The Fly Explorer: Amazon Fishing Expedition 2011

I’ve just got back from Amazon and I feel like I want to write a book (in Jules Verne style) to share everything that I experienced during these memorable days. I have been fishing for Peacock Bass and other warm water species in Southern places of Brazil, but there is just something about the “Alto” Rio Negro that you don’t find in any other region. These waters are located upstream from the small village of Barcelos, in the heart of Brazilian Amazon Rain Forest. Rio Negro Peacock Bass has been known as one of most powerful freshwater fish in the world. For me, the beauty of Peacock Bass battle is related to the violence which this fish input after exploding over your lure/fly, and the image of the chaos that they create to get rid of it. Although sometimes they can be hard to locate and they can change their behavior due to weather conditions, the challenge of Peacock Bass fishing is more related to landing them than to catching them. They are not a leader shy fish and do not require finesse presentations. Even a small Peacock Bass Paca (Tucunaré Paca) weighing around 6 pounds will stress your tackle to the extreme in their first runs. For my bait casting outfit, I was using 65 lbs Power Pro braided line with no leader, attached direct to the lure, to avoid any point of rupture. For fly fishing, a 6ft piece of 30lbs to 40 lbs fluorocarbon straight leader is the minimum recommended. As one member of our group defined “It is a freshwater fish that explodes on the surface like a saltwater Titan”. Good definition.

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After intense fly tying, tackle preparation and physiotherapy (because of a chronic problem on my shoulder) I finally felt ready to go! Although a shot of yellow fever vaccine is highly recommended, there is no need actually to bother about mosquitoes, because Rio Negro PH level doesn’t allow then to proliferate. The fishing package starts when you arrive in Manaus where the first night at the hotel and the transfer is included. After that, it is a 7 nights, 6 full fishing days all inclusive fishing package (yes, including beer and “caipirinhas”!). It is important to point out that one of the reasons why I chose this package is because it includes a charter flight from Manaus to Barcelos. Some operators who offer Amazon fishing packages in Barcelos do not include this charter flight, which means paying an extra air ticket or navigating 300 miles upstream to get to Barcelos. There are other operators who don’t even leave the area around Manaus and fish in areas that receive a lot of pressure and consequently less chance of finding the big ones. It is important to know who is who and what exactly they are offering. I was pretty confident with this operator, given that I have plenty of good reports from friends that fish with them every year. The 2012 season is already fully booked for October and November, because they are usually the driest months; however, I am setting up a group for the week of Jan 18 to Jan 26 in 2013 which is also considered one of the most productive time of the year.

Intense fly tying before the trip. These are some Deceivers.

Big Seaducers, one of the most productive during this trip.

My fly box

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I chose going to Manaus two days earlier. Besides the fact that the flight was cheaper, going a couple of days before gave me time to acclimatize myself and solve any possible problems such as lost luggage or flight delays. I didn’t expect, though, that I would burn my ankle one day before taking the flight to Barcelos, in the hotel’s sauna. Fortunately, there was a walk-in clinic near the hotel and the doctor instructed me how to properly treat my burn and gave me an antibiotic in case of infection. The reason why I am writing about it is because I like to point out not only the good aspects of a trip like that, but also the unforeseeable events that can happen even after everything that you planned. The hotel’s staff did the best that they could to apologize, but I would still need to deal with that 250 miles upstream in the wilderness. If some of you guys here decide to come with me, I will be very pleased to have you in our excursion, but I want you to be aware of everything. This is not a trip to Disneyland as some operators like to promote it. Even though the hotel boat has everything you need ( air conditioning, private bathroom, all meals and drinks, laundry service, emergency medications, satellite telephones and so on), this is still an excursion to the wilderness in a developing country. Having said that, I can guarantee that this is a great adventure that offers a real possibility of catching a lifetime fish in one of the most amazing biome in the world.

The Amazon Theater is a great place to go if you are staying for a couple of days in Manaus

Some local handcraft

Fishing conditions for Peacock Bass in Rio Negro is directly related with rain. The period between September to March is considered the dry season on Rio Negro basin and fishing is usually awesome when the water level is decreasing. Due to climate change conditions, it is getting harder to preview which period exactly will have less rain. Lots of rain out of the season in the Rio Negro basin is called “repiquete”, a condition that is famous for being harder to find fish. However, the advantage of fishing in a hotel boat (when compared to lodges or safari camps) is that you can move to another spot or another tributary in search for more productive waters. As I said, October is usually one of the best months, but this year it was raining oddly during this month. However, when the group took the flight to Barcelos, my heart was filled again with hope while I spotted the sun shining over the green immensity.

