Rumble in the Jungle 2023 Amazon Day Two: When the Rumble really is, In the Jungle.

 Was very excited when we found out over breakfast that our assigned guide was Preto, for many reasons.  Mostly, it's Preto himself.  He is the Amazonian version of a redneck from the USA.  He'll chase caimans through the jungle, and then wrestle them.  He looks like he could bench press a car.  And he has a fabulous sense of humor, just a great dude to spend a day with.  He also has beat #6, which is an upriver beat where maybe we can find some clearer water.

We got in the boat and headed straight upriver, and didn't stop for well over and hour and a half.  When we finally pulled into a lagoon, I actually recognized it, I had fished it last year on the final day of the trip.  We pulled through this lagoon into a narrow channel and popped out into a second, much larger lagoon.  We spent several hours fishing this one.

It wasn't long before Greyson got baptized into the ways of larger peacocks.  While peacocks aren't much for stamina, the first minute or so hooked to a big one can be a bit terrifying.  They start out pulling hard, and just when you wonder if you can possibly stop them before they wrap you around every stick in the lagoon, they crank it up a notch and pull even harder.  For the most part, you're not putting them on the reel, you are grabbing the fly line and putting every ounce of pressure you can on them.  

Greyson had a grab, and was soon in the "position", bent over the rail, half the rod in the water, feeling like you are hooked to the bottom itself, but soon enough, the fish relented and we had a beautiful 13 pound fish at the boat.  I felt the relief that comes when your fishing partner scores his first "big one" and Greyson felt the joy that comes with landing a dreamed of fish.  Fortunately for us, this scenario was repeated multiple times!   Greyson ended up landing fish of 12,13 and 14 lbs, and I also landed three good ones, of 10, 12, and 13 lbs.  We also had a couple of shots at cruising arapaima.  A great morning!

A nice 13lb temensis, best so far!

A beautifully marked ten pounder.

Early afternoon, we pulled up the boat in the flooded timber for lunch.  I had an immediate flash back to last year.  Sometimes, it's dangerous to try and replicate experiences from the past.  But, if it was like last year, all the little potholes and bathtub sized spaces between the trees, would be chock full of fish.  So, while the guide ate lunch, I grabbed a six weight, knotted a small beadleech to it, waded in and bow and arrow cast in to the first dark pocket I could find.  I jiggled the fly, there was a bronze flash, and then pandemonium!  It was a close quarters brawl that I lost!  Over the next twenty minutes, I landed 8 fish, 6 butterflies anywhere from three to six pounds, a pacu, and a matrinxa.  And I got broken off in the trees four times!   Maybe more importantly, I was laughing and giggling out loud!  If the goal in fishing is ultimately that it's fun, which is my belief, I was meeting and and exceeding goals.

Unfortunately, Greyson wasn't feeling well, and was feeling worse and worse as the day went.  By the time we hit our afternoon session, he was spending about half the time resting, which I've learned isn't like him at all.  Hopefully it will be one day bug.

Six weight mayhem!

We hit two more lagoons in the afternoon, and fishing was slow in both of these.    We did hit a pod arawana, an eel shaped, topwater junkie fish, when you hook them they jump like crazy.  I happened to have a large peacock streamer in hand when we saw them, so that's what I threw, not ideal

                                                                         Arawana!

                                                        Jim and his arapaima on a nine weight!

                                                     Cool looking pacu off the dock.
, but I was lucky enough to hook and land one.  Greyson had several strikes, but didn't connect.

We headed back to the lodge with a good day in our rearview.  Six double digit fish.  When we reached the dock, we found out one of our group had stuck a nice arapaima on a nine weight and landed it.  90 pounds!  Decided to swing the six weight a bit off the dock, and caught this gorgeous pacu, all bars and orange splotches.   Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.