Fly Fishing for giant bass is always a challenge for any angler in the Amazon jungle.
Catching peacock bass is one of the most fun targets for any angler with a fly rod, and could easily provide lots of action when the average fish is about 2-8 lbs.
It’s a great introductory fish for any angler in the Amazon jungle, since they can be found in big schools and they can be caught by the dozen in just one morning if you are in the right place at the right time.
They are wildly aggressive fish, and the eat on top of the water is arguably one of the most exciting and explosive visuals an angler can experience in fly fishing.
There are 16 different species of peacock bass in South America, and the largest one is the Cichla Temensis, endemic of Rio Negro Basin, and can reach up to 30lbs.
We just name it Açu (‘big’ in the ative language) or the Giant Bass, and it’s a COMPLETELY different game when put side by side with their smaller cousins. Catching monster fish over 20 pounds is a dream for any fly angler who wants a big challenge in the jungle.
Rio Marié is proven to hold the most remarkable average size of all peacock bass fisheries currently known to the angling world. The features that set this river system apart from all others are its remote nature, the healthy characteristics of the river, its intact and perfectly functioning ecosystem, and the level of protection inside a designated and protected territory that is almost totally untouched by modern man.
Although there are more trophy peacock bass in the Rio Marié than anywhere else in the world, it remains a challenging feat to actually catch one – and a worthy accomplishment – to actually land one of the monster fish weighing in at over 20 pounds. Many more of these giants are hooked every week than landed, as they are powerful brutes who know how to break leaders, straighten hooks, and destroy tackle.
This short video filmed in the beginning of our 2021 season shows how incredible this river can be. We faced high water, days of sun and rain, but the fish suddenly became active, and on a very special day with our guides scouting the upper Rio Marié, we had those situations every angler dreams of. With 4 anglers in one morning, we hooked 14 monster bass, all in the same oxbow lagoon complex. Fish were simply in a frenzy before a storm (my favorite time to fish them), and the real holy grail was landing 4 fish over 20lbs almost at same time, making that instance the only recorded 4 fish catch we know of so far. (82, 82, 94 and 91cms – which is the largest recorded peacock bass in length caught in a fly rod)
That was a moment that will remain with us, and we can only hope to share more memories like this in the future with you on the Rio Marié, the Rio de Gigantes.
riomarieflyfish
