Spending a week on a tributary of the Amazon is one of the best fly fishing travel experiences I have ever had. There are so many different experiences one can have on the Amazon, as the basin itself is vast and varied in habitat and the fluctuations in water level affect the fishing and everything else. To have a successful trip here (like anywhere else you don’t really belong) you need to have thorough preparation and fish with someone who knows the area and is also prepared. River Plate Anglers does a first-class job with every part of the trip, from picking you up at the airport to dropping you off happy at the end of the trip.

The water you fish will vary in locality, size and color depending on the time of year you fish and the rainfall. River Plate is the most flexible of any outfitter on the Amazon. When they first designed and started using the floating movable camps that can travel in a foot of water, it separated them from the competition and gave anglers the best shot at great fishing. Lower water is the best fishing as it concentrates all the fish populations, whatever their place in the food chain. Higher water can make for great fishing as well. Even though the water is not clear, fish are on the edges next to the trees and they are not sipping PMDs. The clear tea-colored water of some of the tributaries is stunning as it flows over the white sand bottom. Fish are easy to see in the shallows, whether they are still and waiting to ambush a meal, or moving across the shallows of a back water lagoon. This golden water goes to “blackwater” when it gets deep. It is impossible to see into this type of water, so you need to cast into it to see who is home. It may be piranha, aggressive 4-5 lb peacock schoolies, or a big daddy that will test you and your gear. The advantage of having a mobile camp during the week is that you can fish new water, not just up or down stream from the same location. All of this fishing is dynamic and will change even during the week you are there.

Anglers fish out of custom-made long and narrow jon boats. They are designed so that two anglers can fish out of them, they plane at a fairly low speed and they can navigate the small creeks that connect the lakes to the river.

The floating lodge takes 8 anglers per trip. Each pair of anglers share a pontoon boat that is equipped with a shower, toilet, sink, two beds, A/C and electricity. There is a large dining tent/barge, and one to house the generator, kitchen and staff quarters. The food is very well prepared with two or three entrée options for dinner. I don’t know how they do it, greeting you on your return from fishing with a snack-sized pizza and the option of a cold beer, but it’s wonderful. They have guiding operations on 5 different rivers as well as the upper and lower rivers depending on time of year and river flows.

All trips overnight in Manaus the night before the trip. You stay at the Hotel Tropical, a very nice hotel with comfortable rooms, restaurant, bar and guest services. You should consider an extra night in Manaus on arrival, as the flight arrives quite late (after midnight) and you may want a day to tour around Manaus.