A jungle fishing adventure
Early in the morning, I'm awakened by the shouts of joy from the very experienced Pierre Lewieniec. He's already caught his first peacock bass in front of his room! After a hearty breakfast, we quickly agree on our fishing areas. All pairs take their places aboard a brand-new 20-hp aluminum boat and disperse. José will be our guide for the week. We head north for the "Baria".
After a good 30 minutes, we finally approach our lagoon. Lagoons are pockets of stagnant water adjacent to the rio. The height of the water can vary by several metres depending on the season. As a result, entering them is sometimes impossible. Although they're easy to spot on the GPS, it's not always easy to find their entrance.
Understanding lagoon fishing
"Don't forget that at the entrance to every lagoon, there's a guardian". That's what I remembered when I cast my popper for the first time. No hits though. As we rushed in, we discovered a vast expanse of water, a sort of lake. And now the question is: where should we fish? José's answer: "en cualquier lugar", meaning anywhere. Dubious, we only half believe him.
As good pike fishermen, we ask him to approach the roots and dead trees that litter the banks. An hour goes by and still no bites. We insist, still heading for the banks, when Christophe hits his first fish. A good 70 cm on the popper. I contemplate, for the first time in my life, the multicolored coat of this fish with its bloodshot eyes. Fascinating. The dance is on!
The capture of my very first peacock bass, a monster!
I then attach a huge woodshopper propeller lure, which I had used 15 years earlier to fish for dorado in Argentina. And, as if to test its swim before actually fishing, I cast it with all my might in the opposite direction, right into the middle of the lagoon. I barely had time to appreciate its swim when an explosion of unprecedented violence made it disappear. With the gear firmly in place, the line taut and the brake singing, I was finally harnessed to my first peacock bass! Concentrated, but stunned by the power of the fight, I glanced at Christophe: "Now that's a big Juju".
The fight is fierce. I lose my grip on the wire for a few seconds. I panic. The tension returns and the fish is now closer to the boat. It had gone the wrong way, like a marlin! The head strikes bend my very solid Zenaq 70-3. It's a heavy one, and I'm telling myself I did the right thing by dispensing with my 20-pound rods! The fish is close to the boat. "Pavon muy grande", José says with landing net in hand. The drag is released and, after 4 long minutes, I finally spot it. In a skilful move, José puts it in the net.
A second trophy fish for Christophe
A monster. I'm ecstatic. "That's over 80 cm"; unhooking, checking measurements on the IGFA ruler: 86 cm. Photos and a careful release follow. I'm as happy as I am stunned. Back to fishing. Between two casts, Christophe says to me: "Do you realize that your first peacock is the fish some people have been looking for for 10 years? Laughter. As a reward for his enthusiasm, Christophe put up an epic fight with an equally majestic fish, which took to the water again after the photo without us having time to measure it!