The fun starts on the charter flight

The village of Barcelos - Peacock Bass capital of the world!

The Mother Boat - Julyana. She is a beauty.

The mother boat can accommodate up to 12 guests. It was specially designed to navigate in shallow waters, which results in the advantage of accessing some areas that bigger boats cannot. A support boat travels together with the Hotel Boat bringing extra supplements, fuel and it is also where the guides were accommodated. Our group was formed by a family and a few friends coming from south Brazil and a group of Italians. There was a good balance between spin/bait casters and fly anglers. When we arrived, the operator brought us together to tell us how the fishing conditions were and what strategy would be adopted in our journey upstream. He also explained about safety issues and one that I found particularly interesting was that each guide knows about the area that the other guides are fishing. Therefore, they know where to look in the case that one of them does not return to the mother boat on time. They know each curve of the Rio Negro. The jungle is their city and I have never seen better sense of direction in my life. They enter in small wetland channels and literally put the boat over the head to access secluded lakes in some untouched areas. Their English is very poor, but believe me, if you see a Shakespeare guiding in Amazon, he will not be the one who is going to put you on big fish. These are local guides who were born and raised in Peacock Bass habitat. They can climb threes to get your lure off and they definitely don’t rush you as I’ve seen in many other places. We fish from sunrise to sunset and enjoy a little “siesta” after the lunch. Gratuities are only given by the end of the trip, avoiding favoring wealthier anglers over the others. In Amazon, we are all the same, sharing the same feeling.

The operator, Alvaro Scotti, tying some fency jigs for the Italian guest

Support Boat and the “voadeiras” (aluminum boats)

The guides positioning the “voadeiras” close to the Hotel Boat

We started to fish in the afternoon at the same day that we arrived in Barcelos. Even though the expectations weren’t great, after all the rain that we got, I caught my first “Paca” of the trip right on the first casts. I was amazed for feeling the power of this fish on a fly rod for the first time. My boat partner, though, was still getting the hang of casting properly inside the structures and couldn’t catch his first Peacock . There was a pair of Italians who found a small school of Peacocks and got into a lot of action in this afternoon. But the overall result didn’t exceed the expectations. Fishing is fishing.

My first “Paca” on the fly

The pair of Italians showing experience with their fly rods.

My buddy didn’t catch his little trophy. Nothing a beer can’t fix, though.

On the next morning, the day dawned rainy. I chose to start the day bait casting for a little bit. Contrary to popular belief, I like using top water lures when it is raining. A lot of small birds and other creatures fall on the water in this type of situation, and Peacock Bass will not forgive their mistake. It didn’t take too long until a big Barred Peacock Bass (the giant known as Tucunaré Açu) explode on my lure. However, I lost it during the fight. It will remains in my memory. There was a school of Butterfly Peacocks (the most beautiful in my opinion) that gave us some action during the morning. The rain got heavier and we stopped several times due to lightning. When the weather finally calm down a bit, I switch to my fly rod and a nice 6,5 lbs Paca couldn’t resist the big bright deceiver! On the afternoon, my partner caught his first Paca and we both caught a punch of smaller fish.
Tucunaré Borboleta (means “Butterfly Peacock Bass)

A Butterfly Peacock Bass that didn't resist the attractive moviment of a big topwater lure

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Stop please!

I will never forget this Tucunaré Paca 6,5 lbs!

That was a nice one to start buddy!

By the end of this day, my ankle was bothering me a lot and my feet begin to swell. I took the antibiotics that the doctor prescribed. I was afraid whether it would be possible to fish during the next days. My biggest concern now was not the fish anymore, but the act of fishing itself - an activity that I had never seen as a privilege, but now I saw. On the next day, I started feeling better and I was glad just for being there, in one of the most amazing places that I ever fished. Even though we didn’t catch any big fish during this day, everybody have plentiful of action. Butterflies Peacocks and Peacock Bass "Popocas" were attacking my flies frenetically during the entire morning. The afternoon was slower again, but I caught my first Aruanã - an acrobatic predator that it seems to be made for fly fishing. They require good presentations and you can sight fish for them when they are feeding on the surface. A hands down fighter.

The fishing guides cross these shallow channels with extreme agility.