All Epic Trips Have Eventually Come to an End … Farewell Rio Marié, Farewell Temensis Rex!

We had one more day of fishing. Untamed Amazon did again move upriver during dinner. Awesome – one enjoys dinner, sips a decent Argentinian Malbec and in the background of the big panoramic dining room windows the jungle passes by! 

Thus the next day we would have fresh water again. The vessel anchored close to the entrance of a creek. A creek that was only fished in the exploration season of 2014. Next morning we would fish kind of virgin water again!

 

 

  

As we drove upriver in that tributary the thought of being one of very few humans that fished and visited that place was overwhelming. I got goose bumps at every bend of that small creek! Loved it!

Fishing was mixed to good. We found a couple of pots and spots of several Butterflies. Breno checked in again for the 4-7lbs fish and I for the smaller ones and far less. At the end of the day we would have caught more than 40 Butterflies. Had a nice fish barbecue with some bees flying around and went back to the main river and upstream after the lunch to spend our last hours fishing at Rio Marié. As if the fishing god was close to us we both landed a good sized GPB to end that trip. Breno got a good fish of 76cm and around 16lbs and I caught a smaller one to finish the trip of something of around 70cm and 13-14lbs.

Last cast, very last cast, final cast. That was Rio Marié! 

I got the unofficial world record with the biggest GPB ever caught on fly up to date, got another fish of 23lbs and had an awesome time with my friend Breno, the Russian team and the lovely crew. Thank you for all that! Thank you to ALL on site, back home and elsewhere that made this trip such a blast!

If you are in pursuit of GPB with the fly, Rio Marié is the ultimate place to go. You will have the best chances to catch a fish beyond the magic 20lbs mark. The whole setting is marvelous! The fishing is kind of work and does not provide the visual appeal of NZ trout fishing in gin clear water or the crazy stuff you might experience fishing for Golden Dorado. But if you are interested in the best fishing destinations possible: book your slot now! You might experience one of your best fishing days and will fish one of the very last virgin spots on this globe.

Questions of any kind (tackle, background, booking, advice, …)? Contact me.

If you like what you read: share it via social media and tell your fishing buddies!

Rio Marié - The largest Giant Peacock Bass ever caught on fly!

Our fourth day of our great adventure was guided by Agustin. Agustin spend the first part of the season at Kendjam, guiding there the first regular season with the new lodge (see my Kendjam Blog about Breno and my visit during exploration Season 2015 to this highly regarded Untamed destination). This morning in the bot, more ironically joking than serious I said: “I am going to catch a 28lbs fish today!”

  
Fishing was again cast by cast to the shore and towards structure. Some fish to the boat. But not so many. We fished a lake with some freshwater Dolphin action. This made me put on my 70-200 2,8 Canon lens and taking some hundred shots of breathing Dolphins. To take a proper shot of them is kind of a challenge, as they are very quick. So only a low percentage of the shots would be sharp and relevant.

I was kind of distracted and took it very easy, several times switching between the fishing rod and the camera to take shots of the freshwater dolphins. As usual we changed the location several times to fish the various types of structure from lakes to lagoons to creek mouths. Eventually we fished a big lagoon with sunken trees providing the perfect habitat for the really big GPB. To that point it was a rather slow day, not many fish to the boat. I had changed my fly some time ago to a rather small white Deceiver with some grey/ blue sprinkled in that I must have tied several years ago for a saltwater trip. With this kind of fishing it is crucial that you are always focused on your fishing as you don’t want to spoil your low number of chances on a really good fish. Thus, either fish concentrated or make a break. I tried to keep my concentration as high as I could…

Fishing the mentioned self-tied fly on a 300 something grain sink-tip line on my 9 weight rod, letting it sink for several seconds to get it close to the ground, I started a slow retrieve with some shorter quicker pulls mixed in to trigger a possible following fish…


Not at the bank but kind of close I got a solid hook up and an obviously decent fish was hooked. That was not one of those Butterfly Bass that explodes but a solid powerful mass of fish. With those bigger GPBs the immediate judgment of its weight is hard as their behavior can be highly different. Some burst and dart away over 15 meters, as a good fish on Breno’s fly did (+16,5lbs) or show limited strength and can be dominated quickly as my 23lbs GPB from the day before. The fish on my line was possibly stronger as it showed a lot of energy right in the tight space between sunken trees, the close shore and the boat moving boat in the upcoming wind gusts. To add thrill I got a knot in my line (it might have been a freshwater line, but the tendency of lines to tangle was not much less with specific warm water lines, this specific line was a Vision as it was the only available at a German mail-order shop a year ago), Agustin was able to solve that while I was holding and fighting the fish with the remaining line. The fish knew its territory and managed to wrap the line at least half around one of those trunks of a sunken tree which are the home of these fish. This obstacle was solved by me and the fish showed its full beauty for the first time on the surface.

