Frequently Asked Questions:
Why do I have to travel to Brazil to fish for peacock bass?
Why is peacock bass fishing seasonal?
If I would like to bring a trophy fish home, what should I do?
Isn't Brazil a dangerous place to visit in terms of crime?
What about insects, especially mosquitoes? It must be awfully buggy on one of your trips!
Do I need to take pills, shots, etc. to combat tropical diseases?
I am a bit nervous about going on a houseboat in Brazil where no one speaks my language (English).
How is the food at the Amazon Fishing Adventure camps?
How can I avoid getting sick on one of these trips?
What if my family or business needs to reach me in an emergency?
I am paying a lot of money for such a trip. What happens if I have to cancel at the last minute?
Peacock Veteran Rusty Bancroft
... behind the shades
Q: Why do I have to travel to Brazil to fish for peacock bass?
A: You don't. While the canals of south Florida
do harbor good concentrations of peacock bass, the majority of anglers
desire to catch the much larger fish native to the Amazon River tributaries
of Brazil. Not only will you have an opportunity to target the largest
peacock bass in the world, but you will be exposed to exciting wildlife,
beautiful scenery, new cultures and the sites and sounds unique to
the Brazilian Amazon. (top)
Q: Why is peacock bass fishing seasonal?
A: The Amazon watershed of Brazil possesses
relatively reliable rainy and dry seasons. The dry season is the only
time to fish for peacock bass in South America. We try to avoid the
high water situations for our clients, however despite our best efforts
to gauge when to send anglers to South America, occasionally dry season
deluges raise the river systems making for very slow fishing. Again,
our personal first-hand experience in dealing with seasonal weather
variations will result in you having the best opportunity for productive
fishing. (top)
Q: If I would like to bring a trophy fish home, what should
I do?
A: We strongly advocate catch and release at all of our lodges. The
replica mounts that are becoming increasingly popular are now so lifelike
and accurate, it is foolish to attempt to bring a frozen fish back
through foreign and U.S. Customs. Also, the new replica mounts will
last a lifetime, while a skin mount deteriorates over time. We have
some very good contacts with taxidermist that stock a wide variety
of exotic species mounts in all sizes. It is wise to take good color
photos of your fish to send to the taxidermist, so that an accurate
representation of the fish you caught will be best achieved. (top)
Q: Isn't Brazil a dangerous place to visit in terms of crime?
A: Although you certainly can find crime within any city of Brazil (as
they are in the US), Amazon Fishing Expeditions operates in remote areas,
far from the criminals that frequent the inner cities. Typically, other
than small villages along the river's edge or small communities surrounding
some of the lakes we utilize, you will not encounter many people not
associated with the lodge or camp. Our clients are greeted from the
moment they clear customs and are supervised every step of the way during
the course of their fishing trip. The owners of Amazon Fishing AExpeditions
are experienced working in Brazil, and the camp managers and guides
are acquainted with many of the local villagers. In fact, Amazon Fishing
Expeditions employs local residents of small villages and communities.
(top)
Q: What about insects, especially mosquitoes? It must be awfully buggy
on one of your trips!
A: Generally speaking, the rivers that our clients will fish are too
acidic to support the growth and breeding of mosquitoes. Since we
send our clients to South America during the dry season, the insect
population is very low at that time of year. Many of our traveling
anglers report that they encounter more insects in their back yards
during the summer months then they do on a fishing excursion. While
we do recommend that anglers come prepared with an insect repellent
offering a 55% solution of DEET to ward off any unwanted pesky insects,
many anglers encounter so few insects that they never bother to apply
it. (top)
Q: Do I need to take pills, shots, etc. to combat tropical diseases?
A: While the risk of contracting a tropical disease is rare, the
possibility does exist. We stay in close contact with the Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta for their recommendations on
inoculations and preventative medications. The majority of the diseases
that are serious are associated with more densely populated areas.
