Join Me in Brazil!

The awe-inspiring, legendary Peacock bass on the fly!

For the third year in a row I will be hosting a trip to the Amazon in Brazil for peacock bass. Peacock bass are one of the most incredible species of fish you will ever catch with a fly. I have been chasing them for over ten years and can truly say that out of the 250 species I’ve caught, they are in the top three! I love them! They explode on your fly and for the first thirty seconds pull so hard they scare even the most experienced anglers. They are king of the Amazon and because they are so aggressive you can catch numerous peacocks on any given day whether you are a novice or expert. Peacock bass may very well be the most beautiful fish on Earth. There are four different species of peacock bass that you can expect to catch along with numerous other species of fish from jacunda to aruana.

The dates for this incredible trip are Saturday through Saturday, March 5-12, 2011. The trip will have 8 anglers  including me. The cost of the trip is $4395 based on double occupancy. This price includes airport pick up and drop off in Manaus, Brazil, one nights stay in Manaus at an excellent hotel, travel to our camp in the Amazon, fishing guides, accommodation and food. It does not include international airfare (expect airfare to be about $1500, with currently a direct flight from Atlanta to Manaus on Delta or United Airlines from Miami), your Brazilian Visa (about $160), tips to fishing guides, camp staff and airport pickup, taxi drivers or food while staying the day in Manaus.

The outfit we are using is River Plate Amazon Outfitters. I had a couple options as what trip or type of trip to do. Based on my experience in the last two years, I booked what they describe as the "Floating Tent Camp – Regular”. You will not be disappointed and can  see for yourself, many descriptions, explanations and photographs on the the River Plate Amazon Outfitters website. It’s truly incredible!

Further information, photographs and stories of some of my past peacock bass fishing trips are to be found at this blog and Jeff Currier's Global Fly Fishing web site.

Check out this great Amazon Peacock bass fishing map, courtesy of River Plate Amazon Outfitters.

If you are ready to sign up or would like more information feel free to email me at: jeff_currier@hotmail.com or use the "Contact Jeff Currier" button on the right hand side of this blog.

Of all the incredible gamefish in the Amazon basin, the one that has received the most press is the peacock  bass. Peacock bass are known as pavon in Venezuela and Colombia or tucunare in Brazil and Peru. While four distinct species are generally recognized, some fish biologists suggest that a dozen or more varieties might actually exist throughout South America. Peacock bass are not a true bass such as the largemouth and smallmouth bass found in North American waters, but comprise a genus within the family Cichlidae.  Cichlids are a diverse family of tropical fish found primarily throughout Africa, South America and southern Asia.  Of all the incredible gamefish in the Amazon basin, the one that has received the most press is the peacock bass. Peacock bass are bass are known as pavon in Venezuela and Colombia or tucunare in Brazil and Peru. While four distinct species are generally recognized, some fish biologists suggest that a dozen or more varieties might actually exist  throughout South America. Peacock bass are not a true bass such as the largemouth and smallmouth bass found in North American waters, but comprise a genus within the family Cichlidae.  Cichlids are a diverse family of tropical fish found primarily throughout Africa, South America and southern Asia. Of all the incredible

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

The Man Behind the Scene

July 30, 2010

There wouldn’t be a jeffcurrier.com if there wasn’t a man behind the scene. There may even be one less fly fishing blog in the world if it wasn’t for that same man. That man is, Ken Holder from California and Jackson Hole Wyomig. I met Ken over twenty years ago. I sold him a pair of Simms wading shoes back in the late 80’s out of the Jack Dennis Outdoor Shop. I was just a young fly fishing maniac trying to earn enough for my next days off and Ken was desperately trying to land a size 14 wading shoe.

Over the years we got to be friends and one day he suggested I have website. It was the thing to do and he could build it and keep it going as a hobby. He suggested that perhaps if I didn’t have enough material to post I could share the website with a friend. I blew off the idea but Ken went ahead and got it started for me anyway. The site was pretty cool and I started adding things like my books and art and the occasional story or article. Maintaining it was a simple side project/hobby for Ken when he was out on the road working for United Airlines.  Neither of us dreamt that little website would turn into a huge 500 page step towards my self-employment and what is now Global Fly Fishing.

