps of time. Yes, it was indeed a wonderful experience providing a rich treasury of memories to be cherished and relived as long as memories last. [Music] Good morning.