Mosquitoes transmit diseases like malaria and yellow fever from one
host to another. Because you are fishing in areas with very little
human population, this lowers your risk. Hepatitis A is probably the
most prevalent disease that confronts any traveler, be it a luxury
vacation to the Caribbean or a fishing expedition to the Brazilian
Amazon. This disease can be contracted by drinking contaminated water
or eating contaminated food and is very commonly associated with improper
food handling and preparation. Although we advise that you consult
a travel medicine clinic prior to your trip, if you plan on traveling
extensively to South America, we recommend Hepatitis A and B vaccines,
yellow fever vaccine, malaria prophylaxis and a tetanus booster for
your trip. (top)
Q: Is there a chance I might encounter anacondas, other dangerous
animals or schools of man-eating piranhas?
A: Although the thought of traveling to the Amazon
conjures up visions of giant anacondas ambushing unsuspecting travelers
from their lairs in the jungle canopy, this is more hype than reality.
The majority of our trips do not involve trekking into the heart of
the rain forest, where you are more likely to encounter animals like
jaguars, tarantulas and poisonous frogs. The anaconda, despite what
you have seen depicted in movies, is actually a snake of the Great
South America plains or Llanos region, preferring swampy pools and
bogs and not main rivers. As far as piranhas are concerned, they are
only dangerous when trapped in drying pools or lagoons with their
food source exhausted. Although we would never thrust a bleeding hand
or foot into the river at any time, we would have no problem bathing
in the rivers that the guides tell me are safe. Probably the biggest
danger you will encounter is freshwater stingrays which can pack a
venomous wallop if you should happen to step on one while wading.
Because of that fact, we strongly discourage wade fishing. (top)
Q: I am a bit nervous about going on a houseboat in Brazil where no
one speaks my language (English).
A: On every Amazon Fishing Adventure, there will
be an English speaking host or anager. Although most of the guides
do not speak fluent English, they do speak fishing-English, and they
have little problems communicating as to what lures you should use,
working on your fishing techniques and inquiring as to whether you
would like a drink or to eat. Each of our clients will receive an
English-Portuguese fishing translation guide to help you better communicate
with your guide. It certainly helps if you can learn a few Portuguese
phrases if you will be traveling to Brazil. (top)
Q: How is the food at the Amazon Fishing Adventure camps?
A: The Staff of Amazon Fishing Expeditions takes great
pride in serving you very nutritious and tasty food. You will usually
be served a variety of meats, chicken and freshly caught fish, and can
expect little touches like soup and desserts and even freshly baked
bread. We provide bottled water at all of our facilities. (top)
Q: How can I avoid getting sick on one of these trips?
A: The main preventative measure is to use common
sense. All Amazon Fishing Adventure personnel are very concerned about
the need for proper food handling. Fruits and vegetables are soaked
in solutions that kill most of the bacteria that will cause harm to
you. The meats, poultry and fish are adequately refrigerated prior
to cooking. Use common sense when it comes to eating in a foreign
country - basically do not eat anything from open market food stands;
do not drink the water from any sink and stay away from raw fruits
or vegetables unless they are peeled or washed in a disinfecting solution.
Some suggest that visiting anglers should start taking Acidophilus
bacteria (the good bacteria found in yogurt) to fortify their GI tracts
prior to a fishing excursion. Definitely bring an antibacterial hand
wash in which water is not required and use it frequently. (top)
Q: What if my family or business needs to reach me in an emergency?
A: While we do not encourage simply "staying
in touch" with your family or work (remember this is supposed
to be a fishing vacation), all Amazon Fishing Adventure camps have
satellite phones (for a reasonable charge per minute). If you need
to be reached, we will provide you with Emergency Contact Information
prior to departure on your trip. We check for messages each evening
and pass them on to the appropriate camp. You can then use the satellite
phone to return the call. (top)
Q: I am paying a lot of money for such a trip. What happens
if I have to cancel at the last minute?
A: We recognize that last minute illnesses and emergencies
do occur. However, it is very difficult to replace an angler at a
remote lodge with just a few days remaining prior to the departure
date of the trip. For this reason, we strongly recommend that our
clients obtain travel insurance. Not only will this reimburse you
for the cost of the trip if you must cancel due to illness, but this
also covers such things as emergency medical evacuation in the event
you must be immediately transported out of a remote area. (top)
Give us a call and let us plan your next fishin' expedition into the Amazon Rain Forest of Brazil to catch the explosive Peacock Bass!
Sunset on the Unini
Outfitter
