ADIZ, April 3, 2014 (AFP) - The 31-year-old Scot shrugged off a two-and-a-half hour delay to card five birdies and two bogeys.
That form gave the former Australian Amateur Champion a three-under par 69 for a one shot lead over Welshman Bradley Dredge.
"It was a tough day," said Doherty, who has made just one cut all year, finishing joint 63rd in the Tshwane Open.
"We had a 20 yard wind on the front nine and almost 30 yards on the back nine, which is a lot.
"The ball is going a long way downwind and it's hardly going anywhere into the wind, but I practice on the west coast of Scotland which is normally quite windy, so I know how to play it and I just stuck to my game plan."
The rain delay meant half the 144-strong field were unable to complete their first rounds on Thursday, with play scheduled to resume at 0700GMT on Friday.
Welshman Rhys Davies had reached two under par after 12 holes and South African Tjaart van der Walt and Swede Joakim Lagergren were on the same mark early in their rounds.
First round scores in the weather-affected Cadiz Open on Thursday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):
69 - Jack Doherty
70 - Bradley Dredge
71 - David Howell, David Horsey, Mikko Korhonen (FIN), Lorenzo Gagli (ITA), Adrian Otaegui (ESP)
72 - Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN), Jeppe Huldahl (DEN), Anders Hansen (DEN), Daniel Im (USA), Matthew Nixon, Jorge Campillo (ESP), Chris Paisley, Gary Stal (FRA), Connor Arendell (USA), Chris Hanson, Alejandro Canizares (ESP)
73 - Jamie McLeary, Thomas Norret (DEN), Jordi Garcia Pinto (ESP), Daniel Brooks, Carlos del Moral (ESP), Edouard Dubois (FRA), Bernd Ritthammer (GER)
74 - Damien McGrane, Julien Guerrier (FRA), Jose Manuel Lara (ESP), Simon Wakefield, Cyril Bouniol (FRA), Andrew Marshall, Andrea Pavan (ITA), Phillip Archer, Michael Jonzon (SWE), Simon Thornton, Gregory Havret (FRA)
75 - Alvaro Velasco (ESP), Daniel Gaunt (AUS), Kevin Phelan (USA), Brandon Stone (RSA), Jake Roos (RSA), James Morrison, Thomas Pieters (BEL)