"We take you into the 'heart' of the Amazon like no one else can!" Table of Contents The Legendary Peacock Bass The Prime Time to Fish "North" vs. "South" Mobility and Isolation "Safari-Style" Camp Meals Boats and Guides Daily Fishing Schedule Booking  a Trip Return to Peacock Menu Return to Acute Angling

"The Peacock Bass Professionals..."

There are as many as twenty other species in the Amazon that will also take a fly or lure (depending upon the watershed) - many as ferocious and hard fighting as the peacock bass.  Sometimes you'll never know what you've hooked until it's in the boat!  Pirapitinga, tambaqui, aruana, pirarucu, pirapucu, bicuda, jancunda, traida, pirarara, matrincha, peixe cachorra, corvina, arapa, surubim will keep you plenty busy in between tucunare hookups.
 

Aside from the fishing, the Amazon is one of the most wondrous outdoor destinations imaginable.  It is truly a 'land that time forgot,' where man's intrusion still remains negligible.  The birds, wildlife, and botanical splendor are as exotic as the land itself, and this is just a sideline of your incredible angling adventure!
 

When the rains subside the water levels slowly recede back into a central lagoon-filled river channel.  Prime fishing occurs when the receding waters force baitfish out of the vegetaion and into open water (low water usually forces commercial fisherman and our competition out as well).  Knowledge and careful monitoring of these water fluctuations is an essential part of angling success.  Many outfitters are running operations in areas with marginal high water periods when the fish are completely inaccessible - angling results suffer tremendously.

"North" vs. "South".  It’s hard to generalize on which fisheries are best suited for your particular angling requirements, but as a general rule it is safe to say the southern watersheds hold higher numbers of fish, while the northern region is known for slightly larger fish (not that there isn’t world record potential in the south).  Each of our chosen rivers has its distinct characteristics, and we’ll be happy to match you with a location that will fulfill your expectations.

The southern region is productive from mid-September through November, while the north fishes best from December to the end of March.  We do not operate during ‘fringe’ periods when water levels and angling conditions are questionable.  Note:  In order to maximize fishing potential throughout the season, and in accordance with varying water conditions, the rivers to be fished may be changed at the option of the outfitter.

Mobility and isolation are the key to exceptional fishing… With an area almost as large as the United States, you’d think that the Amazon’s angling resources would be virtually endless.  Most outfitters would like you to think this is true.  In reality, concentrations of giant peacock basss (cichla temensis) exist nowhere else in the world except specific locations throughout the Amazon basin.  It takes a wide range of environmental conditions to create the ideal habitat maintaining a "fishable" number of big peacocks.

Then there is the human factor.  There are well over three million people living in the Brazilian Amazon.  Commercial and subsistence fishing pressure has depleted fish stocks along all prominent waterways.  Recent research has shown that it takes over twelve years for a peacock bass to reach trophy size (over 15 pounds).  With all the netting and spearing going on, it is essential to travel to obscure, unpopulated watersheds.

 After careful consideration, we’ve settled with a series of highly-mobile African-style tent camps.  We now only use our yachts as a means of transportation into the fringe of our selected angling locations (the yacht stops when low water prevents passage).  From there you re whisked into the "heart" of the Amazon’s most prolific fisheries via high - speed tunnel boats - far from the reaches of both the commercial fishermen and our competition (twin - engine charter aircraft will also be used when logistical obstacles present themselves).  You’ll be fishing in virtually virgin waters where large populations of giant peacocks remain unmolested.  If you’re looking for optimum numbers of trophy fish, there is no better option than River Plate Anglers!

There are two separate/identical camps within each fishery.  The first camp is located some three hours (boat ride) from the ‘mother ship.’  The second camp is another 2-3 hours upriver.  Angling time is divided between the two camps, giving you an extended amount of water to fish.

Our operation is specifically designed to take you where the fish are, and then maximize your angling time by remaining as close to the ‘source’ as possible.  This means decreased running time (to where you’ll be fishing each day), and increased angling time.  If the water levels aren’t right, or the fishing productivity drops off, we can instantly move to a more productive location, without being restricted by shallow water or other limiting factors
 

Is ‘Safari-Style Camp’ Synonymous for ‘Roughing it’?
If you’ve ever been on an African or Alaskan safari, you know that sleeping in tents doesn’t necessarily mean a sacrifice in comfort.  The Amazon (especially where our camps are located), is not the hostile bug-filled inferno sterotyped in grade-B movies and fanciful literature.  Average daytime temperatures range between 85 - 95 F (depending on cloud cover) with 50 - 70% humidity.  Nightime temperatures drop to a comfortable 72 - 78 F.  Hardly unbearable.  Prime fishing periods coincide with the dry season, so biting insects are almost non-existent in most cases - many of our rivers have virtually no biting insects.

