Rumble in the Jungle - Antcipation and Tactical Planning

Last year, I fulfilled a nearly lifelong dream, spending a week at Agua Boa Lodge and fly fishing the Amazon jungle.  When I went, I was sure it would be a once in a lifetime trip.  Now, thirteen months later, I'm back, with seven other anglers in tow, in the role of a trip host.  A first for me!  Our group consists of myself, my wife Terri, Ron Smith and Jim Chell from Floridas east coast, and four Oklahomans, Steve Hale, Brett Kramer, Stephen Ruiz, and Joel Katnor.

It's interesting, I usually am the not the most organized person in the world.  It's likely I'll show up at a destination, and forget to pack something fairly essential, like pants.  But I've been anticipating this trip for months.  It's turned me into an over-preparer!  I have three large boxes of flies I've tied, containing well over 300 flies.  I know this is too many.  And yet, a week before we left, I was still ordering materials to tie just a few more.  An intervention was definitely needed!

For the fly tying geeks, here's a quick rundown of what I tied.  Last year, large EP baitfish killed it, so I tied lots of EP baitfish, about 8 inches long, in size 4/0.  Brown over white, blue over white, chartruese over white, and all white, to imitate a fish called a matrincha, which is a peacock staple.  I also tied the same pattern in a four inch size, on a 2/0 hook.  There is a lead eye pattern called a Dan Blantons flashtail whistler, I had about 3 dozen of these tied in chartreuse and white and pink and white.  My wife, Terri, loves to fish the pink flies and usually does really well.  Lots of poppers and few terrestials and nymphs to sample some of the smaller species the Amazon offers and I was ready to go.

There's one other fish that I had hopes for.  The infamous arapaima.  Catching one at Agua Boa is usually like winning the lottery.  But this year, there are more, and a couple are being caught a week.  So, I have a couple of 6/0 baitfish patterns with a 5 inch lycra tail added.  We'll see if I can actually cast them.

As far as tackle, I'm bringing two eight weights, two nine weights, a ten weight, and a five and a six for the little guys.  The peacock reels are all loaded with Rio Outbound Short Intermediate lines, and I have four spare fly lines, in case a piranha chops a fly line in half.  This actually happened to me last year, I got to fish a new $100  line for two hours. 

We fly from Chicago to Panama to Manaus.  Last year we arrived in Manaus on Friday night, got a few hours of sleep and then headed to lodge.  This year, we will arrive a full day early and spend a day as tourists.  Can't wait!