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I recently moved to Bolivia. A fishing fanatic from an early age, I quickly became interested in fishing in this country. The diversity it offers is incredible: there's something for every angler. As a fly-fishing enthusiast, I quickly discovered that the Amazon plains are home to a formidable adversary: the arapaïma gigas.
Background
The arapaïma arrived in Bolivia only a few decades ago. In fact, its first appearance in Bolivian waters dates back to the 1980s. At that time, there was an aquaculture farm in Peru producing arapaima. During an exceptional flood, the ponds overflowed into a tributary of the Río Madre de Dios, which flows through Bolivia.
Nowadays, it is unfortunately considered a pest and is the victim of overfishing, even extermination in some places. Fortunately, some people are becoming aware of the consequences of this over-fishing and are trying to limit its impact on rivers, notably by creating reserves.
It's best to be accompanied by locals who can help you anticipate these dangers and find the fish.
The approach
There are three possible approaches to arapaïma fishing.
1/ The first concerns small individuals, from 3 to 5 kg. At this size, arapaimas swim in very little water, on the edges. It is therefore possible to observe them swimming in these areas. In general, they stay in the same areas, and a fish seen one day will probably still be around the next. This behavior allows us to target specific areas and attempt sightings. These fish are shy, so you need to be very discreet and relatively precise. The animation must be very slow.
2/ The second approach consists in locating a bend or a pit, a fairly large area where you've observed arapaima rising to the surface. Once the area has been identified, the technique is to make long drifts in a boat and cast blindly, hoping to find a fish. This method is the least successful, and the most costly in terms of flies, as piranhas have a field day.
3/ The third approach is by far the most effective. It consists in only casting at spotted fish. Wait until you see an arapaïma come up to breathe air at the surface, determine where the head is and in which direction it's heading. Once the fish has been located, the cast must be fast and precise. The fly must fall within one metre of the supposed location of the fish's head. In all cases, the animation is essential: it must be slow and gliding. The arapaïma won't chase its prey, but it will gobble it up with great suction as soon as it's within reach of its mouth. Hence the importance of being slow and precise. Mastery of the double pull is essential if you are to fish this fish correctly.
Other species
When fly-fishing for arapaima, don't expect more than 3 or 4 bites a day. When the fish become difficult to catch, you can turn your attention to other species. Peacock bass and hopplias spp. are well represented on the fishing grounds. These are smaller varieties than in other destinations, but they are still interesting to look for with slightly lighter tackle.