Anglers stay in extremely roomy 13’ x 13’ safari - style tents (two anglers per tent) that are twice the size of the cramped "luxurious quarters" found on our competition’s houseboats.  Your accommodations aren’t spartan either, with two comfortable beds (full set of cotton sheets, towels, washcloths etc.), fluorescent overhead lighting (along with two separate reading lights), chairs, tables, and two powerful fans for ventilation.  We have 110-volt electricity available 24 hours a day if you need to recharge video camera batteries or any other electronic equipment.  Each tent has its own separate bathroom facility complete with sink, flush toilet, and shower with both hot and cold water.  We even have daily laundry service (the camp has its own portable electric washer - of course!)

Meal Quality (and Quantity) is also something you won’t have to worry about.  All our camps are outfitted with numerous portable refrigerator freezer units that hold generous supplies of fresh meats, produce, and of course, ice.  Our full scale mobile kitchen facility has all the modern appliances imaginable.  Baked chicken, filet mignon, pasta dishes, fish, and fresh fruits/salads are common items on the weekly menu.  Delicious bread is baked fresh daily, along with an assortment of cookies and other goodies.  Chilled wines, ice-cold beer, soft drinks, lemonade, orange juice, and filtered water (Red Cross approved filtration device) are available in unlimited quantities and are included in the price of the package.

Boats & Guides:  Another specialized aspect of our operation regards the boats we use.  Most outfitters are roaring around in heavy deep drafting bass boats.  That’s great if you’re fishing in big deep lakes, but peacock bass and other popular jungle species live in rivers that often get extremely shallow in the dry season. With this in mind,  We’ve switched over to shallow drafting, lightweight game boats (16’ John - style tunnel hulled models with 40 horse outboards, swivel seats, and Minn-Kota electric trolling motor) that allow us to cruise over shallow sandbars and flats to get you into places no one else could possibly fish - where that monster lurks.  We also have several light-weight portable boats that allow access into secret landlocked lagoons.  Anglers fish two per boat, with a Brazilian guide well versed in the nuances of casting, spin and fly fishing.  He’s intimately familiar with the water you’ll be fishing, and will excel at putting you into impressive numbers of big fish.
 

Daily Fishing Schedule…  River Plate Anglers will try to personalize each day’s fishing schedule to your preferences.  Every evening, the manager will discuss the following day’s plan with you.  You’ll be awakened by 6 a.m. by one of the staff.  Breakfast will be served from 6:15 and you’ll be ready to leave, after making you own lunch from a variety of fixings.  At midday your guide will find a shady spot and set up hammocks.  (If you wish, it may be possible to return to the camp for lunch, depending upon how far away you are fishing.)  Please give yourself and your guide a lengthy break from the sun.  You will be able to fish until the late afternoon when the guide gives the signal that it is time to return to camp.  The river should never be run after dark, so when the guide decides it’s time to leave, please stop fishing.  Dinner is usually served at seven after all guests return.

Leave the Crowds Behind…  Our camps have a maximum occupancy of 8 to 10 guests per week.  Our competitors pack 12 to 14 guests into their houseboats and routinely fish the same waters at the same time.  It is not uncommon to see two or even three houseboats competing for the same rivers!  That’s a lot of fishing pressure on a fragile and sensitive fishery.  Our guests will be fishing in remote, isolated water, far from the houseboats and far from the crowds.  If you desire to fish the Amazon rainforest depicted in geographic magazines and television nature shows, come fish the Amazon with Luis Brown’s River Plate Anglers, and leave the crowds behind.

A Team of Professionals…  River Plate Anglers has set the standard for efficient management and operation of a fishing camp in the remote reaches of south America.  As always, our camps will be managed by fishing-knowledgeable, bilingual North Americans experienced in handling the complex logistics inherent to the Amazon fishing camps.  Our camp managers know intimately the nuances of peacock bass fishing and are skilled in baitcasting, spin and fly fishing.  They understand the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that occur in the Amazon environment and the effects of these changes on your fishing results.  More importantly, they know when it’s time to move the camp to another area, or to a completely different watershed.  Come fish with the professionals.
 

Guided peacock bass trips are available throughout most of August, September, October, January, February and March.   For more information on booking a Peacock Bass fishing adventure, contact:       Paul Reiss at AcuteAngling, in Califon, New Jersey,  (908) 832-2987, E-Mail Paul Reiss, or:  Garry Reiss, (908) 431-1668, E-Mail Garry Reiss