The keen eyes of your Amazon fishing guide somehow spotted the frantic movement of a small school of frightened silvery, iridescent baitfish adjacent to a wood-strewn point some 25 yards away. This was a telltale sign to the savvy guide, one possessing 10 years experience with American anglers, that a peacock bass on the prowl might have panicked the startled baitfish. You launch a 7-inch topwater propeller plug towards the cover-laden point. Your aggressive retrieve causes so much audible and visible commotion that a flock of parrots takes flight from a nearby tree.
Suddenly, a peacock bass assaults your lure with such ferocity that it literally rips the stout casting rod from your grasp. Despite 80 lb braided line and a drag that's been ratcheted near its limits, the fish has enough power to strip 20 yards of line from your reel. Momentarily, your line goes slack and you pray that the unthinkable didn't occur - the sharpened hooks somehow failed to hold the enraged fish. However, your despair quickly turns to jubilation, as, with lure firmly affixed to his cavernous mouth, some 20-pounds of emerald green and Sunkist orange fury leaps three-feet out of the water and performs aerial gyrations that would rival the most acrobatic tarpon.
"I hope there are no underwater trees or brush for this fish to run to," you mutter to your fishing partner. You were briefed about the vicious surface strikes and drag screeching runs of the world's toughest freshwater game fish, but until you personally experience the awesome power of a trophy-class peacock bass on the end of your line, words simply cannot prepare you for what you will encounter. After a three-minute battle, the line eventually proved strong enough, and your luck even stronger, as the fish is lead to your guide's outstretched boga-grip. You've landed your first "grande" on the Unini River and you, your fishing buddy and guide all revel in the catch with broad smiles, high fives and hugs.
Scenes like the one just described are not a rare occurrence on Brazil's Unini River, a winding tributary of the mighty Amazon, but actually are experienced by guest anglers on a daily basis at the operation we visited. Three varieties of peacock bass (barred, speckled and the colorful butterfly) reside in this clear, blackwater river, among a host of other feisty game fish, and all will test your tackle and angling skills to the limit. Every cast on the Unini might yield a potential line class or all-tackle world record.
In recent years, no international game fish species has garnered the attention of the peacock bass. Many of the guest anglers visiting Brazil had planned a once-in-a-lifetime trip for peacock bass, but once they experienced this fantastic game fish, as well as the sights and sounds of the rain forest, a good majority of them now return each year for another chance to experience the pristine beauty of the Amazon and to do battle with another giant peacock bass.
We maintain one of the highest catch rates and land numerous fish of trophy sized proportions on a regular basis because our operations are extremely remote, far from the nets of commercial fishermen and from the pressure of other operations that often compete with one another on more accessible rivers of the northern Brazilian Amazon. During our regular fishing season from October through February (typically offering low or falling water levels), our camps are only accessible by charter plane from Manaus, Brazil, the capital city of the Brazilian Amazon. Because we are so inaccessible, practice a strict "catch and release" policy on trophy fish and since we limit the number of visiting anglers to just 12 per week, the peacock bass fishing on the Unini River seems to get better every year.
Our company - Amazon Fishing Adventures - will offer you comfortable accommodations, delectable meals, quality fishing boats and some of the finest guide the Amazon has to offer. Allow us the opportunity to host you on your next peacock bass adventure to Brazil and you will soon create your own memories that will last a lifetime!
We look forward to meeting and hosting you on your visit to the Unini River and becoming a member of the Amazon Fishing Adventures family. |