Ken works hours upon hours on the now massive website and that’s why whenever he visits the Yellowstone area I take him fishing. Today was one of his fishing days. He brought along his girlfriend Nati and asked one favor of me, help Nati catch a fish. We got an early start. The sky was deep blue and clear like the days of September even though its not. Throughout the day the clouds built up and it was hot. There were times today I couldn’t believe I was in the Rocky Mountains it was so hot. Regardless of the intense heat, the Pale Morning Duns and the Yellow Sallies hatched all day and the  brookies, rainbows and cuttys were out in full force to eat them.

One of the best ways for me to get a fly fishing newcomer into some fish is to put them in the front of my boat where I can keep an eye on them. I went over some of the basics of casting with Nati and showed her how to manage her line and eventually how to go about fighting and landing a fish. Once that was done we were off and I gave instruction while I was rowing throughout the day.

While all this was going on up front, Ken fished from the back of my boat. He tossed a 5-weight and an elk hair type of yellow sally I chose from his box. In no time Ken was hooked up. While most the fish on this river are small, I heard the trout sip his fly and  I could tell by the sound it belonged to a big one. By the time I looked over, Ken’s line was headed for some sunken trees. The last thing you want is for your fish to get into a snag so Ken prevented this by turning the fish. You accomplish this by putting as much pressure against the fish as you can based on the strength of your tippet by holding your rod tip low and bent. I like to pull downstream and get help from the current. On most trout, once you change their direction from going back to their home, they will usually fight you in from the middle of the river. Ken went on to land a spectacularly colored cutthroat-rainbow hybrid of which I netted and popped a few pictures with my new camera.

I knew I was in trouble the way Nati was looking at Ken's fish. It was the first trout  she’d seen in her life and now she had to have her own something  fierce. Fortunately her casting was getting good so I tied on a sally for her and sure enough the fish liked the fly. She didn’t exactly start putting fish in the  boat. Like anyone learning there were a few mishaps, such as not setting the hook at all, setting too late and completely forgetting what to do when you finally do hook one. Then, Nati got so excited on her first good hook up that she nearly back flipped over the side of my boat!

Nati went on to land some fish and get pretty darn good at fly fishing. In fact, we had a stroke of beginners luck when she boated one of the nicest brook trout you will find in these parts. Ken caught at least a dozen trout of all sizes however he was most happy  with Nati's success and the catch of his big cut bow. As for me, it was another great day on the water with friends.

There wouldn’t be a jeffcurrier.com if there wasn’t a man behind the scene. There may even be one less fly fishing blog in the world if it wasn’t for that same man. That man is, Ken Holder from California and Jackson Hole Wyomig. I met Ken over twenty years ago. I sold him a pair of Simms wading shoes back in the late 80’s out of the Jack Dennis Outdoor Shop. I was just a young fly fishing maniac trying to earn enough for my next days off and Ken was desperately trying to land a size 14 wading shoe.

Over the years we got to be friends and one day he suggested I have website. It was the thing to do and he could build it and keep it going as a hobby. He suggested that perhaps if I didn’t have enough material to post I could share the website with a friend. I blew off

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

Aint No Lakers Here

November 10, 2009

Fishing wasn’t too great today. I took my webmaster, Ken Holder, down the South Fork. Ken works for United Airlines and is based out of the San Francisco area. He has a home in Jackson and gets out to this area about five times a year. He and I have been busting our butts on my website a few hours a day since Sunday so it’s time for a break. I never like to leave an empty seat in the boat so my friend Rob Parkins from Victor came along with us and took the backseat.

You couldn’t ask for nicer weather for mid November. It reached a high of about 45, there was no wind and it was partly sunny. Perhaps that’s why fishing wasn’t as good as yesterday, and remember, we didn’t try too hard yesterday but still caught fish.

The first run from the Husky boat ramp to the rapid was nearly dead. I always boat a few fish here. In fact, yesterday we caught five fish in this run. However, today the one fish we did catch was unique for this river - a lake trout. Yes a lake trout! In all my years on the South Fork that was only the second one I’ve seen there.

This was my treat to Ken for all his hard work on my website so I chose to row most of the day. Although Rob would have been happy to share the rowing duty, I only had him relieve me for about an hour towards the end. All I wanted was few casts and a fish. Overall we landed about eight fish. Seven of them were cutthroat and one rainbow.

Despite the slow fishing it was a great day to get out. Any day your guides don’t freeze in November is a treat. Our days are numbered now as we all know the ground will soon be snow covered, high temps will be below freezing and the rivers will be close to frozen.