There are many species of fish in the pristine waters of the Agua Boa many of which can be taken on a fly. Until last year the number of different fly caught fish was eighteen however recently our guests added another two, a large armoured cat fish and a fish that looked like a tambaqui, a seed eating characin prized for its eating qualities. Our main quarry is of course the Peacock Bass.
I believe we have four distinct species in our waters, recent scientific papers on the Cichla Bass species maintain that there can be anything up to 15 different species in the Amazon Rivers. How true this is remains to be proved.
Fly fishing in the many rivers of the Amazon watershed is not a new angling method. Read what Henry Walter Bates the famous naturalist writes in his journal:
“The owner of the house was not at home, and the wife, a buxom young woman, a dark mameluca, with clear though dark complexion and fine rosy cheeks, was preparing, in company with another stout-built Amazon, her rod and
lines to go out fishing for the day’s dinner.
It was now the season for the Tucanares and Senora Joaquina showed us the fly baits to take this kind of fish which she had made with her own hands of parrot feathers. The rods used are slender bamboos, and the lines made from fibres of pineapple leaves.”
Walter Henry Bates circa 1850. (The Naturalist on the River Amazons)