 
























WOW! That was huge! The local guide tried to net it but as usual the fish got angry facing the net and darted away. It was kind of nerve wrecking – this was not one of those 7lbs NZ SI trout that you would prefer to land, but if you would miss it, you might catch another one in the next pool – this was a decent or even a very large GPB! A fish that thousands of fly fisher (and bait fisher) pursue to catch for years. So all of us – especially Breno, to make me quit moaning about casting the whole day - really wanted to land it! The next attempt to net it did again not succeed, I was afraid that the barbless fly would come loose and just pop out. If that would happen the whole jungle would hear some very angry Bavarian swearing (normally I do not swear because of a lost fish, mostly I laugh heartedly about myself, but in that case I would make an exception). Again the netting attempt did not work but the fourth attempt succeeded! Fish on board and just there we saw its size and weight. The IGFA scale and measure showed the measurements: just shy of 13kg, thus around 28,5lbs and +90cm (on some pictures of the measurement it looks more like +92cm)!

Holy shit – just about now we realized that this fish was not an “ordinary +20lbs GPB” but the most likely biggest Giant Peacock Bass ever caught on fly up to date!

No more words needed.

The crew was excited, Breno was excited and lucky that I could not further complain about this “boring casting casting…” and I felled a total new feeling I never had with fishing: kind of sports like satisfaction. Thankful, speechless, …

One annotation to documenting and landing that fish: Everybody aware of the IGFA rules knows by my report that this was not an IGFA-conform World Record but most likely just the largest ever caught GPB on fly. With IGFA I would have needed to use a 20lbs class tippet (which is kind of crazy with these fish, as it might lengthen the fight unnecessarily and or might end in a breakoff) and nobody would have been allowed to touch any of my tackle during fight and the fish would have been measured out of the net on the measures. We did not do any extreme posing pictures, so the fish size is not over exaggerated, the pictures rather understate its size especially compared to my tall size.

I am not a fisherman that needs or seeks attention as long as I am satisfied myself and had a good time out on the water. Thus I asked the team to not tell anything about it to the other guests. Celebrating the joy silently was the way. Only the locals spread the word and I got several thumbs up (real ones, not the virtual ones)... Stay tuned for the next days of this awesome trip!

If you are interested in a trip to Rio Marié for Giant Peacock Bass contact me or Untamed Angling

Rio Marié – Rio de Gigantes – let the second week begin!

Transfer from Belo Horizonte after INHOTIM Art Museum (see pictures and brief information in the post before) was straight via Brasilia and last leg to Manaus. Reception and transfer to the hotel - as usual with Untamed - went as it should be: reliable and quick. Check in and shower at the hotel. 

It was good to be back in serious fishing business with friend Breno! The week was supposed to be good!

Diner was at Soho Lounge a no frills Sushi place with delicious Sushi just some 500 meters away from the hotel. We walked. No Taxi. For European standards, that is a nonsense annotation but for Brazil that is not common for kind of tourists.

Just weeks before the Trip, Breno told me that we would be accompanied during our week at Rio Marié by a group of seven Russians and the personal (!) Norwegian (!) photographer of one of them. I was looking forward to ask them about global politics (just kidding). Seven Russians?! WTF was our first thought? Let’s see what the week would bring. It could be funny with a lot of alcohol, hoping that the boat’s supply would never end. Because addicted without their toys are hard to take. I had that once on the Seychelles. But I stop here with any prejudice.

Next morning we had the luck to be in the second smaller and later plane, so we could have slept longer, but I did not manage to adjust my iPhone to the appropriate time zone, thus I set the alarm clock to 5:30. So we had more than plenty of time to have breakfast and to prepare our gear. Breno, I must admit, was kind of irritated why this German did set the alarm clock so early, but took it professional with humor of a good friend.

What about Rio Marié, what makes it so special? In the first post about my ULTIMATE JUNGLE BLAST I mentioned the exceptional high quality of Giant Peacock Bass fishing of this venue. Giant Peacock Bass live in several parts of South American Amazon and are one of the most regarded fish to catch in that area. Catching a “tenner”, thus a fish of 13lbs or more is an achievement, catching a fish beyond 20lbs might be the GPB of your lifetime, catching a +20lbs GPB on fly is over the top and having the real chance to catch more than one +20lbs GPB within one week is kind of beyond the charts. And exactly that is Rio Marié by Untamed. It is beyond the charts!

I have to confess that I am not into GPB fishing at all and can only hardly imagine what it means to catch such a +20lbs “Temensis Rex” (their correct name is Cichla Temensis). It might be as exceptional as catching a 30lbs Huchen (aka Taimen) in Bavaria on the fly. But I am just guessing. For me the special appeal of Rio Marié definitely was to add a good week fishing with Breno in an extraordinary setting and to add another week of fishing one of the best spots for one species on this planet after the first week at Tsimane. It is kind of spoiling yourself but considering setup cost and travel time from Europe it just makes sense to fish two or even three destinations of Untamed in one back to back trip. 

Source of Rio Marié is in Colombia, flowing to the east it oxbows its way through the northwest Amazon jungle of Brazil, joining Rio Negro, a huge tributary of Amazon, after more than 500 miles. The whole system of Rio Marié and its tributaries are inside the Indigenous Territory of Medio Rio Negro. In the past this area was only “used” by native indigenous tribes for sustainable fishing. In 2014 the Brazilian government and the local native communities granted ten years of exclusive fly fishing access to Untamed Angling. Altogether this adds up to some 500miles of fly fishing including several tributaries, creeks, lagoons and old oxbows of the river. Combined with the careful and caring development, characteristic for Untamed Angling, this provides the best possible fundament for an exceptional fishing experience.

