After a quick check of the camp we continued our way upriver and started to spot and catch fish. As always I am very bad on keeping the count or remember any average fish and catch experiences. And we learned that average up here was something of around +15lbs of Dorado.
Both of us had
contacts and caught some fish. After a while fishing and tramping upriver we
reached a big, deep, long, very slow gliding and totally murky pool. A
Pacu-looking spot and thus Chris caught a decent Pacu (Pirapitinga) and landed
it after a good fight. I took some pictures of his catch, before I said: “now
it is my turn on a Pacu.” I started with a likewise cast and slow retrieve to
catch a Pacu as well.
After a quick check of
the camp we continued our way upriver and started to spot and catch fish. As
always I am very bad on keeping the count or remember any average fish and
catch experiences. And we learned that average up here was something of around
+15lbs of Dorado.
Both of us had
contacts and caught some fish. After a while fishing and tramping upriver we
reached a big, deep, long, very slow gliding and totally murky pool. A
Pacu-looking spot and thus Chris caught a decent Pacu (Pirapitinga) and landed
it after a good fight. I took some pictures of his catch, before I said: “now
it is my turn on a Pacu.” I started with a likewise cast and slow retrieve to
catch a Pacu as well.
Just after a couple of cast I got a solid take. Hard and
constantly pulling so that none of us was in doubt it would be a Pacu, it took quite
some time till the fish came near the surface and we could get a glimpse of its
tail: tat was not a Pacu!
It looked like a huge Yatorana as we could see some reddish taint of its tail in that very murky water. It’s fight could have been one of a Yatorana as it never jumped. Not bad either, as Yatorana are said to be pound by pound the strongest fish in that environment. Some more minutes and repeated strong thrusts towards the pools depth made us doubt the Yatorana hypothesis. It was just too long and too hard for a Yatorana. Finally the fish showed up near the surface and it was obvious that I hooked a very big Dorado! Now as we saw the size of that “cow” I was anxious to land it and hold it in my hands. Trying to keep the fish off balance and pulling with the low rod from left and right against its direction. Afraid that the barbless hook (only barbless fish count) would fall out. Finally this golden slap became more tired and after several attempts Luciano managed to hold the leader and securely grab the fish’s tail and “land it” (as the fish was in the water all the time, landing is not the precisely right term here).
It looked like a huge Yatorana as we could see some reddish taint of its tail in that very murky water. It’s fight could have been one of a Yatorana as it never jumped. Not bad either, as Yatorana are said to be pound by pound the strongest fish in that environment. Some more minutes and repeated strong thrusts towards the pools depth made us doubt the Yatorana hypothesis. It was just too long and too hard for a Yatorana. Finally the fish showed up near the surface and it was obvious that I hooked a very big Dorado! Now as we saw the size of that “cow” I was anxious to land it and hold it in my hands. Trying to keep the fish off balance and pulling with the low rod from left and right against its direction. Afraid that the barbless hook (only barbless fish count) would fall out. Finally this golden slap became more tired and after several attempts Luciano managed to hold the leader and securely grab the fish’s tail and “land it” (as the fish was in the water all the time, landing is not the precisely right term here).
Taking pictures was
kind of difficult, as handling a camera with default settings and no need to
change anything and clear advice to do exactly that, does not necessarily lead
to that. So we had to do the photo session twice to get some acceptable shots.
Weighing the fish in a weighing bag resulted in close to 29lbs, a length of
92cm and a girth of 69cm. A real cow! One of the largest fish of that season at
Tsimane. Wow! A moment to remember.
Reviving the fish took
some time as the fight was long and the procedure after that very gentle and
care taking but not without stress. After a while the monster swam away with
strong strokes of its huge tail.
I was just lucky! And
thankful for the support by Chris and Luciano. And thank you Daniel Beilinson for that trip!
That was the mysterious pool… who knows what else is in there...
That was the mysterious pool… who knows what else is in there...
We continued to fish
upstream. The creek became eventually clearer, but it was kind of smoky the
rest of the afternoon. Fishing well beyond the camp site and catching fish by
fish. Fishing up here was special. As the fish were laying on the etch of
current or at the glide out of pools as if they would be trout in South Island
New Zealand. Nor ordinary Brown Trout but Trout on golden steroids.
Casting for
them was even close to casting for a trout in Fiordland. Light flies just left
or right to the head of the fish, kind of dead drift, the fish would eventually
turn around and take the fly, just as a trout, but the take and the fight are
way different. Brute force and power! Marvelous it was and far to short…
Eventually we turned around. Sad to end this day that provided such a marvelous afternoon.
Eventually we turned around. Sad to end this day that provided such a marvelous afternoon.
Sometimes only one single
fish, makes a huge difference. It might be the one special trout or even a
trophy in NZ SI or that one Permit or that one big Dorado or the long awaited
Pacu. Fishing is just like that. Small details make a huge difference, either
in fishing, presentation, fly, strike, fight, landing or company. We ended the
day at the camp with a camp fire.
Camp fires after good days of fishing are the true icing on the cake. Sitting with friends, chatting about something, either fishing or politics or the pain of this world, eventually drifting away and entering the land of dreams …
Camp fires after good days of fishing are the true icing on the cake. Sitting with friends, chatting about something, either fishing or politics or the pain of this world, eventually drifting away and entering the land of dreams …
