Tackle and Gear for fly fishing the Amazon
Recommended Tackle
(Travel rods in 3-4 piece construction are helpful for carry-on purposes. Extra rod , reel, and fly lines are strongly suggested.):
- Rods: An 8-10 weight rod will be sufficient for the species that are caught on a fly.
- Reels: You will want at least two set-ups – one with a floating line, and the other with a 10’ sink tip line. Both will need at least 100 yd. of backing.
Leaders: Short leaders of 4-6 feet work well for the majority of fish. Bring both 30 lb. shock tippet and 30 lb. wire leaders.
Other Gear:
- Hooks in sizes 4 – 10/0 as specified in the Amazon flies section below.
- Wire in weights 30, 40, 50
- Nippers, wire cutter, hook hone, forceps and pliers
- Reel lubricant, line cleaner, rod and reel repair kit
- Waterproof tape to protect fingers
- Tape measure
Remember that most of the fish have sharp teeth and will destroy your line, leaders and lures readily. You will want to be prepared with plenty of extras .
Recommended Flies
The Amazon fish will attack your flies and lures voraciously. Many will be lost or destroyed so make sure you bring plenty. We bring far more than we think we’ll use, and we always use everything!
- Pacu—Flies: poppers sizes 4-8, in chartreuse or orange (imitating the fruit food sources.) They will occasionally take streamers sizes 1/0- 2/0, all with white belly and silver flash in yellow, red, blue or green.
- Peacock Bass—Flies: poppers sizes 2/0-4/0 in red/white, blue/white and green/white. Also, streamers sizes 2/0-4/0, all with a white belly and plenty of silver flash in red, blue or green.
- Matrinxa—Flies: streamers similar to those for Peacocks work well in sizes 2 - 2/0. Also 4“ grasshoppers in bright green with orange or yellow underbody.
- Piranha—Flies: streamers in sizes 2 – 2/0 in blue or green with heavy silver flash.
- Payara—Flies: streamers the same as for Peacocks, with wire leader and very sharp hooks.
- Traira—Fl ies: streamers in sizes 1/0 – 4/0 with wire leaders in same colors as for Peacocks.
- Catfish—Bait is by far the best way to catch the catfish. Hooks in sizes 4/0 – 10/0 are required for the different species, with wire leaders and sliding sinkers from 1-3 oz.
Personal Gear
- Sunscreens SPF 15, 30, 45, Zinc Oxide Sunblock for lips and nose
- Hat with brim and neck guard )
- Long sleeve shirts
- Long pants for fishing,
- White socks ( tops of feet can get burned in the boats)
- Sunglasses (polarized of course)
- Bathing suits
- T-shirts
- Shorts
- Underwear
- Sandals
- Boat and walking shoes
- Beach towel
- Rain jacket (an occasional cold squall will roll though!)
- Bug repellent (not often needed but important if you do)
- Camera & film
- Reading & writing materials
- Snorkel equipment
- Some cash to tip guides (Belize or American dollars)
- fishing tackle and equipment
- extra eyeglasses
- Passport
- rod repair kit with tip top and ferrule cement
Equipment and Gear Buying Guide
Rods:
Always buy 4 or 5 piece rods - they are so much easier to pack and the technology in making ferrules means you cant' feel the joints anymore. Whether it is the latest and greatest evolution of graphite or technology that is 5- 10 years old, modern rods are a pleasure to cast.
REELS:
I use large arbor reels for saltwater and fresh water. The retrieval rate is awesome and it helps the drag maintain a consistent pressure while a fish is running. ( The diameter doesn't change much as you lose line as it does on a standard arbor) There are some wonderful reels out there but the Mach Large Arbor is a great value, it is light, it is pretty, it is smooth and it doesn't cost a fortune!
FLY LINES:
Fly lines should be specific to the conditions - Broad categories include: Warm Water or Cold Water?, SaltWater or Fresh water? Lines can be full floating, full sinking, or partial sinking (sink tip). The tapers can vary infinite ways to help you throw different kinds of flies in different situations, or one taper may help you mend line easier than another. Almost every manufacture of high quality lines will offer a line for the specific species and purpose you are looking for.
LEADERS:
I prefer to use flouro carbon leaders for most of my fly fishing needs (salt or freshwater) as they have more abrasion resistance than standard monofilament.
I also always use flouro carbon tippets for fresh and saltwater applications for it's invisible nature. Most of our destinations have pretty stupid fish but it still makes sense to use the most invisible tippet.
FLIES :
If you need flies for one of our trips we can provide you with a selection specific for the time of year and destination you are traveling to. This is a courtesy to our clients and we do not sell flies to anglers who have not booked a trip through us! ( We are not snobs we just are not set up to provide tons of flies!) The selections usually come in $100, $150, $200 selections.
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