Arrival in the Amazon

by | Nov 22, 2024 | fly fishing the Amazon | 4 comments

airline-hellIt was a bit more of a struggle getting to Manaus, Brazil the last three days than I could have ever imagined thanks to a lousy performance by Delta.  Its extraordinary that no matter how good a customer you are, airline greed and their lack of caring about our schedules and lives is unreal.  But I’m not one to dwell on the miserable times.  No one got hurt.  No one died.  Just a ton of frustration due to senseless delays and a day missed of enjoyable foreign experiences.  My best travel tip is “Give yourself a buffer travel day on all great trips”.  It saved my fishing trip on this one.

 

flyfishing-AmazonAs you would expect, I’m here to fish the Amazon.  To be more specific, I’m a guest of my friend Rodrigo Salles, Partner/Owner of Untamed Angling.  Untamed has several fly fishing operations throughout Brazil and Bolivia.  This week we will fish their Xingu River Lodge in the southern region of the Brazilian Amazon.  (Photo is Meeting of the Waters, Manaus)

 

flyfishing-the-AmazonAlso along on this adventure are friends Joe Wolthuis of Scientific Anglers and Ross Purnell, editor of Fly Fishermen Magazine.  Tomorrow morning we’ll fly 590 miles southeast on an 8 passenger Grand Caravan for the Kayapo village of Pukararãnkre on the banks of the Xingu.  The flight takes about four hours including a stop.  Upon arrival Rodrigo will be there to greet us.

 

payaraThe Xingu River is located in the spectacular rainforest wilderness territory of the Kayapo Indigenous people.  It flows south to north for 1,600 miles before reaching the true Amazon River.  While many rivers of the Amazon flow high and silty and are difficult for fly fishing, the Xingu flows crystal clear because it drains through Brazilian shield granite.  The river is home to more than 700 species of fish.  SEVEN HUNDRED!  While most species are minnow size and you find them at pet shops around the world, there are many species to fly fish for.  Our main target this week is the toothy payara.

 

I’m gonna leave it at that.  Its been a long few days and I’m going to enjoy a few beers wearing shorts and flip flops then grab some dinner with my buds.  It will be an early one tomorrow and we’ll be on that Xingu River charter before we know it!

 

If this is a trip you want to do (and you are crazy if you don’t!) you can Contact me, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures or Untamed Angling.

 For more pics from trips check out my Instagram page @jeffcurrier65

In the meantime, please visit my webstore for “Christmas Gifts for the Angler that has Everything” and stuff those stockings with my fish decals from “Pescador on the Fly”.

And be sure to keep track of my upcoming travels at the 2025 fly fishing shows and fishing around the world!

I’ll be posting cool fish on Instagram – jeffcurrier65

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4 Comments

  1. Kevin Yoshida

    What an exciting opportunity to add to your species list! Can’t wait for the blog updates!

  2. Tad Einloth

    Jeff,

    Hoping the rest of the adventure is free of problems.

    Tad

  3. Brad Staples

    Jeff, myself and others will be looking forward to your trip report 🤞

  4. Jeff

    Thanks everyone. So glad for the buffer day!

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Welcome to the Blog of Jeff Currier!

Contact Jeff

I started fly fishing at age 7 in the lakes and ponds of New England cutting my teeth on various sunfish, bass, crappie and stocked trout. I went to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Naturalist Degree while I discovered new fishing opportunities for pike, muskellunge, walleyes and various salmonids found in Lake Superior and its tributaries.

From there I headed west to work a few years in the Yellowstone region to simply work as much as most people fish and fish as much as most people work. I did just that, only it lasted over 20 years working at the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson, WY where I departed in 2009. Now it’s time to work for "The Man", working for myself that is.

I pursue my love to paint fish, lecture on every aspect of fly fishing you can imagine and host a few trips to some of the most exotic places you can think of. My ultimate goal is to catch as many species of fish on fly possible from freshwater to saltwater, throughout the world. I presently have taken over 440 species from over 60 countries!

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