| Editor’s note: Will Blair travels the planet in search of incredible fly fishing destinations for his outfitting/hosted-trip business, The Best Of The Wild. If you’re looking for that trip of a lifetime, check out Will’s narrative about exploring the remote Amazon for massive tackle-busting peacock bass and other exotic species in the November/December issue of American Fly Fishing—not to mention a whole lot of coverage on fisheries closer to home. For more detail about Will Blair’s Amazon trips, click here. Here’s a brief excerpt: Flying 250 miles from Manaus, Brazil, into a protected national park enveloped me in wilderness. I had goosebumps. Life flowed below, shockingly green, interwoven by blue rivers of all sizes. I was surprised that most of the rivers looked clear, which I had not expected. When the float plane touched down on a slightly tannic-stained river, I was awestruck with the remoteness—I was surrounded by hundreds of square miles of wild country in the Amazon, with countless river miles filled with fish, and no other anglers. My guides had fished this area since childhood. Still, the learning curve was steep, but within a few days, I recognized prime spots, especially for peacock bass—excellent targets for fly anglers. These big, powerful, colorful fish love cover, so accurate casting is paramount. You might equate casting into cover with lost flies, but during that two-week expedition, I never lost a fly, though 40-pound-test tippet was partly responsible for my fortune. Yes, you read that right: 40-pound test. Because you need it. These fish are big and incredibly powerful. Their ferocious strikes are more aptly described as vicious attacks. Your first big peacock bass will catch you unawares—its attitude matches the wildness of the Amazon. They destroy the fly, then run hard and fast, every pulse of their tail exerting brute force. This excerpt was shared as content for one of our Pass Along Emails. Our free monthly newsletter is an informative and entertaining mix of the latest news of interest to fly anglers, updates on stories from the pages of American Fly Fishing, reviews of our favorite products and services, ideas for great travel destinations, and much more. Learn about fly-fishing events happening near you, discover new tips and tricks to help you catch more fish, enjoy entertaining anecdotes, learn about our favorite new gear and flies, and discover insider secrets about many of the waters you’ve read about in the magazine. And don’t worry, we won’t overwhelm your inbox—after all, we need time to fish, too—but you can look forward to regular new and interesting editions of the American Fly Fishing Pass Along Email. You can sign up for this monthly newsletter on our website. |
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Last modified: November 17, 2023
