Day 1, off to Bogota
Thursday, January 25, 9:48pm: " Hi Julien, I'm going fishing in Venezuela on Monday afternoon. Philippe can't come. Are you interested? Back in 12 days. Chris. "Fifteen long seconds of stupor. Ten seconds of exotic reverie. Five seconds to pull the plug, to realize that I was about to become unreasonable and succumb to fishing madness.
I'll spare you all the details of the negotiations, the meticulous preparation and the short nights before I found myself, exhausted, at the airport in the company of my friend Christophe. Direction Bogota, Colombia. Eight hours later, Julien Pieroz, the boss of Oni Fishing, greets us with a smile. The organization is well oiled, and the customers in our group are apparently not on their first trip to South America with him. Most of them already know each other well. They even sport imposing tattoos of the fish we'll all be tracking for a week in Venezuela: peacock bass.
A dream destination for big peacocks
It has to be said, too, that this trip is nothing short of exceptional. We have the privilege of being the first guests to explore this wild area of the Rio Pasimoni, long controlled by drug traffickers. Renowned for its abundance of trophy fish, it's not uncommon to catch fish approaching the IGFA world record size of 91 cm. Legend has it that a 94 cm fish was even caught during the exploration phase... In short, this is probably the best spot on the planet to catch the fish of your dreams.
Twin-engine flight over the jungle
After two days of stalling, we finally boarded a small, ten-seater plane. 1200 km to go before we reach the Venezuelan jungle! As we are all limited to 20 kilos, we are weighed and forced to take only the bare essentials. Flying over the Amazon for 2 hours 30 minutes is an unforgettable experience. It makes you realize its immensity and density, but also its fragility. After a welcome stop in the jungle, we finally land.
Orinoco river trip by pirogue
There, we are taken in charge by the members of a local tribe (the El Ninal), whose hosts we will be for a week. The 4-hour journey up the Orenoque begins. The dugout canoeists deftly avoid the rocks and rapids, while we contemplate the spectacular flora and fauna. At dusk, we finally reach our camp. We marvel at the discovery of a premium wooden lodge with traditional woven roofs. Equipped with six double rooms (electricity and wifi), a dining area with chef and service, all in absolute jungle conditions. We're all spellbound!
Briefing and rod assembly
Before dinner, we set up our rods and listen to Julien's well-rehearsed briefing on safety, fish release, the obligation to use single hooks, lures and preferred techniques. All clear. All that's left now is to get some rest before dawn. Now we're all hoping that this famous Rio Pasimoni will live up to its promise.
