Amazon Adventures

Brazil

Budget Fishing Tours

We offer a couple of different programs for fishermen who want to catch the big fish, but don't want to pay the big $$$ that the highly marketed fishing operations charge.

#1 - Boat and Lodge-based options

Amateur fishing program on the Rio Negro river (October thru March) between Manaus and Barcelos, and on the Amazon river (March thru September) between Manaus, Lake Janauaca & the Madeira River.
Accommodation for 7 and 15 day programs: choose between a Regional Riverboat (8 persons maximum w/ hammocks), or a Regional Houseboat (16 persons maximum with bunk bed cabins).
Option for 7 day program: Cuieiras Fishing Camp (14 persons maximum, hammocks, shared bathrooms) on a Rio Negro tributary north of the middle Anavilhanas islands (100kms from Manaus). The camp offers fishing trips to the islands and the upper Cuieiras & Branquinho River (October thru March only), and ecotourism tours year-round.
Guides for all programs are English speaking, trained jungle guides and amateur naturalists but not professional sport fishermen.
Basic fishing equipment provided if necessary though we advise you bring your own.

The Fisherman

The focus of this tour is fishing, primarily, for the famous Tucunare (Peacock Bass), but also, for various types of Surubim (Catfish), Dourado, and large Black Piranha. Our guides are multi-lingual, former working fisherman, able sports fishermen and general naturalists from the region. They know where to catch the fish we want to catch. In the "recommended" dry season (August to December) we concentrate on tributaries of the Rio Negro river as far up as the mouth of the Rio Branco river. In the rainy season (January to July) when the rivers are high, the Amazon landscape and Anavilhanas islands are flooded, and the fish are more dispersed and thus harder to catch, so we concentrate on the oxygen-rich Solimoes (Amazon) river where there are always fish to catch. Lakes Janauari, Janauaca and Manaquiri are our destinations.

This tour also includes a number of rainforest walks, canoeing side-trips and visits with local Amazonian families for variety, and a visit to the famous "meeting of the waters" (the Rio Negro and Amazon rivers). We will also have a chance to study traditional fishing methods such as line & sinker, nets, harpoon and bow & arrow. Our boat- or mobile base-camp- is a classic Amazon riverboat, complete with kitchen, dining area, canopied sundeck, bathroom and shower. On board we sleep in hammocks or upon air mattresses. We have small motorboats equipped for our daily fishing trips. Depending on the time of year you will also visit our Cuieiras River Fishing Camp located on a northern tributary of the Rio Negro River above the middle of the Anavilhanas Archipelago.

Note: we have a limited amount of fishing gear to "lend" guests. We will send you a list of recommended fishing gear and we "suggest" guest bring their own equipment with you.

DAY 01 Arrive Manaus Transfer IN to Hotel Overnight at Italia or Central Hotel or similar.

DAY 02 We depart from the floating port in our boat, fully outfitted with food, drink, ice and crew. From Manaus we travel one hour to the stunning "meeting of the waters", where the Rio Negro River meets the Amazon river, but the two do not mix due to differences in velocity, density and temperature. At the meeting of the waters we often see gray and pink river dolphins, and the local fishermen in action. Second stop is Lake Janauari, a watershed receiving water from both the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers. We will visit a restaurant run by local "caboclo" river people to sample fried filets of freshly caught Piraracu (largest freshwater fish in the world). We will walk through the treetops on a wooden walkway to view giant Amazon waterlilies. We might see monkeys, hawks, alligators, morpho butterflies and iguanas here. After our walk we make our way by boat to the Amazon river, here called the Solimoes. We arrive at a group of islands called Iranduba, an area full of birds, other wildlife and, of course, fish. In the middle of the afternoon we take to the motorboats for our first fishing session in the igarapes (small creeks) and lakes which dominate the area. We will have dinner on the boat and then take to the canoes once more in the evening to go "alligator hunting"- but only to see and photograph them. We will spend the night at Iranduba.

DAY 02-07 Depending on water levels we will enjoy fishing on the Amazon to lakes Janauca, Manaquiri and Juma, or on the Rio Negro to the rivers Cuieiras and Apuau.

DAY 07 Return to Manaus. Farewell dinner at Taj Majal fish restaurant Overnight at Hotel.

DAY 08 After a free morning the group will be taken on a guided/driven city tour. We will visit the famous Manaus Opera House, the Municipal Market, and the Museum of Natural Sciences (collection of preserved Amazon fish and aquarium). Transfer to Airport

Note: On longer trips we travel as far as possible up thru the Anavilhanas islands towards the town of Barcelos, stopping along the way to explore all promising fishing locations, such as the Jauperi and Rio Branco rivers.
Note: in the "recommended" dry season we concentrate on the Rio Negro exclusively and concentrate on rivers and lakes on the Barcelos area (Middle Rio Negro). In the dry season we will concentrate on lakes of the Solimoes River and travel on the Rio Negro only if conditions permit.

WHEN: Weekly departures in season. We operate eco-tourism tours throughout the year (canoeing, trekking, wildlife photography, local culture etc) on riverboats and at a lodge.

COST:
6 days fishing PLUS 1 day in Manaus (7 day complete package)
at the lodge or in a riverboat with 2 persons minimum, US$1620 per person
in a houseboat (cabins and a/c) with 4 persons minimum, US$2100 per person.
10 days fishing PLUS 1 day in Manaus (11 day complete package)
lodge option not available
in a riverboat (hammocks) with 2 persons minimum, US$2100 per person
in a houseboat (cabins and a/c) with 4 persons minimum, US$2520 per person.
14 days fishing PLUS 1 day in Manaus (15 day complete package)
lodge option not available
in a riverboat with 2 persons minimum, US$2520 per person
in a houseboat (cabins and a/c) with 4 persons minimum, US$3120 per person.

INCLUDED
Airport transfers in Manaus, City Tour w/ lunch, 2 nights Lord Hotel (center) OR 1 night Hotel Tropical (river/airport) in a double room with breakfast included, all meals on tour plus drinks (mineral water, fruit juices, soda, no alcohol), basic fishing equipment if necessary, guide services, aluminum canoes with 15 and 25 HP outboard engines, daily ecotourism sidetrips (canoeing/trekking).

#2 - Mobile Fishing Camp

Semi-professional fishing program to the best Peacock Bass fishing locations; Barcelos on the Rio Negro river (October thru March) and on the Madeira river (March thru September). Accommodations are a mobile safari complete with hammocks, daybeds, tents and all necessary camping supplies.

WHEN : Weekly departures in season.
COST:
6 days fishing PLUS 1 day in Manaus (7 day complete package)- with 2 persons minimum, US$1740 per person; with 4 persons minimum, US$1440 per person.
10 days fishing PLUS 1 day in Manaus (11 day complete package)- with 2 persons minimum, $2400 per person; with 4 persons minimum, US$2160 per person.

INCLUDED
Airport transfers in Manaus, City Tour w/ lunch, 2 nights Italia or Central Hotel or similar Hotel in a double room with breakfast included, all meals on tour plus drinks (mineral water, fruit juices, soda, no alcohol), basic fishing equipment if necessary, guide services, aluminum canoes with 15 and 25 HP outboard engines, daily ecotourism sidetrips (canoeing/trekking), round-trip charter flight to Barcelos (October thru March) or to Itacoatiara (April thru September).