Amazon Adventure Day 11 - Last Dance, Last Chance, Last Cast

Catch of the Day (and Week and Year) - HW with Wolf Fish

 Fishing Day 6:

Guide: Ciru
Native Guides: Nee, Bep bu Di
Fishing Beat: 2
Quote of the Day: "It's the dry season. But it's also the Amazon Rain Forest."  - Brian
Other Quote of the Day: "The wolf fish is the stupidest fish." - Ciru
Other Other Quote of the Day:"I told you." - MW 

Rainbow over the Iriri River

Our last day fishing was ushered in with thunder, lightning and a driving rain overnight. By morning the rain subsided. A few light showers gave way to a spectacular rainbow over the boats, a mystical gateway to our last day on the river.   

Ciru was our guide today. We told him the same story we've told every guide the last few days. More wading and less fishing from the boat. And we'd like to get a wolf fish. 

This clip was supposed to end with me catching a fish. It didn't. 

Ciru tried. Anywhere a wolf fish might be found on our beat, he put us in a position to catch one. With some of the most spectacular river scenery yet. We did catch more fish. More peacock bass. More piranha. But no wolf fish. Until...

It was late afternoon. Time was running out. Last day. Last afternoon. Ciru guided me to a spot where a feeder stream flowed into the Iriri. I was casting across the stream to a rock face under a tree. Another likely wolf fish lair. Harlan was wading upriver with the native guides.  Far enough away that we could barely hear the commotion. I saw Nee running back and shouting. Ciru looked at me and said "He has a wolf fish!".  I said "Go get the picture!" There was no way I could get across the stream and to Harlan's location in time. "Wait. Do you have a camera?" Ciru shook his head no. I knew Harlan left his in the boat. "Here..." I tossed my phone to him. "If it locks out, the pin is [REDACTED]". Ciru was across the stream and out of sight in seconds, heading to Harlan's location, carrying my phone with my entire life on it, and with the pin that accessed everything. No matter. Getting the picture was the only thing that mattered now. 

He got the picture. A lot of them.

Harlan later described what I did not see: 

"We spent 7 days at the Kendjam Camp fishing on the Iriri River. Caught 8 species of fish I’d never seen before but the Amazonian Wolf Fish had evaded me. On the last day, in the last hour, on my last cast before heading back to camp I caught this beast. The native Kayapo warrior behind me, Bep bu Di, jumped in to the neck-deep water to net this fish. An amazing experience all around." - HW

Amazing indeed. What a way to finish. Almost mystical. 

With the magicians: L to R - MW, Nee, Ciru, HW, Bep bu Di

Our last dinner at the lodge tasted particularly good. 

A magical day. A magical week. A magical trip. 

All that's left to say is  "I told you."

Oh wait. Almost forgot. The Requisite Daily Token Heller Fish Pic...

Larry also caught a Wolf Fish.