As GPB are not uncommon you might ask what is so special about Rio Marié to produce such a high percentage and number of fish beyond that magical mark of +20lbs? There is not one answer to that question. Several facts might have an influence. The area is very remote and pretty much untouched by any fishing pressure by locals let alone fly fishing tourists. Thus there is no harvesting and fish can grow as long as they survive their predators. GPB in that area – might be kind of trout in NZ – follow survival of the fittest and a steep pyramid develops: low total numbers of GPB but the ones that are there develop a very high average weight. 

GPB occur in two distinct color stadiums: the Paca (bronze with white spots) and the Acu form more greenish, yellow with the thick black stripes. The Acu form is actually the spawning and post spawning color of the fish. GPBs built a nest on the river ground that is kind of a 1,5 meter diameter bowl. In that bowl they “breed” and protect their descendants. For spawning they can gain considerable weight. Fishing takes place in that post spawning time and some of the takes might be related to parents protecting their kids.

In loose order during the next weeks (as of late January 2017) I will post the story about my week at Rio Marié and the very special fish I caught...

To get a sneak preview check out issue #61 of This is Fly. Link and share my blog if you like what you read.

 

The ULTIMATE JUNGLE BLAST – Fly Fishing Bolivia and Brazil – September 2016

Where to start to write about my current adventure of South American Jungle Fly Fishing? Starting at the very first preparations a year ago, or with the typical last minute packing rush, or the first decent fish caught, or the heavy thunderstorm we had last night right here at Aqua Negra Lodge at Tsimane Dorado Fishing/ Bolivia?

Let’s start with the last. As it is a good introduction that traveling demands flexibility of your mind. Things might not work out as planed or as dreamed of for the long month before. I will start with the flooding of the river, with the last minute change of plans just in time before we were about to start a two night headwater exploration to a remote creek of the system. We are Chris (my fishing partner from Eugene, Oregon), our guide Luciano and I. All three of us were mega keen to do that headwater camp as fishing up there is said to be awesome as long as you are very fit, fearless and a seasoned fly fisher. 

Last night, four days in the adventure here at Tsimane (Bolivia), after boating down Secure river from Asunta Lodge and arriving at Aqua Negra Lodge, a significant thunderstorm with around three hours of heavy rain hit the whole catchment of Secure river and its tributaries. Not a good situation in the rain forest as rain mostly means a lot of rain. The rain ended around six in the morning but right now around 12 hours later the river is still rising. The peak of flow might be close - hoepfully. All of our group of six could not fish today and we had to postpone our campout tramping plan. Painfully showing that rivers can be blown without mercy and river levels do not consider your selfish fishing plans. Keep fingers crossed that the peak is close and water levels will drop soon...

A day off at the lodge, reading, chatting, relaxing, writing. Fishing would be much more preferred.

Enjoy every day and moment on the river with good water levels; you might not have one the next day!

Tsimane by Untamed – well known for second to none Dorado fishing in the remote jungle and home of the Tsimane natives in Bolivia. After my first visit back in 2012 to Asunta and Pluma lodges a lot changed. Both lodges I visited back then were washed away by huge floods in the last years (nobody was hurt). Floods not even the local Tsimane would have expected. The two camps were rebuild with comfortable tent camps at more secure locations and one new camp/ lodge was added to the destination: Aqua Negra with access to a tributary of Secure. Thus Tsimane venue now provides three different lodges/ camps.

This place is outstanding, unique in a very special way. The fish, the location, the jungle, the setting, the people – just unique! A lot was already written about that place and it is truly magic.

My preparation for that trip started a year ago as an agent I am in contact with since 11 years – Daniel Beilinson - offered me a special hosted trip a year ago and I had instantly to say “Yes I go!”

A couple of month ago the idea came to my mind to combine Tsimane with the new fishing venue of Untamed: Rio Marie in Brazil. A live on board based operation close to the Columbian boarder on a remote tributary of the Amazon in pursuit of Giant Peacock Bass beyond the magical mark of 20lbs.

After some back and force discussion with my Brazilian friend Breno that idea came to birth and was not just an idea but a plan: the ULTIAMET JUNGLE BLAST was born! The combination of two or even three excellent locations in a single trip. For all fly fanatics with more than just two weeks of vacation per year that will be the way of future trips: combination of several top destinations in one trip. If you are about to spoil yourself why shouldn't you add some extra spoil?
With Untamed exactly that is possible.

Some annotation for readers that are not used to my travelogue aka blog. I try to describe fly fishing adventures from my subjective perspective providing honest first-hand information for the interested reader as well as for my private memories. Background information, humorous annotations combined with “do not take anything to serious” but be still critical and reflect.

If you have questions of any kind (tackle, background, booking, advice, …)? Contact me. If you like what you read: share it via social media and tell your fishing buddies!

Happy reading, happy trails and Tight Lines!