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Story and Photography By Brian M. Wiprud
“What flies do I bring?"
That was the question that leapt to mind when planning my first trip to the Amazon for peacock bass. And of all the other questions I had about what tackle to pack, it was the one answer that remained vague.
"Flies with lots of flash."
"Wide profile flies."
"Flies in various shapes, sizes and colors."
I hoped to find photos on the web and tying instructions and was shocked to find almost none. While I did manage to find one source for flies tied specifically for peacocks, it wasn’t until I got there and caught peacocks that I understood the patterns – both innovative and off the shelf - that produced. That’s information I wish I had before I went and can help you before you go.
While I did find one on-line source for flies at www.chesapeakefly.com, my travel agent, Sportfishing Worldwide, recommended Dawn Smith at Custom Rod & Fly (830) 257-3611. She’s as accomplished a peacock bass fly angler as you’re likely to find, and sells custom peacock flies in a variety of patterns. Her preferred technique is to tie unweighted flies, and use small egg sinkers on the leader when you want to get the fly down.
The four patterns she sent me were all wide-profiled patterns that generally fell into two categories: Red/yellow/white and Chartreuse/white, both types with small red eyes. I tied some of my own based on Dawn’s patterns, but using more synthetic material and Krystalflash. The flies are generally quite long – up to 7" on 3/0 hooks – and I took the opportunity to tie a few with tandem hooks and free swinging trailer hooks. I also packed along a number of larger streamers I had on hand, mostly tarpon patterns.
Soon enough I found myself on at one of River Plate Angler’s camps on Unini River, a tributary of the Rio Negro. The camp itself is comprised of tents on individual barges, an arrangement that has the advantage of being quite mobile. Every day or so while we were out fishing, the camps would move further up river so we could fish new water.
By all accounts, the water was low and dropping. Even though it was the rainy season, and it rained midday, it wasn’t the usual amount. On the first full day, we had thirty- some-odd peacocks and a number in double digits up to 12 pounds. As the days passed, it became quite clear that flies were the way to go. The other five anglers in the camp were casting topwater plugs to little result. Low water proved ideal conditions for peacocks on the fly.
I started out to good effect with weighted chartreuse/white and red/yellow/white patterns. Feeding fish made themselves obvious crashing bait along the shore and among fallen branches, often accompanied by acrobatic leaps by smaller fish. Targeting the commotion, we quickly found we got better results if we placed the fly right at the shore line. The feeding fish seemed more eager to trap the fly against that looked like one of those they’d just been pounding. When we put the fly atop the deeper water where the school was prowling, we got far fewer strikes. I didn’t expect to see peacocks – even larger ones – exhibiting so much schooling behavior, and it was important to keep in mind as you worked your fly. When landing a fish, it was quite common to see other fish following, and another fly tossed in that direction stood a good chance of a strike. An area that held one fish often held others, and it wasn’t just at drop offs near shore but at points and confluences – places you’d expect to find fish.
That said, the open water, mid channel, was usually packed with piranhas that would do a number on a fly. I took one cast with a tequila sunrise and one of those nasty critters chopped it in half just as though you’d cut it with scissors. Synthetic material was highly desirable for this reason as it had some ability to withstand a piranha onslaught. We generally avoided casting mid-river, especially where the surface was dimpling from schooled piranha. Of the piranha we did catch, they tended to be much larger than I expected. We had two that went 4 pounds and gave a good fight.
Tandem flies got a good response from peacocks, and from the number of fish snagged just on the trailer hook, improved our catch rate. Dressing the trailer hook with flash material and affixing it on a split ring added a sexy, free-swinging action that couldn’t help but tease in more fish to strike.
I learned the importance of various kinds of flash material when I tied on a yellow/red/white whistler on the third day. As you may know, this pattern has a shock of silver Mirage that undulates on the strip. The peacocks noticeably preferred this fly to the other patterns. But as successive fish chomped on it, the flash material slowly got plucked out, and the catch rate eroded. Compared to the stiff and rugged Krystalflash on my flies, the Mirage flash material is delicate but oh so seductive to the peacocks. At night, I salvaged Mirage from other flies and revived my whistler’s magic for a while, until the rest of the fly began to deteriorate. Had I known, I would have brought a pile of Mirage, my vise and bobbin and punched up all my patterns. Next time.
While we targeted fish crashing bait, blind casting was the rule. Working a 10 weight rod all day is a workout, and the fish put up a dandy fight, so come prepared. Two weeks leading up to the trip, I did arm reps with a 10 pound free weight and was glad for it when I got there. That didn’t keep my hands from swelling after the first days, but a casting glove and a wrist support helped me through those first days. Peacocks jump, but most of the fight is close to the boat, the fish surging this way and that under the boat. Be ready to stick your rod down in the water to keep from breaking your rod on the gunnel. Naturally, the rod butt finds its way into your side as you fight these brutes, and by the days end your belly can be purple and tender. Fortunately, I brought along a little thing called a Gut Buster, which is a rubber fighting cup that fits over your waist band. A highly-recommended piece of gear for peacocks.
I did take note of some local bait fish, one of which was an angel fish with commonly found in fallen tree branches. It was greenish on the back, with a pronounced black stripe on the side. Some of Dawn's flies had some peacock herl strands that did a good job of mimicking this dark stripe. Other baitfish included small peacocks, so patterns with yellow stripes on the side and orange on the bottom worked well. Some yellow perch patterns I use for pickerel proved effective for that reason. A fish called a cuda – which look like small barracuda – were plentiful and mostly silver, with a big eye.
Overall, the flies and tactics for peacocks weren’t rocket science. Effective patterns are both easy to tie, and some – like the all-important whistlers – can be bought at many fly shops. Wide profile flies as tied by Dawn were great, and adding a swing hook on the back only helps. Deceivers were OK, but only if they had Mirage on them. Again, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of undulating flash material. Under the conditions we fished, getting the fly down a few feet definitely helped draw strikes, and Dawn’s method of using an egg weight on the leader worked fine. But so did tying flies with lead heads, Clouser-style. Flies with big flashy eyes were also a plus.
Peacocks don’t have teeth, but have very abrasive lips, which not only wears the flies down but your thumb if you’re foolish enough to try to lip them (as I did.) Many of the lesser fish around are equipped with nasty teeth that also put a dent in your terminal tackle. So rather than risk getting caught short, bring plenty of flies and some basic tying material in case there’s a hot pattern to need to reconstruct. I had just enough flies to make it through the trip, and those that survived and thoroughly "loved."
My trip was an unqualified success. Anytime we’re catching 20 to 40 fish a day, with some giants thrown in, we’re happy campers. But knowing what I know now could have salvaged a trip under less ideal circumstances. Use this information to make your trip to the Amazon as good as it can be.
Eds Note: You can visit Brian Wiprud's website at: http://www.wiprud.com and if you are interested in an exotic fishing destination visit Sportfishing Worldwide at: http://www.sportfishingworldwide.com
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