River Plate Peacock Bass Hosted Trip Report

River Plate Peacock Bass Hosted Trip Report – February 2025:

“This was my first WCA hosted trip to the country of Brazil. It was also my first-ever trip targeting peacock bass. Our group of eight had all arrived in the city of Manaus to fish the Jufari River with River Plate Outfitters for the week of 2/16-2/23. There was an RPO representative waiting for us once we had our bags and cleared customs. We all boarded a van for the short ride to the Manaus Comfort Inn. There was a full day and night to spend in Manaus, so some of us had time for a short nap before taking an Uber to see the real-deal Manaus market. Manaus is the launching point for several other outfitters, but I wasn’t prepared for the amount of apparel, murals, stuffed animals and just general enthusiasm Manaus has for peacock bass. This was consistent with all the oversized plaster or wood peacock bass mounts we came across. I also never saw peacock bass as an offering on any menu. They need them for industry and thus for a living. When you’re there to sport fish; that’s the vibe you’re looking for. We were picked up early the next morning by the same representative who met us at the airport when we arrived.

Once at the airport, we boarded a pontoon plane for the 1.5 hr flight to one of the upper stretches of the Jufari River. The outgoing group of clients were comprised solely of gear fishermen. We had to spend a perilous ten minutes talking to them before they boarded the float plane to begin their long journey home. These brief conversations are always fraught by nature, because of the perceived implications they can have on your upcoming week and always at a time when your group’s expectations are at a very delicate high. They had landed a total of 150 fish for the week. Their largest fish sagged the boga grip at 16 lbs. An average week on the Jufari consistently yields between 1200 – 1500 fish. So, there was an all too familiar concern on my end upon hearing their brutal fishing report. There had been a week-long rain event three weeks earlier that had brought up all the rivers in the regional system to roughly 3 meters above their seasonal average flow. This, we were told, is what had been the culprit for the slow fishing. Like trout, bass do not respond well to a rising river and will almost always delay feeding until the river stabilizes or begins to drop.

We were the last trip of the season for the River Plate Outfitters crew that hosted us. Nonetheless, staff morale for our group seemed surprisingly high. I don’t know why it took me as long as it did to host a trip for peacock bass. After spending a rather intensive week catching them, I now think they are one of the more impressive fish I’ve targeted in a long time. High water wasn’t necessarily a surprise this close to the monsoon season, which runs from March to June. The realization that the river was still in fact, rising, didn’t bode well at all for our week. Well, thank god for the unpredictability of fishing. Our group landed 600 fish, which is less than half the number most weeks catch, but it was hard for me land 20-50 fish a day and say it was slow.

Some details of what I liked:

– River Plate Outfitters offers a long fishing day. Breakfast @ 5:30 and fishing by 6:30, but you can fish as long or short as you’d like.

– The camp is actually a floating train that moves every two days and sets up on various beaches. You cover different water and wind up getting a good look at 70 – 100 miles of river over the week. All fishing is done from the boat.

– The food is basic but easily good enough and I’d even say impressive in light of where we are. There was also plenty of food for everyone.
– You stay in floating cabins with very good A/C, a passable shower and toilet and comfortable beds. Two anglers share a room but they may be able to do single occupancy depending on which river you fish.
– They have Starlink in camp and therefore have absurdly strong internet and communications.
– This trip feels like an adventure even though you do very little other than fish, eat, laugh with your friends, etc.
– Impressive wildlife viewing
– The river water is tannic, so mosquitoes were minimal for the most part.
– It rained briefly everyday. The rain was nice because the sun down there is hot and dangerously strong. Clouds were good.
– I fished a 9 wt the whole time. It is streamer fishing with intermediate or sink-tip lines. The guide works an electric motor to keep you a workable distance from shore.
– Peacock Bass pull hard and you will hook many of them. This is quite the opposite of permit fishing and I really liked it. It’s very much like smallmouth bass fishing with 10-20lb fish in the mix.
– The travel to Manaus wasn’t the easiest , but there is a direct flight from Ft. Lauderdale that I will be taking for any future travel to Manaus.
– The season runs from September to first week in March, with November or December being the most productive in a typical water year.

This is a trip I’m very eager to share with all WCA clients. I’m looking to return during the months of November – February ’25-26 for another wonderful Peacock Bass Fly Fishing Experience.

For those interested in River Plate Outfitters Peacock Bass adventure, please contact WorldCast Anglers. Be sure to stay updated on the WorldCast Anglers Hosted Destination Travel Offerings!

Vance Freed

WorldCast Anglers Guide

February 16th – 23rd, 2025

River Plate Outfitters – Jufari River, Brazil